The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1916-10-13
LOOKING BACKWARD.
happenings When the Land Was
Young and Sparsely Settled.

|
DR.. c. F. Webb just returned from q
visit to the Eureka camp, where the
Republic mine has just been discovered
and from which the present city of re.
public took its name, and where DR.
Webb is living today. The doctor was
very enthusiastic over the richness OF
the Republic mine, and predicted for
the camp great future. According to
his report "the gold bearing lode Is
only claimed to be ten feet wide, and
the average values estimated to be SO
per tom AS the doctor described the
claim the ledge is on a knoll, knob or
hogback, few hundred feet above the
stream (Eureka) from which the camp
derives its name. The character of the
deposit is something that puzzles the
oldest miner. 1t lies in a porphrey for
nation and is gray colOred limelike
icrystalized quartz without the SEM
blance of mineral In it so far as the
eye can detect. Neither can mineral be
discovered with glass, and 1t will not
pan. Yet this hungry, barren stuff will
|assay all the way from $50 to SITS to
the ton" Much excitement followed the
Republic find. The mine was sold for
an enormous sum, an immense plant
was installed and yet the property
never paid the company that expended
SO much money in machinery. The Re-
public never came up to expectations.
In those days Loomis route was
agitated to the Klondyke mines in
Alaska, which were drawing hordes Of
people from all parts Of the world.
Many gold hunters were expected to
route through to the north via Loomis,
but that highway to Alaska never be-
came popular.
Frank Raborg and John B. Nassau
we're doing development work on the
Red Jacket and Little Falls claims, a
few miles south Of Loomis. Nothing
ever came of those properties, although
Dell Hart, now of Oroville, subsequent
ly did considerable work on the claims.
OF Raborg and Massam's whereabouts
nothing Is known.
A great roar was going up over the
delivery of mails. Mail was five days
reaching Loomis from Spokane and six
days from Seattle. Now. people kick If
they do not receive mail regularly from
those cities every "a hours.
The Prospector reports that Joe
Hunter, one Of the most widely known
prospectors in the northwest, has had
an offer to go to Klondyke." Joe did
not go, and is now resident of Oro-
vile, looking hardly a day older than
he did 10 years ago.
VIM. Mechanic lhad narrow escape
from death. Driving team attached to
load of logs the horses became
Mr.. Mcdaniel was thrown
to the ground and the wheels passed
over him. Strange to say, he experience
ed no serious injury, and lived until
few weeks ago.
The fall of 1897 was quite cold and
the peaks of the surrounding noun
tains were covered with snow by Oct.
18th.
Judge Gregg was having his store
greatly improved. Although far adj
vanced in years the Judge is still living
and at present is down in Florida.
Ike Lee was rounding up a large
band of horses to take to Ashcroft, b.
c., in the spring. Mr.. Lee was resi-
dent of Ontario the last heard OF him.
VIM. Shufeldt, who was the local bar
ber, was congratulating himself over
holding some claims near the Repub-
lie mine But William never realized
anything from that property and for
years he has been a resident Of Texas
land for Ex-Governor Hay.
How does this sound in this day and
age: "The stage came in from both
ways Tuesday, but there was only the
local mail to deliver from the south.
The Conconully stage made the trip
Sunday, carrying the mail, but that
was to accommodate a passenger And
here is where the traveller and the
stage driver are discommoded by the
new order of things. If he leaves Spo-
kane Friday, by the way Of Coulee City,
he is hung up at Bridgeport day. If
he leaves the big city Thursday he lays
over a day at Conconully, unless the
stage man makes an extra trip. The
present arrangement is a nuisance any
way you look at it."
J. A. Loomis is at the county seat
this week attending court. (Mr. Loomis
subsequently went insane and died IN
the hospital at Medical Lake,
Mrs. ]. T. Mcdonald passed through
town Saturday on her way to Join her
husband at Oroville from a visit with
friends at Yakima and Ellensburg.
Both Mr.. and Mrs. Mcdonald died
some years ago.
w. w. Cloud, young gentleman who
has been employed at the Wyandotte
mill for some time, is now installed as
bookkeeper for the Loomiston Trading
Co. (Mr. Cloud is now engaged In
business at Tonasket as member Of the
firm of Cloud & Dodge.)
o. S. Stocker has accepted a position
for few months with J. A. Loomis &
|Co (Mr. Stocker is now a resident OF
|Wenatchee.)
Dan McGillvery, ex-county commits
sioner and for years resident OF this
county. came in Saturday from North
port. where he is now located. The gen
tleman reports Northport to be on the
broad road to prosperity. The new
smelter the lie Roi people are building
lis nearing completion, and 1t will con-
tribute materially toward making
Northport a city. (But the smelter fall
ed to smelt for long and Northport for
years was the deadest town In the