The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-03-17


shops located at Fort Worth VIII b
moved here in the immediate future
Being in an agricultural country, It hal
a great advantage in the diversity Of erel
and viii never be a one-crop country
Every man can find his speciality in thi.
climate and soil whether he be the cot
ton planter from the south. the corn anC
fruit raiser from the north and east, Of
the wheat and cattle raiser from the
west
| One man who has rented Indian lands
and lived near here for fourteen years
assured me that corn failure was never
known, the nearest being during that
dry year when wheat throughout the
west gave up the struggle in the terrible
| fight against drouth and in many cases
yielded only enough to replant the
ground. That year he only raised twenty
bushels to the acre, but it was Of a good
marketable quality.
The few peach trees planted by the In
dian and never cultivated. yield every
year great crops of luscious fruit.
| One squaw man here who was enter
| prising enough to set out small apple
| orchard a few years ago marketed last
| year 1000 bushels of fine apples, netting
| him 81 per bushel The many settlers
| in the new country viii borrow from
| this object lesson and in a few years
viii rival any place in its supply OF this
| wholesome and delicious fruit.
The mineral wealth known to be de-
| posted in the Wichita mountains has
already attracted great deal of atten-
ton and many fine samples of ore are in
| the hands of prospectors. Finding that
I have been engaged in mining in Cuba
for the last year, many here eagerly
asked my opinion as to the value of
their samples. They showed me many
samples that are said to contain gold,
but as I know nothing of gold mining
I passed them over to examine the
specimens of copper. Many samples of
green carbonates were shown me that
look as though they might run from %
to 80 per cent copper, and if body of
such ore can be located the fortunate
owner need not envy Creosus himself.
Other samples that interested me more
are the sulphide ores called, respective
", black oxide and copper glarce. These
seldom run as high in value as the green
carbonates, but are almost always
found in large quantities and are val
liable for that reason.
From the amount of samples shown
me I am convinced that there is valu-
able copper deposits located in these
mountains and as the development of
them into mines will be Of interest and
benefit to all Oklahoma and Kansas, I
viii add a few general remarks on the
subject Of mining for the benefit of
those who might take mineral claims.
In the first place, my experience has
been that all prospectors, while morally
right and in all other cases truthful
men, will prevaricate when telling Of
their finds. They viii show you a piece
Of ore that perhaps assays 20 per cent
and then say they have q vein from
twenty to thirty feet wide of suca ore.
Theydont seem to realize that at pres
ent quotations OF copper, such ore, less
the cost of shipping. would be worth
$68 per ton and that stone carrying such
a weight of copper would only require
IS cubic feet to make a ton. In other
words a shaft 5x5. sunk one foot would
yield a value of SOS. The best that the
mine at Cripple Creek !
yielded at first was SIC per ton and yet
without a dollar of outside capital it
was made into mine that sold for ten
millions of dollars.
I have read in the papers lately about |
copper finds running so to 80 per cent. /
That is all nonsense. That would be /
pure native copper. and such is only /
found in the Lake Superior regions, and |
then in small quantities.
Some Of the best paying copper mines !
in the United States are running on
/ IL and per cent ores. Ore mine in /
Montana last year declared a dividend /
of 100000 on / per cent ore. I expect
to have these statements challenged, but
as they are a matter of record, the
truth of them can be found upon a lit
tie investigation.
For a poor man with no prospects Of
outside capital. I would say, do not try
to develop a lead that shows a general
average Of less than 4 per cent with
width of not less than four feet Such
a vein viii pay expenses of sinking
from the start and the great cost is in
the first on working shaft. The
cost of taking out the bottom Of the
shaft is three times that of taking ore
out of the tunnels. Also values always
Increase with depth. Such a deposit
we'll and carefully managed viii make
IS owners not only Independent, but
wealthy even If there are several Of
hem interested in the one property.
Don't be a hog and try TO gObble the
whole country. Ten acres is enough, for
-our wealth IS IN depth and not surface
width I find many people here who
ream of securing large tracts OF this
mineral lands. They are not practical
mining men and seem TO think that the
mere possession win give them wealth,
,ut it wiz not mine must be worked
o be of any value A field well titled
eiug better than a farm half tended,
ertaiuly applies TO mining more than | {
ny other industry.
Before closing I wish to add a few s
lords in praise Of the ladies that form !
he aid societies here. Their meetings {
instead Of being society for gossip mon {
ers. where the latest scandal is dis /
used and dark hints thrown out Z
gainst their neighbors. as 50 many I
UGH meetings many times are, are !
lodels Of propriety where every mem s
er respects herself and holds the re- {
oect of the other members. They are r
rganized for the purpose not only for 1
be financial aid Of their respective e
lurches, but to distribute charity c
here needed and especially are they q
atchfuI Tor the needs of the orphans p
hey are not beggars. neither do they / y
axe a lot Of useless articles that no p
ady wants and then try 10 force people 4
nder the name Of charity 20 buy them. q
hey do any legitimate work within :,
leIr lire that is offered them. such 81 .
aking quilts lacking comforts. either Z,
r. private rerz7ns or for the merchants e
ID also take plain sewing. which they %