50 Years Ago THE NORTHERN MINER OCTOBER, 1938 `HARDROCK’ BILL

There has been a lot of discussion in the past concerning who made the first gold discoveries in the Little Long Lac area. The Northern Miner has been fortunate enough to run across evidence, hitherto unrevealed, which clearly proves that the honor for the first major find goes to “Hardrock” Bill Smith, who was in the field in the summer of 1931 for the Hard Rock Prospecting Syndicate. A copy of Mr Smith’s letter to T. H. Rea of Toronto, one of the trustees of the syndicate, indicates that the prospector was enthused with his discovery and sanguine with the ultimate results of opening it up. Mr Rea’s reply also indicates as much.

These two communications are remarkable in that they present the two main essentials for prospecting success. On the one hand, the prospector makes a discovery, has samples assayed with satisfactory results, communicates with his principals at head office, advises that the vein be opened up and asks for instructions.

On the other hand, Mr Rea, one of the trustees of the syndicate, took the responsibility of instructing the prospector to spend a few hundred dollars (he did so in spite of the fact that the syndicate had little money). The expenditures included sampling and opening up the vein, staking and recording.