The Sumpter miner. [volume] (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905, 1901-01-23
SPANISH GULCH MINES
Have Been Worked for the Past
Thirty-Five Years


Wheeler county, In the Camp Watson
mountains, a spur Of the Blue mountains,
are the Spanish gulch gold diggings, con.
sisting Of extensive placer and numerous
quartz veins, from which for the past
thirty five years gold has been taken,
which In the aggregate compares favor.
ably with any similar area known. And
after so many years Of successful mining,
the quartz propositions, especially, are
still in their infancy, and new discoveries
In placers are Of very recent date. These
mines take their name from discovery
made In 1862 by two Mexican or Spanish
packers, who worked out a "pocket"
found In ledge that crosses the gulch In
the vicinity of the old trail. In the fall Of
1864 company was organized In Canyon
City to prospect on Rock creek and its
tributaries. The moving spirit In the en-.
terprise was the late DR.. J. N. Mccoy,
we'll and favorably known to the old
pioneers Of Grant county, and for many
years resident Of East Portland. Find.
ing nothing on the creek, they turned
their attention to the gulches and found
favorable prospects In Spanish gulch,
which led to the formation Of company.
with the doctor as manager, which sur.
veyed out the first ditch and built the
same In 1865. This ditch Is seven miles
long and was worked by the hydraulic
process. the company using "distribut.
Ing chest" the most improved method Of
that day, which has long since given way
to the "giant." Other discoveries have
been made, another ditch was constructed
n 1871. It Is five miles long, also from
Rock creek. Both Of the above bitches
are owned by George V. Owens, MiIt
Laswell, Mrs. John Erickson and Mrs.
w. e. Waterman.
The third ditch brought to the gulch Is
from Birch creek and was built by DR.. r.
c. Horsley In 1877, and Is known as the
Sho Fly ditch. It Is now owned by Geo.
v. Owens. There are two other mining
bitches, one from Rock creek. known as
the Sand Guleh ditch, owned by Joles &
Co., Of The Dalles, six miles long; the
other Is from Birch creek, also six miles In
length, owned by Judge Kelley & Co.
The best developed quartz claim Is the
Red Jacket, owned by F. S. Allen, An.
drus & Co. We were shown four assays
from an average Of the ore that ran SO,
$40, $z2 and 81 respectively. The vein
Is from five to seven feet In width.
The Kershaw brothers have a quartz
claim that bids fair to become a bonanza.
George Anderson has one Of the best pros.
poets In quartz there Is In this county.
The name Of the claim Is not known to
the writer.
Judge Kelly and associates have bond
and lease on the Blue Bucket and Mys.
terry quartz claims, and have a one.stamp
mill to test the ore, and II It proves good.
will add more stamps In the spring. The
Blue Bucket and Mystery are owned by
Charles MCGOWAN & Co.
Messrs. Owens and Mccoy have two
claims on Jupiter mountain, Spanish
Gulch mining district, a recent discovery.
The vein Is I2s feet in width and any Of
the quartz shows from trace to S3. 50 In
gold on the surface. These claims are
known as the Mona and Marion and are
deemed valuable propositions.
The best placer Is owned by Robert D.
Cannon and W. n. Johnson & Son. In
q ten weeks run last summer with four
men they cleaned up $500. The gold Is
coarse and Of good quality. They took