The Sumpter miner. [volume] (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905, 1901-01-09
RELOCATION OF CLAIMS.
Race to File Certificates on the First Of


Many amusing stories are being told in.
cident to the relocation Of mining claims
on the first day of the new century.
Probably the most exciting race to reach
the recorders office was from Sumpter
district.
1t seems that what Is considered a very
valuable piece Of mining property had been
neglected the past year so tar as doing the
annual assessment work was concerned.
There Is scarcely a mining property or
promising prospect In the eastern Oregon
gold fields but what has one or more par.
ties watching for a delinquency on the
part OF the owners, so that II might be re.
located. In this case there were half a
dozen or more waiting for chance to 10.
cate this particular property. Three dif.
ferent outfits stayed with the property
until after midnight on the last day Of the
year and posted their notices Of location.
Then race for the recorders Office began,
each one wishing to be the first to file his
notice for record.
After reaching Sumpter they discovered
that there would be nothing gained by
starting BY private conveyance, as the
train would reach the city before any team
could possibly do so. Unknown to each
other two out Of the three made arrange.
ments to send representatives to the
county seat with the much coveted ioca.
ton notices. One, thinking to be a little
sharper than his opponent, ordered a cab
by telephone to be at the train to meet
his representative. Another, being In a
like mood, telephoned a friend In the city
to be at the train wtha fleet footed saddle
horse for the accommodation Of his repre-.
sentative. The third was not inclined to
trust the valuable documents to an out.
slider and concluded to come to the city In
person. On entering the car and looking
about and not seeing either Of the other
locators, he complacently sat himself bae k
In the cushioned seat with the air Of a
man who had full confidence in the Stump,
ter Valley railroad company's ability to
land him in the county seat ahead OF any
span OF horses In eastern Oregon, even II
they did have an hours start.
When the city was reached there was a
wild scramble. One man ran a Ia bank
r0bber, to where the horse was being held
jumped in the saddle and "lit out" for the
court house. Another rushed to a cab,
gave hurried orders and away the team
sped on gallop, but when he reached the
recorders desk he found The horseman
had filed his document nearly five min.
utes ahead Of him. The third man, on
reaching the court house, met the other
two, and then tor The first time realized
how he had been duped. He consoled
himself by contending that there was no
hurry anyway; that he had thirty days In
which to record; that he would at least
stake the claim off before he recorded il.
But he looked mad.
Another race was run from Rock Creek
district, but after wild chase of many
miles over different routes, the parties
met where the two roads come together
below the city, and as they rode into town
came to an understanding whereby they
would become equal owners In the prop.
erty. And the claim hasn't yet been re-.
corded, nor won't be until II Is staked off
according TO law and renamed.-Demo.
crat.