y BRITISH COLUMBIA 31 Copper.

Owing to lack of transportation facilities in the early days of lode mining, access to the Rossland, Boundary, Slocan and other camps, which have since become famous, was difficult, and the industry languished until the C. P. R. built branch lines and put steamers on the lakes, connecting the mining camps with the main line. In 1894 the first shipments of copper were made, amounting to 324,680 pounds, value $16,243. 1n ten years (1904) the production reached 35,710,125 pounds, valued at $4,578,037,

British Columbia has established her claim as the mineral province of Canada.

aud in 1907 the output was 40,832,720 pounds, value $8,166,544. In 1909 the output was-45,597,245 pounds, value $5,918,522.

1911 has shown increased activity in copper mining in consequence of a steady rise in values. This is caused by increased demand for electrical purposes, notably the electrification of certain railways about to take place.

Coal and Coke.

The history of coal mining dates back to 1836, when the Hudson’s Bay Company developed a coal deposit at Suquash, between Port McNeill and Beaver Harbor, on the northeast coast of Vancouver Island. In 1850 coal was discovered at Nanaimo, and in 1853, 2,000 tons were shipped to California, where coal was selling at $28 per ton. In the intervening years, the production of coal has increased steadily with the requirements of the market. The collieries have produced to the end of 1909, 29,562,549 tons. The establishment of smelters created a demand for coke, and its manu- facture began in 1895, the output increasing yearly with the demand, the production in 1907 being 222,913 tons and in 1908, 247,399 tons, and in