Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1905-05-19
FAMOUS STERLING
PLACER MINE SOLD
Discovered In 'S4-Has Produced
SiO.0OO.O00 - New Company
Plan Bis Improvement.

the famous mine is now the property
of company of Oregon and Eastern
capitalists at the head of whom is
Fred +. Blakeley, of Portland.
While the purchase price was not made
public, it is understood that HenryE
Ankeny of Eugene aud Vincent Cook
of Portland, who welo the owners of
the mine, were paid above $500, 0000
for the property. Their reason for
selling is that each has other extern
sive property interests that fully ab-
sorb thoir time.
The Sterling mine was discovered
in 1854 by james Sterling and soon
after become one of the biggest min
ing camps in Southern Oregon,
Sterlingville containing at one time a
population of nearly 1000 and at
Lincoln's hrst election the camp poll
cd over 600 votes. The mine is in a
section OF the bed Of an ancient river,
that flowed across this county prior
to the formation of RogueRiver Valley
and the gold is found in an immense
deposit of gravel. much of which is
30 hard as to reqniro powder to loosen
it so the giants can wash it. In recent
years, current report has IL that the
Sterling has been producing from
$40. 600 to $40, 900 per year, making
it one of the biggest placer mines ON
the Pacific Coast The mine has been
in the possession of Hon. II. H..
Ankeny and his brother-ln.law Vim
cent Cook, together with Mr.. Ank
eny's father, the late Capt. Ankeny,
for the past 30 years, and the divi.
dends that it has paid made the
foundation for the fortunes that these
men now possess
The Sterling is equipped with four
giants supplied by water brought
from Little Applegato in ditch %
miles long. The operations of the
new company are likely TO prove
quite extensive, as indicated by some
of their plans that have been made
public. A new and larger ditch will
likely be constructed to bring wator
either from the head of Little Apple
gate or from Squaw lake, on Squaw
creek. tributary of Big Applogate.
The present ditch while carr, ing a
large volume of water. with but small
elimination In the dry season, does
not afford sufficient head to work ont
all the ground owned by the company,
for the pay gravel extends up Sterl-
ing creek TO an altitude above that of
the ditch. To briuR the outlet of this
ditch to a higher level the Company
will drive tunnel Of about Of n
mile in length through the divide bo-
tween Little Applegato and Sterling
creek. This tunnel will shorten bhe
ditch about seven miles and raise
the head fully 20 feet, making a head
of 100 feet at present workings.
Tho company announces that they
will undertake extensive irrigation
in the vicinity of Jacksonville, in ad-
dihon to operating their mine. Thit
is possible ms their mine is at greater
elevation than the country about
Jacksonville. Should they extend
their dioth to Jacksonville, it is quite
likely that il viii lead to the work
ing of two extensive placer deposits,
that have been mined in small way
for years past one is the Butcher
property on the head Of Poormani
creek and the other is the Cement
mine on tho crest Of the ridge between
the two forks Of jackson creek. This
deposit Of cement gravel is 80 feet
thick aud is very rich in gold. but Al
IL IL above all the local water sup
plies IL could not bo handled by ny
draulic process This deposit Is d
section of the bar Of the same ancient
river on which the Sterling mino IL
located aud it is thought by many
mining men TO be- ns rich aud as ex
tensiye ns that great gold producer
From this ancient channel is though
to have como much of the gold that
made the placer m.ues Of Jackson
creek aud Rich Rulch 80 rich. Tun
nels have been run in on this dcposi
from the face Of the hill and for yoar
past miners have dug out tn,
richest of the gravel on the bed rocl
and wheeled it outside. After fov
months exposure 10 the air II slack
and is easily washed, which is dom
in sluice boxes with water caught il
the nearby Rulches aud held la resor
voirs Men working this way hay,
made good wages. Various scheme
have been considered for working
this ancient river bed. among whicI
was to bring water by ditch iron
Little AppleRate. aud also from BiI
Applogato. But % ditch from th
latter would not give sufficient hca,
for piping aud the pressure woul,
have TO be had from a pump fh
scheme has also been discussed O
putting IN a Of a mile Of chute AM
running the gravel down to Jackso
creek where wator could Do hal 70
wishing It.
Tho Sterling Mining Company ha
for years carried one Of the biRges
payrolls Of any placer mino in South
cru Oregon and under the new man
agement the number Of men omploYe
is likely 70 bo greatly increased
Frank Ankeny, sou Of Hon. n
Il. Ankeony, has been superintendent
for several years past Il the Storlin
mine, but he now retires 10 be- sue
ceeded by j. D. Heard, OF Medford
Mr. Heard il one Of the mo,
tborOuuh mining mpu in gnufhpr