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Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one wxposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hana corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagramc illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre filmAs A des taux de r6duction diffdrents. Lorsque le document vst trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clichA, il est filmA A partir de Tangle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mithode. rrata to pelure, n 32X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 a 1 pwpwavBi^iB ^■■■■W LECTURE • ON THC • Yukon Gold Fields (CANADA) DELIVERED AT VICTORIA, B. C. ■V Mr. William Ogilvie, D. L. S„ P. R. a. S., Ac. Explorer and Surveyor for the Qovernment of Canada In the Canadian Yukon. REVISED. AMPLIFIED AND AUTHORIZED BY THE LECTURER. Victoria, B. C. "Tub CoLONitiT" Prkknb!*, •897.! lite LECTURE. -ON TIIK- Yukon Gold Fields (CANADA! DELIVERED AT VICTORIA, B.C. — BY — Mr. William Ogilvie, D. LS., F. R. G. S., &c. Explorer and Surveyor of the Government of Canada in the Canadian Yukon. REVISED, AMPLIFIED ^^^^ AUTHORIZED BY THE LECTURER. Victoria B. C. The Colonist Pre««I8, 1897 1 : li Mr. Ogilvie's Lecture. THE following' is the complete lecture delivered in \'ictoria, B.C., on the 5th of November, 1897, by Mr. William Ogilvie, explorer and surveyor of the Government of Canada in the Yukon District of the Northwest Territories, bordering on the Territory of Alaska. The district is more generally known by the name of the " Klondyke Gold Fields," from the phenomenally rich mines discovered on the branches of the Klondyke. The manu- script has been revised and amplified by Mr. Ogilvie since the delivery of the lecture, and its publication is authorized by him. Mr. Ogilvie's statements are of the greatest value, and can be taken as absolutely correct, not only because of his well-known ability and integrity, but because they are the result of his actual observation, experience and work, he having spent many years in the Yukon region in the .s rvice of the Dominion Government. He is conceded lo be the best living authority upon all matters concerning this far northern portion of .Vmerica, and what he has to say as to the Yukon country generally, tl e several routes giving ingress to it, its natural resources and mineral formation as well as the glimpses which he permits of the life of the miners at the fever period of the great rush is here presented: — Mr. OoiLvrE said : "To make a commencement of the subject vvc* will assume that we want to visit the Yukon country. I may say that I object to the use of the name Klondyke, because that is so small a portion of the territory we have up there in the Yukon region^ in comparison with which the area of the Klondyke is an insignificant quantity, and nearly jill that vast stretch of country has yet to be prospected. I will first introduce you to the several routes into this gold bearing region which are now known. Leaving Victoria by any one oi' the steamers which run from here we make our way through the well known Seymour Narrows, taking care to time the passage to reach there at a suitable stage of the water, for it is well known that no ship can go through except at either high or low tide. In a few days, according to the capacity of the steamer, we reach Port Simpson, the most northerly seaport in British Columbia or Canada on the Pacific Ocean. If MR. OGILVIE S LECTURE. we wish to make our way farther in British bottoms, we can here take the river steamers and proceed trom Port Simpson to Wrangel, it being about 170 miles from the former point to the mouth of the Stickeen River, proceeding up that river about 150 miles, or perhaps a little less distance as will be found when the surveys are made for the proposed railway facilities. That distance occupies sixty hours or a little more. From the head of the Stickeen the road would follow through an undulating country which presents no serious obstacles to railway construction, and for the greater part of the distance of 150 miles is pretty well covered with timber. Mr. W. T. Jennings, C. E., who lately made an examination of that route for the Government, gave me some notes on it and asked me to say that the natural food supply for horses or cattle as he saw it, was not more than sufficient to feed a couple of hun- dred head. Any greater number would soon crop it bare. Those contemplating entry by that route may take this as a warning, and carry with them a sufficient quantity of food to obviate any risk in this direction, otherwise the consequences may be serious. The surface consists of low, sandy ridges, interspersed with low, swampy ground, the passage of which would be difficult for pack animals. Arrived at the head of Teslin Lake, we produce our whipsaws and commence to get out lumber for our boats. Now, whipsawing has been said to be one of the inventions of Satan, and when two are doing that work it is necessary for success that one shall push and the other shall pull; but when, as is too often the case with the tenderfoot, both either pull or both push, there is likely to be some inquiry from the man who is above as to what the other fellow is doing, and there may be some uncomplimentary language indulged in and the man below may ask his partner to come down and have it out. And if this same man below gets a grain of sawdust in his eye during the progress of the quarrel there will be quite a sulphurous atmosphere around there for some time. After ; while though, in spite of these difficulties, the boat will be finally got ready and then commencv.s the trip down the Teslin Lake, which is eighty miles long and bounded on both sides by high mountains. This lake takes its name from that of a large fish found in its waters. The Teslin-tuh, which discharges the waters of this lake, means in the Indian tongue 'the Teslin River,' and to call it the Teslin-tuh River is but a repetition of words, the proper rendition being Teslin River. The Hootalinqua or Teslin River is about 125 miles long, or a total distance from Victoria to its confluence with the Lewis of about 1,300 miles by this route. At two points only are there hindrances to navigation on this river— one of them reported to be a short distance below the lake, consists of a number of islands, with narrow, shallow channels between. In very low water in autumn there is not more than two and a half or three feet of water through, but as the bed of the river is gravel and the distance is said to be not more than a couple of hundred yards, this could easily be amended by open- YUKON GOLD FIELDS (CANADA.) 5 ing the best channel and concentrating nearly all the water in the river there. The other obstacle is even less serious than this. It is farther down the river, and as I understand it from report, con- sists simply of a sort of dyke of rock running across the river some- what higher than the general bottom. In low water it is said a steamer might touch this in passing over it, but this also could be easily and cheaply remedied. '* I leave you now at the mouth of the Teslin, and go back to VVrangel, where we take an American boat to Juneau. There has been during the past few months some talk in regard to a proposed route by way of Taku Inlet. In 1894 and 1895 I was instructed to go into that portion of the country. Taku Inlet is about eighteen miles long and heads in a glacier of the same name, which is the liveliest glacier I have seen in Alaska. During the summer of 1893 I was camped for three weeks in its vicinity, and several times every day the noise from its discharges of ice was like salvos of artillerv, and could often be distinctlv heard at a distance of twelve or fifteen miles. It keeps the head of the inlet n'most continuously full of ice, many pieces of which are veritable icebergs. The tides and the winds play with these and keep them drifting back and forth around the head of the Inlet to such an extent as to render it almost useless as a harbor. Compared with this it seems to me the