The Sumpter miner. [volume] (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905, 1901-07-17
DRILLING IN BIG BEND
Reported Rich Find Is Said
Not to Be a Fake.

~ fIVCIul tiiF N'u"'s
to the Oregonian, says: Johannesburg,
in the big bend Of the Snake river,
promises To be real live mining camp
within II few weeks. Diamond drill
men are making contracts for their ma
chimes, and II number Of prospecting
outfits will begin work in Il short time.
The famous mine of G. q. Singer, where
the strike was made, will resume
work in u day or two. Singer has just
ordered $50, 600 worth Of machinery and
a hundred men will bc started to work.
q. l.. Hickey and J. B. Evans, Of Salt
Lake City, will have u diamond drill on
the ground in ten days. Nearly every
man, woman and some Of the children
in Ontario are Interested in the ground.
Paycttc people have also taken large
tracts, and II company formed by "A.
Wells has filed ON 1900 acres for bencvo-
lent purposes, and will organize for the
purposes of handling, operating and con-
trolling the mines in the west. II the
company's ground il onc-fourth as rich
NJ IL believed, it will have wealth enough
To rebuild every church building in the
United States, and employ all the
preachers 10 years. The reports as To
the values found have been corroborated
by Mr.. Singer, are ~ follows:
At II depth of - feet false bed rock
was pierced, and Immediately II bed OF
gravel carrying $5 to the ton was en-
co,ntcrcd. This mass of material IL
sediment. consisting Of shalc and sand
and dry, hard gravel, and is known to
be of depth Of 10 feet, the present bot
tom of the shaft. Bedrock il not in
sight, and is only indicated by the ap-
pcarancc Of heavy deposits Of black sand
ovcrlaid by the bed rock clay, usually
found ON bed rock. This is not the true
clay, but il ON that order, and is three
fourths sand. II may bc hundreds of
feet To bed rock. The values get bet
ter right along.
The shaft opens up sulphatcs in lage
quantities, which carries 81 To the ton
In gold and one ounce and half in sill !
yer. The mass also carries ~ to $40 In |
free gold. The free gold Is getting
coarscr and of better value and heavier
quantity. The free gold combined with
the base now aggregates $l+ per ton,
and il increasing. II another hundred
feet IL found before bedrock il had, there
IL only chance left that II will not be
the very richest strike of the kind ever
made. The -four gold Of the surface has
long since disappeared, and shot gold
found in its place. A large quantity Of
water was encountered until ~ feet
depth was reached, but below that there
is none of consequence. The water can
bc shut out ut the l5-ioot mark and dry
mines had. To get the hest results, the
entire ganguc will have to bc crushed.
The strike is near the bank Of Snake
river in large basin. The stalking ex-
tends back ON the foothills in all direc.
tions. Those who have made u rush for
the higher table lands contend that they
will strike their values above the water
line, and thus have absolute dry mines
from the start. The camp is in beau
tiful and picturesque valley, where hut
little snow falls, and where the noun.
tains shelter il from the winter. Grass
grows up to Christmas and starts again
in February. No buildings have been
erected, no saloon, store, boarding-house
or building of any kind appears. A
thousand people are directly interested
in the ground, but not more than 10 OF
lhem huyn hcen on the rrnund nj one