The Sumpter miner. [volume] (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905, 1900-05-23
Letson Ballet Writes Sensibly
on the Subject.

sense, whatever else may be said of him.
In the first place, he repuiiates all con-
nettion with the Mining News, OF Des
Moines, Iowa and redituIeS its nonsensi-
cal statements regarding his fabulous
wealth and its transparently exaggerated
accounts of his operations in connection
with the White Swan mine and the pro.
posed Smelier at Baker City. Regarding
the latter, the letter SAYS that he expects
to erect one OF leo tons capacity; not
10000 tons capacity, as stated in the
Mining News.
The letter goes into detail regarding the
affairs OF the White Swan, the purrort OF
which is that his company has bought up
the Indebtedness against the property: the
Old company has some time in which to
pay and redeem the property. Some man
named w. w. Wooiarl. ot Des MoneS,
is making IN effort to raise this money.
The literature he is sending out in an
effort to sell stock Is self cOndsmnatoiy.
IN the meantime the BALLET people remain
inactive. Al this being true, letSor
Ballet. doubtless lirOWS that the best
thing he can 90, is to have his fool friend,
the Mining News, ring off," The
following extract is from the letter:
81 enclose YOU some circular letters
which were sent out by Il man who was
the secretary OF the old White Swan Min.
ing X Milling company aud | understood
they are masking some extensive advance.
ment along this line, have nothing To
do with this aS 1t is an Iowa concern, and
my company, which is simply idle and
ready to begin at any time, Is Cali.
tornia company, and my company is not
selling stock. We simply hold the debts
Of the old company, from which we infer
that they will make an attempt TO re.
deem.
"laiso enclose YOU n clipping sent out on
April l, hy the same party who signs the
the literature that have enclosed, in
which he said that the old company was
$4,000 in debt, and that Mr.. w. w.
Wooiard, president and treasurer OF this
company--i suppose the Western De.
velopment company. managed To raise
900 10 pay CT $4,000 Indebtedness.
There are more peculiar statements made
in this letter which enclose.
1.-The statements which YOU reproduced
from the Mining News in regard to the
smelters, were ealirey unauthorized and
inasmuth as We have not offered one
dollars worth of stock for sale, think
YOU have unintentionaly done me a little
injustice and the Mining News was too
enthusiastic. To be candid with you, !
do expect 10 build a smelter in Baker
City, but DO not expect to put in any
10000 tons capacity in the beginning; |
think 100 tons capacity would be a pay.
ing investment for starter, but ! would
seriously avoid any such gigantic capac.
ity as you quoted from the Mining News,
with the present development in Baker
county.
81, myself, am interested in some claims
in the Sumpter district and would be the
last man to rip Sumptsr up the back in
the manner the Mining News did.
ut is true that the claims which have
beyond Sumpter are undeveloped and idle,
but nevertheless think they are worthy
of doing the assessment work upon.
snow, my dear sir, you know that dis.
tant fields look green, and when ! left
Des Moines, | left without any money
whatever, ard happened to be somewhat
successful in mining operations in Colo.