The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-21

presen. exodus 30 Alaska. rs showing how
the discovery Of gold in enc district viii
stimulate the exploration OF many other
districts even remotely contiguous s. the
movement 20 Copper river. Information
Is 20 the character OF this section was. un-
I'll recSE;iy. OF the most vague and dis
cog-aSing nature. The few early explor-
ers depicted difficulties which threw those
OF the trip Of the chilkoot and Whits
passes Into the shade and many c.rcum-
stances combined TO turn miners aside 20
other fields OF activity. Yet the impression
has existed and steadily grown that rich
gold feds wege % be found there and
that was sufficient 10 induce thousands 81
men 10 brave ali difficulties and dangers
IN search Of them. They were led on 100
by the hope os d1d.ng Their way across
the divide 10 the headwaters Of the TanarA
river and Seventy Nile creek. both %
which are repueed 10 have good diggings.
and down those streams to the Yukon.
where they would be sure of good ground
In some one CT the numerous tributaries
OF that river. should fortune not favor
them sooner. That their Judgment was
good, from the miners standpoint, is evil
dent from the fact that their way lies
through the mountains wnere the pr.nc.-
pal go.d-bearing tributaries OF the Yukon
have their source and from which the
gold 10 supposed to have been washed
down.
whence Came Beach Gold.
Before any actual discoveries were made.
The probable existence Of gold fields Was
strongly indicated by the presence on the
beach of southeastern Alaska, from the
mouth OF Copper river TO Sstka. OF rich
deposits Of black and ruby sand carry
ing god, while no such deposits exist west
OF Copper river From its general course.
the Japan current must have swept this
sand along the coast and on the beach
and had any such sand been carried Gown
any streams west OF Copper river. 1t would
have been found on that part of the beach.
AS Copper river Is the only large stream
ia this section besides the Alsek, this
sand Is believed to have come thence II
could not have come from the AIsek alone.
for there is just as much gold bearing
sand west Of Dry bay. into which the
Aisek empties and which is midway be-
tween Prince William sound and L.tuya
bay, as there is east OF that point.
This beach sand Is washed for gold on
Liiuya and Yakutat bays and yields s. TO
s. per day TO the man, the production of
i tyua bay in 1897 having been about SO
no. On Dlsenchantment bay. sxty-five
miles from fakutat. Stephen A. Lee last
March found pay Dirt in the moraine OF
a dead glacier ana found float gold every
bedrock and was already taking out $40
per day. when he sold his claims To Robert
j. Place for $500 and - per cent. Of The
output. party OF miners had goae there
on the schooner Morrill 10 reach the
sources OF White river from the coast.
but they located claims ana organized the
Hidden Glacier mining district
y great advantage OF the Conner river
district IL that this entire route from tho
COAST Is n nit =
ritory. so that travellers over It viii be fire.
from the annoyance and exact!ons OF the
Canadian custom house. and should il
prove practicable for permanent Lsa all
overland travel 70 the Alaska part Of the
Yukon valley may be diverted this way.
The Course of Copper River.
The Copper river has It's sources In the
great Coast range OF mountains which ai-
'ideS The Yukon watershed from The Yiv-
rs moving into the ocean. 1t flows i'll the
orsn Of a sickle around three siias of the
reat nest of peaks of which Mount Wrar
Fl Is The highest and emptiei through
Vide delta. with several shallow mouths
nto the Pacific ocean east of Prince VIII
an sound. 1t is a rapid. ley stream, fe,
~ numerous great glaciers ana for TIE
10 miles ne4res: Its mouth navigation Is
Instructed by several canyons and by a
lumber of glaciers. from which masses Of
a are continually breaking in the sum
ler. Explorers report rs lower course 70
30 difficult ard dangerous shat new
pute has beer opened from Valdez inlet
the head OF Prince William sourC
ross the Valdez glacier for thirty mile
cross level, marshy land for ten mile
cross Lake Sheppard for SIX niles. an
ZEN down tha Tasuna river 10 Coppe.
liver. total distance Of seventy-hvt
mites. THIS saves 10 miles OF distance and
tpsr - y.
below the south fork ana above -he rapids
canyons and glaciers. From this point ne
pole a boat TO the heaawaters OF the
river without trouble and Will find a com
paratively easy route over the Mentas:a
pass 10 the headwaters OF the Tanana or
Seventy Mile
Capt. Abercromble. L. 8 A. who IS n
command ~ expedition sent out by the
government 10 explore the Copper river
country. teila Of easier routes from the
coast. having said in recent interview
In the Post-Inteligencer:
The route across the pass used by the
first corners - th!riy-0ne miles long and
presents many difficulties There is an
other way only seven or eight miles 10 the
summit and descending fifteen miles 10 the
lake. From there on progress Is easy, Just
a. when Lake Bennett t. reached after
crossing the Chiikoot or White passes. OF
the three passes. Ch.lkoo., white or Val
deg. the las, IS FAR ard away the easiest
in nay opinion. \ newly discovered pass
and one that WI be extensively used in
August and until The snow bcg!as 10 side
next year. - known as Lowe river Il lis
forty miles long ana rises bat 40 feet IN
that distance a very easy ard gradual
grade
The First Actual Discovery.
The first reports OF mineral discoveries
on Copper river were that the Indians
from that region brought oGt nuggets Of
native copper, which they sail thy had
found in tire interior. These nuggets are
supposed 10 have come from the river bars
iirscsly nor,h II Mount NrAngeL or from