Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1905-10-13
BLUE LEDGE DISTRICT
HAS BRIGHT PROSPECTS
DIR. Reddy Interesting Spoke ne
Capital-Grants Pass Smelter
May Handle the Ore.

Andrew Jeldness with his family
arrived in Grants Pass Monday from
Portland and will hereafter make
this city their home. Mr., Jeldness
is we'll known Spokane mining
man and he is extensively interested
with Peter Larsen, millionaire
mining man of Spokane, in the Blue
Ledge copper district on the head
of Applegato river. He had his
family in Portland last winter, but
as he expects to spend much of his
time hereafter at the Blue Ledge
mines he decided to bring his family
to Grants Pass where he can be near
TO them.
Mr.. Jeldness speaks very highly of
Grants Pass and predicts that it will
be the Spokane of Southern Oregon,
and be one of the best mining towns
IN the country. He says Grants Pass
and Southern Oregon is becoming
we'll known in Spokane and many of
the big mining men of that city are
becoming interested in this section
and there is every likel lihood of much
Spokane capital being invested in the
mines and other industrial Enterprises
These onteIpIisinR, aggressive miners
of Spokane are ever on the lookout for
promising mining district and that
they are turning their attention to
Southern Oregon is good proof that
they consider this section certain to
become one of the big mining dis
tricts of the country.
Mr.. Jeldness expects to leave next
week for Blue Ledge where he will
put crew of men at work on the
claims that he and Mr.. Larsen hold.
Mr.. Jeldness states that the outlook for
the Blue Ledge district is better now
than at any time since that famous
copper district was discovered. The
company holding the original Blue
Ledge claims have force of men at
work continuing the development of
their property. An extensive body Of
very high grade ore is being opened
up and it has been clearly demon
strated that the Blue Ledge is to be
one of the big copper mines of the
world. DIR. j. +. Redy, who is at the
head of the Blue Ledge Mining Com
pany, is now in Sopkane in conference
with big mining men Of that city and
| there is every assurance that he Will
arrange for ample capital with which
TO put the mine in operation. Two
plans are under consideration by DIR.
Reddy aud his associates for handling
the ore of their mine. One is to OK
tend the railroad from Jacksonville
across the divide to the Applegate river
and up that valley to the mine and
then put in a smelter at the mine
The other plan is to make traffic ar
rangements with the company who are
preparing to build the railroad from
Grants Pass to Crescent City and have
a branch line extended up the Apple
gate to the Blue Ledge and then ship
ore to the custom smelter that is to be
erected at Savage Rapids near this
city, and the furnace and machinery
for which is now being manufactured
at Spokane foundry. II the freight
and smelter charges can be secured at
the low rate that DR.. Reddy antici'
pates can be Ina &, he thinks that it will
be more profitable for his company to
ship their ore to the Grants Pass smell
ter than to go to the enormous expense
Of putting in a smelter and an indie
pendent railroad to Jacksonville.
The Grants Pass smelter will handle
gold ore very largely, but il copper
ore can be had TO smelt with the golc
ore the saving Of the gold values il
greatly increased and with conse
quent decrease in expense, for the cop
per takes up the gold in the smelling
process and holds it to be taken out a
the refinery. The Grants Pass smelte
could thus smet the Blue Ledge cop
, per o=e cheaper than it could he don't
at the mine, and thereby be able I,
make very low smelling rate to tn,
. copper company As all the machlner.
and the ore hnists at the Grants Pas
suelter will be operated by waite
, power from the big dam that the com
pany will put in across Rogue river a
Savage Rapids this smelter will hav
& the added advantage in cheaper powe
oeer one operated by steam whicI
q would be the power at an interio
smelter az at the Blue Ledge or Tai il
. ma. On his return from Spokane DR.
& Reddy will stop in Grants Pass l.
more fully investigate the fessib,lit
, Of shipping ore from Blue Ledge 4
f. the Grants Pas smelter, and it ~ pos
q sible that he will be- able TO secur
such encouragement that his compan
will defer all plans for a smelter a
the mine until the railroad aud smelte
people are able to give him dehnit
3 rate on hauling and smelling ore.
The OnQinal.