BRITISH COLUMBIA DEPARTMENT OF MINES €Ion. 11'. A. MCKENEIE,Minister. ROBE DUNN,Deputy Xinister. J. D. GALLOWAY, ProvincinlMineralogist. J. DICKSON,Chief Inspector of Mines. BULLETIN No. 1, 1931 PLACER-MINING IN BRITISH COLUMBIA COMPILED BY JOHN D. GAI;LOVVAY, Provincial Mineralogist. PRINTED BY AUTROKITY OF TAB LEGISLATIVE ASSENBLY. I .._ .. To the Eon. W. A. McKenzie, dlinister of Miines, Victoria, B.G. SIR,-I beg tosubmit herewith a Special bulletin on Placer-mining in British Columbia. This bulletin is in part a reprint of Bnlletio No. 2, 1930, but contains additional information on placer-mining, particularlyrelating to activities during the fieldseason of 1931. Of decided interest is the special report by Dr. R. TV. Rrock on the nlacer possibilities of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway lands. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, JOHN D. GALLOWAY, Provincial Mineralogist. Bureau of aches, Victoria, B.G., September 3rd. 1931. PLACER-MINING I[N BRITISH COLUMBIA. GENER.AL SUMMARY. BY JOHND. GALLOWAY,PROVIKCIAL IIIIKERALOQIST. INTRODUCTION. During 1931 muchinterest has been shown in placer-mining. Prospectinghas been par. ticularly active as many men, finding employment difficult to obtain, hare scoured the hills with gold-pan and shovel in search of the yellow metal, which is now more firmly entrenched as the Symbol of real value than eyer before. Development of placer properties has been vigorously prosecuted and productive hydraulics are enjoyinga successful year. The placer-output will uudoubtedly show a substantial increase for the year, as preliminary figuresindicate that largeramounts of ?:old are beingrecovered in the importantareas of Cariboo and Atlin. In the aggregate a considerable amount of gold is being obtained this year by thennmerons prospectors working wiLh panand rocker in manyparts of the Province. Along the Braser, Thompson, Simillrameen, and other rivers, barswllich have been Onworlred for yearshave again been attacked,and in the old placercamps many old diggings' are being reworked. Early in 1930, Bulletin No. 2, entitled " Placer-mining in British Columbia," was issued by theDepartment of Mines. Thisbulletin ,contained reports on specialexaminations of placer areas made in the field season of 1029, and in addition a general summary of placer-mining in the Province, including geological, historiarl, and statistical information regarding this branch of the mineral industry. Owing to the interest in placer-mining the demand for this bulletin hasexhausted the issue. Thepresent bulletin hastherefore been prepared. It contains,in addition to much of the information in the previous issue, additional material in the form of reports by the Resident Rngineers on the placer activities in their respective districts during the present field Season of 1931. A valuablf! addition to the bulletin is the '' Appraisal " of placer possibilities in the Pacific Great Eastern Railway lands by Dr. R. IT'. Brock, who headed the Commission on Mineral ltesources for the investigation made on behalf of the Canadian Pacific Railway, Canadian National Railways, and the Government of British Columbia. A report by theProvincial illineralogist 011 Rainbow creek-a newlydiscovered placercreek in Omineca Division-is also included. Measured by production, placer-minin;: has declined considerablyin recent years. It is expected, however, that 1929 Nil1 mark the lorn point in the present cycle and that the trend mill be upwurd in the future. The following table shows the output from 1858 to 1930:- YIELD OP PLACER GOLDTO DATE 1858 .......... $705,0001877 .......... $1,008,182 1896 .......... $544,026 1913 .......... $770,000 1859 .......... 1,015,0701,276,204 1878 .......... 513,620 1897 .......... 1916 ........... 580,500 1860 .......... 2,228,543 1879 .......... 1,290.0ii8643,346 1898 .......... 1917 .......... ,; 496,000 1861 .......... 2,666,118 1880 .......... 1,013,8:!7 1899 .......... 1,344,900 1918 _<........ ' 320,000 1862 .......... 2.656.9031881 .......... 1.046.7:17 1900 .......... ~.1,278,724.~ . 1949 ........... 286,500 1863 .......... 3;913;563 1882 .......... '954;0115; ..1901 ........ :. 970,100 1920,.......... 221,600 1864 3,735,850 1864 .......... 1883 .......... 794,2!i2I 1902 .......... 1,073,140 1921 .......... 233,200 1865 .......... 3,491,205 1884 .......... 736,lti5 !' . 1903 ........ 1: 1,060,420 1922 .......... 364,800 1366 2,662,108 1366 .......... 1885 .......... 713,7?:8i 1904 .......... 1,115,300 1923 .......... 420,000 1867 .......... 2,480,868 1886 .......... 803,BBl 1905 .......... 969,300 1924 .......... 420,750 1868 .......... 3,372,972 1887 .......... 693,7(19948,400 1906 .......... 1925 .......... 280,002 1869 .......... 1,774,9781888 .......... 616,781828,000 1907 .......... 