The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-06-10
SUNpTER'S GREAT MINERAL B[TT.

retard investments here temporarily, but
the merits of the country will inevitably
attract immense capital from Europe ana
the commercial centers Of the United
States"
Much Ground for Prospect
Within fifty miles OF the town Of Stump
ter IL is shown by figures there are more
dividend paying mines than in the states
OF Montana and Idaho combined. The dis
tr1ct might be called n comparatively new
one. although gold was first discovered
there is 1852 II was placer gold, and the
district was explored as placer field until
1879. Then lode mining became the thing.
and the rich lodges Of free gold which
had been uncovered by hydraulic placer
mining were proftably worked for many
years with primitive arrastres COnse-
quently. the ground has never been thor
oughly prospected for quartz lodges. OF
the total 800 square miles within the linn
It's Of the camp, It IS safe TO say that fully
COO of them have never been touched
During 1899 1900 prospectors went into the
hills. They picked and they pecked from
Big Bald mountain on the north 10 the
Greenhorn range on the south. They
nosed along the worked out creek beds
and beat up into the long green slopes OF
the sky line hills. When snow came they
plished so little-they but touched the high
places-the whole 1900 Of them Nine hum
bred square miles is big stretch of coun-
try, and prospecting is necessarily a de-
lberate process Thousands OF acres are
yet unexpiored.
sumpter's Mineral Belt.
sumpter is the center and distributing
point OF a vast stretch OF country lying in
Baker. Union. Malheur and Grant counties
in Eastern Oregon The mineral belt Is
fifteen miles wide and fully sixty miles
long This fncloses an area of 900 square
miles. Within the district at the present
time there are fifteen stamp mills In oper-
alton, with an aggregate crushing capa-
city OF 29s stamps. During 1899 the approx
innate output Of these mines was g. 500. 600
New mills will be erected upon the Van
Anda. Ibex. Mammoth, Diadem, Free
Coinage, Keystone and Chloride, Inter-
Mountain, Bald Mountain and others dur
ing 1900 which will increase this output by
siboo.ooo Tho town OF supmter is the ter
minus of tho Sumpter Valley railroad
connecting with the Oregon Railroad a
Navigation Compsny's line at Baker City
From Sumpter radiate a dozen stage lines.
reaching into the remotest parts of the
district. An electric railway from Sump-
ter to Bourne. eight miles northwest,
which will bring closer a group of some of
the richest mines in the West, is an as
sured fact for 1900 This feeder will also
operate as an outlet for the mines of
Granite, whore the famous Red Boy is
situated Already Sumpter, by virtue OF
its geographical position, is the sole sup
ply point for the vast and rich district OF
Sumpter.
Capital P0urs In.
Into the Sumpter district within the past
twelve months has come capital from the
four corners of the earth. Mining capital
is always conservative. n Is slow to go in
for prospects. But when a field Is pre-
sented for safe and sure investment 1t is
first on the ground. The Sumpter district,
by virtue OF Its record as a dividend pay
ing camp. and by virtue OF its established
reputation for permanence of auriferous
deposits, which insures its future as a
gold producer, presents today the most
certain field for investment in the West
since the spring of 1899 II Is safe to as
sert. that into the camp have come a hun
dred mining experts. who have examined
the district from the standpoint of con-
servatism- Not one of these experts have
gone away. II is said. without recommend
ing the district favorably to their princl-
pals and not one of them has pronounced
adversely upon the district as a gold coun-
try of richness, accessibility and perma-
nenoe. The district presents this peculiar
distinction above all the Western mining
camps OF later days: that while most OF
them, by reason OF their geological forma-
lions, are either poor mems disgings" or
are only possible OF development by capt.
tai, Sumpter ia both.
Not only are mining operations in this
district confined to quartz lodges, but the
Immense placer fields of the camp also are
assuming high place. And the quartz
Lodges abound In free gold values. begin
nlng at the grass roots, Comfortable for
tunes have been made by poor prospectors.
whose initial capital consisted solely OF a
pick and shovel ana an abiding faith in
the districts richness. All OF Sumnter's
big mtnes--the Bonanza. Red Boy. Col.
oonda. T. & r.. Columbia, California.
North Pole. Magnolia, Little Giant. Inter
Mountain. hex, Bunker HIN, Diadem.
Free Coinage Cougar aud others. had
humble beginnings, Their values began al
the surface, have continued in all cases.
and have increased in some Not long aro
The great dolconda struck ore worth
10000 per ton
What Cam lie Done.
The other day IA miner from the Green
horn mountains brought in rock taken
from n foot shaft sunk tn the bottom
az gulch which assayed over $40 In
Gtmlet Au,cA "a few years ago a nugget
was found weighing $40" on Boulder
creek "a gold slab WAS discovered worth
81 N0 and another worth $50 The Pow
dor river pIaeers, on She edge OF Suulpter.
after being worked over by Chinese icssees
for twenty years, TODAY assay an averaxs
20 - ceuts per caaio yard. ana viii h.
mined nv a recently formed big C9mpanv
WITH a modern g0A Aredker Every lot I'm
t6c sampler towUSIte contains ITS price M
kutd dust A vast field remains yet nm
rroFpc ted The great drceuAorn country.
tae Atj3s south - Granite the region h...