Johnny Harris’ letters from
the Slocan, 1892 

Coeur d’Alene Miner, 16 Apr 1892:

A LETTER FROM SLOCAN

————————————————————

A Coeur d’Alener visits the new and much talked of camp

————————————————————

FIRST IMPRESSION IS FAVORABLE

————————————————————

The trip from Spokane – Something about Nelson – Eight feet of snow covers the mines

 

EL DORADO, B.C., March 28, 1892

To the Editor of The Miner:

 

Having promised you and many of the readers of your paper to write a description of my trip to the Slocan mines and the country as I saw it, I will now attempt it, though never having written for publication, I feel thoroughly my inability to properly do so.

​

Myself and friend E.G. arrived here last Thursday, the 23d inst., making the trip from Wallace in six days. Leaving Spokane at 7 a.m. on the 20th on the Spokane Northern – the first train from that city to the Little Dalles this year – in company with about 100 passengers, we passed through a thinly settled and uninviting country, covered mostly with small and a few large yellow pines, with nothing to break the monotony of the scenery except one or two saw mills, a few clusters of small new houses making attempt at towns, and a few good hay ranches in the Colville valley, until we reached Marcus, about 100 miles, where our worthy conductor, Mr. Babb, called 20 minutes for dinner. There we found two buildings, a good depot and a first class hotel, a railroad lunch for 75 cents, and saw for the first time the Columbia river. They say there is a fort and town of that name somewhere in that locality, but that is all I saw, and I found the hotel only after running several hundred yards through the woods. Openings had been cut through the timber for streets, but it is evident that someone has had very poor success at booming a townsite. From there the road runs up the east bank of the Columbia 20 miles to the Little Dalles, where the steamer Lytton awaited us, making the trip to that point in six hours. No buildings or inhabitants here, so we were not long in getting aboard the steamer and soon started on a 56-mile trip up the Columbia. The river this entire distance is very swift, being almost continuous rapids, but the Lytton, a double deck boat about 80 feet long, 20 foot beam, drawing 30 inches and fitted with powerful engines, large boilers and sternwheel, is well suited to the purpose. But being the first trip this season and the water being low, he only made Trail Creek by dark, where she tied up for the night. Here we found the first settlement after crossing the line, half a dozen houses, half of which were occupied. The entire winter population of the town and mines, numbering nine persons, was on the bank, anxious to see the boat on its first trip, with many familiar faces on board.

​

The mines at this point are copper and gold and are located several miles distant from the town. I examined many pretty specimens, most of which were free gold, but could not secure one, though I used every endeavor. After a comfortable night’s rest on the boat we continued the journey at 6 a.m. After eating an excellent breakfast served on the boat, we landed at 9 a.m. at the junction of the Kootenai river, the water not being sufficiently high to make the run to Robson, the railroad connection for Nelson, three miles further up the river. With valises in hand, we walked one mile to the railroad, laving heavier goods to be carted. Here we waited until 1 p.m. for the train, and as the day was bright and pleasant the wait in the woods was not disagreeable excepting no one had lunches and the inner man felt very much neglected. We arrived at Nelson at 3 p.m. with about 75 passengers, three of whom were ladies from Spokane.

​

This was the first communication, other than by pack horse and snow shoes, this section of the country had with the outside world since early winter, so about half of Nelson’s winter population of 300 were at the depot to welcome home many of their people who had been out for the winter and to see new arrivals.

​

The country from Spokane to Marcus is of a level nature, but from there to Nelson we see nothing but steep cliffs and high mountains close on each side. But the scene on the railroad from the Columbia to Nelson, a distance of 28 miles, is the grandest I ever saw. On the right, and almost under the railroad, for there are 72 trestles in the distance, is the Kootenai river, which is a succession of falls, some of which are 30 feet high and deep, clear pools, so clear that you can see 20 feet below the surface, with almost shoals of trout making for the center of the channel as the train passes by. One was caught weight 12 pounds the day we arrived in Nelson. Sloping at an angle of 40 degrees from the water’s edge, rise lofty snowy capped mountains, showing beautifully in the distance. On the left the mountains are very steep, almost perpendicular, with numerous small streams making beautiful falls almost within reaching distance of the car windows.

​

Nelson is on the right bank of the Kootenai and located in somewhat of a cove in the mountain side. The townsite slopes back from the river on about a 25 per cent grade. The houses are scattered two-storey frame, fair architecture and well painted. Streets well graded and cared for.