355,503 1926 .......... 1870 1,336,956 1870 .......... 1889 .......... 588,923647,000 1908 .......... 1927 .......... 156,247 1871 1,799,440 1871 .......... 1890 .......... 490.42,5 1909 .......... 477,000 1928 .......... 143,208 1872 .......... 1.610.972..1891 .......... 429.81540.000 1 1910 .......... 1929 .......... 118,711 1873 .......... 1.306.749 1892 .......... 399;5261911 .......... 426:OOO 1930 ........... 152,235 1874 .......... 1;844;618 1893 .......... 356.19,l 1912 .......... 555;500 1875 2,474,004 1875 .......... 1894 .......... 405,516 1913 .......... 510,000 Total.... $78,588,949 1876 .......... 1,786,648 1895 .......... 481,6E,3 1914 .......... 565,000 6 BUREAU OF MINES. It will he noted that the most important period was from 1858 to 1877, with the maximum production in 1863, with an output valued at nearly four million dollars. From 1875 to 1893 a steady decline ensued and then the industry revired until 1904, when an output of $1,115,300 was recorded.Since that time the output dwindled steadily until 1929 with a production of $118,711. An increased production in 1930, it is expected, will be followed with a larger output in 1931, thus reversing the downward trend. Althoughproduction has become negligible, it should not be concluded that there is not interest in the industry. Actually in the last five years much placer-mining has been carried on, but unfortunately without as yet very tangible production results. Much of this work has consisted of testing placer-ground, and in many instances the testing is not conclusive or Com- pleted. In a number of placer-fields of theProvince plants for hydraulicking are being con- structed, and some of these may be expected to be productive .in the future. Mach desultory small-scale work has been carried on, partly to recorer gold and partly to prove up deposits of placer-gravels. AS the known placer-fields of the Province contain many areas which have not heen tested, the question naturally arises whether there is not still a good possibility of reviving placer- mining to something like its former position in the'mineral industry of British Columbia. With this objective.inview, the Honourahle the Uinister of Minesdecided to have some special investigations of placerareas made during the field season of 1929. Accordingly, Herbert Carmiehael, a former Assistant Mineralogist, and now a practising consulting mining engineer, was secured tb make ti report on certain placer areas in the Queen Charlotte and Atlin Mining .Divisions. Also 0. W. Moore, an experienced placer operator, was engaged to make a careful study of^ the placer-fields of Cariboo, Quesnel, and Omineca Mining Divisions. tIe was unable to fully cover this large field in the time available, but did examine many sections of these Divisions.Bulletin No. 2, 1930, containedthese reports and parts of them arereprinted in this bulletin. Most of the maps and photos included in this bulletin do not necessarily represent present placer operations, hut have been used to illustrate the various phases of the industry since its commencement. It is not intended that this bulletin on placer-mining will he reprinted iwthe Annual Report for 1931; it should therefore he preserved by those who desire a permanent file of the puhlica- tions of the British Columbia Department of Mines. GENERAL HISTORICAL REVIEW. Although small amounts of cold were reported to have been obtained from veins on Queen Charlotte Islands, the first real metal-mining in the Province was the reeovery of gold from placer-gravels. At the time of thediscovery of gold in quartz veins on Queen Charlotte Islands James Douglas was Governor of Vancouver'sIsland and Lieutenant-Governor of Queen Charlotte Islands.Accordingly, as Lieutenant-Governor,he issued a proclamation on March 26th. 1853, which was the first mining regulation in the Pacific North-west. This set forth the terms and licence under which the digging or mining of gold could be carried on in the Queen Charlotte Islands. At this time the mainland of the Province was an almost unknown area, commonly known as New Caledonia, and mainly adminktered by the Hudson's Bay Company. The discovery of gold was reported on the Columbia river, near the confiuence of the Pend d'oreille, in 1855, hut this was of little importance. With the discovery of gold on the Thompson river in 1857 and the rapid inausof thousands, Governor Douglas assumed authority to govern the area and issued the following proclamation to regulate the mining of gold :- " PROCLAMATION. " 28th. December, 1857. "Whereas by law all mines of gold and all gold in its natural State of deposit within the Districts of Fraser River and of Thompson's River, commonly known as the Quaatlam, Couteau, and Shawswap countries, whether in the