SOME HISTORY TAKEN FROM "THE GOLD HUNTERS GUIDE TO N.S" written by TONY BISHOP(1954)
Gold was discovered at Isaac's Harbour on sept.14 1861 by Joseph Hynes,as described by the chief gold commissioner in 1862: A young man had been at Wine Harbour mining,a short time previously,and had obtained some specimens of gold bearing quartz.On his return to Isaac's Harbour he observed a similarity in the rocks of the latter place to those of Wine Harbour,and in company with Allen Mcmillan,commenced a search for gold,but found none.At length Cook dropped one of the Wine Harbour specimens,and Mcmillan in searching picked it up.They immediately returned home with the exciting intelligence that they had discovered gold,upon which a number of inhabitants at once repaired to the spot;but after a fruitless search of several hours,returned disappointed.Joseph Hynes,however,on the afternoon of the same day,resumed the work of prospecting,and on waht is called the "free claim"in the west division obtained several fine specimens of auriferous quartz.On the same evening,John Lathan and others found several pieces of goldbearing quartz on the Burke Lead.
In it's first few years it became one of the province's largest producers,with its gold yield per ton of quartz the largest of any district in the province.
It is interesting to note ,however,that the returns for 1863 for several mines on the Mulfrave lode showed no gold recovered,although some 740 tons were crushed and work continued on for many years thereafter.
In laster years many other discoveries were made with at least twelve individual areas in which one or more veins were worked."
also from the book" As far back as the 1830's(as reported by Heatherington 1868)labourers contructing roads at Isaac's Harbour and at Sherbrooke noticed a bright yellow metal in the stone.Gold being unknown to N.S.,however,they ridiculed the idea of the "yellow stuff"being valuable,and used to "whittle it up with their Knives" "
Also of note" In the 1860's some of the surface material was profitably milled at several locations.AT the Union Company property,the soil overlaying the bedrock just south of the vein was
milled in 1875.Plans made in the earlier years to wash the alluvial deposits found at the mouth of the harbour were never carried out,even though they were apparently worth working"
KEVIN
|
