Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1903-01-29
SOUTHERN OREGON CITY
Advantages of Grants Pass as
Seen by Col. Crawford.

Grants Pass is located in Josephine
county, Oregon, upon the banks of the
Rogue river. The Southern Pacific
railroad passes through it. 1t lies s96
mile south of Portland Its elevation
is 96S feet; population about 5000.
The town has electric lights, water
works, banks and churches Grants
Pass governs an area of about 90 miles
from its point as center, which
trades with the merchants of the town.
Almost Every class of merchant can be
found here, doing a fair business Tie
'climate, from medical statistics has
been found healthy; there is little, if
any snow fall The thermometer
ranges from 20 degrees above zero in
winter to 80 in summer time; the
rainfall is about 20 inches.
The adjacent country, depending up
on its supplies from Grants Pass, con-
sists of low mountain ranges, full of
quartz leads and heavy deposits of
placer grounds, the said ranges being
a continuation Of the Siskiyou mount
aims, and others being part of the
Coast range.
REAL ESTATE AND HOUSES.
1t is fact that, there are not
sufficient number of houses built in
this town for the demands made, and
the prices of real estate are reason
able. Practical men can see the fact
Of the profit that will occur from ad-
yancing this industry.
The farm lands which are located-in
the Rogue river valley are held in
prices from $500 to $50 90 per acre, de.
pending on the condition and location.
The soil of Josephine county is en-
tirely alluvial, which is conducive to
the growth of all kinds of vegetables
and plants. The cultivation of
cereals pays well for the investment.
Hop growing is becoming quite an in
dustry and holds its own with any
other country in the state. The
growth of fruit is also an important
industry-that Of apples, especially.
The area of Josephine county is
about 1900 square miles or 1892, 600
odd acres
TIMBER LANDS.
We have quantities Of sugar pine,
yellow pine, red fir, oak, cedar and
many other kinds of timber in our
forests. Saw mills and box factories,
paying from u to II per cent annually
upon their investments.
GOLD PLACER MINING.
From records we have obtained, as
early as 1851, gold was discovered on
Josephine creek, some % or 30 miles
from this town. In 1852 the gold
yield had risen to very considerable
amount estimated by many as high
as SO, 600, 900.
In 1858 Indian wars occurred which
impeded this industry, and in 1855
and 1856 the same trouble occurred.
Up to 1870 there was but little done,
except by Chinese; after that time,
miners slowly came back, and later on
Hydraulic mining was installed in
rather primitive forms, but it proved
the fact that large returns Of gold
were in the banks. The valley Of the
Rogue river, on which many of these
placers are located, runs almost due
north in a narrow canyon between
dcnsely wooded, steep, modulated hills
that rise from 1000 TO 5000 feet above
the leyeho Of its waters, on which are
located at these placer beds As it runs
south to Grants Pass, the ground
opens up into valleys. The torrent
system is very evident all through the
ranges Of mountains that are found in
Josephine county. The Cambrian
era Of the Primary period has been
entirely destroyed by discntegration,
and the grantoid rocks belonging to
that period have become a slide upon
the permanent ground, covering the
diorites, states and lines. We find
the contact veins running from to 60
feet wide between the walls
GOLD OUTPUT
There are six divisions or districts
which are now placer mining, consist
ing Of the Althouse, the Waldo, the
Williams, the Galice, the Grants
Pass, and the Grave creek. On rough
estimate from placer mining for tie
past year there has been produced
about $3.50, 600 aud of the quartz mines
now working, about $780, 900. The
profit derived from this industry, as
far as am able to obtain, has been
about 20 per cent on the labor and in
vestment The gravel produces from
10 10 l2ls cents per yard In the bank
the cost Of working, about ~ cents
per yard the water holds from seven
10 eight months in the year, accord
ing to location. The average Of the
gold quartz in the veins as has been
so far developed is about 500 PER
ton Thus far there has not been
great deal Of quartz mining done in
this country, in fact, you might class
all mining industries as prospects.
The leads are strong, well defined and
true, but the slide covers them over
I from 100 to COO feet before reaching