The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1910-03-04
MIXED UP MINING MESS
Partner Mountain Tunnel
Stockholders Registering
a Tumultuous Protest
AGAINST ABANDONING THE NINE
What a Springfield, Mass, Paper
Has to Say Regarding the
Company Troubles.

1t would appear from numerous re-
ports coming to this Office from the
far east that there is a large number
of stockholders in the old Palmer Noun.
tain Tunnel and Power company who
decidedly object to the abandonment Mt
of the mine, the dIsmanting of the
plants and the disposition of the ma
terial for anything that can be got for
it, and that would indeed be a small
sum. compared with the original cost,
under forced and hasty sale. There is
II strong sentiment prevailing that
means of testing the ground have not
been exhausted, and from the eX-
pressions appearing in private letters
it is evident that suspicion exists that
there are those in power who would he
willing to blast every hope of the
stockholders, see them lose all they in
vested, if by so doing odium could be
cast on one man, a man whose SINGER
ity in the belief that he had the MAX
ing of mine in the tunnel claims is
not doubted by single individual who
ever knew him not biased by personal
reiudice. This view may be altogeth-
er erroneous and unjust, yet it un-
doubtedly prevails. and is not confined
to few, or a single locality.
But the collapse of an enterprise that
at one time had the promise of great
realization has been discussed and com
mented upon until the subject has been
worn threadbare. Men are firmly set
in their opinions in regard to the legiti-
macy of.the project, and nothing could
transpire, or be said, to change them.
The eclipse of the tunnel simple marks
another mining failure, occurrences
altogether too common in every min
ing district under the sun. Discussion
at this time will not change existing
conditions, and it is doubtful if suI1i,
cient interest can be aroused, or neces-
sary funds raised. to renew work at the
tunnel, at least for some years to come
and then under new ownership. The
protesting stockholders probably are
not strong enough financially to do any
thing in the nature of further exploit
alton, and, indeed, in the face of the
adverse reports, it would be injudicious
to spend more money in development,
,plocc an NH aSa6 aVpopt was copt ",
to spend sufficient time on the ground
to obtain thorough knowledge of the
property, and his report encouraged
further outlay. 1t might not be a bad
idea to have quantity of the ore
treated and thoroughly tested, but it
would only be matter of common
business sense if the disatfected stock.
! holders conducted the testing on then
: own behalf There may, or may not
! be ore in the tunnel. Some claim
5 there is; others that there is not. Ant
more about the tunnel, aud every foo
of the tunnel holdings, than any otheI
living individual, is John Boyd. If h,
! still feels convinced that the ore is Their
5 and could be induced to give his per
2 sonal attention to taking it out, or
4 carrying values might be found. /
+ stranger, or one inexperienced il
r mining, could not accomplish anything
e nor could Il reliable conclusion b
= reached even by practical mining
n mine by superficial examination eA
tending over few days.
If there is no mineral of any valu
in the property, as is claimed, the re
r sponsibility and blame of selling stoc
d in worthless proposition should nc
:, rest wholly and alone on the houldersC
d one man, for number of the larges
l. stockholders have been on the groun
b frequently in the past ten years, hay
n ing free access to the books and work
d ings, many practical mining men ha
g examined the tunnel, and several e1
d perts have eXtolled it, or turned
y down. The enterprise in its tangle
|, condition is a complication that SUI
g passes all understanding, and if it is
e fraud then those residing thousands {
K miles from the portal of the tunne
e were no more completely hoodwinke
d than those living almost within
l. stones throw of that hole in the hill
l. There is strong element anon
b., those who risked their money in tn
venture who are up in arms in opp'