CLE ELUM TRIBUNE

April 23, 1891

MONEY IN SPUDS

The ranchers throughout this agricultural district are awakening to the fact that potatoes constitute one of the most profitable crops that can be cultivated in this section ... All varieties do almost equally as well .. A low average estimate for the entire area planted in potatoes last year was placed at 9,000 pounds, or 150 bushels, to the acre, and the product was marketed at prices seldom less than one and one-half, and frequently as high as 2 cents per pound ... At the PRESTON ranch fifteen acres have been set apart for spuds.
Mr. CASTOR, in the same neighborhood, has planted ten acres; John SCHULL, five; W. F. LEWIS, seven; E. C. HARTLE, five; and other ranchers in that vicinity have devoted corresponding areas to the potato. East of town in the Teanaway district, goodly sized tracts have been allotted to the crop on the ranches of Wm. MACK, W. J. REED, J. B. STEVENS, James MASTERSON, G. W. SEATON, Theron STAFFORD, C. H. GILES, and many others...

GOLD HUNTERS AT WORK

A. G. WINTZ, the Swauk miner and prospector, was among the Sunday visitors in Cle-Elum. In speaking of the work that was in progress in that district, he stated that the diggers in the placer fields were fairly at their labors, and that development work on the quartz claims would soon be underway... Mr. WINTZ's property, on which he has been laboring for several months, is located on the west fork of Williams creek and he calculates on having a 100-foot tunnel driven before the summer is far advanced... One of the greatest drawbacks to the development of many of the mining districts in Washington is the great difficulty experienced in reaching them and also in getting out the ore...

THEY SIGHED FOR WOMEN

One of the earliest enterprises in Kittitas county that partook of the character of a newspaper was a little two-column folio which bore the euphonious title of the Teanaway Bugle. Its editor was Fred O. SEATON and the office of publication was in a little old log shack located on the west bank of the beautiful Teanaway ... (from) an advertisement that appeared in several issues of the paper it was evident that the men who were scattered throughout this region ... longed for the companionship .. of at least a few women...
"Partners Wanted! Must Be Females! Beauty No Object!" were the attractive headlines to the announcement which read as follows: "After roaming around this cold, cheerless and unsympathetic world for many years... we, the undersigned old bachelors ... (need) partners of female persuasion... Address at once either S. L. BATES, J. B. STEVENS, A. HELMER, A. HAAS, S. L. TAYLOR, J. H. MOORE, C. M. GILES, Col. MASON, Eph. ALLYN, T. L. GAMBLE, Gus PLETAT, N. PLAISTED, H. BOARDWELL, S. A. BACON." ...It is not known to the Tribune whether the announcement was made at the request of the men whose names are affixed, but some inquiry developed the information that two or three of the above named gentlemen are now enjoying the
complete happiness sought...

DISTRICT SCHOOL

The school trustees have employed C. H. BARTLETT to take charge of the district school and the spring term of two and a half months commenced on Monday. Mr. BARTLETT is late of Michigan, and he comes highly recommended for school work ... The district school opened Monday with an enrollment of thirty pupils. In the April apportionment of school funds, this district received $80.17, Ronald $107.14, Roslyn $425.03, and Ellensburgh $744.73. The whole apportionment for the thirty-five districts in the county amounts to $2,992.17.

OFF FOR THE MOUNTAINS - Miners and Prospectors Leaving for Their Summer Work

James GRIEVE and E. P. GASSMAN, the two prospectors who recently made valuable discoveries in the upper Cle-Elum country, returned to their claims last Thursday, after a two weeks sojourn in this place. A good supply of provisions, etc., were taken along ... The wagon road is at this time open only fifteen or twenty miles up the Cle Elum river and pack horses and snow shoes are required to carry supplies the remainder of the way into the Fish Lake region... An additional force of fifteen men will be put to work on the iron
properties of the Pacific Investment Company near Fish Lake next week, and it is calculated to double the number within the next thirty days. James BELL, the local representative of the company, left Cle-Elum with supplies, etc., for the upper country Sunday morning and several camps will at once be put in readiness for the receiption of the workmen... Peter NELSON left at the Tribune office this week some fine specimens of black and red hemitite ore taken from his iron claims in the Big Creek district. Mr. NELSON is arranging to do some development work on the property this season.

WORK ON THE GOLD LEAF

Messrs. GETCHELL & BLEWETT, the late purchasers of the Gold Leaf mine, have placed G. M. SEATEN, the original owner of the property, in charge of the development work on the mine. Mr. SEATEN is now organizing his force and will begin next week to drive a 350-foot tunnel, five and one-half feet wide at the top and six and one-half feet deep...

