The Delta independent., 1889-12-10
HUNTING FOR GOLD.
Search Of ProsMrto,s for Quartz
lin the YucOn I}.lsin, Alaska.


The Astoria tOregon) Pinser says that the
Pacific Whaling stcam-r, Jssuie, which ar
rived vt that pnrt recently trnui Western
Alaska, brought two Ala>ka miners who
had been picked up ut the mouth Of Copper
River, near Prince Williams Sound. They
were around the city next day. one of them
being rrbed in fancy bpckskin attire,
trimmed in heads and fringe, such ms is
wern by the Aberigines, Of Alaska. They
have been in that conn,ry for some three
years, prospecting foe ores, and in all that
time were back IN civilization hut once,
about eighteen nioatlis ags. They exhibited
some fine gold nuggets, some quartz which
they represented to contain ~ per cent. cop
Per, and about couple at ounces OF gold
dust that was exceedingly fine. and was
equally ~ coarse Ms Judson powder. The
names Of the miners are J. &. Dayies and
John Maloney.
In 1884 Lientenant Allen and party ex.
plored tile Copper River from its mouth to
its extreme head.watsrs In search nf a copper
quartz l''lgc that hail been discovered by a
tribe Of Indians, known as the Maniskies,
but failed 10 locate the 'e red place.
Mr.. Davies and I Il part ,cr st,rtei from
juneau about six months a 20 with an assay.
outfit and provisions that were valued ut ST.
500and endeavorei to find their way to Fort
Mile Creek, whore 100 miners are located.
The distance i. about $50 miles, and before
they reached their destination sixty -ane days
had passed away. The route sslrciet was
over the mountain from juneau to Chilcoot
Pass, and thspna by a row boat down Lakes
Linderman, Takou and Marsh.
Just before reaching Lake Lebarge, and at
point twenty eight miles south h.esst of Lake
LebaFge, In whstis called Miles Canyon, the
boat upset. fram the swiftness of the water.
and the entire plant. and provisions and men
were thrown into the seething ,naas of water
and aoAfing ice, where gigantic walls stood
mp majestically on either side and uttered de-
fiance IN their chance of life. Chilled to the
lone from the extreme cold OF the water,
they battIed in the tsFtpous current until
the cargo had sunk from the Bsnt and l. had
come to.she sssf6ace; when fortune allowed
lsseh to grappie the boat In this condition
they arifted down through the canyon for
nearly an hour, and then managed to reach
shore, almost helpless from their experience.
Without food, dry clothing or a match to
kindle fire, all expectations of being rescu.
ed we're abandoned. but to their great sur
pFise and gool luck, other members of their
party who were travelling tn Forty Mile
Creek; via the mountain range, overheard
their cries of misery. and .aved their lives.
They reached Forty Mile Creek in about
fourteen days, and made their headquarters
there for about two months.
Still determined to prospect for the famous
quarts ledge which Lieut. Allen had tailed to
find. and which two men who had departed
fron the Forty Nile Greek u prospect for two
years ago, and have never been heard from
since they started with provisions on their
backs. such AS they were, and crossed the ice
covercd Alaskan mountains and struck the
headwaters Of Tananah River. They were
forty days insking the "trip of $50 miles. suf.
fering untold agony from cold and hunger,
having been seven days without food of any
kind. Game WAS pretty plentiful, the only
pourc for getting food, but lost as they we're.
with death staring them in the face, they be-
came 10 bewildered that ambition to hunt had
ing around for day or 80, they met an In
dian, naiped Nicolai, member of the Alum
iskie tribe who furnished them with some
fish and meat, and they recupera,ed suf-
ficientiy to resume their search for the fam
pas ledge. Thsy found it, and the ore
exhibited to the Pionser was the outcome'o Of
their pntiriny efforts. Here they started,
together with an Indian and his squaw, to
Tokai River, toward the summit Of the
mountains. crossed the divide and struck the
source af the Copper River. They travelled
down and over portion ofthis river, (which
they termed "had water" for rea.ah of ia
swiftnsss and dangerous msanderings) where
no white man has ever traversed, and landed
r. the mouth. h.--Aisska Free Press.
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