|
|
|
The mining adventures of James Henry Eastman II
The Eastman E-2 Sea Rover
Dateline: January 17, 2025. Last update: November 17, 2025.
Saturday, May 28, 1932
Edmonton Bulletin (Edmonton, Alberta)
A fleet of five fast flying boats is flying in formation to Edmonton under full power to operate in the northland, and is expected to land here Saturday.
Captain James A. Bell, Edmonton airport manager, received a telegram from Detroit Saturday morning, stating that the fleet of five, headed by James Eastman, inventor, manufacturer and one-time pilot of the famous Lafayette escadrille, arrives here today and to contact Mitchell at Juneau, Alaska. An answer is asked, regarding the contract.
The arrival of the fleet here is the answer to the mysterious ramblings of the big Detroit News plane which was here last winter and went on to Alaska and Yukon territory, for the Mitchell referred to in the wire was a navigation pilot with the
Lockheed-Vega, and it is now clear that the Detroit News plane was testing out the possibilities of the northland.
PLANE MANUFACTURER
The Eastman referred to in the wire is an aeroplane manufacturer at Detroit and his company makes amphibian machines, which can land on either land or water. Whether these machines are amphibians or not, is not certain. If they are, then they will land at the air port here.
The purpose behind the visit of this imposing air armada is a mystery. It is believed that the planes intend to go into the northland freighting service, as they have already secured Canadian registry at Windsor, Ont.
Another fleet of five planes, headed by Leigh Brintnell, former operations manager of western division of Canadian Airways, is in process of formation with the known object of getting in on the rich Great Bear Lake traffic. If Brintnell and his fleet arrive soon, there will be a total of something like 24 big machines and some smaller ones, operating into the northland this summer, exclusive of R.C.A.F. machines.
Wednesday, June 8, 1932
Victoria Daily Times (Victoria, B.C.)
PRINCE GEORGE, B. C., June 8. - Five flying boats carrying a party of
Detroit men to the reported gold strike at Scurvy Creek, landed at Tabor Lake, near here, last night.
The strike was located by the Detroit News plane, which toured through the country earlier in the spring.
Five men are in the party. They left Edmonton Sunday and traveled here by easy stages. J. H. Eastman, leader of the party, stated they would leave for Hazelton
this afternoon.
Thursday, June 16, 1932
The Vancouver Daily Province (Vancouver, B.C.)
JUNEAU, Alaska, June 16 - (UP) - A race among prospectors for an assertedly rich gold strike at Scurvy Creek in Southern Yukon Territory, started in earnest today when "Stampede John" Stenbraten, financed by local mining enthusiasts, left in a plane for Atlin, where a Canadian Airways plane is ready to take him to the district.
Stenbraten is attempting to beat five flying boats of the Mitchell Exploration Company Ltd. of Detroit, which arrived at Juneau last Saturday, en route to Scurvy Creek. Stenbraten severed connections with the Mitchell Company and decided to play a lone hand.
A Gorst flying boat arrived from Seattle late Tuesday and it was rumored, would participate tn the hunt. The plane followed the Mitchell expedition.
The rich discovery was supposed to have bean made in the early Klondike
days yeays ago, by a man named Hamilton, whose partners died of scurvy. The lost "diggins" have been the goal of many prospectors ever since.
The five flying boats arrived here from Detroit via Winnipeg, Edmonton, Prince George and Prince Rupert.
"Stampede John" hopes to land at Paystreak tonight. The Mitchell planes hopped off immediately in an effort to be the first to stake out claims.
Monday, June 20, 1932
The Vancouver Daily Province (Vancouver, B.C.)
ATLIN, June 20. - Findings "much better than average" are reported from the Scurvy Creek area, near the headwaters of the Liard River, scene of the latest gold "stampede" in the Yukon.
Pilot Stan McMillan of Canadian Airways Ltd. has carried in several parties of prospectors and it appears that "Stampede John" Stenbraten and "Loss" Bernard,
financed by a number of Juneau business men, won their race with representatives of the Mitchell syndicate from Detroit. The latter, headed by Mr. J. H. Eastman, has four flying boats here ready to take off for the discovery area. One went in last week, and the others expect to get away today or Tuesday. Stenbraten and Bernard went in with McMillan on Wednesday and are now prospecting the area.
