The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-05-29
BRITISH COLUMBIA DISTRICTS.
One of the Greatest Mineral Belts
Ever Discovered

U
Ever Discovered.
Every now and then a mining man
from the mining camps of British Co
lun1bia lands in Salt Lake. and they
are all alike in their enthusiasm re-
garding the naturalization of this great
section of country, where, although
their discovery has only been of recent
date, are able to make magnificent
records as wealth producers and divi-
dend payers.
John W. McKeehan of Rossland is
one Of these.
Mr.. McKeehan is visiting with his
father-in-law, Uncle Jimmie Campbell,
and when seen by a Herald representa-
tive yesterday he had much TO say re-
gardlng the mining camps of the
Kootenai region. and the regulations
restricting mining operations il that
country.
At Rossland there are number of
very prominent producers, including
the famous LeRoi, the War Eagle and
the Center Star, and Mr.. McKeehan
states that all three of these show up
immense bodies OF ore and that in the
Center Star from 300 to 400 tons of ore
could be extracted daily for an indefin-
tie period.
Almost surrounded by these three
great producers is the Nickle Plate
mine, in which Hon. A. W. McCune of
this city is very heavily interested. Ir.
McKeehan has often visited the proper
ty. and he states that while it has not
been as extensively developed as its
near neighbors. il shows good bodies of
ore and in mining circles it is con-
siderd that il is the making of as big
a producer as there is in the camp.
4 am surprised" said Mr. Nc
Keehan, ito find that people in this
country know so little regarding the
Kootenai mining camps, as just now
they are receiving attention from all
over the world. Ii has been found that
the country is mineraliZed to large
extent, and this covers a wide area,
say 200 or 800 miles each way People
are pouring in there by the thousands
and the country is so large and there
are so many camps and districts that
they are swallowed I'D without hardly
being noticed. English and Canadian
capital is coming in for investment at
a rapid rate, but at the present time
the population is almost two-thirds
American.
"One thing I notice, however. and
that is that in this country mining is
carried on in a more substantial and
business-like manner. Up our way
there is more speculation and money
flows like water. dozen companies
are formed almost every day and the
stock is rapidly taken. In Utah men
inquire more closely into the merits of
what they are buying, but with us
everything goes. There is one thing in
British Columbia that I like very
much. and that is the protection given
by the government to the mine and
claim owner. The mining laws are very
rigidly enforced and the officials make
il fCt for the claim Jumper. The jul
dietary is very active and summary JUS
tice is meted out to the law-breaker
without resort TO the red tape business
that stands in the way of active and
legitimate mining in this country. For
s. An alien can obtain free miners
certificate as it is called. which is
good for one wear and entities the
holder to ali the privileges that citi-
-en enjoys under the law, and under
its provisions an alien can locate and
obtain title TO mining claims the same
as if he was a subject of Great Britain.
Up in the Kootenais,'' continued Mr.
McKeehan, they have their excite
noont~ ard there is always some dis
trict that is having a boom. The Fort
Steel country is in the swim just now.
~ hablv largely due to the
building of the Crows Nest railroad:
but % 1t is, mining men and investors
are croWding in there in great num-
bers. Spokane, Wash. is the dis
tributing point for these British Column
bia camps. and in consequence this
place is enjoying a rapid and substan-
tial growth
Mr. AIcKeehan is interested in promis-
ing properties at Colville and in East
Kcotenai He will probably return
north tomorrow