The San Francisco call., 1897-10-23
TROUBLE AMONG
The PROSPECTORS
Miners on the Alice Blanch-
ard Angry With the
Promoters.
No Quarters and No Landing
Place for Them at Cop
per River.
The Outlook for the Men Who Have
Gone and Are Going Is Not
Encouraging.

There is more trouble among the miners
bound for Copper River. When the La
Nina was fitting out there was almost
riot among the prospectors and some of
the promoters OF the scheme would have
Jared badly had not some of the cooler
hands taken control of things Now
there is an outbreak on the steamer Alice
Blanchard, and it will eliminate to-day
unless something is done 10 appease the
exasperated gold seekers.
The Blanchard was chartered by some
Los Angeles people and arrived here
from San Diego with about sixty miners
aboard. About twenty more had engaged
passage here, and about the same num-
ber are to be picked up at Seattle. Ac-
cording 10 the story told by the men, the
promoters OF the scheme agreed to land
them at the mouth OF the Copper River,
give them the use of a large cannery
building for the winter and a years sup
plies. When the steamer reached San
Francisco the miners found out that the
nearest they could get to the mouth of
the river in the Blanchard was Orca sta
ton, thirty miles away; that the wharf,
landing, cannery and sawmill at the sta
ton were owned by the Pacific Steam
Whaling Company and no use could be
made OF any OF them without quld pro
quo.
The men held a meeting on the steamer
yesterday and sent a committee to make
inquiries at the Office of the whaling COM
paHy, and on their return reported the
above facts. 1t was also learned that the
! promoters had asked the rate OF wharfage
/ Tor the Blanchard at Orca station. Fro m
/ this the miners have got IL into their mead
! that the captain OF the steamer will Ian
/ them in Alaska and leave them there 10
! shift for them selves. The Blanchard is q [
/ Vale TO- s rect wha arf and there will be som e
| lively times on her before matters are
/ straiG h tened out.
If all turns out as expected there will
! be over $40 men Wlnterlng IN the vicinity
of Copp r yer this year. A com pany OF
prospectors went up early in TIE year from
Los Angeles, about fifty went on the mail
! steamer from Sitka, he La Ninfa and w.
5. Phelps are both on the way and the
steamers Alice Blanchard, Noyo and Wal
colt are getting ready, as Is also the
schooner Mary Gilbert.
The Walcott is owned by the Pacific
Steam Whaling Company, and Captain
Humphrey IS going up on her to look out
for the company's interests at Orca sta
tion. All the miners will have to build
! small fat t-bottomed boats at the station,
| a the only way in which the river can be
/ naviGated is by polling a small punt up
/ the stream. Captain Hum phrey gives the
! following advice to those who are going
! 10 tempt their fortune on Copper River:
! ION no account take rifle; take a shot
gun, you will want 1t % hunt game.
! Leave the squaws alone and the Indians
Will share their last meal with you. The
| squaws make it their boast that they can
always captivate white man. Ii they do
/ you will never escape. They Will drag
you down to their level, and once squaT
man always q squaw man"
Ben Powers, G. q. Bowen and R. A.
Brown of Los Angeles did not 60 aboard
the Phelps again after she returned, leak
/ ing, some time ago. They were afraid o.
the schooner, ana the gold of the Copper
River was not enough to lure them back
! aboard the vessel.