McMillan returned and took in another party headed by Verne Gorst, Seattle man, who operates the Seattle-Bremerton air ferry. Alexander McLeod of New York, J. F. Macdonald of Juneau and Verne Glare of Seattle were other members of the party. Gorst and his party flew to Juneau from Seattie and then proceeded to White Horse, where they boarded McMillan's Junkers seaplane.
Excitement is general both in Atlin and White Horse over the find, and varying reports of the richness of the placer gold deposits are abroad.
Thursday, June 23, 1932
The Vancouver Daily Province (Vancouver, B.C.)
JUNEAU, Alaska, June 23. - (UP) - Money and manoeuvering of Detroit prospector-flyers led by J, A. Eastman today appeared to have given them control of the reputed rich gold strike along the old Yukon trail.
The Eastman-Mitchell party is reported to have "dollar-an-hour" men picking away at coarse gold ore along Scurvy Creek, while old "Stampede John" Stenbraten, veteran Alaska prospector, found himself stranded at Carcross, north off here. "Stampede John" found only a Canadian Airways Ltd, Junkers plane at Carcross, but it had been chartered by the Mitchell party in this modernized version of the Klondike gold rush of over thirty years ago.
The Scurvy Creek strike is said to be staked out for miles by the Detroit prospectors, who are freighting men and supplies over the rugged country by the chartered plane. An airplane was able to land at Stone Axe Lake, three miles from the vvalley of gold," and about eighty miles from Carcross.
RUSH FOR PLANES.
Many other prospectors are said to be making frantic efforts to get planes to join tn the rush for gold. Alex McLeod, overseas flyer, left for Vancouver on the cutter Northland in an effort to get a Canadian plane for Vern Gorst, who is waiting at Carcross.
"Stampede John," who |s financed by local mining enthusiasts, hoped
to get into the rich strike soon.
Three of the five Eastman flying boats of the Mitchell party are waiting at Atlin Lake, while others are under repair here and at Tulsequah.
Friday, June 24, 1932
Victoria Daily Times (Victoria, B.C.)
Whitehorse, Yukon, June 24. - The Mitchell Exploration Company's Eastman flying boats from Detroit have returned to Atlin from Frances Lake, where they placed twelve prospectors on the Finlayson River and tributaries to seek placer gold. Among the men are old-time placer miners who claim they never saw better conditions. This week-end another trip will be made to the upper reaches of the Liard River, where prospectors will be located on Cabin, Sayyea and Scurvy Creeks, where years ago, it is sald, the creeks produced good pay. The country in the area of Frances Lake and at the head of the Liard resembles the famous Klondike camp, the mountains looking like domes as a result of glacial action. Good gold prospects have been found on many of the creeks.
CLAIMS STAKED
Billy Smith, Indian, made a discovery on Scurvy Creek last fall while
he was hunting for big game. He brought out with him a few dollars in coarse gold, which he had panned from gravel on rim rock. Recently, with a crude sluicebox, he recovered $2 in an hour's work from the wash gravel. During the winter and spring a number of claims were staked.
Pilot Stanley McMillan has made a number of trips to Scurvy Creek during the season, and many old-timers have flown in and located ground. A party is now being organized here to prospect the country between the head of Wolf Lake and the headwaters of
the Liard. As yet, however, bedrock has not been reached on any of these creeks, and the success of the new strike has not been determined.
The Mitchell Exploration Company is grubstaking the prospectors for the
season and splitting with them fifty- fifty on all gold recovered.
FROM VANCOUVER
Sam Clark, an old-time placer miner of the Yukon, who worked in the
Kluane Lake, Kimberley and Donjek creeks regions some years ago, arrived here Monday from Vancouver with four asaociates. They brought with them a two-ton truck, which they loaded with supplies, and left at sunrise for Kluane Lake and the Donjek Creek country to prospect the area south of White River for placer gold, which, Clark says, after some years of prospecting, he believes to exist in paying possibilities. This is the third party to outfit here this spring for the Kluane district.
The country from Kluane Lake to White River is well known for its deposits of native copper, which can be found in nuggets from a few ounces to twenty-five and fifty pounds in weight. Many streams show large quantities of copper strewn through
the gravels.
Veiled stories of a rich strike are floating out again from the Carmack
district. Pilot E. L. Wasson on Tuesday flew Livingstone Wernecke, manager of the Treadwell Yukon Company, and Joe Walsh, well-known miner, into the Big Creek district, where they are remaining till Sunday on an investigation trip. There is much secrecy, and
little information is given out at the moment.
