79 One Man´s Gold Rush British Columbia BC Canada

John C. Bryant´s account of his 25 years as a professional miner in British Columbia is unique. Like tens of thousands of other hopefuls, he joined the Fraser River gold rush in 1858. Unlike most of the others who were disappointed, however, Bryant continued to follow the golden grail for a quarter of a century - Cariboo, Big Bend, the Omineca. He never did strike it rich but he made a comfortable living. Comfortable in the economic sense, that is; life as a prospector, placer miner ans trapper was anything but, with dangers and hardships being all in the day´s work.

Just as Bryant came to know almost every creek bed, he came to know almost every miner who participated in the gold rushes that helped establish Canada´s westernmost province. Better yet, he remembers them all in vivid detail and provides firsthand insight into characters and events that are not to be found elsewhere. First published in Dr. W.W. Walkem´s Stories of Early British Columbia in 1914, Bryant´s outstanding career is little known because most copies of the Walkem book are believed to have been destroyed in a warehouse fire.

One Man´s Gold Rush is as ´Johnny´ Bryant told it to Dr. Walkem. Only necessary refinements and/or revisions have been made. With annonations, an appendix and an index added, a rare and unique story becomes an even more valuable addition to the provincial record.

T.W. Paterson, the editor, is best known as the author of books on British Columbia ghost towns and shipwrecks. He has spent much of his writing career ´following´ in the footsteps of pioneers such as Johnny Bryant.

Only 1000 copies issued in July 2002 few remaining. Great Book with 208 pages of prose, pictures and data on the subject.