The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1897-11-18

on his mind, for ne said on arriving at
Frisco:
There l found a lake 100 miles long
at least. You cannot see across it any
where. This lake is not on any map.
Il went around the edge of the lake
and found a big river. which I fol-
lowed down into the Copper River re-
gion. There are gold and copper veins
OF great richness up near the head OF
River from its source.
The Indians Are Friendly.
"The stories thus far printed abou;
the Copper River Indians are mostly
untrue. They are as fine a race as ever
I saw. They are as honest as the day
is long, and will be good friends to any
white man who treats them right They
did me any number of favors.
THEY are tall, and are more like
Sioux Indians than any we have on the
coast here. They live outdoors all the
year round, and never build any huts
only a wind break with a fire in front
of it. They wear very little clothing,
and are strong and athletic. They viii
fight if they are wronged, but will not
pick a quarrel.
They have found one of the lost
arts. They have a secret process of
hardening copper and welding it to
iron I have seen numerous specimens
of their work, and some of recent man
ufacture too. but l never could find
out how they made it
Easy to Reach.
One point upon which all explorers
returning from the Copper River coun-
try agree is its accessibility.
River steamers Of light draught can
go up the Copper River from the Pa
cific almost to its source. PrOspeCtOrs
then have a short journey of only
eighty miles over the Scolai or Copper
River Pass to the head of navigation on
the White River. There they may
board another steamer and go ~ water
ell the way to Dawson City, if they are
still prejudiced in favor of the Klondike
region, for the White River empties
into the Yukon at point far below
the dangerous portion of the latter
stream. The trip down the Yukon from
it's confluence with the White River is
absolutely safe, for there are no rap
ids and no waterfalls. Gold seekers
rafting down the Yukon from any point
above the White River encounter dan
ger a dozen times a day:
Vessels for the Copper River.
That Seattle investors believe in the
; Copper River country is demonstrated
/ by the fact that some of them built d
| schooner in three weeks to carry a par
ty of prospectors to that region. This
is the Albert, which left Seattle few
days ago to go direct to the mouth Of
| the Copper River and sail thence UP
! that stream to it's source. She is built
| of galvanized steel, is forty-twO feet
over all and can carry twenty tons of
| freight and six passengers. She has
| four Water-tight compartments. The
| schooner Laura is also destined iOr
cruising to and from and along the
| Copper River. She is fifteen tons reg
ister and will be kept on the Cook 8
| Inlet route. 1t is probable that the
| steamship Queen will also ply eXclu-
sively between Seattle and the Copper
| River after this month.
! A company has just been organized
which has for it's object the construc-
ton of a narrow gauge railway from
| tidewater, On Prince William Sound
up the valley of the Copper River and
| thence across the divide to point on
| the Yukon River near the boundary
| line. 1t has q capital stock of $4,000, 900
| The proposed road is to be 322 miles in
| length.
| Thus, even the easy tramp across
| Scolai Pass may soon be unnecessary
| Gold seekers may take a Copper River
| steamer to the head of navigation Oh
| that stream, cross the divide in a train
and go up the White River to it's con-
! fiuence with the Yukon, with easy sail
| ing all along the way to Dawson City
| 1t will be no harder than the journey
| from New York to Plattsburg by way
of the Hudson River, the railroad from
Troy to Fort Ticonderoga and a steam
er up Lake Champlain, which is one OF
the most beautiful trips in America.
But it is safe to predict that fortune
hunters entering the Copper River re-
| gion will not go as far north as Daw-
| son. There is too much gold in the un-
prospected country between the Cop,
| per and White rivers to make it worth
| while to brave the rigors of the Arctic
Circle. And the gold, silver and cop
per in the Copper River country are ir
American soil, free to all citizens Of
the United States.
| Dawson City may be all right for mel
who have leather lungs and cast-irOi
StomaChS, and who have been on the
| ground for the past two years, Du
those who wish to Seek gold without
riSking their lives every hour of tn,
day, without having to buy claims al
ready located, at enormous prices ant
without being robbed by the con
scienceiess taxes of the gTasping Ca
madam Government will do better t. sc
to the new EldOrado that awaits then
on American soil, where they may
| prospect unmolested and enjoy, com
paratiyely speaking, all the comforts o.
| home.
WIRE FROM DAWSON.