SIMILKAMEEN MINING DIVISION.

REPORT OF HUGH HUNTER, MINING RECORder.

I have the honour to forward the annual mining report on the Similkameen Mining Division for the year 1907.

On Granite creek three placer mining leases are being developed by Messrs. Lambert and Stewart, who did considerable work blasting boulders on the surface of their claims, to enable them to ground-sluice in the spring. They also have all the material on the ground to start operations as soon as high water is over.

On the Tulameen river, between Slate and Eagle creeks, seven placer mining leases have been taken up, but too late in the season to do any prospecting.

There has not been much development done on mineral claims, the owners merely satisfying themselves with doing sufficient work to hold them.

On the divide between Slate and Champion creeks a number of claims have been bonded to the Colorado Assaying and Refining Company, which is prospecting the ground for platinum. As the start was made too late in the season, and owing to the usually heavy snowfall in this . section, operations were postponed till late in the spring. The results of the work have so far not been made public.

On Bear creek the Similkameen Mining and Smelting Company is developing its property and is driving a tunnel to cross-cut the lead.

On the Independence group, consisting of seven claims and bonded to the Granby Co. in 1906, continuous work has been carried on, prospecting the ground.

On Copper mountain the Reco group, consisting of four claims, has been bonded to Spokane capitalists. On the Reco a tunnel is being driven to tap the ledge, which shows on the surface high-grade gold and copper values. First payment has been made on this bond.

OFFICE STATISTICS-SIMILKAMEEN MINING DIVISION.

HOLLOW CONCRETION, NICOLA VALLEY C. & C. Co.'s PROPERTY. Large enough to contain a

man.

NICOLA VALLEY C. & C. Co.'s PROPERTY.

First opening on Coal Gully,

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LILLOOET DISTRICT.

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LILLOOET MINING DIVISION.

REPORT OF C. PHAIR, GOLD COMMISSIONER.

I have the honour to submit my annual report on the progress of mining in Lillooet Mining Division during the year 1907 :

The accompanying statistics show a decrease in several items from former years.

The only development work done on mineral claims, outside the annual assessment work, was upon the following two groups :—

Wayside.

The Wayside group comprises three claims-Wayside, Helium and Radium-situate at Bridge river and owned by Mr. Osmond Fergusson. No. 2 tunnel, on the Wayside, was extended 14 feet and a shaft sunk 22 feet, striking a rich body of ore which the owner believes to be permanent. A saw-mill and houses were also erected.

Summit.

The Summit group is comprised of three claims and owned by Messrs. Babb, Jones and Kinney. It is situate also at Bridge river. The vein can be traced about 1,000 feet on the surface, and the ore is galena carrying gold and silver values. Assays from the croppings run from $30 to $60 a ton. A tunnel has been driven 70 feet, but the main ledge has not yet been struck. It may be of interest to know this class of ore has been found in the "free gold belt."

The Lorne Company crushed with an arrastra 309 tons of ore, yielding $3,726.

PLACER MINING.

Messrs. H. M. Babb and Company worked an average of 12 men. The greater part of the season was spent in completing the plant and flume. In the autumn they commenced piping and the gravel yielded 25 cents per cubic yard.

No other leases, except Mr. Jesperson's on Cayoosh creek to a small extent, have been worked during the year.

Capitalists from Boston have purchased the dredge at Lillooet, which belonged to the Iowa-Lillooet Gold Mining Company, and I am informed it is their intention to operate it the coming season and also to build another dredge. Their mining engineer, Mr. Percy Williams, of Los Angeles, examined the gravels of the Fraser river, where they intend to operate, before the sale was made.

OFFICE STATISTICS LILLOOET MINING DIVISION.

CLINTON MINING DIVISION.

REPORT OF F. SOUES, GOLD COMMISSIONER.

I have the honour to submit my annual report on mining in the Clinton Division of Lillooet District for the year ending December 31st, 1907.

There has been no improvement in mining during the year. Placer mining is solely done now by a very few Chinese and also a few Indians on the exposed portions of the bed of the Fraser river at extreme low water. Their earnings are so diverted that I cannot arrive at any certain amount, but the total does not amount to over $1,000.

Mineral claims have been recorded on the Lower Bonaparte, and on one or two development work has been done.

Claims recorded on Mahood lake last year have had no development work done on them. A Keystone drill has been placed on one of the dredging claims at Big Bar and one or two bores put down to a depth of 40 or 50 feet. Intense cold setting in early in December, the work had to be shut down, as the motive power is steam; boiler and all pipes emptied at night and re-filled next day. Work on this enterprise will be taken up in the spring as soon as weather conditions will permit.

OFFICE STATISTICS-CLINTON MINING DIVISION.