​

Retracing our route the next morning after arrival in Nelson 18 miles on the railroad, we landed in the woods again near the mouth of the Slocan river, and we started afoot with blankets and two days’ grub for Slocan lake, leaving our other baggage to be pooled up the river. The trail was fairly good, with snow only the last two miles. Our shoe gear was new, so it was the middle of the third day when we finished the 28 miles of trail, camping on the route both nights. There was no mode of transportation from there to El Dorado, and being without grub we felt somewhat uncomfortable. We were then five miles from the lake and 23 miles from the town of El Dorado, so thinking we might find someone at the lake we started afoot through brush and snow for that point, but had only got a few hundred yards when we found a small canoe hid in the brush and proceeded at once to complete the journey by water. Arriving at the lake at 6 p.m., we found some parties camped who provided us with comfortable accommodations for the night. At 9 a.m. the next morning we started out in our canoe for El Dorado City, 18 miles distant. A slight breeze was blowing and as we had only paddles and inexperience at sea, our progress was not very fast, but we proceeded nicely until about 3 p.m., when a squall struck us. For a mile and a half the shore was perpendicular cliffs and it was impossible to land. Finally seeing a place we could get out, and knowing it was impossible to keep from capsizing, we pulled closer to shore, when a wave struck us capsizing the bark, turning us a complete somersault and landing us upright within a few feet of land in about five feet of water and boat on top of us. We got out safely and saved nearly everything we had. We made a big fire, dried out somewhat and after an hour started again and landed at our journey’s end at about 7 o’clock well soaked with rain and snow. Our merchant here provided us with blankets and grub for the night, so our trip ended lucky after all.

​

The lake is 30 miles long will average two miles long, very deep, and get very rough. No one who knows the lake ever dares take the east side where we were, and every one was surprised that we stood so well the squall of that day, the second worst ever known on the lake.

​

We found at El Dorado about 20 log cabins, not small shacks of the usual kind, but large, well built log buildings, many 24 x 60 feet and two-story. The inhabitants number 50, 18 of whom wintered here. The others were from other Kootenai towns and we were about the first from the outside. At least eight out of ever ten men here are from the Coeur d’Alenes, not all of late years, but many are from the early settlers of Murray and Eagle. One can not hear half as much about the mines here as on the outside; in fact, I have not been able to find a single man who has seen them or seen a piece of ore, except from a prospect or two on the lake. There is no snow around the lake, but they claim it is eight or ten feet deep on the mountain where the mines are. The lake is two thousand feet above sea level and the mines are from five to eight thousand. The townsite of El Dorado consists of about 1,000 acres level, covered with two to ten-inch fir and fine timber, and as pretty a location as I ever saw. It is a government townsite and the lots are sold at auction, so it is no place for townsite boomers.

 

Flour is worth $26 per barrel; bacon, 32 cents per pound; coffee, 60 cents; potatoes, 12 1/2 cents, and we paid $25 to get 260 pounds brought up the river.

 

I will see the mines as soon as possible and will write you about them in my next letter.

J.M. HARRIS

 

Coeur d’Alene Miner, 4 Jun 1892:

THE SLOCAN COUNTRY

————————————————————

An interesting descriptive letter from John M. Harris

————————————————————

IT LOOKS LIKE A GREAT COUNTRY

————————————————————

The surface showing is wonderful – The government figures strong on profits

 

EL DORADO, SLOCAN LAKE, B.C., May 19, 1892

To the Editor of The Miner:

I returned to town yesterday after a visit to the mines of nearly 40 days. I have visited over 100 locations in the Slocan district and have seen most of the best properties located, and, as promised, will give you a brief description as I saw them.

​

I have been camped at the forks of Carpenter and Sandon creeks, nine miles from the lake, for over 30 days, that being the center of the best mines, and from there I visited the various properties and inspected them, and also went to the tops of the highest peaks.

​

Most of the mines are located within a range of mountains about eight or nine thousand feet night, which form a perfect horseshoe about eight miles across and four miles from heel to heel, through which runs the right fork of Carpenter creek, draining only that country within the shoe.

​

THE SLOCAN STAR

One mile to the south of camp, which is almost the center of the shoe, up Sandon Creek, lies the Slocan Star, a property that has been little spoken of, but one of the best in the country.

​

The ledge is exposed in two places where the creek cuts it, showing a width of 12 feet and exposing good concentrating ore. One thousand feet east of this the ledge, measuring three feet of solid galena, is standing nearly perpendicular 12 feet above the ground. Several feet more of concentrating ore is claimed at this point, but the show was over three feet deep, and the amount exposed satisfied me, after picking at it several hours and getting out several beautiful specimens. The solid galena lies in three strata, with no gangue of any kind between them, showing fine, medium, and very coarse galena.

