By the 1880s, New Westminster was a well-established city. In 1866, it lost its status as the capital of British Columbia, but the Fraser River city did not become a backwater. In the 1860含羞草研究社檚, it had been a transportation hub and an outfitting center, funneling thousands of people and huge quantities of supplies north to the Caribou during the gold rush, and after it remained an important river port and commercial center.
The legend of Slumac含羞草研究社檚 lost mine began in the 1880s. B.C. historian, Bill Barlee, said John Slumac appeared in New Westminster in 1887,1888, 1889 and again in 1890 with about 200 ounces of gold nuggets each year. Slumac was thought to have obtained the gold from a mine north of Pitt Lake.
Slumach entered the written record in the early 1890s. He lived north of New Westminster near the south shore of Pitt Lake, on lands that are now part of the Katzie First Nation. He was an indigenous man. Slumach含羞草研究社檚 long life had been crime-free, until he killed a man named Louis Bee in 1890. He was tried and found guilty of murder. Calls for clemency based on circumstances and his age and health were rejected, and sadly Slumac was executed in New Westminster on January 16 of 1891.
The Daily Columbian newspaper reported that the trial revealed, 含羞草研究社渢hat Louis Bee had been in the habit of taunting Slumac with being a sorcerer, a pagan, and a devil 含羞草研究社�.含羞草研究社� Witnesses said a slight altercation occurred on September 8th of 1890, after which Slumac shot Bee, killing him instantly.
That much is not disputed, but some writers say that the lost mine story is only myth. It was not until years after Slumac含羞草研究社檚 death, detractors say, that the legend expanded to include the lost mine. Bill Barlee was a prolific researcher of western history. In one of his 含羞草研究社淕old Trails and Ghost Towns含羞草研究社� TV shows, he argued that the mine in the very rugged Pitt area was part of the lore long before that.
Barlee declared, 含羞草研究社淲hat happens is immediately after the death of Slumac, this rumour, this story about the lost mine, doesn含羞草研究社檛 die. So, for several years a number of individuals go up into that Pitt Lake region, and they look for it.含羞草研究社� Barlee provided no sources, but he did detail the later search.
A man named Jackson from California arrived in New Westminster in 1901. He spent some time in the saloons, gathering information. He then disappeared into the Pitt Lake area, and did not return to New Westminster for three months. Barlee said he was a changed man; he was 含羞草研究社渆maciated and sick含羞草研究社�. He had a heavy bag, and guarded it closely. Soon he rode south, never to return to the Pitt.
A proven B.C. prospector 含羞草研究社� Volcanic Brown 含羞草研究社� arrived in the area years later. In the 1890s, he had discovered an extremely rich copper deposit known as Copper Mountain. He did not hesitate to flaunt his wealth, and was entirely immodest, billing himself as 含羞草研究社淭he best prospector in the world.含羞草研究社�
Brown, after 1910, learned of a letter written by Jackson, and searched for it for a decade. He finally obtained the letter in 1923. Barlee, much later, viewed the letter Brown had acquired and believed it genuine. Barlee said the language included hard-rock mining terms and Americanisms, and it bore the stamp of the government agent in Grand Forks. (Brown submitted it in May of 1924).
The letter is intriguing. A copy appears on the excellent website www.Slumach.ca. Jackson explained that he was too ill to return to the Pitt area, and had no family. He said he wished to share the information of his find with his friend (to whom he wrote). The letter begins, 含羞草研究社淪an Francisco Feb. 10 1904.含羞草研究社� The letter is relatively long, but a brief quotation described Jackson含羞草研究社檚 discovery vividly.
含羞草研究社淚 came to a place where the bedrock was bare and there you can hardly believe me, but the bedrock was yellow with gold,含羞草研究社� Jackson wrote. 含羞草研究社淚n a few days I gathered thousands, and there were thousands more in sight. Some of the nuggets were as big as walnuts and 含羞草研究社� there were millions stowed away in the little cracks.含羞草研究社� The letter included directions, but they were rather indistinct.
Volcanic Brown searched for this location for seven consecutive seasons from 1924 to 1930. He failed to emerge from the area in September of 1930 as planned. A search party located his abandoned camp and a small bottle of nuggets. Brown was never seen again.
The legend relates that Slumac, at his trial, said, 含羞草研究社淣ika memloose, mine memloose,含羞草研究社� which means, 含羞草研究社榃hen I die the mine dies.含羞草研究社� Writers and story tellers interpreted this as 含羞草研究社淪lumac含羞草研究社檚 Curse.含羞草研究社� More likely, Slumac was simply saying, if you condemn me to die, I will take my secret with me. The 含羞草研究社渃urse含羞草研究社� is only an effort jazz up the story. The story doesn含羞草研究社檛 need it.
Eleven men, by Barlee含羞草研究社檚 count, have perished in the search for Slumac含羞草研究社檚 gold. That was tragic. Death was all too common in the goldfields everywhere: on the Fraser River, in the Caribou, in the Klondike and in locations across the continent. The Pitt region, though, stands out; it is reputed to have some of the most unforgiving and dangerous terrain in the world.
Bruce W. Uzelman, based in Kelowna, holds interests in economics and political science.