celebrated Muir glacier is tame indeed. I visited it three times, and never once saw it discharge ar." ice. Taku River which empties its waters into this inlet^about two miles below the glacier, runs over a pretty wide valley, and is full of sand bars that divide the waters into many streams, rendering it some- what doubtful for steamboat navigation. I have heard it stated that this river was navigable for steamboats, but this is very ques- tionable. During the months of June and July, an ordinary river steamer probably could make her way up to the first forks— some sixty miles — but no further. From the forks, the route from this inlet follows the left hand, or Nakinah brancli, up past the mouth of the Slocoh branch, joining from the west, and up which there is a route over which the Indians travel to Tagish Lake. The Indians report this an easy route, with two low summits to cross ; but it offers no distinct advantage over the next two routes which I will notice. About eleven miles above the mouth of the Slocoh, we leave the Nakinah and go up the valley of a small stream which flows through a rocky defile that might appropriately be termed a canyon. We follow this about four miles, and turning sharp to the right ascend the valley of another small stream some four miles to the summit. There would be considerable difficulty in the last eight miles in the construction of a railway, but from here on to Teslin Lake, some fifty or sixty miles, I do not apprehend any serious hindrance to construction of a suitable road. While o\\ the ground I noticed that a portion of the worst of this route might be avoided by going around a mountain to the westward of it, which seemed to me at the time to afford easier grades and a more suit- MR. OOILVIE S LECTl'RE. able country, but which would be several miles longer. I have since learned that an engineer who was sent in this summer to search for a route through this country, examined the latter part and found it practicable. This route, as does the Stickeen, takes us to the head of Teslin Lake, from where they are one. We have here then, two routes, one of them offering to us the advantage of a river which is certainly navigable for fair sized steamers during several months. They both offer the advantage of being all- Canadian routes, because in the Anglo-Russian treaty o( 1825, while Great Britain conceded a coast strip to Russia which was to be bounded by the summits of the mountains running parallel with the sea -except where such summits were more than ten marine leagues from the Coast, in which case a line ten marine leagues distant was to be the boundary — she at the same time reserved the right to navigate forever, freely and without hindrance, all streams, rivers, bays and inlets leading from the Interior to the waters of the ocean. Now, under this article, we clearly have the right to navigate both the Taku and the Stickeen, for which reason they may both be termed all-Canadian routes, but it appears from what we know at present that the Stickeen is best adapted for the purpose. *' We go back again to the Coast now, and proceed a hundred miles from the Taku up to Skagway, where we find the celebrated White Pass route. From tide water to the summit of the White Pass is a distance of about seventeeti miles, four miles being through a flat, timbered valley. Above this, the valley becomes contracted, and any road built through to the summit would neces- sarily have to keep very much along the hillside. The summit is about 2,600 feet above tide water, from where the remainder of the thirty-five miles to Lake Bennett is undulating, rocky sur- face, with very little soil for filling or grading purposes. We now return to Skagway, and go through by the Dyea route, which has been used by the Indians for generations. And it is evident that the Indians knew their business in selecting this route. The word ' Dyea ' is itself an Indian one, meaning * pack ' or ' load ' — a very appropriate name for the trail. From tide water to the mouth of the canyon it would be easy to build a road -as easy almost as to construct one along a city street. From the mouth of the canyon to Sheep Camp construction is more diflicult, in fact it would probably be necessary to suspend the road by iron girders from the side of the cliff. From Sheep Camp to the summit is still more difficult, as all who have gone over the road will heartily agree. It is in many parts very steep, especially the last bit at the summit, where an ascent of over 500 feet is made up a very sharp incline covered with masses of broken rock which add much to the difficulty of the climb. In the months of February, March and April, and, in fact. May and June, this is smoothed by the snow which falls on it to the depth of fifty or sometimes sixty feet, so that it is only in the months of July, August, September and I YUKON COLD FIELDS (CANADA.) 7 October that this difficulty presents itself. The summit is about 3,600 feet above tide water. Between the summit and Lake Lindeman, a distance of about 151^2 miles, there is a fall of about 1,320 feet. During the summer months, three lakes in this stretch, aggrejjatinj^' somethinj>;' over four miles, lessen very much the hardships of packing;. The pack trail though at places a little rocky, is not a difficult one. Lake Bennett, where we ended our White Pass route, is separated from Lake Lindeman by a sandy ridge about three-quarters of a mile across. The upper twelve miles of this lake averages a little more than half a mile wide, and is comparatively shallow. .About fifteen miles down, the south- west arm of the lake joins, and down this latter, fierce winds blow which frequently get up a very ugly sea, decidedly dangerous for small boats, as I have myself experienced, being twice windbound there for three days. Cariboo C'rossing, which is about two and a half miles long, brings us to Tagish Lake, some seventeen miles in length as traversed by this route. Between Tagish Lakv and Marsh Lake there is about five miles of river which is eiisii navi- gable for any ordinary river steamer, the shallowest part being at the head, where even at the lowest water I think four fee; can be found. The rest of it is ten or twelve feet in depth. '. 1 the liank of this river, about one and .1 half miles below Tagisii Lako, tha Canadian police rui customs officers are stationed. Marsli Lake is about nineteen miles in length, and from it to the v.anyon is about twev. ;,-five miles. For a fair sized boat the canyon is easily practicable. Fts length is about five-eighths of a mile, and the run through is made in about three minutes. To make the run success- fully, keep your boat in the middle of the channel. If you allow it to be caught in the eddies on the sides, it is immediately whirled round and round ami is probably dashed against the steep basaltic sides. It is almost imperative, to avoid this, that enough men he in the boat It) keep good steerway on her by rowing. If not, the steersman soon loses control of her, very probably with the result above mentioned. Just at the foot of the canyon are three hea\y swells, where if the boat runs fast she will dip water. To avoid these, incline her a little to the left, and pass them. When once past these swells, turn sharply to the right and a few powerful strokes will bring you into an eddy which will land you whether you will or not, oi\ the eastern bank. Mere tie your boat for a few minutes — walk dowti and examine the rapids which begin less than half a mile below the canyon and extend about half a mile. The water in this rapid is rougher than in the canyon, and requires a little care to run through, but as every boat going down has run it, and I have heard of no accidents, you n{:ci.