The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-11-18
GOLD IN THE GRAVEL.
Rich Plaeers i'm the Carib00
Will Last for Centuries.
A BIG PLANT AT BARKERviLLE.
Hidden Wealth OF williams Creek
Hobson's Claims on the Qucs-
neIIe-1he IsossIand Mines.

with the opening Of spring. work will
begin In earnest on the big mines IN the
Cariboo. and the promoters OF enterprises
IN that section nave great confidence ia
the mineral wealth OF the country. 4. j..
Whittier. agent and manager Of the Carl
boo Gold Fields Company, limited. az
EarkeTVille. on his recent visit 10 this
city brought news % activity that VIII
extend throughout the winter. and pre-
pare tine way for extensive development
work with tine opening Of the coming sea
son In speaking OF Mr. Whittier en-
ferprise. 4. -. Scroggy. general passen-
ger and freight agent u the Seattle, Lake
Shore a. Eastern Railroad. says.
Originally. away back ia about is5s.
gold was discovered Ia considerable guam
titles in the Cariboo region along the
banks and In the beds Of the streams,
some OF which az that time were fairly
large. carrying good deal or water that
prevented very thorough working OF
the gravel. Williams creek was perhaps
the principal stream In tho Cariboo coun-
try. and upon it most Of the placer work.
was done. The people at that time who
were In search OF gold even with their
primitive methods Of use took out about
t25.0o,000 When IL fl realized that they
could not work the heavier material and
had no means OF saving the fine gold, II IS
seen that these grounds must have been
very rich. Operations were suspended
when the miners found they could not
keep up their average Of taking out sew
eral thousand dollars month. and the
various enterprises that had before been
worked were stopped and remained idle
until about issg or 1870. Meantime. some
OF these streams and particularly VIII
Jams creek, dried mp. leaving immense
gravel banks 10 which present operators
are compelled 10 bring water from long
distance.
Renewal of Prospecting.
about this time Mr.. Whittier vent into
the Carboo prospecting. and after close
investigation determined that ID would
surely pay big profit on the investment
necessary 10 work these old grounds over,
and whatever other ground had not been
formerly worked upon and be mmc-
diately set about to secure from the Do
minion government, as we'll as from pri-
waite parties. possession Of about all the
ground on Williams creek. Among the
private parties from whom he secured
portion of the property WAS r. G. Neu-
fielder. OF this city.
after getting the ground into shape
and formulating the scheme so that he
could handle it, Mr.. Whittier took the
proposition to London. and after two
years hard work in the face Of Barring
Bros failure and other wel-known de
pressing circumstances in the financial
world. he succeeded IN organizing the
Cariboo Gold Fields Company. limited.
with a capital Of about s.. ts0.00G. Of which
he Is the agent and manager Ills plans
being well developed. before leaving En-
gland he contracted for about 85o tons Of
steel pipe TO be used In the construction
OF a pipe line from the source of water
supply 10 the mines.
Digging bitches and Tunnels.
'fThereupon he returned 10 this country
going at once 10 the Cariboo. after ar
ranging some details necessary. Work
began Immediately after the snow had
gone on. early In May. 1895 He began
with "A large force Of men. which ia a short
time was Increased To nearly IN. and
which was kept employed constructing
bitches. fumes, shafts. tunnels and on
work OF like nature necessary 10 opening
mp a big mining claim Of this kind Water
has 10 be brought three or four miles
with a fall Of loo feet. and ia this par
ticular thereis probably no other hydrau-
lie claim in the world attempted 20 be
worked on the same scale.
''It Is proposed with this water TO run
elevators and wash the gravel at the
same time. A tunnel six feet high by five
feet eight inches wide, and nearly mile
long. is being constructed into the heav-
TEST bank OF gravel. somei hing like 81
feet high. from which 10 Is proposed to
run shafts TO the surface for the purpose
of elevatiug the gravel So that 10 can be
washed ana disposed OF without iNrthHr
handling. The bottom OF the tunnel
reaches bed rock under the gravel aud VIII
he extended until the entire gravel bed is
worked out"
The Wealth in store.
The gravel hank forming the basis Of
Mr. Writers opera tons Is practically
inexhaustihle. and viii last. Il Is calculat-
ed anywhere from Soo 70 60 years. The
company calculates on realizing from -
90 - cents per cubic yard and when the
plant 81 set up. will De able to move sew
sral hundred yards per day. During the
past season the company paid ont S6o cor
fn salaries. and the list VIII he increased
with tho coming year when water will
he obtained and the plant viii begin 20
produce gold. Mr.. Whittier Is also PLAN
ming 20 put IN electric lights and tele-
phones. and 70 establish machine shop.
and with such an equipment Will be able
20 operate the year round
DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CARIBoO