Northern Mining

Highlights of History from The Whitehorse Star

The Whitehorse Star - Thursday, May 8, 1958.

    A moving job that just about equals the fabled account of packing a piano over White Pass was that of bringing the huge copper nugget from White River. It's in place now in front of the MacBride Museum.

    To get the three-ton chunk of copper into town took about 15 people.

    Heading the list is historian W. D. MacBride, who for almost 20 years has tried to think of some way to get the nugget from its resting place 32 miles south of the Alaska Highway. More than five years ago Clem Emminger trekked into the area and brought back one of the few factual reports on the nugget itself. He also returned with a smaller nugget of copper, which he packed out on his back. This one has been in the museum ever since.

COMMITTEE FORMED

    Then four years ago a "copper nugget committee" was formed by Historical Society members, who set themselves the goal of investigating title to the slab and trying to arrange transportation into Whitehorse. Serving on this committee were Mr. MacBride, Bill Emery, John Phelps, Dorothy Scott and Them Kjar, whose place was later taken on the committee by Jim Whyard. Scores of letters were written to discover niceties of title and other detalls.

    It was found the nugget was not covered by either the Quartz Mining Act or the Placer Act. The first would govern mineral in place, while the second refers to gold, silver or precious minerals not in place. Since it was apparently crown property, Northern Affairs were approached. The federa| department donated the nugget to the Historical Society and it then remained to move the thing.

    Earlier this year arrangements were made for another try. After Mr. MacBride left for hospital in Vancouver, the last details were tidied up and several more people came into the picture. Roy Minter acted as expediter.

    To guide the party into the area, Buck Dickson and Carl Chambers were called in. With them went game warden Joe Langevin, Metro Kaduk and Peter Versluce. Supplying the vital part of the equipment, as well as an experienced operator, Highway Maintenance Establishment provided a caterpillar tractor, with driver Dave Hume.

    The group left the highway at 7 a.m. April 22 to head into the rough White River country. They were back on the highway at 8 am. April 27 after five days battling rugged terrain. On the morning of Sunday, April 27 the great nugget finally reached Whitehorse, almost unannounced.