The herald., 1898-06-29
COPPER RIVER NEWS
PLENTY OF COPPER BUT NO
GOLD
MEN IN CAMP FOR THE SUMMER
BILE for Stories of Fake Strikes
of Gold

TAZLINA RIVER, Alaska, June A.
Especial Correspondence to The Herald.)
After five months of travel and hardships
that caused thousands of gold seekers TO
turn back discouraged from the Copper
river region, the California Bears of Los
Angeles, together with $50 others from all
parts of the United States, who were able
to withstand the perils of the Valdes glacier
pass, are now encamped near this place,
2O5 miles above the mouth of the Copper
river and over one hundred miles north
east of Valdes.
The sudden arrival of warm weather
which melted the snow and ice off the trail,
was the cause of untold hardship to hun.
dreds whose progress in this direction I'M
til next winter is practically impossible.
Those unfortunates must either camp
where they are or abandon their supplies
| and return to Valdes as many of them
have undoubtedly done. Travelling in this
country during the summer months is q
very difficult undertaking as it Is either
climbing mountains or wading through
| boys knee-deep most of the way and waist
deep at many places. 1t was only by the
utmost exertion that those in camp here
were able to advance thus far into the in
the rapidly approaching summer forced
marches were made, eighteen hours at a
| time, and in some cases twenty-four hours
| without stopping.
| These long marches were made possible
| by the lengthening days which are now
| twenty-four hours in duration, the sun
| rising at 2:15 am. and setting at $3.50 pm.
| 1t is never dark. One can see to read in his
| tent at any hour of the night,
Mosquitoes are the bane of the country.
| There are millions of them. One cannot
even smoke them out of the tent. The mos
quito netting and salve the boys brought
| up here with them prove to be Of little pro-
| lection from the torments of the little
| pests. 1t is rather hard on the boys these
| hot nights to wrap themselves up tight in
| their heavy wooden blankets but they must
| Their to do so or be literally eaten alive by
| the mosquitoes.
| The place selected for this camp, on the
| banks of the Tazlina river, tributary Of
| the Copper river, or "Etna" river, as 1t Is
known by the Indinas, is as comfortable as
can be expected in this region. The waters
| of the river and the numerous lakes and
| creeks in the vicinity of our camp abound
with fish, wild duck. geese and grouse and
there is plenty of large game in the inn
mense forests of spruce and pine. Moose,
cariboo and bear have been seen. One bear
| Weighing 500 pounds was killed on the Taz-
| lima river the other day while all the boys
are able to vary the monotonous diet Of
beans and bacon with fresh fish and wild
duck. There is also an abundant supply Of
blueberries and cranberries from last
years crop perfectly preserved throughout
the winter in the snow. We soon expect
I.,,N iii \, w.
Indians, who are extremely friendly and
who dress very much like ourselves, are
camping along the lakes and rivers with
their nets waiting the arrival of the SAL
mon
1t is indeed fortunate that fish and game
are so plentiful for many have lost part
and some all of their provisions and OUT
fits in attempting to make their way fur
Their into the interior by means Of RATS ON
the rivers which are all very swift and full
of large boulders and rocky rapids and are
practically unnavigable BY either RATS or
boats AS a result of these losses provis.
ions are growing scarce, particularly -four
and beans, which are now worth $2S per
hundred weight Baking powder brings 81
per pound when it can be purchased.
| Every party has taken the precaution to
cache their provisions and some one OF the
party is always on guard as there Is some
danger of the outfits being stolen.
Nearly everybody is busy prospecting,
although as yet nothing but color has been
| found. All of the gold seekers are wide
awake and are constantly securing over q
| large radius of this part Of Alaska in their
quest for gold. The men go out in pairs,
making prospecting trips of from one to
| three weeks in duration. Two of the
| Bears" have just returned from ten-day
trip They explored the region between
camp and Lake PlaveZnie, the headwaters
| of the Tezlina river Plenty OF copper has
| been found in considerable quantities but
| in most inaccessible places and too Tar
from any outlet to RfSve of value.
The postal service for such an inaccessi-
b,e region. is quite satisfactory. Peter
jackson, the carrier between camp and
Valdes. receives one dollar from each man
every time he calls with letters. Letters
from the states to the boys contain many
nevspaper clippings, chiefly about alleged
| finds in the Copper river district. We near
| well-defned stories of strikes on Bremmer
river, south of here and on the east side OF
| the Copper river but knowledge of Sig
nificant face is obtaining among the gold
seekers that there are men in this part OF
| Alaska to day who are in the employ OF
| transportation companies who are respon-
sible for many if not all of the fake and
| alleged finds of gold in this region. Not
withstanding the fake stories everybody
| here is hopeful There is no sickness in
camp. Judge c. A. King of Dublin, Texas,
| and Mr.. Rhodes of Los Angeles passed this
way May 31st on their way home via VAL
des and San Francisco. From information
received from Judge King, some of us may
decide to Journey on to the Tanana river,
between Bates and Carlisle rapids, 125 miles
| from this camp, where there is better
prospects of gold. BEAR NO. 2.
Map That Costs Million Yearly
| The largest map in the world is the ord
nance survey map of England, containing