The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-03

| rivers. ar. 80 the miners pushed On -
what = now called Cagfeco. although tbs
distance FROM -hs sea was ss miles. the
difficulties IN the way OF travel enormous
ard tic native Indians By 10 means
( friendly. TIE srsrgy ard daring ct the
miners was rewarded by remarkable suo-
l cess. although Il has since seer proved
/ tAa; Trey reached their conclusions from
defective premises and that The god o, tho
lower Fraser and ths Thompson - % iocsi
7 origin sn6 was rot washed ccwn from fhs
more northern country. as the miners inn
| sgtaed-
Great Riches Taken Out.
Il IS not necessary 20 repea. here re
story OF the CsriSoo plscers. Sufficient 20
say that they have yielded fully 81. oca 30
a. god. most or Il coming from a few
creeks. TIE principal sources Of the gold
in the old days were Williams creek and
Lightning creek. Others contributed thar
share, but none were as rich 80 these. The
miners. pro9tiug BY the experience q Cali
forris, sought the lower levels OF the creek
channels. and although the appliances at
their command were Of the cru6e<t kind
their profits were enormous. The buried
channel OF Lightning creek was found 20
average $50 IN gold for each running foot
Of It's length. while portions OF Williams
creek ran s. 90 20 the foot
A notable feature In connection WITH Car
hoo mining was that II vas carried on ny
the miners themselves and that no outside
capital was invested IN IL until within re-
cent years. The expense attending opera
tons vas enormous. Even now. with shs
sdvsniage OF railway communication 70
within go niles OF the mines fresxh. costs
cents pound. II can be imagined what
the charges must have been when the DIS
1 -
and the roads were mere forest trails, with
unbridged rivers to be crossed. Hence.
when the dip OF the cid river channels car
ried them beyond certain depth, Il was
beyond the power OF the miners 10 reach
them and The outpu, OF gold dropped OF
until II was said that 'Cariboo was played
out.'
hydraulic Mining Begins.
Recently. Notwithstanding the obstacles
IN the way by reason OF the enormous ocst
OF transportation, hydraulic mining has
been attempted on q somewhat extensive
scale with highly satisfactory results. The
extent OF the area over which hydraulic
mining can be successfully ca rrisd on Is
very great. Many old river channels have
been discovered. which carry gold, and
some OF these are now being exploited.
DIR. Dawson. OF the Canadian geological
survey. who for nearly 20 years has been
engaged In the exploration of British Col
umbia with a view 20 bringing 10 light Its
mineral wealth. expresses the opinion that
very many rich deposits yet await discov-
cry. He says that the country has not
been at all thoroughly prospected. ewing
TO it's extremely rugged character and It's
dense forestation- Speaking in 1894 OF Carl
boo, he said
Greater Things I'm Store.
The gold thus found in the rravels and
river beds Is merely that collected In those
places by the natural processes OF waste.
&C ting on the rocks. and In the concentra-
ton OF their heavy materials during long
course OF time. The gold has been col
lected In these places by the untiring ac-
ton or the streams and rivers and II must
In al cases be accepted as an indication OF
the gold-hesring veins which traverse the
rocky substructure OF the country and
which await nerely the necessary skill
and capital 10 yield TO the miner still more
abundantly. Where such notably rich de-
pcsits OF alluvial gold have been found
within limited area and where very often
the gold obtained has been actually min
gled with the quartz OF the parent veins, II
cannot be doubted that the veins win be-
fore long be drawn upon 20 produce a Sec
ond golden harvest The existence Of
these slluvial deposits points 70 neighbor-
ing deposits In the rock itself, which may
be confidently looked for and are likely to
source Of wealth than that afforded by
their derived gold
Districts Further North.
From Cariboo northward to tho sixtietn
parallel, which forms the northern bound
airy OF British Columbia, gold has been
found 10 occur In every stream. The Omen
Tea district. which lies In latitude So de-
grees, was the scene OF considerable activ-
fly In 1857 and produced considerable gold
t. L. At.- AZ.
most primitive methods OF mining were
possible. During 1896 interest has been re-
vived in Omenica and at least one COM
pany has sent In men to prepare for opera
lions on IN extensive scale. The route now
most in favor 70 the OTnenica country In
up the Skeena river and thence overland
about $50 miles. Not only are rich alfuvial
deposits reported from this district. but
strong leads Of auriferous quartz and some
exceptionally fine veins OF gslena have
been discovered Strl north OF Omenica Is
the Cassiar district. which was first dis
covered IN 1872 and has been the scene OF
some activity ever since. It's remoteneSs
prevents anything IKE q thorough pros
pecting. not TO speak OF development
The great need OF this portion OF British
Columbis Is for railway. II can never be
successfully developed without II. To
again quote DR.. Dawson: cit IL necessary
that railways should be constructed 20 con-
FeF machinery ana carry ores. as well as
TO bring into the metalliferous districts
men who would not face the hardships Of
pioneer travel in the mountains but who
are IN position 20. embark the necessary
capital in promising enterprises" Com
pairing the Cariboo district with Kootsnsi
Or Dawson saws there is prtma facls evil
dence that Carihoo Is the richer.
II IS Impossible in an article OF thls
length 20 a. more than give the u1eress
sketch OF the great gold field OF Central
duate des can be formed OF rs posslbni-
ties. There lies north ~ she Canadian Pa
clac railway IN Britssh Connbia and in
Guiding the auriferous region in the Cana
dian territory Of Ysikon. more Than quar-
ter OF a million square miles ~ territory IN
almost every section OF which rolA has
been found or may be looked for with con
fdence. This Is not 20 saw that this vast
region - one great gold fed: but simply
that every stream flowing through ~ car
ris~ gold In tts sands, that over 4 vast ror-
ton 90 its area Cd and more recent river
channels carrying god are known 20 ex-
ist, that many deposits Of aurifsrous
quartz have been already discovered ana
that the Indications point 70 the existence
az very many more o. The extent OF the
British Columbia auriferous region no bet
Ter illustration car be given thar By again
quoting from Or Dawson:
Extent of the Cold Fields.
The province OF British Colurubls alone
from southeast 20 north west includes e
length OF over so miles ~ the Cor5rle-an
region: and adding - This The further ex-
tension Of TIRE same region comprised with
- 81. E.ossrAa- 5es Of che rgnr~5rtar % Can