A History and Geography of British Columbia for Use in Public Schools (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1906 edition. Excerpt: ...The mountains that border the valleys of the Columbia, the Kootenay and their tributaries are rich in gold, copper, silver and lead, as well as coal. The rivers of this region, with their fine lake expansions, afford natural means of communication. During the time between 1890 and 1900, this mining territory was opened up, and Rossland, Nelson, Kaslo, Greenwood, Phcenix and many other places in the Kootenay country, grew from mining camps into cities. A CENTRE OF SUPPLIES. It costs a great deal more to get minerals from the rocks than to wash gold from the river bars, -so that the richest of quartz mines must lie idle until a great deal of money is spent in buying machinery and hiring labor. In other words, mining cannot be carried on without capital. Unfortunately, here, as in other mining countries, the men who work the mines and the men who own them have not agreed very well. He who has labor to sell is too prone to look upon his employer as hard and grasping, I/abor Difficulties. while the man who invests his money in what may after all, turn out an unprofitable speculation, thinks the wage-earner unreasonable and exacting. The result is that far less work has been accomplished than would have been, had there always been good feeling between employers and workmen. The presence of a large proportion of Chinese among the population of the province, has added to the difficulties of the labor problem. The Chinese work cheaper, live on less, and send more money out of the country than any other class of laborers. On the other hand they are industrious, sober and reliable. In 1903 an Act was passed by the Dominion Parliament exacting from every Chinaman an entrance fee of five hundred dollars--which will discourage further immigration. Except for a..