Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-09-22
P v FIASCO.
The Gold Fields of Southwest ALASKA
Prove to be q Myth.

kaLlOuS thC r1AuH6lu Couuty RCVpAC
who went to the Copper River Coun-
try, Alaska, are o. P. Jones and j. r.
Marshall, of Mexico, and O. G. Baker,
of Laddonia. The Globe Democrat
says there is no gold on Copper River
at all, and that the government is
sending relief to the miners going to
that portion of Alaska. Referring to
this matter the Globe says:
The Copper River gold excitement
has been the most unfortunate of all
the Alaskan PUSHES during the past
year of great activity In the North.
No one really seems to know just how
it started or who Ia responsible for it.
Several parties of government off,
GERS had been up the river In former
years and reported plenty of copper
but little gold. Steamship companies
desiring to operate on the run began
to look into the matter. They found
many sea captains who would say
that the Indians had plenty of gold.
Then there was some mythical miner
who was supposed to have brought
out $4,000 from one years work.
Like a flash it was of. The story
did the work. Other miners were
found who told marvellous tales OF
gold to be had for the digging ON
Copper River. Steamers were sent
around from New York to 60 on the
run. The Pacific Steam Whaling Com
pany, which had a post at Valdes, at
once put the glacier route prominently
before the public. 1t did not take
much trouble to get the thing going
and soon people by the hundreds from
all parts of the United States were
heading for Valdes.
They began to leave Seattle early in
the year. In three months $500 peo-
pie had gone and before the end Of
May the number was increased to
$500. OF this number about 1000 have
come back during the pastfew months.
According to last reports there were
800 people at Valdes and about 200 had
gone up the Copper River and reach
ed the Tanana. The rest were either
lying idly where they were OF making
every effort to get back to valdes.
The story of their troubles Ii easily
told. They were told that over the
Valdes glacier was an easy track to the
Copper River. Those who went early
took dogs for shedding purposes. They
we're dumped of on the bsach from
the steamers on which they went
north, and started in on the hardes,
job q man ever tackled.
Some lost their outfits in snow
storms while crossing the three-mile
stretch across the beach to high
land. Others got no further than Val
des, and the man who started to cross
the glacier wished from the start that
he had never heard Of Copper river,
The glacier leads on with q terribly
steep bench, and then successive
benches to the summit, q distance oil
| eighteen miles. Over trackless waste
of snow the men struggled with heavy
loads. As much OF their time was
spent going back for flre-wood as IN
getting the outfits forward over the
glacier, for not a stick grew there. Al
the summit snow swept them back
with mighty slides. Those who came
late had soft snow and honeycombed
ice to contend with.
Once across the glacier, the argo-
nauts thought their troubles at an
end. Again they were sadly disap-
pointed. The country was too rough
to travel through, and the rivers toe
swift to boat in safety. Many outfits
were lost in the dangerous trip down
the Tesmonis river. On reaching
Copper river they found ascent i'm
possible for months on account OF
high water.
Once up to the tributaries on which
gold was reported they started to
mine. A few colors rewarded theil
efforts, but no one has yet found gold
in paying quantities. Many would
have pushed on to the Tanana had
not a party that had spent . yea,
there been met coming over to the
Copper river after spending q fruit
less winter on the Tanana.
This settled n thing. 1t was {
mad race to get back to the coast.