BRITISH COLUMBIA GOLDFIELDS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 160, 8 July 1899, Page 5

BRITISH COLUMBIA GOLDFIELDS.

The editor of "The Daily Globe," published at Victoria, British Columbia, Writes to us in reply to an article headed "A New Zealander in British Columbia," containing some remarks in our London correspondence giving the substance of a conversation with Mr John A. Wauchope, F.R.C.S., and Summarising (his views on British Columbia mining in general, and Harrison Lake district in particular. The writer says: "Mr Wauchope did spend a few mouths in British Columbia, but his reported remarks on the province are at variance with experienced and reliable mining engineers, as witness the remark that

'he has come back with a good opinion of British Columbia as a country, but does, not- think much of it as a' gold producing area, whilst for the inhabitants he has an utter contempt.' The last portion of this sentence is simply a slander on British Columbia and its. people, as anyone who has the least knowledge of Canada knows. Your Dairy Commissioner, Mr J. A. Ruddick, himself a Canadian, and a personal friend of mine, can bear me out in this, as he has visited the province several times, and I think your Trade Commissioner, who was here last year—l at this moment do not recollect his name —will not, I think, bear out Mr Wauchopc's views in respect to the people. The mining class is composed of as fine a class of men as any country produces, and as law abiding. I ■ understand that Mr Wauchope did have some trouble with his men, and if, as is stated, they did not know 'the A.B.C. of gold getting,' Mr Wauchope should not have engaged such when he could have easily procured experienced miners. By his own admission, Mr Wauchope got full protection from our Courts —as everybody else does here, as we somewhat pride ourselves on the very small amount of crime in such a huge territory as British Columbia is. Harrison Lake and Lillovet are not looked upon here as very favourable mining districts, as too little has been done there yet to prove.up the mineral resources. I have mailed you a report of the Provincial Mineralogist to give you some idea of British Columbia as a mineral country, and think that this will prove that Mr Wauehope's very slight experience docs not constitute him much of a judge of British Columbia's mineral resources. The fact that the Calumet group—where Mr Wauchope was working—is not even mentioned in the Provincial report shows that it did not amount to much.

"From -i t Government official to whom I wrote, I received a letter stating that the account of the trouble as given in your London correspondence is very much overdrawn. I may state that a mining foreman who is a Mormon, and speaks with a slronk cockney accent is indeed a rara avis in British Columbia. I am probably giving you more than the 'importance' of the subject warrants. Tt would be simply laughed at here, but away out in New Zealand, of course, people do not understand the situation."