 

FIFTEEN FEET OF ORE

In another prospect, one and a half miles northeast of camp, I measured upon what was unquestionably a distinct lead from that mentioned above, 15 feet of ore. Sixteen inches of the center is solid galena, and the balance is stratified with galena, being good concentrating ore. Near that point, where the ledge is covered some 20 feet with a snowslide, the owners claim it shows six feet of solid galena. I have seen several others not quite so good, and there are several more which I have not been able to see on account of the snow, but parties who have seen them, and who told me of those I saw, which I found better than represented, and I know the men to be reliable, tell me they are better than either of those mentioned.

​

A WONDERFUL SURFACE SHOWING

As yet I have had no assaying done on any of them, but not less than $100 in silver is claimed for any of the galena of the country, and some of the ore is said to run 2,000 ounces to the ton.

​

Though there has never been a pick other than the light one carried by prospectors struck in any one of these properties, I doubt if there are any in the Coeur d’Alenes other than the Sullivan and Bunker Hill that have more ore.

​

IF IT WERE ON THIS SIDE THE LINE

The greatest drawback to the country is that the people are slow. If it were in “the states,” as they call it here, Creede, with its boom, would be no comparison to the one there would be; but as it is, it may be several years before ore will be shipped out of the country or profitably handled here. It is claimed, however, that the Canadian Pacific is now building a trail or road from Arrow lakes to the head of Slocan lake, a distance of 18 miles, and will build a railroad in that way.

 

A SPECULATIVE GOVERNMENT

The principle of the government is of a speculative nature. It must have a profit on everything. It takes possession of all the best townsites in the country and sells the lots to the highest bidder. They will sell only a limited number at one time and use every means that the most wily real estate boomer employs to get money out of them.

 

They are surveying the town here, El Dorado, and in doing so nearly every house falls on a street and will have to be moved.

​

The land commissioner was here a few weeks ago and posted notices over the town forbidding anyone to build at all, which, with other minor incidents, has given quite a backset to the town. The population is a little more than it was a month ago, but several hundred people are in the hills prospecting.

​

To illustrate the idea of some of them: The government surveyor, I understand, remarked when he came in to survey the town, “What do they want to build a town for until the government surveys it?”

 

YET EARLY FOR PROSPECTING

The supply of labor is just equal to the demand, and there would be no work for new arrivals. It is also early to prospect, as the snow will not be off the best properties till the middle of June. There have been two falls of snow of 18 inches each at our camp within the last 30 days. The last week of warm, rain, and sunshine have taken it away rapidly, but there is yet a foot and a half at that point. Many mornings the snow is frozen hard and that is the time one must travel – the only time we can get up on the ranges.

​

PLENTLY OF SNOWSLIDES

Every sag or gulch in the mountains is a snowslide. Many of them have come down, and it is over the ground they have passed that we do our prospecting. From one of the peaks a few days ago, during a warm rain, I saw and heard at least a hundred snowslides in about two hours.

​

Evan Jones and I, who were together that day, found the only galena yet discovered in that section of the country this spring. It was a stratum, however, and perhaps of no value.

 

The mines are undoubtedly good, and the future of the country good, but the country is ten years behind the times.

 

I regret that the labor trouble in the Coeur d’Alenes is yet unsettled and apparently going from bad to worse. The injury to the country will be lasting and long felt. I certainly endorse the action and opinions of The Miner as between the mine owners and miners.

J.M. HARRIS

 

Coeur d’Alene Miner, 2 Jul 1892:

KILLED BY LIGHTNING

————————————————————

Particulars of the death of William Tonkin in the Slocan country

————————————————————

AND WOUNDING OF SIM TABOR

————————————————————

A strange accident by which a prospector loses his life instantly

 

EL DORADO, B.C., June 14

To the Editor of The Miner:

William Tonkin and Sim Tabor left the forks of Carpenter and Sandon creeks early the morning of July (sic) 13 to see a recent discovery about three miles distant, and after seeing the same they continued up the mountain to about 7,000 feet elevation, with a view to going over the range and coming down on the opposite side. They were near the summit when a thunderstorm came upon them and they each took shelter under a small tree about six inches in diameter and about four feet apart. They were there only a few minutes when the lightning struck the tree under which Tabor was sitting, killing Tonkin and knocking Tabor senseless and burning him severely. When Tabor became conscious he was sitting in the same place and position, leaning back against the mountain, but was unable for a time to move. He called to Tonkin, but could get no answer. Soon recovering he found that Tonkin had rolled several feet down the mountain and was dead.

