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>>Tips 'n Tales >>Time Traveling, March 2006 |
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The Canadian Wild West years didn’t
miss the Eastern Kootenay region. One incident
near Nelson stands out in
particular. This is a story about an infamous
claim jump around Kootenay Lake that left a
trail of bankruptcy, insanity, and murder in its
wake. All for the mineral known as Galena.
Just north of present day Kootenay Bay, found on
the eastern shores of Kootenay Lake, is a ledge
that, on the surface, looks very ordinary.
However, if you dig a little deeper, you would
have found a valuable concentration of Galena,
the leading ore of silver. This wasn’t a secret.
As far back as 1844, prospectors and surveyors
had noted its potential. With no road or railway
leading to the property, it was thought to be
“economically inaccessible”, and left alone.
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The seeds of the future tragedy were laid by a
con artist out of San Francisco, Henry Doan, who
convinced wealthy investor George Hearst that he
had obtained rich silver samples from the area.
However, once Hearst traveled to the area, he
found that these samples were mostly lead.
Retreating back home to contemplate what they
had found, the area was cleared for the next
investor to stake his claim. |
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In 1881, Robert Sproule was the first prospector
to stake a claim on the ledge, calling it the
“Bluebell Mine” after the abundance of flowers
in the area. In the 1880’s, the provincial
Minerals Act stated that a claim could not be
left unattended for more than 72 hours. The
nearest claim office was more than 700
kilometers away. To maintain his claim,
Sproule had to camp on the remote ledge all
summer, and had to return when the mining season
started the next year. On July 31, 1882, the
District Gold Commissioner, William Fernie, made
his way past Sproule’s camp, and, while in the
area, legally registered Sproule’s claim.
That should have been the end of this story.
However, back in San Francisco, George Hearst
realized what was on that ledge in remote
British Columbia. He and his business partners
sent a team of prospectors, led by Thomas
Hammill, back to the Kootenay area. They set up
camp at what is now known as Ainsworth Hot
Springs, and staked a series of mining claims in
the area as they waited for the right moment to
take over the Bluebell Mine.
They got their chance towards the end of the
season, when Sproule became ill. Sticking to the
letter of the law, he filed a formal request for
a leave of absence with Gold Commissioner Fernie
before leaving his claim for a hospital bed. As
soon as he had been gone for three days, Hammill
and his men rowed across the lake and re-staked
the Bluebell claim. In November 1882, under
mysterious circumstances, they convinced
Commissioner Fernie to recognize that claim. |
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Once healthy, Sproule became busy in the
winter of 1882. He partnered with Colonel
Hudnut of Idaho and several other investors
to obtain funding for his mine. They
received a nasty shock when Sproule returned
to his claim in 1883, only to find the
Hammill men encamped. Sproule filed an
objection with the Gold Commissioner. On the
other hand, his partners, not willing to
wait for a court ruling, re-staked the
Hammill claims around Ainsworth.
The initial ruling in 1883 by new Gold
Commissioner Edward Kelly gave the Bluebell
Mine back to Sproule. The Hearst group
immediately appealed, and attached the
re-staking of the Ainsworth area claims to
the case. While the Supreme Court of British
Columbia also found for Sproule, they also
ruled for the Hearst Group for the claims
around Ainsworth, and levied fines and court
costs against all parties. |
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Shores of Kootenay Lake |
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Again, the story should have ended here, with
everyone going back to their rightful claims.
However, that winter, Colonel Hudnut did not pay
his share of the fines and court claims. To
recoup the court costs, his ownership in the
Bluebell Mine was put up for public auction. The
winning bidder was Thomas Hammill.
Sproule returned to the Bluebell Mine in the
spring of 1885, partnered by new investors. He
lost his temper, and some say his sanity, when
Thomas Hammill crossed Kootenay Lake, determined
to maintain the Hearst’s stake in the mine. On
June 1st, Hammill was shot and killed
on the mine site. Sproule was captured on the
Kootenay River several days later, taken to
Victoria, tried, and eventually found guilty of
the murder. Current historians have doubted
whether Sproule really did kill Hammill. Sproule
was executed on October 29, 1885.
Once Hammill was killed, the Hearst group
abandoned their claim to the Bluebell Mine.
Sproule’s investors continued to try to work the
claim, but the inefficiency of transport in that
area simply made the operation “economically
unfeasible”. It lay dormant for 20 years until
the Canadian Metal Company renamed the mining
site to Riondel, and was worked until the mine
was closed in the 1970’s. This once fiercely
contested piece of land now lies quietly on the
shores of Kootenay Lake, an object of interest
for tourists and hikers. |
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For More Information:
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Kootenay
Lake History, "Murder at the Bluebell Mine"
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Discover Nelson |
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