, 1890-08-14
BRITISH COLUMBIA ORES.

VIII DO enriched ny tne hanusomt
dividends.
BRITISH COLUMBIA ORES.
A Plea for Their Display at the spo
kane Exposition.
70 THE EDITOR OF the REVIEW.
In my travels though the adjacen
mining districts on the United
States side of the internationa
boundary line, / am surprised /,
find there exists feeling of un
friendliness toward the exhibition
Of British Columbia ores alongsid,
of those from the United States IN
the coming Northwestern exposi
ton to be held in this city.
In my opinion the ideas of tn,
miners on this side the line woulc
change if they would consider tn,
matter i'm the light of reason.
The quantity of lead or wet ore.
that will come from British Colum
bia into the United States for re
ducton will never be of sufficient
amount to cut any figure in the
price of lead.
A mistaken idea prevails among
those who have not visited and in
spected the mines In the British
provinces which causes them IL
fear the evil effects of competition.
which Is easily explained away.
The main bulk of the British Co
lumbia ores are dry" and contai n
no lead.
Then, again, a great source OF
wealth in that country Is the cop
per-silver ores and the gold-bearing g
quartz. These ores, in conjunction
with the lead-silver mines, tend to
make that country what it is-one
of the great mineral fields of the
earth.
1t should be borne In mind that
the lead producing area of Southern
British Columbia is not large COM
pared with the magnitude of the
other ore producing belts.
Judging from the steps that are
being taken by persons interested
on the far side of the line, 1t Is high
~ in probable that any lead ores will
be exported into the United States.
One of the largest companies oper-
ating in the Kootenai country will,
within a year. erect large smelter
on the shores of Kootenai lake, re-
ducing their own ores and absorb
ing those of several other mines.
Added to this is the fact that the
Revelstoke and Golden smelters
look to that district for their wet
ores.
This will create a market for all
that can he produced. No matter
whether the senate passes the lead
clause in the Mckinley bill or not,
this class of ore will in all probabil-
ity remain on that side of the boun-
Diary.
Still another argument why no
jealousy should exist. Nearly every
Interest held in Southern British
Columbia lead mines is owned by
Americans, principally old-time
Cpur dAlene prospectors. i met
in my wanderings more early day
Cceur d'Alene miners In the camps
of the Kootenai lake district than
/ do in CBur d. Alene.
The men, or many of them, who
assisted in making the Cnur
d Alene what 1T is have also in a
great measure brought the Kootenai
up to its present standard. They
are Americans, and when they
realize on their holdings they will
return to the United States aud in
vest their money here.
Surely, the miner, who Ia con-
sidered the most generous Of all
classes, will not object to his COM
rade, with whom he toiled shoulder
to shoulder in the trying
times of many camp, exhibiting
the fruits of his toll and energy
simply because 1t came from the
distant side of an imaginary line.
| would much prefer to see a gem
erons rivalry exist. Say the United
States miners, by quantity and quail
ity, place such an exhibit i'm the ex-
position that his British Columbia
brother will be showed under, as il
were. This would be far better than
the school-boyish method of with
an exhibit of our mineral
resources simply because few peel
mems may be exhibited from British
Columbia.
AS | understand it. the exposition
IL to show what Is and can be pro-
duced in this portion of the North
west.
If American capital and American
brains develop something across the
line, which Is directly tributary to
and enriches this section, should IL
not he allowed to be placed on exhi-
oition in the building erected for