Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1904-10-06
THE DEMAND FOR COKE
Smelters Will Cause Coal Mines
to Be Opened.

The demand for coke at the new
Takilma copper smelter and the like
lihood of there being hundreds Of tons
required daily for the smelter that is
quite certain to be erected next year
on the Upper Applegate to handle the
copper ore from the Blue Ledge mine
has stimulated inquiry as to the
possibility of coke being manufactur.
ed from the coal found on Evans
creek. Recently Milwaukee, wiscon.
sin. capitalists have been investigat-
ing the coal deposits on Evans creek
with view Of opening them up and
putting in coking ovens.
There is known to be quite exten.
sivo coal veins along the upper SEQ
tion of Evans creek and efforts have
been made at various times to ascer-
tain their thickness, and extent and
the quality of the coal.
Two years ago the Southern Pacific
sent their geologist and an expert
coal miner with crew Of men to ex-
anime and develop the coal measures
Of the Rogue River valley. The party
spent the entire summer In prospect.
ing and examined large number Of
prospects in various parts of the val
ley, but the Evans creek district was
the only section that they found coal
in quantities and OF good quality.
While Prof. Dumble, the geologist
and Mr.. Owens, the mine expert,
were reticent as to making public any
facts concerning their Investigations
for their company. yet they gave 1t
out that the Evans creek coal was
among the best on this coast and that
the only reason the Southern Pacific
did not develop 1t was that the coal
area was not large enough to Justify
the building OF 10 mile spur from
the company's main line from near
Wodville up Evans creek TO the coal
fields. There is no doubt though that
had not petroleum been discovered In
California and oil fuel become so
cheap that the Southern Pacific would
have before this been securing coal
from Evans creek mines for their
LOGON otives ON this division.
The Evans creek measures have
been traced over u considerable extent
of territory and are found on both
privateand railroad lnad The trans
portation of coke from these mines Ia
the Applegato copper smelters would
hasten the building Of electric rail-
roads in this valley for 1t is the plan
Of the promoters, II they can carry
out their scheme, to put In an electric
road from Gold Hill to the mines and
from Gold Hill the electric road
would cross Rogue river and come
up through the Blackwell aud Willow
Springs gold mining districts, &c
Jacksonville where II would connect
with the electric road to the Apple
gate aud the copper mines. There IL
a natural route for an electric road
on the proposed line and in addition
to giving transportation for fuel tC
the copper smelters II would aid very
materially In the development Of tb,
gold mining properties along the line
In the Blackwell willow Springs
jacksonville, Forest Creek and Apple
gate districts and vast area OF the
best fruit lands In Rogue rivel
valley thst is now lying idle by rea
son Of 1t not paying to plant the lant
TO fruit owing to the distance to han
10 market Thus, the establishment
Of the coke industry on Evans oreel
would directly aud indirectly be
great factor In the industrial develop
ment Of this section Of Rogue rive
valley, for II would give employmen
TO a large number Of men In the Goa
mines and at the coke ovens and /
would give cheaper fuel to the cop
per smelters thus stimulating that In
dustry and would make certain th'
building an electric railroad tina
would open mp vast section o
country that is rich in mineral an'
agricultural resources. Sentinel.