The Sumpter miner. [volume] (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905, 1900-05-23
WHO'S THE"KNOCKER"
Interesting Story About Mines
Of the Sunpter District.

81 he Gold Fields OF Oregon" from the
pen OF K. u. Casper, It's travelling core
Sponden', whose arrival In Sump,er was
mentioned IN these columns two weeks
since. The story consists OF two letters,
one written from Portland and the other
from Baker City. Mr. Casper IS still in
and around Sumpler, personally inspect.
ing the district, on which he will write ai
exhaustive report. Ne writes Of a a"knock.
rr," which matter is Of especial interest
TO MINER readers. Many can guess who
the individual Is. After quoting from
Professor Sclwvn'S famous report on this
district. he says:
Professor SrlWyn'S opinion needs no
comment. What he has 80 succnCtlv put
is known now 10 every intelligent miner
and mining man who has visited this set.
ton oi the country.
he yield ol gold Tor the year 1907 IS
reported 10 have been three millions and
estimates Tor the output las, year are he.
tween tour aud tive millions. lha, the
production the ensuing wear viii exceed
that amount there Is every reason ior be-
licving. The district IS vrrv extensive
aud pay mines exist from tive 10 sixty
miles from the town.
Some oI the best paying mines have
had curious histories. In this connection
| viii only mention one. About NiN yeats
ago II WAS played out aud abandoned
property and Was bought for few hun.
dfrd Ut a irW thousand dollars wv the
present owners, who were poor men. \
Crawford mill was brought IN ana put on
the property, and II has been a producer
ever since. At tpreScnl there Is = ao'Silmp
mill and cyanide plant on the property
and the ou,pul is approximately S)ooco
per month. 4 large hois,ing plant has
been put up and extensive sinking viii
follow. 1t Is said that the property j.
held at from two 10 three millions. II has
made it, owners fi,h aud vet one oi them
had the unlimited gail" 10 tell me the
other day that the output ol the district
had been grossly exaggerated; that II
had been "ovcr'wrl,ten' ~ aud that the gold
mines oi eastern Oregon were not what
they were represented tO re.
might have been fooled It ! had not
me, lust such croaherS ~ this many
wears ago In eai>lle, subsequently, In As.
pen aud more recently In Cripple Creeh.
IN the latter places when the outpu, was
two millions and i quarter per wear, these
same birds oi III omen SAID II was lied
about. Now the ou'pu, is two millions
aud quarter pr, moa,h ana from present
indications no one can tell when the llml,
viii I've reached, Just what the ohjet, OF
these people Is IN irving To turn down
mining district and keep capital from
coming In, II lS dinitult 10 state. In the
case above mentioned am treiihlv in
formed that the particular bear referred la
has been irving 10 purchase a claim near
his present bonanza and that the prize
has been put up on him. Further COM
ment Is unnecessary,
In his way, this sort o' individual is as
bad as the "huomer' who cnieaNofs Ia
ioiSt upon the public a prospect without
merit. II is sall that "everv prospect is
not 4 mine. hut every mine has at one
time been prospect aud il is true. Less
than ten wears ago the Bonanza mine
could have been bought Tor a'ew hundred
dollars. Its present value is over
million. The Red BOY Was purchased tor
a few thousand dollars and is sold at two
millions OF more; IN fact il is no, for sale.
The North Pole, II is said. was offered tor