\ not be over- apprehensive of any trouble liere. Below this rapid less than half a mile of smooth water, in which there are two sharp bends in the river, brings you to the head of the White Horse. Now, the White Horse has been run by a great many boats, an«« by many successfully. But I have traced the death of thirteen men by 8 MR. OGILVIE S LECTURE. drowning at this point in the summer of 1895, and I fancy that is a large percentage of those who attempted to run it in that year. Many who escaped, lost ti.eir eiTects or had them damaged by water. It is, no doubt, a very nice thing to talk of running the White Horse after you have gone through it, but it takes much of the glory off when you have to admit that you lost most of your outfit or had your boat filled with water. I would strongly recom- mend you to pack your outfit past this, and if you must run the White Horse, do so in an empty boat, " I only know the Dalton trail by report. I had an interview with Mr. Dalton, from whom this trail is named, in the summer of 1896, and got copious notes from him of its direction, extent and condition. Our government sent Mr. McArthur, one of our sur- veyors, over it this year to examine and report. His report has not yet been submitted to the department, and of course I can say very little concerning it until that is done. But I will submit the following from his diary : The summit of this trail is about forty- five miles from the Coast and 3,000 feet above the sea. The watershed is about 75 miles from the Coast, and Dalton's trading post, 100 miles from the Coast, Thence to the Pelly is about 200 miles farther. This route passes over a nice, undulating plain, well timbered in the valleys and with grass on the slopes, although not enough to feed any large number of animals. Mr. McArthur asked me to say that two or three hundred animals passing over it would soon crop it bare, and I make this statement as a warning to those who may be contemplating entry by that route. The first thirty-four miles of the Dalton trail is in disputed territory ; the rest of it is in Canada, just as is partially the case with the Dyea and Skagway trails too. Now, for my part, I think it is our duty as Canadians to sink all political differences — to let the fire of patriotism consume all feelings that would tend to retard the con- struction of an all-Canadian route to our own gold fields, so that we may enjoy as fully as possible the benefits that region will bring if we use our rights wisely and well. We have the best end of the Vukon River — that is certain. The steamers of both conij. nies trading in that region have several times ascended as far as Fort Selkirk, at the mouth of the Pelly, and have never found any difficulty in so doing. In fact, one of the companies wintered its steamer here for several years. In going down the Vukon in a steamer recently from Dawson City to the mouth, I noted no trouble until we got down to Circle City, to get into which we had to cross a shallow gravel bar, which required careful navigation. Below Circle City the river spreads out over what is known as the Yukon flats, and every year there is more or less trouble in navi- gating the waters here. During the present summer both companies had boats stuck here for several days. One of them lay on a bar for three weeks, and could only be got otT by digging the bar from under her — cutting a canal as it were, in the bar, and letting her slip into it. Another boat stuck near the same place I YUKON GOLD FIELDS (CANADA.) ' 9 for several days until a sister steamer came along and butted her over, but in doing so s'luck herself on the same bar — and I don't know how long she stayed there. "The navigation of the Yukon River in the upper part is open from May until the middle of October; while at the mouth it is not open before the istof July, and navigation does not last longer than the ist of October — that is only from two and a half to three months — and it takes river steamers fourteen, fifteen, and even six- teen days to get up the river to Dawson. St. Michael's, the head- quarters of the river boats, is eighty miles from the mouth of the river, and only in calm weather can the steamers cross that bit of open sea. In addition to this the bars at the mouth of the river often catch steamers on their way both in and out, and delay them hours — even days. In one instance, in 1896, a steamer lay on a bar at the mouth, for fourteen days, until a combination of favor- able winds and tides raised the water sufficiently to float her. It is almost impossible to mark a channel at this place- for the move- ment of the ice in Behring Sea is continually changing the depths at this point, so that what might be the channel one season would not be the next. From this rause, and high winds making it too rough for river steamers to cross the intervening eighty miles from St. Michael's to the mouth, there is much delay here, and it would be impossible to fix regular dates of sailing. To deepen one of the channels sufficiently to allow ocean vessels to enter the mouth oi the river would be very expensive, and even when done could hardly be expected, under the conditions, to be permanent. The two companies which liavc traded on the river in the past, had in August last plying oi\ that stream a fleet of seven steamers — four the property of the Alaska Commercial Co., and three of the North American Trading and Transportation Co. These are fair-si/cd boats, capable of carrying from 350 to 400 tons each, and make three, four or five trips per season, as conditions suit or necessities require. There were also two other smaller steamers in course oi' construction at St. Michael's in August last, but they were too small to materially afl'ect the transportation question. I belie\e that it is m contemplation by the two companies named to place more steamers on the river during the coming season. " Next let me tell you something about the discovery of gold in the Vukon. Karly in the 'jo's an attempt was made to get over to Teslin Lake, by Cassiar miners w ho had learned oH the exist- ence of a large lak., northward from Cassiar. Several people tried, but luisuccessfully and returned, disgusted. In 1872, September 2, two north-of-Ire!and men, from C'oimty Antrim, named .Arthur Harper and Frederick W. Hart; Cieorge W. Fitch, who came trom the vicinity of Ki igston, Ontario; Andrew Kanselar, a CJer- man ; and Sam. Wilkinson, an Englishman, left Manson Creek to go on a prospecting trip down the Mackenzie River. Harper, because gold had been found on the Liard, which empties into the Mackenzie and is one of its principal branches, was under the lO MR. OGILVIE S LECTURE. impression that there was gold on the Mackenzie. They made th ir way down Peace River by the Finlay branch, to what is known as Half Way River. There they met a party of men sur- veying for the Canadian Pacific Railway, and unwittingly helped to drive a spike in our great national highway, because they gave their boat to the survey men to make their way up the Peace River. Harper and the others packed their provisions up the Half Way River and over a twenty-five or thirty mile portage to the waters of the Nelson River, down which they went until they found it safe for the passage of canoes, where they made a cache and proceeded to make two dug-out canoes, with which to ascend the Nelson. " In 1891 I was sent by the Dominion government to examine the north east portion of this province, and coming out by the trail followed by Harper I saw the cache which Harper had told me about in 1887. Well, Harper's party made their way down to the Liard River where they met two men named McQuesten and Mayo. Wilkinson determined to try his luck on the Liard, and left the others. Harper, Hart and Kanselar went down the Mac- kenzie, across to the Peel, and thence over to Bell's River, an affluent of the Porcupine — and down the Porcupine to Fort Yukon, where Harper saw an Indian who had some native copper which he said came from Wliite River. Harper determined to try for it. With Fitch and Hart he went four hundred miles up the Yukon to White River in September, and thence up White River until they were stopped by running ice, when they halted and made preparations for winter, building ;i cabin of suitable dimensions for shelter. From this point they made prospecting excursions in various directions, mainly in search of