​

Every muscle and leader was paining him, but by the utmost exertion he descended the mountain a distance of about a mile to a prospector’s camp. It was 3 o’clock by this time. Nearly a hundred men were camped in that vicinity and they proceeded up the mountain after Tonkin. They found him as described by Tabor. The bolt of lightning had struck him over the right temple, making a black spot at that point, scorching his beard and burning him nearly all over the body. His hat had a small hole in the rim near the crown, directly over the black spot above his temple. His clothing was ripped down the center of the back and a piece of his pants, about six inches square, over his right hip was torn out. A button picked up on the ground where he was struck partly melted, and the uppers of both shoes were torn nearly loose from the soles.

​

Tabor’s beard was singed off and his body, arms, left leg down to the knee and his right leg from the knee down were burned and blistered. The bolt of lightning had struck him on top of the right shoulder, making a hole in both shirts at that point about the size of half a dollar. It melted the outside of a piece of galena, about two inches square, in his shirt pocket, just over the heart, burning a hole through both shirts at that point. It was the only piece of clothing burned on either of them. It continued down his left leg, tearing two six-inch slits of overalls at the knee, and passed to and down his right leg, coming out back of the ankle, tearing his pants about six inches and ripping over the back of his shoe.

The blisters on his body are small, except over the stomach, where they are as large as silver dollars. He walked this morning half a mile down to the camp of some friends, and with the exception of the soreness from the burns, and a slight soreness of the muscles, feels none the worse from the shock and expects in a few days to be out as usual.

​

The tree under which Tabor was sitting was split open. Tonkin’s watch was stopped at 1:20 p.m. The storm occurring about that time, the watch evidently showed the minute when the accident took place. Tabor’s watch did not stop. Both had coins, knives, etc., in their pockets, but the watch and ore were the only articles affected.

​

There being no trails yet in this section, it was impossible to get the body out, so it was buried on a beautiful spot near at hand.

​

Tonkin was a partner of Ellis Waddle and had worked for several years in different mines in the Coeur d’Alenes.

 

Tabor was well known in the Coeur d’Alenes. He is a brother of Jesse Tabor of Wallace.

J.M. HARRIS 

​

Some newspaper items about the latter incident:

​

The Miner (Nelson), 18 Jun 1892: “On Sunday last, during the thunderstorm, two men near the Slocan Star were struck by lighting, one of them being instantly killed, the other was insensible for some hours, but eventually recovered, C.P. Wolley, who was in the vicinity at teh time, was one of the first to arrive at the scene of the accident and helped to carry the men down to Eldorado.” 

 

Spokane Review, 23 Jun 1892, p. 6: “During a recent thunderstorm at Slocan two men were struck by lightning, one being instantly killed, while the other, although insensible for several hours, finally recovered.”

 

The Miner, 25 Jun 1892: “On June 15th a prospector named Towkin was killed, and his companion Tabor, was badly burned by lightning near the Freddie Lee claim on Cody creek.”

 

Kootenay Star (Revelstoke), 25 Jun 1892: “During a thunderstorm last week two prospectors in the mountains near Eldorado were struck by lightning and one of them — W. Tonkins, a fine-built young man — was instantly killed. His companion, S.J. Tabor was badly scorched about the body and the toes of his boots were burnt off, but he was able shortly afterwards to go for assistance. The body was carried down the steep mountain to Eldorado. A specimen of mineral which Tonkins held in his hand was found to be melted.”

 

Spokane Review, 31 Jul 1892: Reco, Slocan, B.C., July 23 […] On the way down from the Freddie Lee I passed a recently made grave, neatly fenced with split cedar pickets, and learned that it was the last resting place of the man struck by lightning on the mountain back of the mine. His body was carried down here and interred by Mr. A.L. Fry and some of the other boys camped in the neighborhood. Mr. Fry is something of a poet and the headstone bore the following inscription, written by him:

 

WILLIAM TONKIN, 

KILLED BY LIGHTNING, JUNE 13, 1892

Thy sisters in a foreign land

Shalt know that thou wert borne to rest

By loving hands and heavy hearts,

From yonder cruel mountain’s crest;

Where thunderbolt with carless tread

Hath snapped the brittle thread of life,

And left thy comrades on life’s strand

To battle on through toile and strife.

Rest, weary soul, from all thy toil,

While sleeping in thy narrow bed;

Sure God has borne thee safely home -- 

Then why the ear of sorrow shed?