The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1922-12-29
aIlING OVER OLD SUBJECT.


dNockholder in group of claims oil
nnicnt lake, in letter to the Ga
~. says. "The stock holders her,
~ confident that their investment
~ prove successful and l am very
IN Interested to know how the peo.
- q Oroville and vicinity feel about
mining business in that vicinity
sS ~ way we feel about it is that the
noral Is there and all that is neces-
4. ~ Is to go after It, Dig for it. II
II n not come to the surface for you
e b lying in the ground waiting for
~ one that has the confidence in
~ property to go after it, and that
ooods money, but more than money
onfidence is necessary. What we
tonh like to have is the support OF
people there, if not in financial
" we would like to have their NOR
Rapport
Frankly we are not in a position to
RI how the people of Oroville as a
- may feel about mining in this
nlfty, but can readily speak on be-
\ Of those who have given mining
ne thought and who have taken the
4. - and trouble to investigate the
4 GIdences of mineral in this locality.
& ~ last class, so far as we have been
Il ~ to learn from close association
& "a frequent interviews, have no hes
4 l1ncy In expressing their confidence
\ h the presence Of mineral in suffi-'
ut quantities to pay operators
IAenever and wherever mining is con-
cted in systematic manner by
Dse who through experience have
wed the problem of developing
mes and placing them on a paying
els Tais experience is learned in the
GAool OF hard knocks and in fields
DeFe mining has been carried on to a
1ccessful issue. There is no question
to the confidence in the mineral
liabilities Of this upper country
Nong those who are thoroughly ia
lIiar with the country. Prospecting
~ demonstrated that ledges carry
& y attractive values are numerous in
sthern Okaogan county, and while
W one mine is in operation at the
cent time the returns from that
Dperty show that the confidence of
operators has not been misplaced.
{ue 1t Is, that there have been many
lures In this locality. but it is the
nest belief of those who have given
Aing any attention that these fail
have been more the. result OF.
6rance, OF criminal recklessness in
e expenditure of money provided by
nnocent investors for the purpose of
vorking the ground, money that has
|oen thrown away and wasted. Money
ut had it been properly applied for
Ae purpose for which it was contrib
ted by men with knowledge of min
be would undoubtedly have resulted
b the making of real mines. We have
gatched this mining, or alleged min
ng, game, in this county for quar-
ler of century and have often had
lause to feel humiliated and saddened
y say nothing of being frequently
Deeved, to see failure follow effort in |
cases where the prospects held out
most flattering promises of success.
A1d in almost every instance this fall
IRE was not the fault of the country
bat the incapacity of those who con-
ducted operations. These failures gave
be mining industry of this locality a
Mack eye from which it has never en-
lirely recovered, and the fault was not
h the country.
We may be unduly optomistic IN
our confidence that mineral in paying \
CuAntities exists in northern Oka-
nogan county, but like Mr.. McMlillan'
" believe that it can be made an I'M
yertant source of revenue If properly
fone after. Our views have always
I'm based upon the fact, that Just
ne3oss the international boundary line
III mines have been opened up IN
Dpst years and it hardly stands TO
|ason that an imaginary line can
1ivide mineral zone, especially
where the topography Of the country
Nd the general formation is identlcai.
FAKE, for instance, in the SimiiKa-
neen valley. Near the British Column
lla border, on this side of the ilne'
here are abandoned properties, OF
y least properties upon which WORK
~ been suspended for years, tnat
lever paid the operators a dollar.
Zet on the same side of the Sinilika-
been river, just across the line Al
ritish Columbia, within sight OF the
|merican failures if there were not
y Intervening spur of the mountain
located the Horn Silver, an eA
sptionally rich mining property u
vhich very little has ever been hearu
ecause it is owned by two or tnree
This mine has paid the
wners royalty. The properties men
|0ned, one in the state OF Washlhs-
on. the other in British Columbia, are
ardly dozen miles apart. There Is
lenty of evidence of ore on the WASH
Agton claims where failure apparen'-
! followed effort. Possibly the soiu-
|on of the mystery is that in one case
he operators were real miners, IN the
ther novices.
Then there is the Nickle Plate mine
I Hedley, which, as the crow lies
only a short distance north OF t'e
oundary line. The Nickle Plate mas
aid millions in dividends while tne
fforts at making mines on this sue
{ the line has cost millions witho"'
eturns. There must be reason.
Comparisons and illustrations as "
inning in the same general TERRITORY
ivided by an imaginary line, ohiy'
night go on Indefinitely. Nothing IS
aimed thereby. The fact is Simply
rn