the copper, which they did not find. Harper attributes their non-success to the late closing of the river, and the thickness of the ice drift which precluded ary attempt to cross it. He believes he saw, across the river, rock of such peculiar colors as to justify him in at least assuming that he had found a copper vein of considerable extent. He kept that matter a subject of inquiry with the Indians during his long so- journ in the country, and now thinks that he is certain of its location, hj.ving from time to time obtained from the Indians of the locality pieces o( native copper and copper ore, all of which seem to him to point to one locality. Where this is, he ilid not yet tell me, but he hopes if he lives long enough to be able to dis- cover and prospect what he considers a very extensive copper bearing district. " In the spring, being short of provisions, they made their way down the river, prospecting as thoy went, and found very good indications in the vLinity of the mouth of the Stewart. Hut the shortage of provisions prevented their taking advantage of these discoveries. On their way up they ascended Forty Mile River two or three miles prospecting, and found very good prospects, but the Indians whom they met on that river sc.ired them away by telling YL'KON GOLD FIELDS (CANADA.) II them that there was a very dangerous and impassable canyon some distance farther on. We now know this is not the case. They found no gold on the Mackenzie, and the result of their prospect- ing, Harper summed up to me thus: On the Nelson, nothing; on the Liard, colors; on the Mackenzie, nothing; on the Peel, fair prospects; on the Porcupine, colors; on the Bell, nothing; and on the Y'ukon, prospects everywhere. To obtain provisions they had to make their way to St. Michael's, and on their way back they encountered McQuesten and Mayo, who had gone into the service of the .Alaska Commercial Co, Near the mouth of the Koyukuk, Harper saw an Indian with some gold which he said came from a mountain in the vicinity. Harper spent the winter of 1874 and 1875 prospecting at the point indicated, but found nothing. Mc- Questen and Mayo, as the result of a conversation with him, went up the stream and established Fort Reliance in August and Sep- tember, 1874. Harper joined them the following summer, and a partnership was formed which existed until 1889. Now, Fort Reliance is only six and a half iriiles from the mouth of the renowned Klondyke. While trading it appears that they made very few and short attempts at prospecting. The valley of the Klondyke and its affluents is a favorite hunting ground, but they never prospected there, and if they had done so in the Klondyke itself they would have found nothing, for its bed consists of coarse gravel through which fine gold would have soon gone out of sight, and at that time no prospecting was done except surface prospect- ing. In the summer of 1887 the valley of the Klondyke was pros- pected for upwards of forty miles, with no result. Again in 1893 it was prospected, and nothing found. " karly in the 8o's gold was found on the Stewart River by miners prominent among whom were two brothers named Hoswoll, from Peterboro, Ontario. There is little doubt but that much of the early mining done in the country was due to the reports of Harper, who liad written to old comrades in British Columbia, where he had mined for many years, trying to niduce them to try their luck on the N'ukon. In i88(), Mr. Harper erected a trading post at the mouth of the Stewart, for the benefit of the miners there, some thiriy or more in nvunber. In the same year, coarse gold was found on Forty Mile. Now, as coarse gold is what all miners principally search for, as soon as this discovery was made kninvii, Stewart River was de- serted. Harper left Ste\articular range of and has sing into ^iver just ention is ite River Dosit has of pure seen it r some- so been e proper s found etaceous )ugh our linently, bank of ut again le Cone ; coal to rom the le of the !w miles from the bank of the main river, and at Fifteen Mile creek, and at the head of the Thronda, there are also outcroppings of coal. On the upper branches of the Stewart coal is said to occur in the drift : and again about six miles above the Five Fingers coal crops out on the banks of the V'ukon river. In fact, there is any amount of coal in the country with which to work our precious minerals when we obtain the necessary facilities. Regarding the surface of the country and the difficulties of prospecting: Passing down the river in a boat one sees a succession of trees, ten, twelve, fourteen and sixteen inches in diameter, and he naturally comes to the conclusion that it is a well timbered country, and so it is — along the margin of the river. But let him disembark and go inland, and he will find the ground covered with what is locally known as ' niggerheads,' which consist of columns of decayed coarse grass peculiar to this region. They are formed by the annual growth of grasses deciiying and falPngdown, while year after year the roots of the growing grasses bind this together into an almost solid column, which stands upon a bed of mud. To walk across a niggerhead swamp is one of the most fatiguing exercises one can in- dulge in. You cannot walk on them -you must walk between them. Put your foot on top of one of them — it sways under you, and down you go to your knees in the mud between them. The result is that the miners and other residents of that country keep as far away from the niggerhead swamp as they conveniently can, avoiding it as they would the plague. " For the rest of the country the surface is covered by from one foot to two of moss — and underneath the everlasting frost. On this a scrubby growth of trees is found, extending up the mountain sides to an altitude of from one thousand to fifteen hundred feet above the river. It is this which appears to those passing down the river in boats to be a continuation of the good timber seen along the banks. Timber that is fit for anything is scarce, and we should husband it carefully. .A great deal of our timber has already gone down the river. It was our timber that built Circle City. Our timber has indeed served all the purposes of the Upper Yukon country. A large amount of timber is required for the development of our own resources on the upper river, and our government should at once take steps to protect it for our own use and benefit, " Above the timber line you come to the bare rocks^ — the crests bare save where clothed with a growth of lichen on which the Caribou feeds. There is no timber in the way here no moss, and no brush. The miners, in travelling, consequently keep as much as possible to the top of the ridge. Bedrock prospecting necessarily has to be reserved for the winter. First the moss has to be cleared away, and then the muck or decayed vegetable mould has to be picked away for a depth of two or three feet. After two or three feet in depth has been picked out, a fire is built in this ' hole ' as it is termed, in ao MR. OGILVIE S LECTURE. :i! ! the evening. In the morning the ground which has been thawed by the fire, is shovelled out, and in the afternoon wood for another fire procured; in the evening another fire is built, the ground thawed by this is the following morning shovelled out — and so on until bedrock is reached. Six, eight, ten and twelve feet of the surface is decayed vegetable matter and alluvial deposit of sand in the clay, termed by the miners *muck.' As soon as gravel is struck, prospecting is commenced— that is, a pan or two of the dirt is washed to determine whether it is worth keeping or not, as the refuse is thrown on one side of the hole, and the paying dirt on the other. Near to and on bedrock the pay is found, which is generally not more than two or three feet deep. With reference to the so-called muck — all the way through it we find trees lying in every direction. These trees are of the same kinds of wood and present the same appearances of growth as those to-day growing on the surface. In order to determine approximately