The Sumpter miner. [volume] (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905, 1901-03-27
EAST OREGON
COPPER ORES.
Vast Bodies That Garry From
2 to 6 Per Cent.


gOn extends from the Elkhorn mountains
that lie west Of North Powder river, In a
direction almost due east to Ballard's
Landing, on the Snake river, and con-
tinues into the Seven Devils mountains OF
Idaho. This is the general trend and
strike Of the great copper belt. 1t extends
for a distance Of over 100 miles, and Is
from one to four miles wide. ] do no,
mean to state that this copper zone fol-
lows In an exact straight line from ives,
to east, as It curves to the south several
miles from direct course.
Starting at the Elkhorn mountains, you
strike the district Of Laclede, then Med.
ieal Lake, Burkemont, Copper Butte,
Goose Creek, Lower Pine Creek and Bal.
lard's Landing. Each district. with the
exception Of Burkemont, has a similar
character Of ore, which, as a rule, Is car.
Donate, oxide and sulphide Of copper. Oc.
easionally, there Is copper glance and cup
rite. As this zone Is too large to cover In
one article, will confne myself to de.
scription of the Burkemont district. This
particular part Of the copper zone probably
has more interesting characteristics than
any other copper field In the Pacific North.
west, from the fact that probably 90 pei
cent Of the copper Is found In the native
state. The rock containing this metallic
copper Is what Is known to geology as
amygdaloid. In character and structure {
It Is similar to that found In many Of the
mines In the vicinity Of Keweenaw Point
Michigan. II may not be out Of place to
explain that amygdaloid is Of basaltic, and,
therefore, Of volcanic origin.
The most remarkable feature Of this
district Is the character Of the metalliferous
product, which Is not, strictly speaking
an ore. True. native copper Is quite fire..
quenty found in veins of quartz and other
matrix, but usually in small masses and
near the surface, evidently a resultan,
from decomposition of sulphurets. Bu,
in the Burkemont district, as In the Mich
igan districts, the rock carries almost ex'
clusively native copper, with from So to sc
per ton in gold and silver. There are
places where the amygdaloid is not dis
tinctly bedded and 1t ceases to bear native
copper, but contains the metal In the form
Of cuprite and sulphurets.
This copper.bearing amygdaIoid zons
has an average width of about one hall
mile, with distinct outcrop of over two
miles In length. The strike, as before
stated, Is nearly east and west. The con
tact of lime that forms the north wall Is
very pronounced. The south wall has
not been positively determined. These
valuable deposits are now being developed
by the North American Mining company
under able management. This company
was formed In Des Moines, Iowa.
But to return to the development Of this
particular zone. Copper has been known
to exist In this belt since 1855, and con
siderable development work was done In
the early Cos. In later years smelteI
was erected three miles east Of the pres
ent town site Of Burkemont. It was sue
cessfully operated, but the expense ol
marketing the product was too great, as
It all had to be transported by teams and
steamboats,, via The Dalles, to Portland
whence 1t was shipped by sailing vessels
to the eastern market. Copper at tina,
time was worth only from 2 to 9 cents pei
pound. It Is easy to see that the smelteI
enterprise was losing one. Forty year:
have wrought many changes. not alone In
rapid and cheap transportation, but alse