The Wrangell sentinel., 1930-10-02
PrOSpectOrS Back From Long Trek Up Stikine
CLEARWATER AND sCUD RIV- FRS MOST PROMISING, THEY SAY; IN SERVICE OF CONI- AGAS MINES, LTD.

 service Of the Coniagas Mines Ltd. Of St. Catherines, Ontario, arrived in Wrangell last Monday on the Hazel B. No. after four months prospecting along the Stikine. They spent about six months on the Clearwater and the rest of the time in the Mezetan Lake country, on the divide between the Stikine and Finlay rivers. They brought out about thirty pounds of ore samples for assay and report heavily min eralized area northeast of Mezetan.
 Changed Plans
 Headed for the Taku early in the summer, they heard Of the mineral possibilities of the Stikine and al- tered their plans accordingly. They left Wrangell May 23 on the Ha- gel B. No. and spent about six weeks looking over the Clearwater country, pushing on to Telegraph Creek in July. During their stay in the upper Stikine metropolis they accompanied Ira Days packtrain as far as Hahlin station in order to investigate the possibilities of that section.
 Follow Indian Trail
 Acting upon information received from business men and prospectors in Telegraph Creek, they started for Mezetan Lake July Il with two horses. Cartwright said the Indian trail from Telegraph Creek to Fly lands trading post on the Spatsuzi is well defined, but beyond that point there are only a few scat tering landmarks to indicate the route to Mezetan. A Bear Lake In- dian named Bababeesta happened to be travelling to the camp of the Caribou Hide Indians near Meze- tan Lake, however, and they fol- lowed him, erecting rock monu- ments at various points along the way to mark the trail for prospect ors who may head that way in the future. The country is open and anyone travelling the trail can see from one monument to another. They saw numerous bands of cari- bou and many moose.
 The Caribou Hide village near Mezetan Lake has a population of about forty, according to Cart wright, although these people are scattered at various times of the year. They are a branch of the Bear Lake tribe, with Bear Lake Jimmie as their headman. Nearly all of these people could read and write a little, having been taught by Crawling Jim," and old Indian who has lost the use of his lower limbs by paralysis and is compelled to move about in a sort of crawl, making use of his forearms as well as his feet.
 Indians Are Prospectors
 The Caribou Hides appear to take an interest in prospecting, Cartwright said. They have only the most elementary knowledge of rocks, but they were anxious to learn more, and persisted in going off in gangs to fetch samples for the white prospectOrs' appraisal. They have horses and are willing to hire them out to prospectors for about S1.50 a day.
 The country between the Klap- sedimentary rocks and is not very promising to the miner. Beyond that point, and leading of in an easterly direction toward the head of the Finlay, indications point to a heavily mineralized area. The Consolidated Company is doing ex- ploratory work on Ruby Creek, a tributary of the Finlay, and it Is reported that the Consolidated con- templates the construction of a railroad into that section.
 Meet Survey Party
 Cartwright reports meeting the International Highway survey par ty at Buckley Lake. They were bound down the Klappan to make a reconnaissance of the old cattle trail over which livestock was driv- en from southern British Columbia to Dease Lake in the days of the Cassiar boom. This trail runs east of the Klappan, avoiding the heavy snowfall country, and may prove to be the most practicable route for the projected highway.
 Cartwright expressed his satis-
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