the age of the pay dirt, I have made a special study of features in this connection, but did not obtain sufficient data, nor was I long enough there to do so. I know that trees are now growing on the surface from one hundred to one hundred and fifty years of age, the roots of these very often engirdling trees fully as old- of the same kind lying immediately beneath them. Beneath these again are other trees— and so on down to a depth often of twelve or fourteen feet. From this we must infer that the gold deposit, or pay dirt, was made thousands of years ago, yet in it we find the bones of animals which are still quite common in the district, and of others which are found farther to the south. I have in my possession two horns of the bison, or so-called buffalo, which a few years ago roamed the prairies to the south and east of this, in vast herds. These were, when 1 got them, in a better state of preservation than similar horns which one would pick up in a journey from, say Calgary to McLeod, or any other part of our prairie region which the buffalo frequented. I have also part of the horn of a moose -part of the head of an elk, showing the brain cavity, which is as large and well-developed as that of any elk which might be found there to-day. 1 have also part of what I believe to be the neck vertebrae of the bison. Along with these are found the teeth of the mastodon — several of which were picked up on the claims of Bonanza and El Dorado last winter. In one of these claims a piece of a rib was found in the paystreak, to which some of the frozen flesh still adhered. It crumbled away, however, almost immediately on exposure to heat and the air. This piece of rib was not more than two inches in length, and from its size very probably belonged to one of the smaller animals, such as the mountain sheep or goat. I did not see or hear of any evidence of the existence of man at any depth in those creeks. I brought away for our National Museum sections of trees found in the so-called muck, from depths of ten or twelve feet. I will sub- mit these to our experts in the several branches concerned, together YUKON GOLD FIELDS (CANADA.) 21 ti thawed r another ! ground nd so on ;t of the f sand in y^ravel is vo of the ir not, as \g dirt on which is reference ;es lying of wood e to-day ately the es in this s I long swing on years of as old' of Lth these of twelve deposit, ; find the rict, and e in my which a f this, in state of up in a of our o part of ;he brain any elk >f what I th these "e picked In one treak, to d away, the air. ind from its, such ■ of any eeks. I found in will sub- together t with the data I noted in connection with them, and they can then theorize to their hearts' content as to their age. This much I will say — that this wood found at these depths is to all appearance the same as that which is now growing there. The size of the growth rings is no greater ; the nature of the timber is the same; and the diameter of the tree is no greater than that of those now growing in the same vicinity. These facts would warrant us in saying that the climate of this district in the days of the deposit of the pay- streak, as it is termed, was much similar to what it now is. Bed- rock, and the gravel above it, show no evidence of glaciation ; the gold itself bears no evidence of glaciation. This much I say on that point — let the experts now argue it out for themselves. " Now, a few words on the manner of getting out the dirt in this region. As soon as the ground is sufficiently frozen to enable us to prosecute our work without interference from v.ater, we sink a hole to bedrock, as I have before described. The time this takes is measured by the depth of the hole, one foot per day beirg counted fair work. Should we reach bedrock without finding prospects, anothc hole has to be sunk in the same way, and this process continued until pay is struck. One claimholder may locate pay at the very first hole. The man adjoining . ay have to sink many. One instance I know of in which eleven holes were sunk across the vjilley without anything being struck in any of them. In fact, th< valley was almost crosscut, as it is termed, yet a miner in the vicinity paid this unfortunate man $2,500 for a half interest in his claim, being well aware of the fact that eleven holes had been put down and nothing found. This I think gives one an idea of the confidence the miners have in the ground on those creeks. Now, suppose pay is s;truck in one of our holes. The pay streak, as I have said before, is seldom more than three feet in depth. On the side of the hole which shows the best indications, a fire is placed which thaws out a few inches on that wall to a height of forty-five feet. In the morning, the waste dirt, or what contains no pay, is shovelled out and thrown to one side, the pay dirt being placed in what is termed the dump, which freezes solid a few mornings after it has reached the top. This process is continued in the the direction of the best pay, a distance which is governed by the thickness of the crust on top. If this is twenty feet, you may drift thirty feet with safety, when a new hole or shaft has to be sunk and the drifting continued. In this way the pay streak is taken from underneath the surface during the winter until the water begins running in the spring, finds its \Vay into the shafts, and hinders operations to such an extent that they are closed. Preparations for the erection of dams are then made, and sluiceboxes procured with which to \ .sh the dump. As many of you are unacquainted with sluicing, I .vill give a brief description of it. \ sluice box is about ten inchts in width and twelve feet in length, the boxes so made that they fit into each other, like the joints of a telescope. In these are placed what are called riffle- ■n 22 MR. OGILVIE S LECTURE. bars, which are strips of wood about one inch square and eight or ten feet long nailed together at their ends so as to be parallel with each other, and about one-half to three-quarters of an inch apart. These are placed longitudinally in the sluice boxes, which are set up so as to have an incline of two or three inches fall per foot of their length. Into this system of boxes a stream of water is directed, which must be of sufficient volume to carry with it the gravel and dirt that is in the dump. As soon as the sun has attained sufficient force to thaw out the surface of the dump, it is as fast as thawed, shovelled into these sluice boxes ; the water carries down with it to the tailings, as it is termed, the refuse — that is, the gravel, sand, and other matter which is not wanted. The gold and the black sand, which is simply pulverized magnetic ore, owing to their much greater weight fall between the riffle-bars and are held there. As soon as the riffle-bars are filled so that there is danger of the gold passing over and downward to the tailings, the flow of water is stopped, and what is <;alled the clean-up is made. That is the riffle-bars are lifted out and the contents of tiie sluice boxes gathered and the black sand and other refuse separated from the gold. In one instance eighty avoirdupois pounds of gold were realized from a single clean-up, representing about $16,000 in money. This seems extraordinary, but we must bear in mind that the dump from which this came contained only $1 to, 000 and took the united efforts of five or six men at $1.50 per hour for upwards of three months, not including the labors of sluicing, so that although tt is tremendously rich, it is not exactly all profit. " I saw the other evening in one of the papers that a man who owns a claim on El Dorado and another on Bear Creek has sold out for $1,000,000. He went into the country a poor man with tlie intention of raising sufficient money to pay off the mort- gage on his place. Well, he has done so; he has not only paid off his own mortgage, but the mortgages of all his neighbors. " Although these creeks are rich, and as I have nild you more men have made homestakes there than any^^'here else in the world, I do not wish you to look only on thf bright side of the picture. An .American, from Seattle, came in June, 1896, to the Forty Mile, with his wife, with the intention of bettering his condition. They went out again last July with $52,000. I was well acquainted with this man, a very decent, intelligent chap. He told me one day that if he could remain in that country from three to five years and go out with $5,000, he would consider himself in great luck. He has come out with $52,000, and after prospecting his claim at both ends and a little in the middle, lie concludes that there is $1,500,000 in it. " On the other hand, an old Scotchman by the name of Marks has been in there for eleven years. I have known him well, and once when he was sick last fall I happened to ask him how old he was. Sixty-three years, he said. Then I asked him how long he had been mining. His reply was forty-two years — in all parts of m YUKON GOLD FIELDS (CANADA.) 