Atlin, B.C., March 21. - Gold placer mining is still the chief industry
here and Spruce Creek the main producer of the yellow metal. Along its paystreak is located a number of camps, one of the largest operators being the Colp Mining Company, employing 26 men under W. Wright manager and Jack Brown, foreman.
Up the creek we find John Nolan located on some promising property and downstream from the Beaton Mine is Sandy Cummings, Dan Buchanan and Jim Pirnie with one other man taking out pay; thence the firm of Bratt, McKechnie and Morris, large producers of the yellow metal. A few hundred feet downstream are Benson, Fosberg, Johnson, Oman and Helm Co., working a block of ground belonging to Isaac Mathews, paying royalty with good ups every week. The next gang of laymen is the Sunde, Valey and Nelson Company with a couple of men opening up some promising diggings. Jim Nedwell, an old trail blazer, is
awaiting favorable weather for ground sluicing in the creek; and on the adjoining ground is the Skoldquist, Swanson and Traho Co. with three men employed sideswiping and splitting pillars and getting good pay. Axel Nelson, Gus Johnson and Cornelius Co. are hard at it with two more men working on the paystreak and a fair-sized cleanup every week is the usual thing with them.
And further down the creek Otto Millar is producing a good-sized poke with two men digging; and Johnson, Holmgren & Swanson, close neighbors, are doing the same, Adjoining are the Eastman steam shovel diggings, with Joe Walsh manager. Also on this ground are L. Lokke and Tom Calman sniping side pay. Next comes Jack Tintinger, who has also some laymen at work on his ground drifting. Joe Clay, the "mechanical miner," is a regular producer of nuggets using China pumps and water wheels in open cut workings. Ole Holgren and also Dune Falconer are drifting on the Left Limited. There are many other individual miners digging away at the elusive pay streak on Spruce Creek.
On Otter Creek there are 25 men working in soft diggings and good pay
dirt with Walter Sweet managing. Jim Hodges is drifting on upper Wright Creek with four men working on ground that prospects good. On Bird Creek Joe Unites is putting in a bed rock drain and Scotty Thompson, old timer from the Koyakuk River, Alaska, is taking out a dump, and over at Ruby Creek E. Crumbigel is sinking a working shaft; Thornquist is on the pay as also are Watson and other diggers located there on "coarse stuff." And at Boulder Creek the C. C. Co. remove the boulders and are the main operators. There are also a few men cross-cutting on Cracker Creek. At Discovery on Pine Creek, Baker is sinking a shaft and Ole Lovgren on 7 below is drifting. Tar Flat is ready for production and Blue Canyon is seeing a phase of new activity, where the firm of Forbes, McLean, Stevenson, Wheatley and Street, operators, are sinking a shaft.
The O'Donnell River diggings is the home of Mr. Murphy, Mrs. Piny, H.
Miller, Jim Pepish and a number of other highgraders making the gold ... with the slugs. Over on ...am Creek Sam Tartara from 60 Mile, Y.T. is scraping bedrock. At this time of the year all the hydraulics are dormant. The One-Man Mining Co., formerly the Nogold, is in charge of B. Swanycamp, who is the miner, mucker and manager
- Sports -
We are off to the races on Atlin Lake and it is directed from the air.
The 100--mile track is in excellent condition. The start begins at the second island and ends as usual at Clarence Sands Fur Store. Contenders are on mechanical horses and are armed with baseball bats and golf clubs vs coyotes and wolves. Among the spectators are
a number of familiar figures from the liquor vendor's shelves. The side hills are patronized by Snuse-eaters, Ski-jumpers and Swedes. The only other sport is poker.
- Entertainment -
At the Music Box we have the tooth-grinding specialist, Dr. H. W.
Herkenrath, pounding the ivory with a pair of caribou mitts - "O' Canada." And a lecture by Andy McKinnon describing his new discovery where the nuggets range in size from a bannock to a leg of mutton brings us to a fitting close.
