ENCOURAGEMENT AND WARNINGS 47 



new venture. Three thousand square miles were 

 prospected and over looo claims staked. The specu- 

 lative brokers exploited the Press, and companies 

 were formed without difficulty, on the assurance that 

 a northern El Dorado was discovered. " Chunks of 

 gold," " Phenomenal finds," " More gold in a single 

 property in the Porcupine than in the whole state of 

 Nevada," were the seductive headings of articles and 

 prospectuses. 



Friendly caveats were not wanting. A Scotch 

 expert said, " Yes ; there is gold, but Porcupine is no 

 poor man's camp ; much expensive machinery will be 

 needed. If there are millions in the ground, it will 

 take millions to get them out." Two other opinions 

 are worth quoting, Mr. H. E. T. Haultain, Professor of 

 Mining at Toronto University, said, " The good gold 

 values v/ere first recognized about nine months ago, 

 and one cannot form any definite opinion as to the 

 work accomplished in such a short time. Still, the 

 fact remained that while too early to be sure, the 

 camp gives great promise. Very many of the claims 

 which have been recorded will undoubtedly produce 

 disappointment instead of gold. Many of them are 

 located on swamp ground, and many of them are 

 claims staked when the snow mantled the earth. 

 Much quartz will be discovered that does not carry 

 commercial value. To sum up, after nine months' 

 life, the Porcupine camp affords well-based hopes 

 that it may become a valuable gold-producing area, 



