The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1903-12-10
BaiIl
Had Same Arduous
Experience in the
Southwest

Washington, c., Dec. 9--Mr H.
Foster Balm of United States ge
illogical survey has returned to Wash
ington after a strenuous soiourn in
n the Wichita mountains OF oklahora
While there he was an object of in
Everest to two hostile classes Of the
I. icommunity. He had been instructed
Ito ascertain whether precious metals
exist in paying quantities In that dis
trict. The miners, promoters, and
speculators who swarm the hills we're
naturally as lous that he should be
favorably impressed with the mineral
promise Of that locality, whereas the
homesteaders settled along the river
banks felt that an adverse opinion
would protect them in their rights.
The report that he will write as the
sfesult of his investigation is sure
therefore to be received eith me
than usual interest.
Mr.. Bain's visit to the Wichita
mountains was made prmarily for the
purpose Of procuring information for
the secretary of the interior. The at
tention of the secretary had been call
ed to contests that have arisen be-
tween prospectors and homesteaders
on whose claims the prospectors have
made mineral filings
d - This locality has been the setting
for some exciting scenes during the,
! last two years. When the district was
opened up in 1901 the miners were
4 .Sermitted to go in and prospect. For
City years or more rumors have been
abroad of old Spanish mines rich in
lola and silver that we're once worked
lin those granite hills, and there was
ino dearth of fortune hunters to pene-
trate the solitudes when once the op-
porrunity offered In that same year,
Mr.. Joseph A. Tan. of the United
States geological survey, visited the
district officially and began the com
pilatio nof a geologic map. Before 1t
4 loass completed he was ordered to the
tadian territory to segregate the coal
sands in the Choctaw and Chickasaw
4 Nations. Later he resumed work on
s his geologic map of the Wichitas, and
! it is expected that he will have it
ready for publication some time this
winter Mr.. Tah's study had special
reference to the geological formations
of the district, but he gave consider
able attention to the mineral deposits,
which he reported to be valueless. Mr..
HJ8ain's investigations in this field have
4 been confined exclusively to study
of the ore deposits, and his report VIII
1--WE considered as supplementary to
fhst of Mr.. Taft.
w At the same time that the territory
IA as thrown open to miners, home
-, paders we're also allowed to take up
(tds Confusion and strife soon re-
! 9#hed. The miners got onto school
ds and Indian allotment lands as
S8fm as homestead claims. The In
aln police took occasion then to in
srfere. and in defending what they
H. considered their cwn. burned build
. l.
nes. destroyed mining machine
gereated considerable excitement
Tbe ultimate question involved is
Il n neither OF not there is mineral
salth In the district sufficient to ev
partially justify these contentious
local opinion rejected Mr. Taffs yer
dier on the ground that his examina
ton of the field wee ;oo cursory TO DC
entirely satisfactory, Mr. Bain was
accordingly sept to pursue the invest
CATION to an absolutely definite con
clusion. He spent some time IN the
district, examining particular mines
IL development as well as unstakec
GROUND and taking samples OF every
tblng that the miners said was ore
he shipped over 300 pounds of roci
10 washington, where the survey as
savers are now industriously deter
mining what values it contains, II any
Samples froIa this field have beer
assayed before, both In Lawton, Okla
the principal town of the district an
In Denver. Miners claim that ca
load Of ore was recently shipped from
the mountains to Denver and tha
payment was made on it at goo'
round rate per ton. The incident In
voIved the possibility Of fraud, how
ever. in sampling. assaying, and sci
lement so that the returns can no
be taken as safe indication OF wba
The field may bring forth MT Bal
exercised the greatest care in proeul
ing his samples, and the goyernmen