East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-07-21
DISCOVERIES
MADE IN NORTH
IMPORTANT FINDS REPORTED
TO HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED
Explorer and Prospector Returns
With Stories of the Location of
Iron, Salt. Oil, Gas, Asphalt and
Copper in the Parsnip River Dis
trict-Gold Also Found

EDMONTON, Alta, July 21-(Spe-
cial)-Hugh p. Metcalfe, explorer
and prospector, who is known in ev-
cry mining camp in the states of Ida
no, Washington, Oregon and Montana.
also in the Boundary coutry, said on
returning TO Edmonto from the Par
snip river district, 800 miles inside the
Arctic circle, that important discov-
cries have been made in the north
These include the location Of depos-
its of galena iron, salt, oil, gas, as
phalt and copper.
The biggest find of immediate
commercial value is gold" Mr.. Met
calf added. THE stuff is high grade
and can be saved easily and mex
pensively. The other discoveries also
are worth while. but for the present
there will be little or no development
on account of the lack of adequate
transportation facilities These, how
ever. are bound to come in time The
next few years should see big changes
, in the north country"
Mr.. Metcalfe reported hearing of
Bruce White of Spokane and his par
ty of explorers, who are provisioned
for stay of two years in the north,
along the Mackenzie river. He also
reported hearing of several other
large prospecting outfits working in
side of the circle.
when the extent of the newest
discoveries Is known" he said, there
will be the greatest rush that Can
ada has yet seen. / predict that the
! coming mining boom will so far over
shadow anything that has yet been
attempted in the western country
that people will forget all about real
estate investments and the like and
turn their attention to the new in
/ dustry."
Mr. Metcalfe will leave Edmonton
| in a few days for Spokane to meet
Charles Sweeny. formerly president
/ of the Federal company, operating ex-
| tensive properties in the Occur d.
! Alene district, in northern Idaho.
]. A. Weston and Hugh McDon-
ough returned to Edmonton on July
Is from the Omenica river district,
with samples of copper ore taken from
ledge beyond Pine Pass, in British
Columbia They were out IA months.
In the district where they prospected
and staked claims the men found evil
dences of gold. while indications of
copper and iron were found every
where. although the development of
mining alterations, they say. must ne
cessarily be delayed until railway
transportation is possible
Weston discovered what promises
{ be a substantial deposit of copper,
Claims were staked and with few
samples the men returned to Edmon-
ton. The outcroppings of the copper
deposit were found at the base of O
deep gulch some two miles from the
Omenica river. and while the mining
operations would be easy to carry out
! IL the country were opened up, the
lack of railway transportation to the
outer world at present precludes min
ing on a profitable or extensive scale
Weston reports thaere are at leas
score of old-time miners panning II
the Omenica district Several have
found small bars, where. by continu
ous panning they succeeded in making
more than ordinary wages, but so fa
no large pokes have been brought out