Monday, August 15, 1932
Victoria Daily Times (Victoria, B.C.)
Mr. Justice Gregory, at his summer home at Shawnigan Lake during the
week-end, issued an injunction order to C. K. Courtney, counsel for the Mitchell Exploration Company Limited of Windsor, Ont., and Thomas M. Mitchell. against West H. Gallogly, to prevent the removal from Atlin of the five airplanes that went north early in the summer as part of the Eastman Sea Rovers' air squadron to conduct mineral explorations.
Besides restraining Gallogly from removing the airplanes, gasoline, oils or other equipment from their station at Atlin, it also precludes him from touching the $15,000 on deposit in the B. M. Behnendo Bank at Juneau, Alaska, and $25,000 on deposit in the Canadian Bank of Commerce at Windsor. Damages are also being sought by the company for the wrongful taking of the planes.
March, 1933
Annual Report of the British Columbia Minister of Mines
AVIATION
The use of aeroplanes for exploration, transportation of men, equipment, and supplies into the more remote northern areas showed # marked increase during 1932 and has now proved beyond question the suitability and efficiency of this method of transportation. In several instances of urgency, in connection with accidents and sickness in outlying sections, the aeroplane proved its worth.
During 1932 Canadian Airways, Limited, established a base at Atlin with a W. 34 Junkers freighting-aeroplane in charge of pilot S. It. McMillan and engineer Paul Davis. This plane successfully carried out several extended flights. On occasion the Canadian Airways Super Fokker aeroplane piloted by E. P. Wells, based at Burns Lake, was also flown into this district. This machine and pilot showed great efficiency in a series of flights for Stewart parties into the Unuk River section, involving the landing of men, equipment, and supplies on a lake 3½ miles long and ½ mile wide, located at altitude 3,600 feet. Five small Eastman, open cockpit, 3-passenger aeroplanes flew from Detroit, Michigan, to Atlin in the interests of a Detroit exploration syndicate and, based at Atlin, were active throughout the season, with many extended flights into Yukon Territory and remote sections of the Atlin Division.
April 30, 1934
Annual Report of the British Columbia Minister of Mines
AVIATION
The use of aeroplanes for exploration, transportation of men, equipment, and supplies into the more remote northern areas showed a marked increase during 1933 and has proved beyond question the suitability and efficiency of this method of transportation. Canadian Airways, Limited, established a base at Atlin with a W. 34 Junkers freighting-aeroplane. This plane successfully carried out several extended trips in the Atlin, Yukon, Unuk River, and Tatshenshini River areas. Exploration in the Tatshenshini River area was also served by a cabin-plane operated by the Spencer interests of Vancouver. A small Eastman, open-cockpit, 3-passenger aeroplane based at Atlin and piloted by J. Eastman made extended and frequent flights in connection with prospecting and exploration. W. Strong, with a freighting cabin-plane based at Juneau and Tulsequah, also carried out extended flights. During the year an Eastman plane, based at Anyox and piloted by J. McConnachie, a very capable pilot, made several flights in the coastal area.
Providing aeroplane transportation is made available for the more general use of the prospector and individual with restricted funds, through the lowering of the heretofore generally prohibitive fees charged by the large companies, it will prove a potent aid in the exploration and development of the more remote sections of this district. Otherwise, the use of this remarkably efficient mode of modern transportation will be but a luxury or an instrument of dire necessity.
Friday, August 25, 1972
The Whitehorse Star (Whitehorse, Y.T.)
Elliott G. Tyrer of West Vancouver, B.C. passed away on August 5 after being in ill health for some time, He was 70.
Elliott first came to Atlin in the summer of 1932 with what is known locally as the Mitchell Expedition. They were quite a group all told and travelled to Atlin in five Eastman flying boats which had been designed by Elliott's cousin, the late James Eastman.
The mining venture which had brought them to Atlin was not a successful one and the group disbanded and went their separate ways.
Jim Eastman and Elliott Tyrer formed a company known as Columbia Development Ltd., taking over the John Noland property on Spruce Creek on a five-year lease. This was a most successful operation and it was at the end this lease that Mr. Eastman became ill and died.
Elliott and his wife, Muriel, then moved to Toronto and were in business there for some time. They then moved to West Vancouver where they ran The Patio Shop.
|
|
