The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-12-09
NEW KL0NDIKE
Tn OLD CARIBOU.
STAMPEDE TO HORSEFLY CREEK
Discovery Made by an OId-Time
Miner, whose story at First
Was Not Observation-Disclosures
Than He Reported.

VICTORIA, B. C., Dec 9.-There win be
stampede TO Horsefiy Greek. the scene
of the second KIondike that has been
discovered in old Cariboo.
This fact is assured by the number of
enquiries which have been received by
the Department of-SIfEes in this city since
the fact of James Sheppard's discovery
was given to the world two or three
weeks ago
Owing to the hundreds Of enquiries
pouring in from all over the United States
and Canada, and even from England and
Australia, the Department of Mines is
preparing maps showing the situation of
the new Eldorado and viii distribute in
formation regarding the route TO the dig
gings,
Relic OF Old CarIboo Days.
James Sheppard, the Giscoverer of the
Horsefy 2Iacers, is a relic of the old
Cariboo days. who. since the golden har-
vest Of Williams. Lightning. Antler and
the other rich creeks Of Cariboo was
garnered in. has haunted the scenes of
the OIdtIme diggings.
Sheppard. who has mined in Cariboo
since the days when the revolver shots
TeTeTberated through the frame dance
/ halls Of Williams Creek and the highway
men wayIaid the outgoing miner on the
old wagon road from Cariboo. stumbled
upon the new treasure land four OF five
years ago when, in company with some
Indians, he was going up the Horsefy
River.
He cleaned up 500 with his prospecting
pan, and, telling no one OF his find, ne
marketed his gold and went to England
Wouldn't believe His story.
year ago he returned and ranted
many to grub stake him. telling OF his
ind, but none believed him
Finally, on the of chance Robert
Campbell, a son OF Senator R Il. Caulp-
bell, and Stirksee, a miner, set OF to
verify Sheppard's story.
They found the place Sheppard had de-
scribed, and by further prospecting
found ground that was even richer than
the discoveries which caused IN, first
rush TO Cariboo-
Then, their supplies giving ou, they
returned with the good news.
Wet Blanket" Nesbitt. an American,
and F. L. Reynolds. son OF the editor Of
the Ashcroft Journal. - were the next TO
investigate. and the latter says in letters
10 his father that although the snow pre-
vents much prospecting. they are salts
fed Of the richness Of the ne>T-found
diggings.
Took Out 81 an Hour.
On Eureka Creek they took out g an
hour steadily by simply panning from the
creek bed, and other creeks show even
better indications.
Since then others have stamDeded to
the new find, despite the fact that the
p zrc -
being done until the spring. The camp
on Eureka Greek IS assuming larger pro-
portions every few days
At last reports a bar had been fmpro-
vised il a shack. and a female barber had
set up chair in a corner. A black
smith had begun sharpening picks and
blackjack sharps were playing with no
bets less than So In the spring. this
camp viii be like one Of those oldtime
camps Of 1857. born over again.
How 10 Get There.
The prospective miner who intends to
get TO the new diggfngs viii have TO
journey TO Ashcroft by rail. and from that
town it is about $50 miles to Eureka.
Empire, or Fraser Creek. The mode OF
travel IS by horses and wagons. saddle
horses, or walking. Pack trains viii no
doubt be started from Ashcroft
From the main Cariboo road to Har-
per's Camp, the nearest town to the
creeks, there is choice OF several
routes, all wagon roads The first
branches of at the 10S-mile house, and is
90 miles from Ashcroft; the next at the
1I5-mile house, 100 miles from Ashcroft,
and the last at the 15e-mile house. 1S5
miles from Ashcroft.
Just what particular road VIII be most
Travelled is hard to say They are all
z-aTa 4 1r7d IL
used by the miners who hurry to the new
diggings IN the spring The average dis
lance from the main road to Harper's
Camp IS forty miles The mode OF travel
Daxt spring from HaTper's Creek 10 the
creeks will probably be by trail and water
It is seven miles from Harper's Camp
to the foot Of Horsefy Lake. The lake is
thirty miles long There are some boats
on il now, and there will be more next
year Near the head of the lake a trail
IS taken through the pass to the forks of
the Horsefiy River.
Either q wagon road OF trail viii be
made through this pass in the spring The
distance is about twelve miles Thirteen
miles farther up the south fork are the
new discoveries
The Poor Mans Method.
As a shovel. a cradle and any amount
of energy are all the apparatus neces-
saTy for a placer miner, this means of
taking the treasure from the earth is the
poor mans method, and this IS why hun
dreds of stampeders init the trail when
such rich strikes as this IN the Cariboo
are reported.
It was generally thought that the men
who overspread cid Cariboo in 81 had ex-
hausted its riches. and the miners spoke
contemptuousIy of the placers there as
~Chanaman's diggings,' but from the
present reports from Eureka and nearby
creeks It seems that the "Fifty-niners'
only touched the golden fringe.
The Cariboo district-the scene of this
new Eldorado from which district $50
900, 600 in gold has already been taken
is situated in high and densely forested
mountainous region, but trails are now
cut and bridges span its ravines-
The Government has built roads. and i
giving more attention to the dIstT;,t
view of the new finds. Arrangements -
also being made TO place mining record
er there in view of the expected STAN
pede, which, from present indications,