The Discovery of the Sullivan
As the story goes, the four men, Smith, Cleaver, Sullivan, and Burchett travelled from Kaslo on foot for thirty-seven days across the Purcell mountains. They were on a prospecting trip to the area of the North Star discoveries of Joe Bourgeois. The four ran out of supplies and were wandering around lost and starving when they were found by some Ktunaxa. The natives took them to the St. Eugene Mission where everyone was talking about Joe Bourgeois and the North Star Mine so the four decided to wander over. When they got there they found the entire hillside to be staked so they crossed Mark Creek and staked three claims. They left but had to return to retrieve a nine dollar compass left at their claim so they wangled a grubstake from Father Coccola. They then left one man to work the mine and the other three worked other places to support the fourth.
Left to Right: E.C. Smith, John Cleaver, Pat Sullivan, and Walter C. Burchett