The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1901-02-08
IT BEATS The KLONDIKE.
Part OF British Columbia Where
Gold and Game Abound. ~
A Region That Contains Rich Re-
wards for the Explorer-Aluoh
- Gold Has Been
Taken Out.

Lying between the Yukon basin and
Cariboo is vast, untrodden region,
which offers tempting reward for thor
ough exploration. The territory is a
continuation of that great gold-bearing
belt of which California, Colorado, Ne
vada, Kootenay, Cariboo and the Yu-
kon are sections.
The riches of Cariboo were long ago
unlocked to the world, and soon pros
pcctors will have overrun every part of
the famous Yukon, but the wild noun
tain Businesses of this unexplored ter
ritory have so far resisted the white
mans entrance, and the great area
stretching between ATTITUDES "a and SO
and extending from the Rocky noun
taihs on the east to 1913 west longitude,
remain terra incognita.
That streams tributary to the Yukon,
Peace river and the LAND, known to be
rich in placer gold, and rivers flowing
through Cariboo and Cassiar, noted for
their gold beds many years ago, all take
their rise on the outskirts of this vast
territory. would indicate the presence
OF mineral wealth in the unknown
field.
This supposition is supported by more
than mere probability. Since 1885 In
,';"ns and half breeds have vaguely
taxed Of gold ''up in the interior" and
'Hriturn Cinnamon in ragged clothes
h"vc cone down to the coast with bags
r~'4"'ninr large and small quantities
Of he precious metal. AS the industri-
Gus celestial has been washing gold in
Old r!Hcer beds for years, earning a
';ittar"c which the white man would
not consider worth his labor, the ap-
',"rrarce of these uncommunicative,
'~'ssrerious fellows at Pacific ports ex-
rcd little interest until Klondike dis
''nvcrics aroused every one. Then pros
'.""tnl's hogan to suspect the existence
- r"'s' '~n'd fields south of the Yukon,
ID l:et s'l'nmer miners ventured along
she margin of the unknown region.
Two men who had been washing
"!on~ streams of this outlying district
BROUGHT ont $4,000 worth of the yell
low dust. During the summer one pros
rector found Il nugget worth $40 and in
October large nugget worth $500 was
sent from the northern part of the ter
ritory. Within the past few weeks the
discovery of extensive bodies of fine
milling gold quartz was reported to
the British Columbia minister of mines
by prospcctors who left last summer
to explore the southern outskirts. Win
ter had prevented more thorough ex-
ploration, but the veins were said to
be of extraordinary width and were ex-
nosed for miles across the country.
Samples of quartz, rich in gold, accom-
panied the report; but so wild and in
accessible is that region these deposits
cannot be worked until the Teslin Lake
Telegraph Creek railway or the Cas-
star Central has been built.
The unopened territory is variously
designated by the names of its differ.
cnt sections. as the Omineca, the Peace
river. the Lizard country. Roughly
speaking. it is bounded on the east bv
the Rocky mountains, on the west by
the Yukon and the Pacific slope and
on the south by Caribou The nearest
Hoint on the Canadian Pacific is almost
COO miles from it's northern limits, but
the Omineca can be reached by way of
The coast. going up the Skrena river and
following fairly clear trail for $50
miles.
Discovery of gold in Omineca caused
great rush northward from Cariboo
and the coast in 1870; but without mod
orr hydraulic appliances the gravel was
difficult to work. When rich liggings
we're found in Cassiar. the crowds STAN
pet'ed to the newer field. During the
eight years that followed. at least ST.
oco,nc0 in gold was taken from the Omi-
neca by miners satisfied with moderate
returns. The general impression that
TIC diggings On the southern outskirts
were shallow discouraged exploration
nHtil last fall, and then, when the dis
rn~crics were announced, the season
had advanced too far for prospecting.
For hundreds of miles north of Omi-
ncca is vast expanse absolutely I'M
known to the white man. 1t lies be-
tween Peace river and the Yukon. A
party under Lord Avonmore is spending
the winter in Lizard country, in order
to be on hand for thorough exploration
of that section Of the terra incognita
when the season opens. Between the
Peace and Lizard rivers the climate is
not SO rigorous and forbidding as in the
Yukon. The country is densely wooded.
There is q superabundance of timber
for fuel and for building purposes.
Game, large and small. is plentiful.
For naturalist. sportsman and pros
pector, no part of the unexplored world
offers more attractive prizes.-N. Y.
Sun.