Evening star., 1931-12-27


j echoed in gsoc goal and mining circles
these days recalling the thrilling days
~ OF gold rusheS in the Yuk2n and Cali
For an inky bis k mineral has been
spotted from a rushing arplane in the Cana
dian wilderness near the Arctic Ocean. In this
pitchblende ore lies hidden more radium than
now is at work in the world, treating cancer
unraveling the inner structure Ct atoms and
peering into solid steel to discover hidden
flaws.
Over $4,000 times more precious than gold
is radium, wonder element discovered by the
Curies. 1t is worth S1,5O000O an ounce; gold
is worth $2756 an avoirdupcis ounce.
The new discovery Of raoium ore in Canada
promises to break the radium monopoly of thp
Belgian Kongo, just the development of the
African deposits broke the American mon poly
after the war.
This result was hardly anticipated by the
lone prospector who set out in 1929 for the
vast cold, barren wastes around the Great Bear
Lake 800 miles from the nearest railroad
Indeed, radium was not in his mind at all
He knew of course, that this part of Canada
contained a wealth CT valuable minerals but
that vast deposits of radium would be found
did not occur to him.
[ Ugh hopes of mineral treasures in this
wilderness were entertained by number
other paraphernalia of modern science were
employed in this geological treasure hunt.
Two companies, the Dominion Explorers
Limited and the Northern Aerial Minerals Ex-
ploration Co., undeterred by the armchair ex-
perts who scoffed at the idea of probably bring
ing minerals from the back of beyond, have
been courageously securing this country since
1929 They have been rewarded by the finding
of rich and substantial Gep sits of copper ore,
good enough to repay the lcng haul back to
civiliza ton.
Gilbert La Bine Canadian mining engineer,
fascinated. too by this enigmatic frontier, de-
cided to adventure on his own. In the Summer
of 1929 he flew to Great Bear Lake in the
Nrthwest Territories with Leigh Brintnel,
chief of the Western Canada Airways
Flying over the eastern shore of the lake, he
obcerved, in the region of Hunter Bay and
Echo Bay that the ground was broken up by
Great red slash of "gozzan," rusty stain 200
feet wide caused by ircn ore. They landed
and soon found large vein of quartz
This quartz vein was about 400 to 500 feet
WiCc and, when further investigated proved
to be so miles long. Parallel with it were
found copper, cobalt end silver ores.
Along the shore at Hunter Bay on Great
Bear Lake were lying immense boulders, some
CT them ss much 60 tons in weight. They
were practically pure copper ore
This looked hopeful La Bine staked claims
and with his companion turned south won-
deling if perhaps the quartz contained some
gold.
THE other companies were operating by air
pane only few miles away. Unwilling
to let a possible fortune slip out of his hands
La Bine did not wait for the thaw before re-
turning. At the height of the next Winter in
February, with nature in her unkndest mood
he returned to Great Bear Lake again by plane
Landing, and pushing ahead alone on snow
shoes, he prospected most of the eastern shore
Of the lake. There was no gold, as far as he
could see; but after four months he found on
promontory, near where the huge quartz vein
ran into the lake, dull, black, lusterless rock
that aroused his curiosity
HI thought perhaps it might be pitchblende
the precious ore in which Pierre and Marie
Curic first discovered radium. He called the
spot La Bine Point
Two months later he was jcined by his
brother Charles, who, with Leo Seaberg and
Shirley r. Cragg, an American engineer from
Cincinnati, had made the long trip down the
Peace, Athabasca, Save and Mackenzie Rivers
by canoe.
The Canadian Northwest Territories through
which they passed. 100000 square miles in
exransc the cnly real frontier on the North
American continent, a vast country Ct i'm
mense distances, m ghty rivers and hug, lakes
The Great Ecar Lake itself is about the size
of Lake Ontario, 12o00 square miles in area.
Only 10000 people, whites half breeds Indians
and Eskimos, occupy this whole region.