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CHAPTER III .
ECONOMIC GEOLOGY
GENERAL STATUS OF MINING

Portland Canal area has been prospected for metalliferous deposits
since 1898, but although possessing many deposits of merit did not receive
a great deal of attention from mining companies until 1908. Various parts
of the area, such as Bear River district and Alice Arm district, although
adjoining are in reality divided by the physical features of the country into
separate parts so that mining activity in one part is distinct from that in
another. Prospecting and development of mineral properties took place
first along the shores of Portland canal and Observatory inlet and very
shortly after along Bear river. The more inaccessible parts such as Alice
Arm district, Marmot River district, and Salmon River district were pros-
pected later.

Staking of mining claims along Portland canal and in Bear River dis-
trict began in 1898 but did not attain great proportions until 1908, when
owing to relatively extensive development work by the Portland Canal
Mining Company an influx of prospectors took place. Nearly all available
ground in Bear River valley was staked by 1910 and has since been held
or restaked. Since the time of the first mineral strike in the district the
attention of prospectors has been confined almost entirely to lode mining,
although in 1912 small-scale placer mining was attempted on Bitter creek,
but unsuccessfully. Optimism was the keynote for several years after
1908. In 1911 the Canadian Northeastern Railway Company completed the
Portland Canal Short Line railway, a standard gauge railway, from Stewart
to the Red Cliff mine at the mouth of American creek. The railway was
never much used and is now beyond repair.

Bear River district has produced gold, silver, lead, zinc, and copper.
Production began in a small way in 1909 and has been continued inter-
mittently by several properties. The total production from Bear River
district up to the end of 1932 is given below (exclusive of several hundred
pounds of molybdenite).

Ore Gold Silver Lead Zine Copper
Tons Ozs Ozs Lbs Lbs Lbs
31,100 5,830 2,102,050 1,953,000 1,660,000 71,000

In Anyox district mineral claims were staked in 1898 and although
the stakings prior to 1900 were developed year by year it was not until
1914 that mining and smelting began at the Hidden Creek mine. There