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1888. Reduction works being erected at Barkerville by the Provincial Government.

1889. One trail test of ore from Black Jack mine was made in Reduction works. (For particulars see under description of Black Jack mine, page 24.)

1890. ‘“The destruction by fire of the Government Reduction Works last winter had a most depressing effect upon this branch of our mining industry, but fortunately these works, although in operation but a few weeks, had proven their capability to successfully treat the character of ore found here, and consequently justified the Government in rebuild- ing the same upon a somewhat increased capacity, which undertaking has been accomp- lished most successfully under Mr. Martin’s supervision, and the works are now in operation again. It isa fact worthy of note that the gross product of the district has been increased by about $5,000 produced from the working of quartz. The Black Joe Quartz Mining Company have during the season prosecuted work on their mine; their shaft being now down to a depth of something over 100 feet, and exposing a valuable body of ore. ‘Their small prospecting mill was kept running a good part of the time until stopped by frost. This company has taken another lot of sulphurets to the test works, which is now under treatment. A most satisfactory test of the ore from this mine was made at ‘The Cassell Gold Extracting Company’s Works,” Glasgow, Scotland. From 360 pounds of ore sent, a result of something over $80 per ton was obtained; the ore worked up to 90 per cent of the assay value.

“The Island Mountain Company completed their 10-stamp mill, to which is attached

four concentrators and an improved rock crusher, and the machinery was put into operation about August 20, and was found to work satisfactorily. Rock crushing commenced on August 25, and by September 25 several hundreds of tons were put through. Some difficulty was experienced in getting the silver plates to catch the gold, owing to the presence of some foreign substance coating the plates, but after a time this was partially remedied. Some fifteen or twenty tons of sulphurets were saved and brought to the Government Works for treatment. I learned that...... the test cannot be regarded as a fair result, inasmuch as the ore was taken from the dumps at the various tunnels belonging to the Company, and was mostly surface rock.” 1891. The Black Jack Quartz Mining Company was the only company to do any work this season. They sank their shaft to 125 feet, crosscut 75 feet through hard rock, and finally struck the ledge. The vein here is 5 feet wide. Messrs. Martin McArthur and Company located and worked a mine on Island mountain this fall, which is likely to prove valuable. The ledge is about 12 feet in width, assays $25 per ton, and is nearly all free gold. The vein has been traced several hundred feet.

Mr. Perkins, on Burns mountain, continues to work his man-power arastra and manages to make his living from it while prospecting the mine.

1892. The Black Jack Company baled out their shaft to the 64-foot level and com- menced taking out and milling ore with their one-stamp mill.

1893. No development.

1894. No development.

1895. S. J. March bonded the Black Jack claim and the Reduction Works.

Cariboo Reef Development, Ltd., of London, England, commenced a tunnel on the Princess Maria claim (?) to tap the lode.

1896-1901. During this period no development work worth mentioning has been recorded as having been done on the veins.

1902. “Comparatively speaking, little has been done to further develop the numerous quartz veins of the district, if 1 except the work at present being done by Messrs. Baker and Atkin, of whose efforts in this direction Mr. Atkin speaks as follows:

‘Mr. C. J. S. Baker and myself have devoted all the working season to prospecting quartz in the neighbourhood of Barkerville. We have bonded the Pinkerton claim and the B.C. Milling and Mining Company’s location, both on Lowhee creek, and two of E. Perkin’s claims on Burns mountain. A considerable amount of work was done in prospecting these properties by sinking shafts, driving tunnels, and pumping out old workings. A large amount of assaying has been done, and is still going on, both on samples from these properties and a number of others. The Government Reduction Works, with its one-stamp mill and cyanide plant, was leased, and samples of ore from 1,500 pounds to 15 tons, were crushed and treated. As neither the series of assays nor treatment of ore is complete at the time of writing, it is impossible to give the results definitely. Though a number of the reefs examined have turned out to be too low grade to be worked