Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-10-29
THE KOOTENAY MINING FIELD.
Its Vast Sources Of Wealth Fereteld In
DR. Dawson's Reports.

OrrAwA, Oat, Oes. as.-If the svefag,
Canadian we're asksd what he knows abou
Lsadviile be vculd be able a. least 10 sal
that il 10 3 well known minisg camp in 'hl
L nited States; but ask him shsre AMI
Whist 10 Ksotenay, ard there is not one
chance In ten thss he will know that ii 10 I
new mining field in British Columbia, cfter
nov referred to by Americans as . secont
Lssdvilie, Kootensy lake is body Of
water situsted in the southern part OF
British Colamtis, q few miles north Of III;
state OF Idabo. The lake is An expansion
Of the kootenay river, which river takss lis
rise in British Columbia, near the source
Of the better known Columbia river Themes
flows southvs ard into Northern Montana sud
Idaho, then back in o British Columbia and
into the lake.
Should ore visit the Geological Museum
ss Ottawa, he might be shown specimens OF
ore from this region, brought in BY Mr.
Dawson. They are mostly in ths form OF
silver and lead, or rather silver In lead. and
called, BY miners, "gslens." A little in-
qaify would elicit the fac. that DR.. Dsvson
was thoroughly acquainted with The locality
which produces thsss ores, ard that he has
given a very exhaustive report Of his in
vsstigstions, which has been published by
the Geological Survey, and which, as was
70 have bsen expected, IL IS readable as il
10 reliable sad instructive. Two years only
have elapsed since the visit Of DR. Dawson
to this region, and yet it has charged from
q mere prospecting" ground kno~n only
10 few adventurous miners. mostly Amer
icArs. TO an actual mining field, beginning
10 attract 50 much attention that recent
telegram 70 3 United Slstes newspaper re
ferred TO ii IS the New FL Dorado" With
the pred ction that the looming spripg 9
would sea one of the greatest stampedes
stree early LesdvilIe days"
1t is only q just trouble to the ability oi
DR.. Dawson TO sssert that, great as have
been the changes brought about and re-
m,rkabIe as have been late discoveries,
they have been no greater or more remark
sbls than careful. iott iligent reading Of
Dswson's reporis might have led one to
expect. Since the writing of those reports
Mining men, by discovery ard purchase
have scquired miricg properties which a.
prospect" are worth hundreds OF ihous
ards of dollars, snd which IS developed
mines undoubtedly will yield many million:
within few years. In this short time
railroads have pushed in, steamboats, beer
buils, sawmills erecGed live towns have
sprung up, many prospects" been deve!'
oped into mines, and within this month the
building Of a large smelfer and refining
works for the treatment OF ores on The
.poD has been begun. 1n word. the
theoretical and prospecting stage has given
place 10 the realization Of sctusiities.
10 view Of the fac. that this wopderfu
wealth which is now practically in sight
was forecast by DR.. Dsvson's report, avail
able to every Canadisn, are we not to sup
pose thai it was taken advantage Of. snd
shat hundreds OF Canadians. in different
provinces, have taken q hand in this profit
able mine devolo pment, and are to be the
medium through which the immense wealth
stored in our mountains will reach and
benefit our Canadian interests and enter
prises? Unfortunately, no. To one reader
Of Dr. Dswson's report, who by 1t has been
led to put ia dollar Of capital or day.
work, 3 hundred practical every day miner'
who never read, and probably never heard
Of, any official report. have gone into the
field in the last two or three years, snd srt
now revelipg in brightest prospects oi
wealth. And, doubtless, nine out OF ten OF
these are not Cspsdisns, but Americans
American prospectors and capitalists opened
up the district, and the region and its wealth
are better known and believed in today iu
centres south Of the ''line" than in British
Columbia itself.