The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-25
UNFORTUNATE STAMPEDE
The Copper River Alleged Gold
Fields a Sorry Myth.
SAD LESSON FOR MINERS
Uncle Sam Goes to the Rescue of the
Deluded ~Prospectors With a Load
of Grub-A Rank Fraud
by Someone.

the men from Montana and other parts
of the country, who had started for
the Klondike, were diverted from their
course by the new excitement and fol-
lowed the Copper river stampede. The
reports from Alaska now are that the
rush has ended and that the alleged
gold fields turned out a myth. The
United States government has desig-
mated a war vessel to take supplies to
the suffering prospectors, who have
reached Valdes on their return trip,
after a hopeless search for gold in the
interior, and who are now stranded
there.
The Copper river gold excitement
has been the most unfortunate of all
the Alaskan rushes during the past
year. No one really seems to know
just how it started. or who is really
responsible for 1t. DR.. McIvor-Tyndall,
who is in Butte, came recently from
Vancouver and saws it is generally
known there that the rush was brought
about by fake reports of big gold dis
coveries. started and circulated by a
man who made a big thing out of it
by furnishing guides and transporta-
ton.
Several parties of government officers
had been up the river in former years
and reported finding plenty of copper,
but little gold. Steamship companies
desiring to operate on the run began
to look into the matter. They found
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 off. The story did
the work. other miners were found
who told marvellous tales of gold 20
be had for the digging on Copper
river. Steamers were sent around from
New York to go on the run. The Pa
cifc Steam Whaling company, which
had a post at Naldes, at once put the
glacier route prominently before the
public. 1t did not take much trouble
to get the thing going, and soon peo-
pie by the bundred from all parts of
the United States were heading for
Valdes.
They began to leave Seattle early in
the year. In three months $500 people
had gone, and before the end of May
the number was increased to $500. OF
his number about 1000 have come
back during the past few months. Ac-
cording to last reports there We're 300
people at Valdes and about 200 had
gone up the Copper river and reached
the Tanana. The rest were either ly-
ing idly where they were or making
every effort to get back to Valdes.
SUI VI Ait AloubiCo . easily
told. They were old that over the
Valdes glacier was an easy track TO the
Copper river. Those who went early
took dogs for shedding purposes. They
were dumped off on the beach from the
steamers on which they went north,
and started i'm on the hardest job a
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 Naldes. and the
man who started to cross the glacier
wished he had never heard of Copper
river. The glacier leads off with "A ter
ribly steep bench, and then successive
benches to the summit, a distance Of
Is miles. Over this rackless waste Of
snow the men struggled with heavy
loads. As much of their time was spent
i'm going back for firewood as in get
ting the outfits forward over the gla-
cier, for not a stick grew there. At
the summit snow swept them back
with mighty slides. Those who came
late had soft snow and honeycombe1
ice to contend with.
Once across the glacier. the argo-
nauts thought their troubles at an end.
Again they were sadly disappointed.
The country was too rough to travel
through. and the rivers too swift to
boat in safety. Many outfits were lost
in the dangerous trip down the Tes-
mona river. on reaching copper river
they found ascent impossible 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 their efforts.
but no one has vet found gold in pay
ing quantities. Many would have
pushed on to TIE Tanana had not a
party that spent a year there been
met coming over to the Copper river
after spending a fruitless winter on
the Tanana.
This settled the thing. 1t was a mad
race to get back to the coast. 1t was
a dangerous trip. Many were drowned
in the swift waters of interior streams.
their boats being dashed against the
rocks or overturned in the rapids. The
everlasting northern sur had made
great chances on Naldes glacier. In
every direction stretched out great Gre
vices, whose bottomless depths row
form the icy sepulcher for many an
unfortunate. Large parties made the
4 trip across in safety by roping each
4 other into a long string. Many small
\ narties are believed to have been lost.
1t is known that more people left the
\ interior camp. called Conners Center
than have arrived at Naldes.
4 In the mad rush home outfits had
! been abandoned and many Of the re-
treating army wound up at NaldeS
without su~stenance of any kind. Many
were also without monev.
Fortunately for the miners, however
the government was represented. Cap
tain Abercombie had been stationed
there with a small BODY Of troops
I since early in the year. His party wa:
to have made a survey up the river
but never got awav from Naldes. Thu
soldiers are now taking care of a large
7 number of miners, and will probabl,
remain there until winter shuts on
egress from the interior.
Those who remain in the interior
have a long dismal winter before them
\ Some believe still that they will fin
gold. but under the circumstances tn,
outlook is poor. For the men VIII
come home nothing but good word
should be aid. even though they ar
government charges. They ran N
against a harder proposition than al