Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1911-11-03
to unlimited proportions. The ore
is in Josephine county, because /
looked before ] decided on this mat
ter"
(From Wednesdays Daily.)


an ore sampler in Grants Pass, re-
turned last evening from an auto
tour through the Kerby country and
today stated to The Courier that bs
met with the most gratifying weL
come by mine owners and merchants
OF the various districts and towns
he visited.
Speaking of his journeys through
the Kerby region. Mr., McCorkle
said;
I found that the people were
glad to know We expected to erect a
sampler In Grants Pass. This is
what they have needed through all
these years, and they now realize
the benefit to be derived. All with
whom INtalked quickly placed the
seal of approval upon the plan
and VIII get busy spreading The
news among others back In the hills.
"one conservative merchant told
me that he believed that one year
from the date of the sampler beglp-
ming business that 5000 men would
be working In the mines of Joseph
Inc county. ! am glad he and Others
take this view, because they are cor
rect in the belief that II will put
mining in this county to the from.
1t Will set drills to ringing and
stamps To pounding on ore aud II
VIII mean that Josephine county,
now practically dormant from
quartz mining standpoint, will be-
come one Of the important quartz
mining territories In the west, as
1t is now and long has been, one
of the foremost placer fields in
America.
THE quartz miners OF the county
have bad no encouragement to de-
velop their properties. They could
sell no ore without sending II long
distances, to Tacoma or San Fran
cisco; and to pay the less than car
load rates meant failure. What Is
the use OF owning some commodity
II one has no market for it? once
went In to raise apples in eastern
Oregon. raised the apples, lots OF
them, but had no market In those
years, and II was losing venture
for me. tried to give my apples
away and made all my neighbors
mad because | wanted them to take
the stun gratis.
"The owners OF mining prospects
In Josephine county are In the same
fix ] was with my apples; they have
no market But they are soon to have
a market, because / intend TO build
sampling works here, and every
man who has handful OF ore or
carloads OF ore can get the cash for
II at the sampler"
Colorado and Montana miners in
Grants Pass are familiar with the
value OF q sampler to a community,
and all who have met Mr.. McCorkle
have extended to him their best
wishes and thanks for his endeavors
here.
Tribute To Miners.
In a reminiscent mood last even
Ing a Grants Pass resident paid
tribute to the miners. He said
improvements Of roads Is largely
brought about by needs OF traffic
from farms, mines, mills and other
industries seeking the nearest mar
ket points. The more thlckly popu-
lated the country becomes the more
1t becomes necessary TO build and
maintain good roads. The good roads
movement has spread over the on
tire country. and is vastly beneficial
to every community. We, In Jos
ephlne county, have made steady
strides In the right direction, but
there is stlll room for great improve.
ment on present roads and need for
new ones. In certain sections OF
southern Oregon there lies rich yir-
gin soil that would greatly increase
the states productions Millions Of
feet OF timber ready for the estab.
llshment OF lumber camps, and mines
and prospects OF great wealth lie at
our doors undeyeloped and untoucn.
ed, most OF these inaccessible.
"The west opened the eyes OF the
world In 1Si9 by the discovery OF
gold and II was the miner that led
the way He was the pathfinder.
Gradually the trail became a road
the road a highway A roadbed for
rails and steam succeeded the cara.
vans. History will repeat Itself and
tho mines Of southern Oregon will
again open the way for better roads.
Let these routes that are today only
trails lead 10 Grants Pass. Encour
: age any honest enterprise, mining or