HOTV Kootenay Emerged from its Wild State. 233 



gold deposits, they were unable to decide there and then the all 

 important question how high in silver these solid masses of 

 glittering ore would run. They thought themselves all ten-fold 

 millionaires, and really, to the eye of an ordinary prospector, not 

 without good reason. At that period the mining laws of British 

 Columbia were framed exclusively for the placer mining industry 

 which had hitherto been the only one in which men had engaged. 

 It was only in 1882-3 tnat ^ e fi rst quartz mining regulation in 

 British Columbia were passed by the local legislature, but owing 

 to a legal flaw the Dominion Government had disallowed them. 

 Consequently, when the litigation concerning this ledge arose, the 

 old placer laws were the only ones in force. According to them 

 the discoverer of a claim had to register his discovery forthwith at 

 the nearest gold commissioner's office, and could not absent himself 

 from his claim at any period during the open season for more 

 than seventy-two hours at a time. To reach the nearest gold 

 commissioner's office, which was the one in Wildhorse, meant a 

 journey (there and back) of 480 miles by canoe and trail ! * 

 Counting twenty-five miles as a fair day's journey, the trip, without 

 counting any of the many probable delays arising from storms on 

 the lake, blocked trails, straying of horses, &c., &c., would occupy 

 twenty-two days, and yet the law required that to keep intact the 

 title to a discovery the unfortunate discoverer could not absent 

 himself for more than seventy-two hours at a time ! t 



Such was the position of these pioneers, and, as the sequel 

 showed, the first quartz mining litigation in the province, which 

 arose in consequence of the discovery of the big ledge, turned to a 

 great extent upon this very regulation. 



* On the map the distance is very much shorter, but an immense detour 

 through Northern Idaho had to be made to strike the only trail that led to 

 Wildhorse. 



f To the local historian the document I have copied in Note V. of the Appen- 

 dix will be of interest. It is the first of its kind ever drawn up there, and as 

 every white man in the district excepting three (Hammil, " Sailor Jack," and 

 " Cut-mouth Smith ") signed it, one sees that twelve men resided in West Koote- 

 nay in October, 1883. To-day there are more than twice as many thousand ! 



