Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1909-07-16

the Champlin mine on Foots creek.
about 2 miles from its junction with
Rogue river. 1t Is owned by the
Champlin Dredging company. OF
Chicago, which bought the property
In 1908 from Mr.. Lance, Of Gold Hill.
In the same year the company con-
structed bucket dredge equipped
with steam power. In November,
1905, electric power was installed,
the cost of mining thereby being re-
duced about one-half. Thirty-six
buckets are used, each of which holds
eight cubic feet of material.
The average depth of pay gravel
is about 33 feet, but deposits of 46
feet have been mined without reach
ing bedrock. Much of the material
is less than five inches in diameter,
but boulders of large size are numer-
Gus. The best values are to be found
in a blush gravel, which is general
ly reached at a depth of about IL
feet. This gravel is from to IL
feet in thickness. Below it is fine,
plastic clay, which is difficult to
handle and which carries practically
no gold. In the present workings this
clay Is not being mined. The proper
ty contains more than 1900 acres of
placer ground, much of which has
been thoroughly prospected. and
found to carry gold.
The Sterling mine is also described
though since the pamphlet was pre-
pared ]. d. Heard has severed MS
connection with the company. 1t
says
THE Sterling mine is on Sterling
creek, branch of little Applegate
river and Is about eight miles from
Jacksonville. 1t is owned by the
Sterling Mining company, of which
j. d. Heard is manager. The prop
erty includes about 1000 acres, ex-
tending from point below the
mouth of Sterling creek and over
the divide to Griffin creek. The gra-
velbank on the west side of the pres
ent workings is more than 40 feet
thick. The section consists of gravel
and boIlders, the latter being rather
uniformity distributed throughout
the section Many of the boulders
are small, but some are more than
two feet in diameter and few ex.
ceed eight feet. They are mainly OF
greensboro.
Much mining has been done or
Sterling creek by the present com
pany. The main stream was mined
up from its mouth for more thar
three miles, then channel to tn,
east OF this stream was followed fol
about half mile. Here a channel
which is named Boulder channel
was struck, and this has been follow
ed for about quarter Of a mile tC
the present workings. The bed rocl
Of these workings is little higher
than the present stream bed and 1,
about 100 yeards east OF II. The
values are found across width oI
nearly 200 feet The gold is medium
coarseness and is usually well round
ed, although angular nuggets are
also present The average thickness
Of the gravels in the Boulder chan
mel Is about 40 feet II Is of interes
10 note that In these gravels tn,
tusks OF mammoth, as well as othe
mammalian bones have been found
The bedrock OF the mine Is green
stone, in which are patches OF slat
stuffs. These rocks have been con
siderably sheared and veinlets O
quartz are present The strike O
the slaty rocks Is north degree
east, the dip about so degrees wes
In the present workings Is dix
running north 20 degrees east, cor
tanning cross veins which do not e,
-, tend beyond the dyke. The slope {
the bedrock Is about 2 feet In 10
feet. In 1908 mining was in progrei
from March until August. durin
d, which time about one acre WI
, mined. The value OF the gravels WI
about 40 cents to the cubic yard.
n THE mine is well equipped vii
- giants. bitches and fumes II
, longest ditch Is about 27 miles
:, length. The water enters the ditt
, from Little Applegate river about
miles above the mouth OF Sterlil
creek. AZ the mine the head OF wat
IL now only about 80 feet A pl
10 line II being planned to carry wat
=, from Squaw lake TO the mine. a d
N tance OF II miles The mine h
., been equipped for hydraullcklng {
=, about 30 years. There were Issu
- only 40 shares Of stock. which ha
20 been held by very few shareholde
The total production OF the mine
nnn naa