23 the world except in Australia. In answer to a question as to whether he had never made his stake, he told me he had never yet made more than a living, and often that was a very scanty one. This, of course, is the opposite experience, but I could quote scores of similar cases, so that I would not have you look too much on the bright side. "There are men in that country who are poor and who will remain so. It has not been their " luck," as they call it, to strike it rich, but I may say that that country offers to men o( great fortitude, steadiness and some intelligence, an opportunity to make more money in a given time than they could possibly make any- where else, ^'ou have, of course, a good deal to contend with ; your patience will be sorely tried, for the conditions are so unique that they have surprised many who have gone in hopefully, and have left in disgust. But while this is the case, there are many obstacles and disagreeable conditions in connection with prospecting. " First, a few words about the mosquitoes During the summer, and until September, they are a veritable plague. They seem to feed on smoke. And as to fire — thej appear to revel in it. The only way to escape them is to cover one's self with mosquito netting. Indeed, it is impossible to prospect in Hie summer time unless a man be an old miner and well hardened, for all day long, and twenty four hours in the day, those mosquitoes are after you. It is no use trying to get rid of tl ^m. Of course they are not an annoyance in the winter time, but while we have no mosquitoes then, I will, on the other hand, show you \\ hat you may expect in the way of temperature. I have made some extracts from my meteorological records, which I w-ill here present. They cover the period from August, 1895, to November, 1896, and show the highest :ind lowest temperatures reached, as follows: — .805. Au(;iisl 1 lii'iinomcler : 32 and helow — 6 Times. 40 " " II Scplcmljer 32 " " - l.S " 40 " " 2() " Octolior 32 " " - 2S 40 •' " -31 " l.oWL'Nt, 2(,\h : I2.(). I'ir.ii Mii>\», 41 h. Snowi (i 7 (lays. NdVcmlicr 'riu'rinoniL'lor : 32 and holow — 30 Time-. 'o " " -"11 Lowest. I7tli ; 3().4, lli>^!u'>l, 71I1 : 3S.1;, Snowed on live days. December 'I'lierniomeler : o and i)eIo\v ^1 Tin\es, . . .. -4" " " - .] " - 30 " " _ 5 " Lowest, 24lh : - 55.5.' , lli({hest, 141I1 : () . o and above 7 limes. Snowed on si\ days. 24 MR. OGILVIE's lecture. 1896 ^^""^'"y Thermometer : o and above- i Times. —23 —15 — 12 - 7 f'ebruary Thermometer -30 -40 -50 -60 Lowest, 26th : - 68. 5. Highest, 29th : 6'. Mean minimum temperature— 42^ " maximum " tt\ Snowed on four days. "^ ' o and below— 28 Times. Lowest : Highest, 20th -30 -40 ' -SO ' ■60 " -34-.S. -32'. 32 and al)ove- — 11 -10 — 2 — 2 -7 times. ^^^^""^^ • • • • Thermometer : o and below- 19 Times. -30 o ' 32 ' Lowest, 20th ;- 37.2. Highest, i3ih: 40". " Snowed on five days. — I above— 31 " -5 '■^'"''' Thermometer : o and I)eIow— 15 Times Lowest. 5ih Highest, i6th Snowed on four days. Rained on two days. 20 32 ' o ' 20 ' 38.2. 40" above ab(jv( 8 - 5 -29 - I •^^^y Thermometer 32 and l)elow ^18 Times. ' 40 " above— 27 " 50 " " —21 " 60 " " t '< Lowest, 1st, 2nd and 3rd :- 5' Highest, iSth and 23rd : 62 ' Siii'we'I on one day. Rained on four days. Forty-Mile River broke up on the I iih lune 1 hermnmeter 3.T an( 1 below — 4 Times. 40 " 17 t ( 40 a )ove— 30 it .SO " -30 t ( 00 " -22 1 1 70 " - 7 tt *.So ti On the 30th, which was the liighesi reading for the month. Rained on twelve days. tl YUKON GOLD FIELDS (CANADA.) J"'y Thermometer : 32 and below— o Times. Lowest, 27th : 33°. Highest, 1st and 2nd Rained on three days. 40 " - 9 ' 40 above — 3 i ' 5^ " —31 ' 60 " -^0 ' 70 " -15 ' 80 " -2 ' 81°. "^"Si'st Thermometer : 32 and below~32 Times. Lowesr, 31st : Highest, 14th 40 40 50 60 70 27.2. 76. above — 31 " -31 " —21 " - 7 Rained on eight days. September Thermometer : 20 and below— 3 Times. 32 40 " 40 " 50 " 60 " 4.8. 63^ — 8 " —23 " above — 26 " " —25 " " — 8 '< Lowest, 301 h Highest, i7ih Snowed on two days. Rained on two days. or less frozen. '^-'t-iooti, dih forty-.Mile rcmamcd more ^'^^"'''^'" • • • Thermometer : 20 and lielow— 1 5 Times. 32 o 32 40 50 —26 " - 2 above — 16 " — S " - 2 Lowest, 6th : 1°. T„ I . . Highest, roth and inth : zi". Ice began rtmnn.g m the river again after clearing out as before stated, Snowed none. Rained on one day. November .Thermometer : 20 and below— 30 Times. Lowest, .^()ih Highest, 2n(l o - 10 - 20 -30 - 38^ 22,5. II '22 -'3 -12 - 7 . . , Snowed im six days. Ice set in the N'nk.m on the 5th. the lenToerZes' '' record fro,.i which nr.y be obtained an idea of ..„ .1 " '^u . ^ ''^^*' temperatures show that it can never be an a^ncultural country, for the thermometer sinks so {en be ow -40, at wh.ch temperature ve^^etable development come.s to a i 26 MR. OGILVIE S LECTURE. Standstill, that onl}' the commonest garden produce, such as radishes, lettuce, small cabbages and small turnips, attain sufficient size for use. I know one man at Forty Mile, who had a little farm on which he grew potatoes and other vegetables, a quarter of a mile from the boundary line. He was such a patriotic Yankee that he would not live in Canada under any considerations, so when he found that Forty Mile wa ; in the Dominion, he moved up the river as he thought a quarter of a mile on the Alaskan side of the boundary. However, when I surveyed the line, I found that he was only 150 yards outside of Canada, and my line actually took a small piece off his potato patch. He remarked that 1 came ' pooty near takin' his potato patch.' I said, yes — but would potatoes not grow just as well in Canada as in Alaska? " 'Course they would," he replied, 'Course they would.' "Then he added: 'I've no objection to living in Canada. Why, I've spent the best part of my life in British territory. I mined for years in Cariboo and Cassiar. Why Victoria was my headquarters. You must have heard about that big spree I had there once. They said I spent five thousand dollars in three weeks. That's a lie. It was only sixteen hundred.' " After finishing my work on the boundary line and on my return to P'orty Mile, I had to pass this same old*gentleman's cabin, where I remained over night. In the morning as I was packing up I found a bottle with a small glassful of whiskey in it, and I determined to try if his patriotism was proof against his appetite, so I said, ' Mr. Patch, I've a glass of whiskey here that I'll give you on conditions.' '' ' What are they ? ' said he. " 'That you drink the Queen's health.'" "' I'll do it,' he said eagerly. " So I handed him the bottle, which he raised and said,' Here's to Queen Victoria and all her subjects.' " 'God bless her,' said I. " 'God bless her,' said he, with great emphasis, and swallowed the Mquor with very great satisfaction, smacking his lips and remarking, ' That's good whiskey— where did it come from? ' " 1 answered, 'from Canada, where everything is good.' " ' Well,' he said, ' I guess you're pooty near right there.' " Tliis old gentleman informed me that he had tried for several years in succession to grow potatoes on the south side of Forty Mile, hut they were Invariably killed by frost. He then sought a nook on the hills on the north side of the river, where the sun did not get around to them until towards noon. This prevented their being killed by too rapid thawing out by the direct rays of the sun. They were gently thawed out in the shade before the strong sunheat fell on them, and thus survived the action oi the frost. " *1 tell you I'd rather have a good potato patch than a mine in this covmtry,' said Mr. Patch, ' when you can get two bits a pound for them.' YUKON GOLD FIELDS (CAXADA.) 