McDame Creek. This was started in Oct. 1947 and during that winter 13 carloads

of machinery was moved to our property, assemb@ed and operating in Jun, 1948, During 1948 and 1949 - $473,000.00 worth of new Placer Gold was recovered and

added to the economy of our nation (rough- ly equivalent now to one and one-half million dollars!

Also in 1947, in co-operation with the B,C. Mines Dept. I was able to get a road-surveyor from Watson Lake to survey the route for a road from Mile #648 Alaska Highway to McDame Creek - then in the Spring was able to get the government to call-back their retired Engineer, Mr. O'Grady to inspect and pass in it's construction. But it wasn't much of a road those days. We always figured on one day into McDames and one day traveling out with Jeeps. Now look at it, 24 hours to Watson Lake, oh boy! In 1949 Moccasin Mines bulldozed a Jeep Road to Snow Creek. This helped a lot and led to the staking of the now Cassiar Asbestos Property and the sub- sequent road development to our Cassiar Townsite, our most important "Store and Butcher Shop". What a contrast to the previous years when Mrs. Wilms and I had to run our supplies from Dease Lake with our River boat, twice a year, in June for our summer supplies and in October for our winter supplies - plus our garden and lots of Moose meat and fish.

Taken in 1944 at McDame Post, B.C. - Bob and Violet and their "little Cat 20"

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Personal history: Mrs. Wilms and I were married in 1944 - an Edmonton gal - had juite a time to get her adapted to this northern life but she did so wonderfully well - especially when it came to "Digging Gold!" Have two daughters, by former marriage, one in Victoria and one in California.

I was born on the railroad's little red-section house in the Skagit River, State of Washington in 1902 (the youngest

Be:

The Witms family - 1950: Bob Wilms and daughters, Evelyn and Billy. Stster-in- Law and family, wife Violet Wilms, Taker tn Victoria, B.C.

of the Pendleton Boys group —- none of whom are living yet today, to my know- ledgc), so I am an Old Age Pensioner now as well as a "Grandpa!"

"How do you like thts northern life, Bob?"

It has been GREAT and most healthful, and most active, We never worked less than 10 hours per day, everyday and mostly 12 to 14 hours - and no "Coffee Breaks", But the"Tempo" of life those days was much happier and free*er than today. We could relax but today in contrast - is "Terrible" - rush, rush, everything people want to order is not for today or tomorrow delivery - but they want it yesterday?

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Am sorry I cannot write more this issue got to get busy and "dig some more gold" - just heard it jumped to $146.50 per ounce,

- Whoopee?! We got lots of it but got to seperate it from the gravel, Will try and find time to write more - later - if you want it?

Bob Wilms & Mrs. Wilms Box 366, Cassiar, 8.C.

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