Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1917-07-05
Iron Ores in ... ~. 81. .'....s III.
". I Southern Oregon
tBy A. e. Kellogg.)


for the 0swego steel plant near Port
land, recently acquired by William
Piggott Of Seattle, has been solved
through Mike G. Womack, local
miner of Medford Some months ago
Womack and NJ. A. Carter of Ash.
land uncovered and located an iron
ore vein ten miles west of the Jose
phine County caves, on the slopes of
Buck peak, which assayed 60 per
cent manganese. Last week while
the representatives of tie new own
ers of the Oswego plant, who are also
the owners of the large hematite-
magnetic ore deposit one mile north
of Gold Hill, was ransacking south
ern Oregon for new manganese de-
posits, they encountered Womack,
who furnished samples of the new
find, which was forwarded to Port
land for inspection, Wien assayed,
the furnace people were surprised at
the richness and the nature of the
ore. Without a moments delay they
called Womack to the phone and
held him for an hour and a half, 60
ing over the matter relative to his
holdings.
The result was that the next morn
ing Womack, accompanied by his
partner, M. A. Carter, ]. r. Mundy of
Medford and o. M. Raseau of Seat
tie, left Medford for the new dig
gings. On arriving on the ground
they put crew to work exploring the
vein, which showed groupings for a
distance Of three miles, and several
crosscuts and adits displayed vein
running from two to five feet in
width. The vein strikes northeast
and dips Is degrees east. The hang
ing walls are shale and the foot walls
lime and porphyry. The vein is
within half mile of the new truck
road just finished to the chrome de-
posits in Oak Flat. The nearest
shipping point is Wilderville, a dis
tance of 20 miles. The partly con-
structed and proposed railroad from
Grants Pass to the coast passes with
in 10 miles of the vein. A 20 per
cent blend of this manganese ore with
the Gold Hill hematite ore makes a
perfect pharo-manganese base. Wo-
mack returned to Gold Hill Friday,
leaving the balance of the party at
the mine.
The history of the Gold Hill de-
posit dates back to the year of 1870,
when the locators, practical iron ore
experts, hauled several tons of the
ore to Sacramento, the nearest ship
ping point, and shipped it across the
ocean to Wales for test, which spec
ial report on same shows this ore was
a very high grade in its class. Along
during the early sos two iron ore
experts, Burgess and Pomeroy, ac-
quired the property and made extern
sive developments and shipments,
but on account of the low price of
iron ore and the high transportation
charges they abandoned the project.
Soon after that both partners died
and their heirs disposed of the prop
erty at a good figure to the Garfield
Iron & Lime Company, composed of
Portland people The property has
lain idle ever since and the old works
have fallen in decap.
The Gold Hill deposits are located
at an elevation of from 1850 to 1880
feet. This quite extensive ferrugin-
GUS deposit consists of limonite, hem
attic and magnetic, occurring in
lense shape in Paleozaic sediment.
which includes some limestone and
abundant argellite. The sediments
are cut by dixie of granite" The
sedimentary rock strikes north 20
degrees east, and dips rs degrees
east. This property is on patented
land excepting several important
claims on the extension of the dixie,
which is held by I. w. Ray of Gold
Hill and Mike G. Womack.
There will be large force of men
put to work on the Gold Hill property
after the 4th, to open up the old
works and further develop the prop
erty. Apparently the Gold Hill prop
critics and the Josephine strike. will
be taken over by William Piggott and
his associates and they will be ship
ping ore from the two mines to the
Oswego plant within 30 days.
Gold Hill, Ore, June so, 1917.