The Sumpter miner. [volume] (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905, 1900-03-28
FIELD FOR DREDGING.
This Modern Method Will
Be Adopted Here.

bound to assume great proportions In the
Northwest within very short time"
The speaker was 4. n. Cooper, the
consulting and prospecting engineer Of the
Pomeroy Gold Dredge company, now
operating on Burnt river. Mr.. Cooper Is
a guest at the Mineowners' club.
There Is great future in this state for
gold dredging, Mr.. Cooper says. Where
only a short time ago there were two
dredges along the entire coast, there are
now thirty. Twenty-Five Of these are
operating in Idaho, Montana, California,
Oregon and FIVE In Colorado. Australia
has 200 dredges In operation.
The public generally has a very indef.
mite idea about the manner In which gold
dredges are operated. IN the first place, It
costs a fortune TO build one. Twenty.
seven carloads Of material were needed
for one of the dredges built by the Pome.
roy company along Burnt river. 1t cost
10000. As may be imagined, the dredges
have to make considerable money to pay
on the investment. However, J. II. Ri.
ing's two dredg.s In Montana took out
500 900 during two summers work at a
nominal expense, which gives an idea OF
their value when operated under fair con.
ditions.
Owing TO the demand for dredges, Wolff
4 Zwicker, Mr.. Cooper says, is figuring
on putting an addition to their plant for
the purpose Of building them.
These dredges are not built upon specu.
iation. Before building one, the company
has figured 10 a fraction how much II will
be able to earn. For instance. the com.
pany's prospector Is sent to examine the
river were II is desired to operate. Shafts
are sunk to bedrock at various distances
aud should color be found the yardage is
blocked out. II is then known just how
much dirt will have to be handled and
how much per foot that dirt will pay. Mr..
Cooper has prospected 20 miles OF river
channels In eastern Oregon and every
one Of them will pay TO be worked. The
dirt prospected, Mr.. Cooper says, will
average ~ to 90 cents a cubic yard, while
the COS, Of dredging will be from J to 8
cents yard.
After q certain channel or lagoon Is
prospctted and the amount OF pay dirt
computed. the material for the dredger
is shipped IN. The dredger must be built
according to the character OF the soil to be
worked. A dredger that would success.
fully operate In one place would te total
failure IN another district,
Mr.. Cooper says the little dredger
"Golden Giant" belonging 10 the Ham.
mond company, OF Portland, is operating
successfully along the Snake river.
That there is an excellent field for the
building OF gold dredeers In Portland is
shown In the following clipping from
California paper by Mr.. Cooper:
last week two OF the big gold iredges
on the Feather river, a little below Orc.
vile, resumed operations with electric
power, after a shutdown Of about month
To change machinery and also because OF
lack Of fuel. Power is supplied by the
iuha Power company from the iuba
river, at a distance OF twenty.sN miles.
One OF two more Will soon use electric
power, as will two new Postlethwaite or
Risdon dredges to be launched this month.
"Ihe two new dredges are very large,
having capacity OF handling 1000 ,rbic
yards OF gravel per y hours. The largest
yet installed in this state have a limit Of
$500 yards. The new ones are OF the con.
tinuous bucket type, ,oxSo feet in size,