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VALLEY NEWS\Cr5i“Dutch Bill” D^itch, discoveredWilliamsone of thei • • « «* » * • * • • • * . . • ,wealthiest gold camps in theCariboo. That was in 1861. Heafterwards found Stout’s Gulch,another rich claim. For years• • * , • * # 4 • • ' .he was the trusted boatman on» . 9 , lt;i I .mm mthe Fraser for the Hudson’s BayCo. and Oppenheimer Bros., andmade semi-annual trips fromQuesnel to Westminster with aboat load of miners. It was adangerous voyage and coveredeight days but with an intimateknowledge of the treacherouswaters of the Fraser he neverhad a mishap. His craft whichhe constructed prior toi tripwas along the lines of the oldFrenchand time anda * i*again would he have to portageover a portion of the river bankwhere too muchthe waters.would* *. ■ . ■ • ’■ ’ • • - .. . .• * ' • - •' - 1 * * **V -..twenty miners in every\ \ s*.After that he was- *■-j j-vthe office,4f “ Vtofor theJ v . . •Hudson’syears heten tons ofLytton andfor ten*r-lattermet the pack trains from Kam-i.S •*'- - . • .,» . . • ^ . rr' - r • ' ... » ., • ^loops and Nicola as well as Can-r. .lt;boo to which he• * • itransferThe trip would require about sixteen days and wasgenerally made at . low^ %ft' t **v.ft.•« • ...* /V- . ft' r . —VThe rush up the Fraser, construction days in old Yale, thecominggoing of big men inthe province all form pages ini * * * * * * •• •the life story of this wonderfulman. But time has dealt kindlywith him, for though eighty-fouryears of age he is hale and heartyand as active as a man manyyears ms junior.• • . . Born in Bavaria, Germany, heleft the fadderland in the fail of• «- • • ” • . . ■. , •. • ’46, and after a voyage of forty-two days landed in New York.. • ■ ■ ■ •By boat to Milwaukee he re-Wisconsinfor three years when he startedoverland across the plains forCalifornia. There was no UnionPacific or other transcontinental« « / • ■ * f i * . / »* ■ t ■ , » r i. . . - •?'.-•! - \ / ./ * ' . -vthen, but it was a seven months’. • . ,4• ;across a wilderness with/- Is • ’naught» * ’ • •1 . , • .a faithful team• .j ^ : ..oxen.Johnof•ft ftwas one of Mr• ■ * • •.* * '• • • • •• s * 9 |partners.in^ 'Eldoivado county, California, for sever-« .4-* Val years he saw much4 * /early life in the gold fields.ft • -* *»• • •late Alex. Coutlee, one of. *•* . ’ •••• .. -y • •• •• ... »—v— .• iO’ola’s pioneers, was one - ofearli est friends : arid HJnahy' ' * -* WT '*v. - •• -ft.. ■ 2'.arethe interesting tal es he can *of theirBut •»r ■r ■, • *k.*-• F v ^ .. *' ■ '/ • .: ‘‘ 7 • ' \« .ift. lt;' V. . %- ft* • *was soon to’• * •-T1.. *lt;. - m /lure him on into newer. * • i. •« P-r-iv: C' V Continued on page 17: ..‘7 V;,VS':- : • v.'^r S-: -:X - r.
Newspaper Details
Merritt Nicola Valley News
Merritt, British Columbia, CA
Fri, Apr 22, 1910
Page 16
Full Page
Clipped by
Donna S.
CA 04 Jan 2021
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Merritt Nicola Valley News
