After my report on the proposed mining Museum in Kimberley, Peter asked
for a brief history of the mines for U.K. members. I think that this is
best done one at a time. I'll first give two URL's for Britannia Beach,
B.C.:
http://sea-to-sky.net/britanniabeach/history/index.html
and
http://www.vfs.com/~bcmom/membership.html
The first is a time line of the history of the mine and the
second is the home page of the B.C. Mining Museum at Brtiannia Beach.
We have at least two other museums (at Bralorne, B.C. and
Rossland, B.C.) as well as the proposed museum at Kimberley. I will
provide data on these in another e-mail.
In view of these British Columbia museums (and there are other
places which preserve mining heritage; such as, Fort steele Park, and
the Barkerville restoration), I don't think that Lawrence Chrismas'
remarks are completely justified.
Considering that Naturalist clubs have a real hatred for miners
and hunters (Alas, I qualify as both - and actually became a naturalist
long before many who condemn me), it is a wonder that so much funding
has been provided. Then, too, how many really give a damn about the
labour that produced the world they live in today. I'm sure that some
historians are interested only because it gives them a chance to make a
buck from writing about the mines. Don't get me wrong, how can a miner
who made his bucks mining the ore, criticize someone who mines the
mines? It's the people who can't recognize their own mercenary nature
who are off base.
I already implied in my last e-mail that I supported some
cleanup of old mine sites and I made it quite clear that I didn't
believe that old mines are really a safe place for Sunday hikers to
venture. Even, in the Sullivan Mine where little or no timbering was
required, miners learned early that rock is far from solid. Another
member of the list (John Hinde?) told me in an e-mail about dangerous
"air blasts" in Idaho Mines.
Unfortunately, Lawrence, the regret that people have about lost
history is common to all - farmers, loggers, and fishermen as well as
miners. That's why I applaud all (delete mining) historians, even when
lack of experience leads them into some gross errors. (And who's to say
that my memory makes me a good judge of their work).
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