27 "These potatoes develop sufficiently to reproduce, but are watery and bad tasting. He did me the honor to cook me some out of those he had preserved for seed, and I ate them because he had cooked them, not for the pleasure it gave me. At Forty Mile they grow potatoes in a couple of gardens which were better tasting, having suffered less from the action of the frost, the smoky atmosphere of the town preventing the radiation of heat during the night to the same extent as it does in the outlying places. They also grow radishes, turnips, lettuce and small cabbages, which taste well but would not take a prize at an agricultural exhibition. The Alaska Com- mercial Co. has had a couple of acres under cultivation in the vicinity of Forty Mile for several years. On this they have sown oats, but they never ripened. Good fodder for cattle could be had in this way by importing barley and oats, but the seed would have to be brought in every season as there is no kernel in the pod or shell. To those contemplating taking horses or cattle into the country for other purposes than slaughter, I would say, go in a couple of years in advance — get a favorable piece of land ; clear it, and prepare for the cultivation of such fodder as this. Other- wise you will have to import all the fodder you require. Horses have been in use at Forty Mile for several years now, but the owners depend largely on the trading companies for the food for their subsistence. Mr. Harper has had several horses at Selkirk for a number of years, the fodder ("or which he cuts from ponds in the vicinity. On this they pull through the winter, but they are not in a condition to do any work. Mr. Harper also has a small garden at Selkirk, in which he cultivates potatoes ot fair quality. To preserve them from frost he has made a large blanket, as it might be termed — mtide out of heavy ticking. Fvery evening when the sky is clear and frost threatens, he suspends this just over the potato tops. This to a very great degree subdues the intensity of the frost in its action upon the potatoes, but does not entirely save them. At Sixty Mile also he has a small garden on which pretty fair potatoes are grown. This spot is more favorably situated tha*: is the other locality mentioned, as the tubers are closer to the bank of the river with a warmer, sandy soil. The farming area is however, very small in comparison with the surface ot the country, being entirely limited to the river bottoms, so that all vegetable food must be taken into tiie country as it cannot be grown there except at an enormous cost, and therefore will not pay. " l''or animal food there is the caribou and the moose, but the moose are never nearer than thirty or forty miles of the mines, so that it takes two or three days going from the camps to hunt them. There are too, white mountain she«p -pure white in color, but otherwise resembling very much in appearance the grey one found in more southern latitudes, but with a fuier horn, more nicely curved. The caribou although they roam over the hills in vast htrds are migratory in their nature and are rarely found two sue- 28 MR. OGILVIE S LECTURE. cessive seasons in the same place. In the fall of 1895, a large herd came down to the Yukon River, near our camp, adjacent to the boundary. Out of this herd I shot six in a little more than as many seconds, and twelve in a few hours. The party killed eighteen that afternoon, which was sufficient for our needs for the winter, and after this we often amused ourselves by stoning them and chasing them from the dooryard. They seem to have no dread of man. This however is the case only when they are in great numbers. Singly or when only a few are together they have great caution, and will not let you approach nearer than three or four hundred yards, if they are aware of your presence. They do not seem to have as keen scent as the moose, and rely more upon their eyes than their sense of smell. Hunting the moose is an art which requires considerable cultivation, a great deal of patience, and much endurance. I have known Indians to divest themselves of every vestige of clothing and go barefooted, in order to get near enough to a moose to shoot him. And this too at a time of the year when the mosquitoes were in greatest number. They did this because with clothing they might unwittingly catch a branch, snap it and make a noise ; while with their feet covered they might unconsciously put foot on a dry limb, break it, and scare the moose away. This gives a better idea of the acute sense of smell and hearing of the moose than anything else I could say. The natural products of the country as a food supply may be said to be value- less when compared with the demand which will soon exist for it there. It might, indeed, be said that all food will have to be imported. In the river are some small fish resembling the greyling, and the salmon annually make their way up as far the canyon, some two thousand miles from the sea. But long ere this they are pretty well spent. Now where there are plenty of salmon for the native to subsist on for a considerable period of the summer, the salmon is not worthy of note as an item in the food supply which will be required there. It was for years the principal source of dog feed for the Indians, but the last two summers very few have been caught, and the freighters have had to feed their dogs on bacon and flour, the former at thirty to forty cents per pound and the latter at ten or twelve. I might say for the information of those contemplating using dogs for a journey to that country, that Indian cornmeal, well cooked witii a lump of tallow thrown in and well mixed with it, makes excellent dog feed. One hundred pounds of cornmeal and a pail of tallow, will suffice a team of four dogs for a considerable journey. This is not bulky, nor yet very heavy, and is v convenient, besides which the dogs seem to do well or it. Bl e the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railroad along the ; rthern shore of Lake Superior, and yet along the north shore of I ake Huron where the local mails have to be transmitted by dog team, this was the dog feed used. At these points other food could readily have been obtained, and the inference is that experience has shown this to be the best. In the way of natural YUKON GOLD FIELDS (CANADA.) 39 fruits, there is what is known as the high-bush cranberry, in very limited quantities however ; an abundance of blueberries on the low, marshy swamps ; and also a few swamp cranberries. There are also a very few strawberries in the warm, sheltered nooks where the moss has not covered the surface. The blueberries are the only ones worthy of note, being of sufficient quantity to con- tribute somewhat to the larder. Out of them a wine is made. It does not ' fetch drunk ' as the miners say, and consequently it is not much in vogue. The only timber in the country that is fit for mercantile purposes is spruce. There are a few poplars which, however, are generally unfit for anything except fuel. The spruce is soft, weak and full of knots. " Now let me give you some idea of how things were righted and the law administered in that region before the advent of the mounted police. When I was in the country ten years ago, the miners were not very well acquainted with each other, and, there being no saloons, they attended pretty strictly to business. C' > sequently there were no rings or cliques formed, and when a miners' meeting was called to adjust any difference or dispute, it was generally decided fairly and on its