LOCAL BREVITIES

Wm. BRANAM was confined to his room with la grippe several days last week. The Northern Pacific pay car passed through     Monday and Supt. PROWELL disbursed rather a goodly sum at this point. Frank S. SEATON has disposed of his saw mill fourteen miles north of Ellensburgh and is now looking about for another location. Mrs. STAFFORD of Seattle is visiting her son, Theron STAFFORD, and family. Little Charley STAFFORD is slowly convalescing from his recent severe illness. W. F. LEWIS has just enclosed a large portion of his ranch south of town with a splendid wire fence, and he is now engaged in making other improvements that will make his property more valuable. The Northern Pacific Coal company surgeon at Roslyn amputated the limb of a miner Friday. The leg was broken about five weeks ago and gangrene setting in, it was found necessary to take off the injured member
above the knee. Samuel PRESSEY has received a new outfit from Chicago for a creamery which he will erect on his ranch south of town. He will manufacture butter on rather an extensive scale and that portion of the product not disposed of in Cle-Elum and Roslyn will be shipped west of the mountains. Judge GAMBLE is cutting away the timber from his addition and will make a number of improvements as soon as the lumber and debris is removed from the old HUNT mill site. All of the standing timber will be slashed,
street and lot survey stakes reset, and street grading inaugurated. This is a very pretty and conveniently located addition, and will be in demand as residence property. Lansing (Mich.) Call: The Lansing friends of C. R. MARTIN, a few years ago city editor on the daily
State Republican here, will be pleased to learn that he is a full fledged publisher now in the hustling busy west. He has just established the Tribune, a weekly paper at Cle-Elum, Washington, a new but promising town in a mining section, on the Northern Pacific railroad... E. C. HARTLE, a rancher residing across the river and about four miles from town, met with flattering success in the chicken industry during the past year. On March 1, 1890, he started in with 54 hens of common breed and the record for the ensuing twelve months footed up a total of 5,212 eggs gathered and 629 chickens raised, netting a cash profit of over $200, exclusive of the product appropriated to family use. Mrs. BRETT of Hot Springs was among Cle-Elum friends this week. County Assessor GILFOIL was in Cle-Elum on official business this week. August SASSE will move his family out to his ranch, wehre they will remain during the summer. W. J. REED was under the weather part of this week. Considerable sickness is prevailing among our adult population. Mr. ATWOOD, the well known Roslyn merchant, has been suffering for a week past with an aggrevated case of the grippe. W. A. BIRD, formerly agent at Cle-Elum, but now traveling auditor of the Northern Pacific, is here in the discharge of his regular duties. Stephen CANFIELD, who has been in the employ of the Northern Pacific at this point for some time, resigned his position Monday and left for his old home in Indiana. EVANS & Company has contracted for the timber on the E. C. TAYLOR claim, lying south of South Cle-Elum addition, and will move their mill plant to that site next week. The timber on the premises is estimated at 1,000,000 feet. Rev. Mr. ELLIS was greeted by a large congregation Sunday night and he delivered a good logical sermon...

DEATH OF THOS. L. NIXON

Thomas L. NIXON, one of the large land owners of Kittitas County and also heavily interested in real estate and mining property in various parts of the state, died of yellow jaundice Thursday at his home in Tacoma.  Mr. NIXON had just returned home from Ellensburgh, where he had been for several weeks with hopes of improving his health. He was suddenly called west of the mountains on business matters, and upon his arrival home he was obliged to take to his bed from which he never arose. The deceased was an energetic and thoroughly enterprising businessman, and he will be greatly missed among a large circle of acquaintances. A widow and one child survive him.

TEANAWAY

G. W. SEATON made a flying trip to Ellensburgh this week on business. Miss Kate MURRAY was visiting her sister and friends on the Teanaway this week. The log drive started up Tuesday morning with twelve men and six horses. With the present stage of water
it will take about two weeks to land the logs at SEATON's mill. Mr. BRIDGAM (or BRIDGAIN), father of Mrs. J. TAYLOR, and recently from Southern Oregon, is looking around with a view to buying a farm in this vicinity. August SASSE has about a dozen men at work on his claim on the Swauk, and is fixing it up in first class shape. He will raise sheep and cattle... The bridge across the river at EVENS mill, used for hauling logs to the mill, was carried way Friday by the recent raise in the river. Thomas COOK came down from the Swauk on Sunday last and reports that work is underway in most of the mines, although there is considerable snow there yet in places. He is confident that there will be more gold taken out this season than ever before. W. A. MOHR has opened a new dry goods store at Roslyn and has a fine assortment of ladies' spring and summer wraps.

FOR SALE

The undersigned has for sale a marble lime ledge cement claim and a paint claim, all of which are easily accessible and conveniently located within a half-mile of the Northern Pacific railroad. The product of the cement mine is almost a perfect Portland cement and can be made merchantable at a small expense. A quartz ledge carrying between $15 and $20 gold per ton is located alongside the cement claim and both can be worked at the same time. A 50-foot shaft has been sunk in the cement property. For further information, apply to John MICHALS, Cle Elum, Wash.