mo.

The writers are indebted to the residents of the
district, and particularly to Mr. Wm. Steele, Deputy Mining
Recorder at Manson Creek, for many courtesies extended. In
the field work they were ably assisted by Messrs. E.F. Roots,
A.G. Hodgson, R.P. Jordan, O.W. Feniak, A.R. Thompson, and ~—
R.L. Christie. Balt

HISTORY OF MINING |

; Placer gold was discovered on Germansen River in
1870, and on Manson River in 1871. The next few years witnessed
a lerge migration of placer miners into the area, more than
a thousand men in 1871 alone. They came either north from
Quesnel or east from Hazelton, the trip in both instances
involving a long and arduous journey by pack.train. Supplies
were brought in by the same routes at a cost of about 20 cents

.& pound. Gold valued. at more than e400, 000 is reported to have
been produced in the Omineca district in 1871, most of it
coming from Germansen-and-Manson Rivers+ luch- of the gold
was recovered by a. comparatively few men, and existing high
costs of living’ forced most of the miners to leave the district.
In 1874, sixty Claims worked by’ eighty miners yielded gold to

the value of 380,000, and in 1875 the production: was valued at
$32,000. The succeeding 3 years saw Little activity, but was
followed ‘by 2 years of renewed interest in the area, and in
1880..about.- eighty. minerg- recovered gold valued: at $45, O00.
From 1880 to 1897 production gradually diminished, averaging
only a few thousand dollars a year. Total production up to
1897 was estimated by McConnell to amount to $1,000,000, more
. than half of it recovered prior to 1874. -The-years from BbS9i7
on saw the entry of many companies with much capital; large
expenditures were incurred for machinery, and a number of long
costly flumes were constructed. One company alone in a period
of about 7 years spent more than $250,000. Between 1897 and
1912 the annual production of gold amounted to only about
$20,000, and it-is-more than likely that the money expended
during these years exceeded the value of all the gold recovered
since the original discoveries in 1870. ‘Between 1913 and 1932
activity was at a low ebb, and the value of the annual placer
- gold-production dwindled. to between $3,000 and $5,000.° From
1933 to 1941 the area experienced a AGE, of interest on
the part of companies, and several brought in equipment. .
capable of handling comparatively large quantities of gravel.
-Hydraulicking, ground sluicing, steam shovelling, and drag-.
line methods were put to use, and several costly flumes were
‘built. During the period between the completion of the
railway to Vanderhoof, in 1914, and the construction of the

Germansen-Fort St. James road, in 1937, the cost of freighting
supplies into the area averaged more than 10 cents a pound.
Since 1938 these costs have dropped to about 2 cents. Due
to world war--conditions all the major: companies had ceased
operations by 1942, and only individual miners. have worked
the creeks in’ the last 2 years. The overall production of
Sian gold from the Manson erea prope excecds $1, ai ,O00.

Prior to 1914 prospecting for lode deposits in the
area attracted very little-attention,-but in the years

following, to 1937, intermittent cfforts resultcd in the
discovery of a few gold, silver-lead-zinc, and copper deposits.
The completion of the road into the area in 9D 71, panda oe
discovery, during the same year, of the Pinchi Lake mercury
deposit in the Fort Fraser (east half) map-area to the south
have stimulatcd interest in lode prospecting in recent years.