The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1913-10-24
f}UsC|7AT|NG A MINE
The Old Prize, Under New
Management, Making a
Remarkable Showing
aNE ORE now BEING MINED
r., E1lemeham Operating and
Development Company Devel-
oping the Old Property


.uo in the rehabilitation OF Old min
,.r nroperties in the north part of
os.,oyan county. Claims that We're
.,otically abandoned or that had
s.,r idle and neglected for years,
sssa fallen into new hands. or Old
'omnanies have taken on new lease
Il life and campaigns of prospecting
md Development inaugurated. More
"rer in every instance where work
sso been renewed on old holdings the
sew management has set about re-
.,scitaton without a forerunner of
noisy promises of impossible fulfill
/ ment Public attention has not been
sought and the beginning of opera
fans has been in the manner of a
sraght business proposition. 1t is
sItorether different from the methods
rpsoTted to in the old days of mining
N this locality. At that period in the
history OF mining in this county the
ebief aim of the new beginner when
aeling I'D ground seemed to be to
make noise and tell everybody how
much he was "oing to do, and what
great mine could be expected un-
dsr his manipulations. He courted
uublc attention and frequent pubic
notice. Ground was broken with a
Teat deal OF osrentdtion, and sea-
son Of spot light anu extravaganza in
operatiOn, or incorporation, would
follow. Nowadays managers OF min
tng companies come into the country
n
publicity, and about the first 1ntlna-
lion that the public has that work has
comaenced Ola some property leaks
through other sources than that OF
/ the operator himself. The reasons
ore easy to understand. The publicity
seeking operators were more bent up
on working the public through stock
jobbing than in working the ground.
The new system seems to be following
out plan aiming to fully investigate
and settle conclusiyely the real value
Of toe claims being prospected before
saying anything about the aims or
objects of the operators. There is not
50 much hoopala and placing the coun-
Try for the time being before the pub
lie in the latter process OF mining as
in the former, but there promises to
be more stability to the efforts made
toward making mines, and far bet
ter prospect OF results that will give
the country an established reputa-
tion as possessing mineral wealth.
And what is more to the purpose the
latter method of procedure is dem
onstrating that a number OF the older
claims upon which thousands of dol
lars have been in large measure
lhrown away through carelesSness or
ignorance are properties of real merit,
with the most encouraging evidence
Of the presence of precious metals i'll
Quantities sufficient to eventually re-
pay the expense and labor of develop
Ment many fold.
Among the old properties familiar
10 the early residents of the north part
O. the county that are being revivi-
hed, and responding to revivification
IN returns in the way of ore produc-
'oh beyond the expectations of those
who renewed development thereon, is
tle Old Prize mine, now operated by
an organization known as the Ellie
Meham Operating and Developing
company Clinglng to the original
name as better understood by the
readers oil the Gazette in this part OF
tae county We will state that the
GAINS constituting the Prize are To-
cated high up on The west slope of FL
tiheham mountain, between the north
eha OF Palmer lake and the Similka-
Ieen river. Below the claims, and at
lhe loot OF the mountain, is reduc-
noh mill with a collection OF build
hss looking like a small settlement
oScupied by The employees at the mine
Gnu pant The transfer of this prop
guy from hand TO hand is somewhat
eohipilcated and cannot be followed
oat chronologically, but represents
q succession OF failures. The two orig
isi iocaters, residents Of l4oomiS, did
CONSIDERABLE prospecting work on the
property In an unworkmanship man
aer that added little value to the hold
ms' although in the progress OF this
oiiatic prospecting considerable choice
o,e Was uncovered. Both of the To-
sa.ers nave passed off this theater of
saeon' !, one dying of small poX in Brit
, 'u ooiuinDia, and the other in the
spcal western fashion where the pro-
sSSs Oh removing The boots is dispens-
~ ~ WIN The next outfit to take UP
s;' .,e work at the Prize mine did eXten-
s"e development, eventually putting
Will, .ie plant now on the ground, and
nhich was declared at the time to be
sh e one and only process for saving
tae values in the ore. From what can
ao. e learned the chief aim of the man
VItt 9Ielueht was the spending of money,
bass,h sn httle to show for the large sums
auieo aa. unless ii was diamonds and
aso0l a.onoDlles in the afterwards. Then
asanl asa'n there was a long period OF in
aoh' ANU or perfunctOry development,
waa u nothing in the way of real mining
SesIn actually accomplished until the
the ss'nnAg OF work this year, when
PROPERTY was taken charge of by
mahs Selfert, representing the Ellie
eoma uam Operating and Development
parn,. -,. oeitert is a young man of great
Al la'ous ma energy, judging from a casu-
NAH hh.eeting, and seems determined to
the property under his charge