Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1903-08-27
A GREAT MINING STATE
Such Is Oregon and She Is Be-
comins Greater.

mining fields of the United States and
Canada, is now in Portland and does
not hesitate to say that millions Of
dollars Of undeveloped mineral wealth
lie within easy reach of this city.
The time is rapidly approaching, he
says, when outside capital will take
the necessary steps to convert this rich
hoard into coin, and he urges the
people of Oregon to forestall such
effort and keep the wealth for
themselves.
To the Telegram, Mr.. Weber said: (
After three and a half years tour
in the United States and Canada,
visiting the various mining camps
and studying the mineralogy and
geology, one must be prepared to
judge of conditions.
Last year made complete tour
of the Mother Lode in California,
from MADEIRA county on the south to
Tuolumne, Calaveras, Amador, Edo
RADIO, Placer, Butte, Plumas, Shasta,
Trinity and Siskiyou counties ON the
north, and then to Ashland, Jackson
vile, Gold Hill, Grants Pass, Galice
Greek, Merlin, Bohemia and Blue
River in Oregon. Last month came
again to Oregon to study this wonder
full belt of mineral. find that in
California we have the older andesites,
but that in Bohemia, Blue River,
Elkhorn and Quartvzille we find the
more recent andesites; such as arg
at Cripple Creek, Colo. understand
prospectors axe opening up very good
prospects, at Mount Hood | saw
some of the ore, and it has the same
characteristics as the ore in Bohemia.
Blue River and QuartzvillD While
looking over the map one can readily
see the trend of the ore chutes. be-
lieve this wonderful belt of low grade
ore extends for hundreds of miles in
Oregon, and that some day this state
will awaken to the fact that millions
upon millions nf dollars worth Of
minerals are lying dormant at the
very back door of Portland.
Today l inquired who was the
Oregon State Geologist, and l was
informed you have none. Think Of
a state that is crowding hard many
of the Western states in wool, hops
and agriculture, and which bids fair
to lead, being without a State
Geologist
In an experience of very many
years and an examination of thous.
ands of mines and tlIeir formations,
l am frank to say that this andesitic
flow. witt. its dikes of basalt
trachyte, phonolite and meta rhyolite
is the repository of very great riches
Thirteen years ago, when the
mines of Cripple Creek, Colo, were
discovered. the mineralogist and
geologist said that gold in paying
quantities could not be found in a
basaltic region, but today Cripple
Greek is the richest mining camp in
the world, producing over S2G, OO0, 0OO
ANNUALLY.
II believe that some of the great
future gold fields of the world are to
be found along this belt in Oregon
Such fortunes as the great Comstock,
in Nevada, made for Fair, O'Brien,
Mackay, Flood and others, will be
made along this belt.
"Whilc visiting these camps / saw
failure after failure, because un.
scrupulous experts and promoters
urged, after few tons of free.mill.
ing ore were exposed, the erection of
a mill. While it is true there is some
free milling ore on top, the base sui.
phides soon appear, and then the pros
pect is abandoned, and the stockhold-
ers are out, and another failure is re.
corded against district, whereas,
had scientific metallurgist been
consulted who would have recon-
mendod either smelling or chlorina.
tion, today these prospects would
have been developed into dividend
paying mines.
cover seyen-tenths Of the ore | saw
was concentrating. These concen.
trates can be treated with chlorina-
tion right at the mine, as chlorina-
tion plant to treat eight or ten tons
Of ore can be- erected at the mine for
$40, 900 to $l2, OOO The cost Of treat
ing will not exceed 81 per tou. On
the Mother Lode in California, where
wood and water are bought concon.
trating is being carried on for less
than 81 per ton. Oregon having
plenty Of wood and water, especially
along this belt, surely can do It as
cheaply. At COLORADO City. Colo.
chlorination is successful for less
than g. per ton.
"When Oregon shall be laced and
interlaced with railways as Colorado
is, thhese concentrates will be ship
ped to smelters. Portland being a
common center is the place where
large smelters should be erected for
here the hukes are near, the coke
cheap, and smelter must succeed.
In some districts the ore has zinc,
silver, gold, copper, lead and iron,
arsenic and antimony. None Of these
are detrimental 70 chlorinaton, but
are 10 cyaniding.
"While reporting to London
banker the other day, estimated il
the ore went g. per ton in gold, silver
and copper, a dividend profit can be
made, a. these three metals can b.
saved by chlorination. / know where
there are hundreds Of thousands Of
tons Of ore that will go over :;
per ton.