merits. Soon after this, saloons were built, liquor came in in large quantities, and a class congregated which might be termed professional loafers. These men were always on hand, and when a miners' meeting was called, they attended and voted in the interests of the saloons and their keepers. " As an instance, a poor little German, at Forty Mile, was passing quietly along the street one day, and a big ruflian, who rather prided himself on his capabilities as a bully, drew out and struck the little man a blow that paralyzed him. He was power- less to help himself ; he could not match his strength against that of his assailant ; and so he consulted a German friend of his as to what he should do in the matter. The friend suggested a miners' meeting, which was called at once. Now, what do you think this miners' meeting did ? As you would probably never guess, I will tell you — they fined the plaintiff $20.00 for calling the meeting, which was expended for drinks on the spot, the meeting of course being held in the saloon, and the chairman being in fact the proprietor of the place. "Another instance: Four miners were partners in four claims. These did not return more than expenses and poor wages, and they decided to sell. One of the partners was going to Forty Mile for something or another, and the others instructed him, if he could, to sell out for the whole lot. He asked them what was the lowest they would be willing to take for their interests, so that he might have something to ^o on. After con- sultation they decided that five hundred dollars was the least they would be willing to take, but at the same time instructed him to get all that he could. At Forty Mile, he sold the four claims for $2,800 — $700 apiece. He handed tiie three partners $500 each, and put the $1,300 in his own pocket. Soon after, they discovered 30 MR. OGILVIE S LECTURE. this fact, and called a miners' meeting to make him divide even. The meeting-, by resolution, decided that * as long as they got their $500 apiece it was none of their business what he got.' "Again, a miner commonly known as French Joe — a French Canadian — was going down 'the creek,' as it is termed, to Forty Mile. While passing the cabin of a man whom we will call Jones, he was hailed and asked where he was going. " 'To F'orty Mile,' he said. " ' Well, you're by Dick Brown's ' — another fictitious name — 'Will you take down these two ounces and give it to him.' " ' Oui certainement, m'sr.* "The two ounces were weighed out and handed over to Joe, who carried them down and faithfully presented them to Brown as directed, with the explanation that they had been received from Jones. "'But,' remarks Brown, 'that of owes me three ounces.' "Joe was pained and surprised, and a little indignant at his reception. " ' I don't know for dat, he gif me two bounce — der she was. Dat's all I know for.' " ' But he owes me three," said the persistent Brown " ' Veil dat may be. She may be he owe you thousand. He give me two bounce -der she is. You got two bounce ?' " ' Yes, there's two ounces here.' " * Veil, dat's all he giv me.' " ' But I want my other ounce.' " ' Veil, sacr-r-r-e ' — the Frenchman was becoming warm — ' perhaps next time you see him you ask him about her. I giv you two bounce — dat's all I got.' " Brown calls a miners' meeting to decide whether or not Joe shall pay him the extra ounce. Eighty-two miners attended, and after much discussion, in which Brown admits having received the two ounces from Joe, six voted that the Frenchman should pay the extra ounce, and five tliat lie should not. The rest, as Joe explained, ' didn't giv dam no how — one way or de other.' " So the Frenchman was compelled to pay the extra ounce with the costs of the meeting add^d, amounting to nearly $150. Joe remarked to me afterwards in telling me the tale of his misfortune, " ' By Gar — dat satisfy me with miners' meetings. I don't want any more dem things.' "What first brought the miners' meetings into disrepute was the result of one held at Forty Mile in June, 1896. A tailor there had demanded payment of a bill of $4.50 from a barber. The barber put in a counterclaim which fully paid the tailor's bill. The tailor called a miners' meeting to decide between them. "The meeting adjudged the tailor $1.50, and one of its members then gravely proposed that he be fined $20.00 for calling YUKON GOLD FIELDS (CANADA.) 31 the meeting. This was just about to pass unanimously, as things usually do at a miners' meeting, it being sufficient only to have a mover and a seconder, when another member stood up and pro- tested against this action, urging that if they fined a man for calling a meeting the poor man would have no way at all to get justice. They had awarded the man $1.50, and the imposition of a fine would be manifestly unfair. The meeting saw the force of this and let him go. " The barber then rose, and slowly, deliberately, and with a picturesque profuseness of profanity and an eloquence of meta- phor that did credit to his originality, requested all and sundry present to go not to any more frigid clime. He would go down the river on the under side of a log, he observed, if the worst came to the worst — but as for that dollar and a half, they could ! ! * * "A committee was forthwith appointed to try and collect the amount adjudged due. They could, however, find no one who owed the barber anything, or if he did, was willing to pay it over to them. It was well known that if they tried to enforce pay- ment from the barber he would apply to the mounted police for protection, and of course their action in so doing would be punish- able. The absurdity of the situation dawned on the parties to the affair, and miners' meetings fell below par. "This and similar cases brought the miners' meetings into such contempt that all in the country were quite ready to join in their obsequies. I do not think that at present you could induce anyone to call a miners' meeting on any account. All seem to be heartily glad that they have been abolished, and many miners have expressed to me their gratification at the way in which law and order are administered in Canada. They seem to be particularly pleased with the fact that a man's just rights do not depend upon his personal popularity — that his tender to his claim is not based on the number of times he treats when near the saloon — nor yet upon the quantity of whiskey he drinks, or any kindred merit, but simply and purely on his just and legal rights whether or not all in the country are his friends, or all his enemies. " I came a good deal in contact with these men during my work about the creeks, settled many of the disputes arising between them, adjusted many differences and everywhere and every time they had the highest respect for the law. Never but once uas anything unkind or uncomplimentary said about what was done, and in that case the offender soon after ofl^"ered a most ample apology. I think I can safely assert that, taken as a whole, there is no more lawlessness or disorder in the minds of the miners of that district than there is in the minds of the citizens of our most highly civilized communities in this favored land. *' In conclusion let me say that we have in the far north land, a vast region, comprising from 90,000 to 100,000 square miles of untold possibilities. Rich deposits we know exist in it, and for 3* MR. OGILVIE S LECTURE. aught we know many more equally rich may yet be fouixl. We know now that there is sufficient to supply a population of a hundred thousand people, and I look forward to seeing that number of people in that country within the next ten years. It is a vast inheritance. Let us use it as becomes Canadians — intelligently, liberally, and in the way best to advance our country, Canada. Let us use it as becomes the offspring of the Mother of Nations." 4 I i *;Y- K^ v< *fl iii' I JMlbJaaMe I _ ^ , 4Bits,«?K»rt«fl, 3/16*0, tin. ^n-%^' - ^ 1 >!»» XM^ t5o|R» Pot . a Suin Hitavf Undei^^if I Heavy C»p, ^\th HtM Mwk I Hat . ipaitGnrtiBoots I Miotfts' »% , -r * I Pair Heavy Botrts ^ ^ * \ 1 /■r^r^