The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-06-10


Among the various mining centers or
that vast mineral stretch known az the
noxthwest portion of tho United States,
s.w arc attracting more attention from
mining men in all parts OF the world man
the sumpter district. located In Eastern
Oregon within the confines or that To-
eal!ty, IL is said by those who have recent
" paid n visit there, can be found more
dividend paying mines than In any otner
Htst-4ot Of similar size in the United
States. And yet quartz mining at stump
ter is only in it's infancy. Experts mn
ers and gsologists are focldng TO surrpter
and the mineral area in that vicinity ana
each. returning. has nausht put soou
words for the section and It's future pros
poets.
Capital Is being invested in a manner
shat fnsnirea confidence. and steam plants
and machinery for the following mines
will be I'm operation within thirty Gays;
hex. Bunker Hin. Anna Lulu, paneni'
Van Auda Richmond. White Elephant,
Tald Mountain, Inter Mountain. Keystone
Yeil, Mammoth. Free Coinage. Byson'
Mastif
On January last the following stamp
mills. all located at mines tributary TO the
town OF Sumpter. were In operation; hed
Boy 70 stamps; Badger. stamps; Belle
sua 10 stamps. Bonanza, 40 stamps Cali
fornia 10 atamps; Columbia. 10 stamps:
Cougar n0-ton cyanide. Don Juan, 10
stamps: r. g. f., % stamps; Great North
ern 10 stamps Golden Eagle, J stamps
doloonda. rolls and stamps equal 70 70
stamps; Helms e. Hines, 10 stamps; Little
Giant 10 stamps; May Queen. 10 stamps;
Magnolia. 10 stamps, North Pole. 10
stamps also 25-ton cyanide paio. 10
stamps: Pyx. stamps; Tiger. stamps.
An Experts Report.
Or. Alfred r. G. selwyn. NJ. G. G.. F. r.
g. late director OF the geological survey
OF Canada and of the geological survey or
Victoria Australia. recently spent some
time IN the Sumpter gold fields In tho In
tsrest OF English capitalists. In speaking
of the district he says:
TN Eastern Oregon, and particularly In
che sumpter gold fields. | find older rocks.
generally speaking, than exist on the sur
face In Australia The country rock at
gumpter. almost universally designated as
slate, Is improperly named II should be
called argilite from the Latin word ar
glllun. In oregon this has been metamor-
pbosed and appears to be of different
composition than the country rock OF Aus
tralia, but is substantially the same.
find the Oldest rock here. as In all parts of
the world. TO be granite. Then comes the
u.aurentian rock. which Is topped by the
liuronian. which constitutes our argtllite
or country rock.
81 and In Eastern oregon one OF the
most interesting and hopeful mineral
zones OF the globe. The formation, con-
tour, climate. accessibility, timber and
water form IA combination which tends to
reduce the cost OF extracting gold to tho
minimum. And. I'm addition. find the ores
are less refractory and contain a larger
amount of free gold, generally speaking;
besides. they are softer and less expensive
10 treat
''Another thing that impresses me with
the fumpter gold fields particularly Is the
immense amount Of placer gold on every
hand I DO not believe that its existence
and Significance have been properly appre-
eiated OF utilized by miners While, In my
mind II Is a sure Indication of rich quartz
deposits In the mountains II OF Itself will
prove TO he very rich here II properly
worked The earth, under tho surface.
has practically tho Same contour as at the
surface. except where disturbance or arti-
fielal conditions have changed Il. II there
fore follows that during past ages the Nj
tr0tion and peyooIaiion of mineralized
liquid haa gradually sunk 90 greater
depth. whore Il acCunulates on the bed
rock or lowest portions OF the gutter. geo
logically speaking.
Await Greater Developments.
'"TheHo placers IN Eastern Oregon have
b@en worked tu a desultory manner, down
few feet TO what tho oregouians call
wetfeot bedrock which rs nothing more
than "a horizontal dcpuait NJ hAtd, clRycv
seisstauee with impguvel machinery 20
by MP the water 8md remove The worked
oat gravel 7 believe the placer miues ne
~ cen Suurter and the Granite district
am throughout the Sumpttr gold fields
would Yiah immense amounts Of money
souc do not understand how large placer
nuggets art forutd from nne gold. such
as No uud lW 1uattE hedges DO uat at-
10 80 d. 81 al