The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-11-05
offer of $185,ooO for the prospect"

offer of $135000 for the prospect"
Are there many persons in that re-
gion as yet?" queried your correspond
emit
Very few, outside of Mr.. Frey and
his men," the captain replied. About
twenty persons live on the ground per-
manently. They are engaged in fish
ing, foX-hunting and raising. The
timber is not good on Valdes Fay, and
has to be transported some twenty-five
miles. No good lumber trees are found
there. They can, however, easily be
taken from southeast Alaska or the
Sound. All the material for the fish
houses was transported from the coast
of Washington"
Good Climate. Too.
"I!oW about the climate?"
Every good. 1t is much milder than
that Of the Klondike region. Snow
falls from six inches to four feet in
depth, and usually lasts from about
the beginning of December until May.
Rain falls in September, October and
April. Absolutely clear weather is ex-
perienced most in May and June"
us there plenty of timber along the
Copper River?"
mot as much as I'd like to see. There
are alder and cottonwood, and there is
also an abundance of small pines
eighty miles north of the mouth, near
the river slopes. "
1.-THE Copper River is navigable?"
Yes. 1t splits into many channels
sometimes three miles wide. The bars
are constantly changing, and are prin-
cipally of quicksand. Some are of
gravel and many of them are gold
bearing. Above the canon, which is
about a hundred miles up, the river is
not so wide. There are sand and gravel
bars as below, but they are narrower"
How far up the Copper River have
spondent.
About seventy miles above the
canon. The bottoms of the upper
river are of easy slopes, and can easily
be made into broad bed"
4 Land of Gold.
What do you think of the country
generally?"
Il think" said the captain, slowly
as if weighing his words we'll, that
Alaska is the richest mineral produc-
ing territory in the world-one vast
gold bed. in fact-and that the Copper
River country is the richest region in
Alaska. Unless / am away off my
raCT.Hnirop-anH 7 nit
and prospecting nearly all my life-the
output of the Copper Region during
the next year will far exceed that of
any other gold bed in any portion of
the earth. If l had a million dollars,
and wanted more, I'd put every penny
of it into Alaskan investments. The
sincerity of my opinion is demonstrated
by the fact that have refused several
iattering offers to go to the Klondike,
preferring to try my fortunes in Amer
lean territory. l believe Alaska two
years hence will outshine the Cali
fornia of forty years before. We are
on the eve of a great gold producing
era all over North and South America,
and the biggest bonanzas, think, will
be found in the great Northwest"
Everybody in Sitka, Juneau, Skag-
uay and Dyea is talking excitably of
the coming railroad. 1t is universally
conceded that the trunk line will turn
the rush from Skaguay and Chilkoot
passes to Alaska. Already business is
booming here and in Juneau in antici-
patton of the stampede to the Copper
River country in the Spring. These
are the liveliest places in Alaska just
now, and much money is making in
real estate. 1t is manifest that they
must grow rapidly.
Westward, HO!
The great rush to the gold fields
must find new outlets, and next Spring
the stream of gold seekers will go
westward to the Copper River. Cook