The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-02-27
non THE ClSSllR MINES.
perilous Winter Journey Dewn
the River Stikeen.
r~usty-O ne Days Of Dangsr--Heavy
Gold Dust-csIfIns's Great
Telegraph scheme.

fa{f5yeat0. Jfdut q LOOK. mas UGeB
1owr from the CassiAr mining district
ssnee the arrival Of the steamer Idaho
frozs her last Alaskan trip. Mr.. Call
heath has been spending part Of his
lime in Seattle and part with his
certner, Major John Grant, Of yicso-
IA He was in Seattle yesterday. and
80 seen BY . PosT-IsTKLIsExcxE re-
,crfer. Mr.. Callbreath told about hIs
rip from Telegraph creek. $50 miles
dove Fort Wrangel, on, the Esikeen
liver. where his headquarters have
m. down to Wrange.. and other
thines Of interest about the Cassiar
mining region.
Il left Telegraph creek on January
ii IL company with three Italian In
disus. The thermometer was Is
desrces below zero, but IS the winter
ma always blows down the river,
"a vas therefore at our backs. we
ceuddered that very good weather for
srsyeling. The snow on the ground
- pretty deep, and progress on our
suovahocs, Notwithstanding the
fsyorsbie weather, was rather tire
enc. Four days out the weather
1ol3ersted and snow began to fall.
oar course was along the surface OF
IL Snow, on top of the ice.
w found much open water
d the river, and ] think we must have
het day during the trip or account
a the trouble we had in avoiding the
ouen places. After the four days |
mentioned the weather was very bad
4 rained during the daytime and
snowed at night, and or that account
he loose snow accumulated so much
al our shoes that we must have had
Is carry at least Is extra pounds
weight on each foot.
I'VE had the greatest difficulty ia
making camp at night. We had to
stop travelling every afternoon at 3
o'clock. and theT IL took two hours 10
die down through the snow, gather
vcod for fire and brush for beds. and
ri something to eat and q place to
asep. Getting up each day At 8. we
c6oked our breakfast and resumed
our journey by $50 or ! O'Clock.
The trip usually takes Il days and
We had provisions for that length oil
time. We soon saw, however, that
We couldn't begin to reach Wrangel in
that time, and we began TO go on short
rsti0ns, the Indians managed TO kill q
few porcrpines and We Jared passabiy
on them. But the trip was a terrible
one. The rain lasted for DAYS and
much OF the time we were wet TO the
skin from head to foot, and almost al
ways we were wet to above the knees.
Many times we travelled over snow
that had no ice beneath il and II II
had not been for our snowshoes We
mnst certainly have sunk and disap
peared. For six days we lived on rice
and oatmeal, without salt, and when
near the mouth of the river we ran
entirely out of provisions. The ice
and snow we're melting rapidly. II was
only after running many risks and
travelling through water sometimes
knee deep on top OF the ice that We
managed to reach large island at ths
mouth of the Stikeen. Here we were
without any boat, on an uninhabit
able island. with clear water between
M and the shore. We set to work
however, ard constructed rude raf
and ferried ourselves over to the main
land. There we found an old cannery
which broke open 10 secure n boa
which was on the inside. Then w
rcwed across the straits to the islans
on which Fort Wrangel Is located. W.
arrived there on January 81. twenty
ode days from Telegraph creek.
DANGEROUS GOLD DUST.
when We we're on the island ut tbs
mouth OF the Stikeen, our prepare
tions 10 get 10 the mainland were much
embarrassed by the presence of forty
pounds OF goldaust, worth 5000.
was afraid to venture ON the raft with
il, so I tied II up securely and. climb
ing lofty spruce tree, fastened il in
the top. web concealed amongst the
branches. had good deal OF diffi'
Guilty in finding anyone at Fort Wran.
gel 70 60 back with me after the dust
on account of the bad weather. But |
finally got some one, and we went
back and found the gold all right.
Il stayed in For, Wrangel until the
arrival of the Idaho, when came
down to Seattle. came partly after
a boiler for the steamer which we run
on the Stikeen in summer up TO Tele-
graph creek, which is the head OF nayi
CATION.
THE csssIAR MINIS.
The Cassiar mining district Is IN
Northern British Columbia. The
mines are at Dease creek. hilbert
creek and McDame's creek. We carry
our supplies up stikeen river to Tele-
graph creek, then by pack-trail to
the head of Dease lake. Going down
10 the lake Is miles We reach the moath
Of nease creek, and six miles further
on 10 Thibert's creek. up which the
two mines are located, respectively
The lake empties into Deass
Hver. down which it is necessary
% 20 IL Mechanics creek and
shen up the creek 10 miles
Q the mines. nease lake is on the
divide between the Arctic and Pacific
Scopes, and the mines are on the Arc
&c slope. McDame's creek mines are
Probably 200 miles from Telegraph
efeek, and $50 from Fort Wrangel. in
Alaska. These mines were discovered
MISS. and have beer III operation
ever since. They are. however. pretty
sea worked ont now. and | do not
mink the output is more than 500 COO
Per year. There are probably l5o per-
sons working in the mineS-some
Americans, some Canadians, and
mostly Cinnamon.
TYPICAL kR6oSAUr.
Il have lived in British Columbia 81
fears, continued Mr.. Callbreath. II
came TO California during the gold ex-
element of 1919, and remained there
saul isSs, when the Frazer river gold
sacilsment broke out. | Was one os
we pioneers IN the exodus to that
pace, ! remained on the river trad
s. hshing, contracting and doing
saything else by which could get an
ssaesf living until lsTs, when went
Telegraph creek. and there | have
Neh ever since. Telegraph creek ism Z
especially desirable place of resi-
ssaee, though IL is more hahitaihe
van many would suppose. Vegeta-
~ honrish in summer and We have
aaeh more respectable fare than
.ea might think. Ii is true
val We are shut off frons eommnnica-
w With the outer world during about
al months OF the winter. did not
- OF the result of the presidential
= xiion I'll | arrived in Fort Wransel
January 81. Bat | have spent mv
= - winter at Telegraph creek. have
wnsrd my headquarters To Fort
ssahgel, and will stay there here
~. viii 90 back about the last al