Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1905-01-26
SsS


ing crosss-sectioned at regular inter-
walls. A drill is noe used for the
reason that the Company does not
consider that method an accurate
test as the richness Of the grounds.
Should tho prospecting prove satisfac.
tory the company will put in a dredg-
ing plant, but will use steam shovel
rather than bucket dredger The
reason for. this. is that tho gravel con-
tains many. large boulders, that would
either break or retard the work of q
dredger and would prevent a thorough
cleanup of the bedrock, and also the
Company's experts do not consider
that dredger secures all the gold on
the bedrock except where the rock is
very soft and of even surface.
Tho land controlled by the Sucker
Greek Mining Company has every in
dication of being very rich in coarse
gold. Tho creek bottom for miles
above has been worked, some Of it
three times, and it has been among
the most productive placer ground in
Josephine county. This property has
ouly been worked in few places in
the creek channel, the reason for it
being that there was so little fall to
the creek that dump could not be
had. With steam shovel plant no
fall for dump would be required,
drainage being the only necessity to
permit tho bedrock to be thoroughly
cleaned. To secure drainage, the
Company plans to begin about half
mile below their property and open o
channel gradually deepening 1t until
tho bedrock is reached on their lano
1t will be late in the spring before
tho prospecting is completed and It IS
known whether the proposition will
justify a dredgo or not. But nothing
viii be done toward installing "a
dredger plant until contest is settled
| that Is now before the land Office,
between the Company and the railroad
company as to ownership Of mile
Of the creek, the railroad company
having filed on a section Of land
claimed as mineral by the mining
company. AS the Company hold
prior rights and have proven that tho
land is mineral they feel certain that
they shall hold the land. without
this section claimed by the railroad
company can be secured the property
can not be worked profitably. for It 30
cuts up that tract that dredging oper-
ations could not we'll be carried Oh.
The Sucker Greek Mining Company IL
composed Of Seattle and San Fran
cisco meu aud there is ample capital
back Of It to insure it against any
financial difficulties that so often
handicap mining ventures. Tho
officers OF tho company are Philip
Rowe, president; W. II. TopwseLd,
vice president, and II. Warner, score
tary and treasurer, all OF Seattle.
Whitman Symmas, Of San Francisco,
and ono Of the best known mining en-
gineers Of this Coast, is the manager.
The work at the mine is under the
direct supervision of H. Warner and
W. H. Townsend. the latter spend
ing his entire time at the mine and
the former is there the greater part Of
the time. Should this company carry
out their proposed undertaking it will
be one OF the big mining ventures OF
Southern Oregon and be quite sure tc
bo the means of other dredging plants
being installed on Sucker creek. The
section of that stream below thi'
property is held by miners familiar
with that valley, to be rich enough
to justify dredging for the entire dis
tanoe of 10 miles to the Illinois river
IL being almost level allowed neithe
drainage nor dump for hydraulic
mining, otherwise 1t would have beef
worked out years ago The uppe
section of Sucker creek has been OK
ceedingly rich in placer gold and ha
been mined for the past 90 years AM
the adjacent hills have been found 3
\ be foil Of quartz lodges that prospec
= we'll. AS the gold of the upper vale
y is all ooarsro it is taken that tl'
\ swift current Of the creek has carrie
2 the fine gold down to the leye
D stretches of the lower valley, wher
\ it was deposited In the sandy loan
: theJ bottom land and could easily +
p had by dredging.