The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1901-03-19
MINING INTERESTS
IN THE RED HILLS
Valuable Discoveries of Iron
Ore and Gold Quartz
Salem May Yet Become the
Center of a Great Min
ing Excitement.

An article on Marion county mines
appeared in the New York CONNER.
cial, a journal devoted to mining and
general commercial interests and pub.
lished in the great metropolis. The ar
ticle, which was prepared by the Com.
mercial's Salem correspondent, appeared
in the issue Of March 1lth., aud was as
follows: ....
Salem recently experienced a mild
mining sensation. Samples OF quartz,
containing gold in paying quantities,
were found in the Red Hills just outside
the corporate limits of the city. Real
estate valuations advanced amazingly.
Samples of the quartz have been sent o
an assay office. They were found in ir.
regular elevations, adjoining fields upon
which only grain has been grown Tor
years.
l.. NJ. Ormsby. an assayer of this city,
saws the year 1901 will witnessa wonder
fui development of tue mines in the
Santiam country, and that this will be
but the beginning OF successful mining
operations in the Cascade Mountains.
To Erect Smelling Plant
Mr.. Ormsby has recently returned
from San Francisco, where he went in
the interests of the Bimetallic Mining
Co. lie took with him a quantity OF
ore from the Sautiam country in order
10 test it i'm smelter, and is satisfied
that the ore can be emelted at a cost
that will be profitable. The company
has made arrangements TO put IN a
smelter at its mine on Gold Greek, a
brapch Of the little North.Fork of theSan.
tiam. 1t is intended to have the smeter
in operation before the middle OF April.
Six mining companies have holdings
OIL the little North Fork and on Gold
Creek. each controlling from two to eight
claims. The claims have not been
worked, because their owners have con-
siderpd II impractiCablc 10 transport a
smeter 20 that region or 70 rack out the
ore 10 have it smelted elsewhere.
There are endless quantities OF the
ore, the only trOdble heretofore being 10
work II protitably.
The plan OF the Bimetailic Co. To taS
TO Gold Greek a portable smelter, con ,
slructed in sections, so as to be packed
FlrwOod to Provide Fuel
Fuel will be provided by burning char
coal from the fir timber. The ore con.
tains good percentage Of sulphur and
lime, and will therefore smelter easily
While in the Alsea country last 'summei
on an outing. DR.. j. Q. Griffith, OF this
city, picked up fine looking specimen
Of quartz, and brought it home with
him. He learned that the Alsea sample
assayed g., 500 10 the ton. II is unqnes'
toned evidence that there Is some Valu'
able mining property in the Alsea coun,,
try which has generally been considered
worthless for any other purpose than
stock grazing.
w. ii. Fletcher, Jr., Of this city leaves
on Wednesday for the State OF Sonora
Mexico, where he is Interested in some
gold mining property. X. Anson,
this city; julius Wolf and George Gus
sitter, OF Silverton, and l.. W. Guiss, o
Woodburn, arelargely interested IN COP
per mining properties In Mexico
I Charles Scott is at the head OF Mariol
county corporation that is wofkln
some Mexico gold mines.
MIR. Scott has gone 20 the mines y
personally superintend and direct IN
operations. f.. Cooke Patton, OF TN
I city, is also interested in mining prop
erty IN Mexico.
Since the above was published, return
have been received from samples OF tn
Red Hills ore that have been assayeC
1t develops that iron exists in payin
quantities while there is liberi
sprinkling OF gold and other minerals
the hills. Owners Of the land upo
which the discovery has been made, hay
not decided as to whether OF not the
will proceed with the development
the property.