Phase Two, 1873 - 1893: Goldenville - The Interim Period

Following the frenzied activity of the period between 1867 and 1870 - '71, large-scale mining fell off in Goldenville, as it did throughout the province.⁽¹⁾ Tributers took over many of the mining properties and worked them with apparent success during the early part of this period. The Wellington Mine, the deepest operation in Nova Scotia, closed down in August 1872 because "the machinery … was insufficient for working the mine at that depth" and the owners were not willing to invest in heavier pumps and a more powerful engine. Another substantial operation, the Palmerston, was closed and the mining equipment was removed and applied to the development of new leads. Prospecting was carried out on many of the properties, and many men began to work the huge piles of waste rock.⁽²⁾

Foreign investment, principally American and English, declined after 1872. Rising labour and equipment costs, combined with the over-speculation of the earlier decade, made it difficult to attract new capital to the gold fields.⁽³⁾ Mining operations were limited to smaller, less intensive modes of operation.

With the exception of the years 1875-1877 and 1883-'84, gold mining did not return to earlier levels. Individual tributers such as Ira Twist, Israel West, and Zwickel dominated the mining and milling scene rather than companies.⁽⁵⁾

Crushers were built; licences surrendered and renewed; but not with the same frequency as they had been throughout the 1860s:⁽⁶⁾

Although there was a revival of interest in gold mining in the 1880s, it was not until the next decade that Goldenville began to thrive again. Following the short - lived operations of the Pactolus Company, 1882 - 1884, practically all mining activity in this district was suspended.⁽⁷⁾ Following are comtemporary reports on Goldenville mining activity:

The trend of events during 1885, was decidedly backwards… ⁽⁸⁾

There was only a moderate amount of improvementvisible during 1885…⁽⁹⁾

From bad to worse is the record for 1889…⁽¹⁰⁾

During 1890 this district had arrived to such a point of absolute neglect that its name is almost absent from the records of the Mining Office. No returns are given of any crushing nor are there any mining operators set down against its name.⁽¹¹⁾

One writer observed and described the impact of the depression with these words:

About eight years ago [c. 1888] the Sherbrooke District was just entering on the worse period of its existence. The large companies had ceased operations about two years previous to that date, and the ready money of the local capitalists had become very scarce, owing to unsuccessful tributing speculations. Many of the old plants had been dismantled, the Pactolus' companies large water mill had gone up in smoke; and with the exception of two small engines and boilers, one on the Mayflower areas and the other on the Canada mine, the former "Premier gold district of Eastern Canada" was with out engines or hoisting gear … House after house was pulled down , became a ruin, numbers of families left the place altogether, and those who remained behind, either worked the dumps for what they could get or prospected for other people for any wages they could obtain. Many married men left their families, and sought work at Isaac Harbour, Fifteen MileP> Steam, and Salmon River. Every now and then, some company would employ a few men for a short period of time, but these periods were few and far between; and the money spent invariably overran the value of the gold obtained.⁽¹²⁾

It is difficult to account for the decline in Goldenville throughout this period. A Halifax newspaper, The Critic, attributed the difficulties to the number of mining claims held by companies that were neither working them or allowing tributors onto them.⁽¹³⁾

Other properties were rented but on terms that were not encouraging enough to foster development. Throughout the rest of the province, the renewed interest and activity was reflected in the formation of such bodies as the Nova Scotia Mining Society and the regular publication of journals such as the Canadian Mining Manual and a regular colume on mining activities in The Critic.⁽¹⁴⁾ However, it was not until 1894 that capital from outside was lured back into Goldenville, and another period of activity was underway.

1.

¹ See N.S. J.H.A., 1872, 1873 and the 1875 Mining Reports for discussion of gold mining operators. Also G. R. Evans, Gold Mining in Nova Scotia During the 19^th Century, (unpublished M. A. thesis, Dalhousie University 1938).

2.

² See N. S. J.H.A., Mining Reports, 1873, 1874, and 1875.

3.

³ Ibid. 1875, Appendix 4. The problem of attracting capital to the gold fields was discussed in the House of Assembly, March 18, 1872. See E. C., March 28, 1872.

5.

⁵ Ibid.

6.

⁶ Industrial Advocate (Halifax), v.VIII, n.6. April 1902, p. 9.; v.VII, n.7, May 1902, p. 8 - 9.

7.

⁷ N. S. RDM, 1891, 1893. The Critic (Halifax) 6 March 1891, 7 July 1893, 29 December 1893. The last report states that no mine in Goldenville had been able to pay its own expenses during the past seven or eight years.

8.

⁸ Industrial Advocate (Halifax), v.VII, n.3. January 1898, p. 8.

9.

⁹ Ibid.

10.

¹⁰ Ibid.

11.

¹¹ Ibid.

12.

¹² Industrial Advocate, v.I, n.1, November 1896. "Goldenville at the Present Day". P. 17.

13.

¹³ The Critic (Halifax) 30 January 1891.

14.

¹⁴ G. R. Evans, op. cit., p. 54. 1883 - '84 marked a re-awakening in the gold fields. Mines that had been idle were re-opened, and 1885 provincial production levels increased. B. T. A. Bell, Canadian Mining Manual, 189 - 91, p. 40 - 41.