Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1910-11-25

them" There are some men famous
In the annals Of mining adventure who
have gone back to the love of their
youth and disappeared into the British
Columbia wilderness with their kits on
their backs -.
The officers of the geological survey
at Ottawa, while admitting the rich
ness of the country, warn intending
miners Of the difficulties of the trip
Prince Rupert is the objective point OF
the Grand Trunk Pacific's proposed
line through British Columbia, and the
British Columbia & Alaska railway is
Intended to pass near, but neither of
these roads is as yet built.
So far the engineers and prospec-
tors who have left Stewart and gone
into the heart of the gold fields have
had great difficulty in getting enough
food. to say nothing of carrying
blankets and implements. The town
stands at the mouth of little river
known as Bear Creek, a stream rum
ming through a valley only a mile
wide. On either side rises wall of
mountains, precipitous and sometimes
as high as 5000 feet In these noun
tains lies not only the gold, but many
other valuable minerals. and they have,
to be scaled somehow 1t /. is hard
enough work without the task ptseaF,
ryfng supplies. md for ni4n aba{dehad
with; baggage the dificu1tieS4, sre.
fering and privation for a time. at
The tssidehss ab that 4SSSsddlyl
enough, are not wildly enthusiastic
eyers4h hissa gead. -diseevesy linsEsli
wealth is an old story to them. They
are in the country not to mine but to
build and trade and farm, and they
like the emphasis laid, when one
talks Of their province, not on gold.
with its suggestion of boom and dis
order and more or less riot, but on the
agricultural richness OF the land. a.
Gold mining seems a bit crude to
them, trifle nouveau richie and yul-
gar. 1t is true that many OF the
Prince Rupert people have bought
picks and set forth for the mountains,
but they are not the "old families" of
the communities.
Producing annually over 70 per cent.
OF the total mineral output OF the do
minion. British Columbia Is essentially
the gold province n canada. The
early miners OF the Fraser in 1858 and
following years washeL out in rockers
from benches and creeks $50. 900. 900
worth OF tree god nuggets. Since that
time British Columbia has produced
over $l14.00C 900 in gold and $lS5,O00.-
900 in other minerals. In 1907 the min.
erai production was S26.000.0OO and
there are still. 25O,00O square miles of
unexplored mineral lands open for
tree prospecting. --,.,..
The Bitter Creek mines on Portland
canal now claim the worlds attention.
For five years mining operations have
been carried on IN this district quietly.
conservatively. and with no cry in the
Gold has been found
along the banks OF the Bear river and
all three OF its tributaries-Bitter
creek. Glacier creek and American
creek.
The big reef of Bitter creek is
porphyry dyke from five
feet to 20 feet wide and miles in
length. Imbedded in the reef are
veins of quartz from two feet to hf.
teen feet wide. presenting on the sur.
face honey-combed appearance, one
recent assay from which gave a re-
turn of $49.20 per ton in gold with q
trace only of silver.
On the north fork of Bitter creek Is
the oldest property in Portland canal,
the Roosevelt, sample shipment of
ore from which, taken to Tacoma, gave
total values Of $42.05 per ton. Il
For the whole distance of the Biz
Reef every claim Is staked, 50 anyone
to acquire property now must
buy from or through an original To-
Gator. The government is building Q
pack trail up Bitter creek. and this
should greatly help development