The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-09-26
The Topeka PrOspectOrs Com,
Back From Copper River
But With No Gold and a Very
Bad Opinion
OF KLONDIKE CLAIMS.
They Took With Them a Boat
Numbered 13
Which SuperstitiOus Ones May
Connect With Their Failure.

The gold hunters sent out from To-
peka last March by the Kansas-Alaska-
Cooperative Mining company. of which
Chief Strauss was at the head have re-
turned from the Copper River country
in Alaska unsuccessful and very much
disguised. They landed in Topeka
Saturday afternoon.
The members of the little company
were W. H. Hunter. w. s. Buck. @. A
clearinghouse, c. A. Golf and J. r. Sen
ter. clearinghouse, Buck and Gof re-
turned; the other two remaining in the
upper country.
The sudden Homecoming was entirely
unexpected to the members of the COM
pany which furnished the capital and
sent them north. Indeed the company
had held meeting early in September
and levied an assessment and cOngrat-
ulated themselves on having such good
prospects for sudden wealth, reports
to that effect having reached Topeka
from Alaska
The company was capitalized at $25,-
600 with a paid up capital of 81, 900. This
was expended in securing the men
transportation and an outfit. A part of
the latter was a boat which was on dis
play in Topeka before the gold seekers
left and was numbered Is. This was to
be used for shooting the rapids.
c. A. Golf was seen by a Journal re-
porter last evening and talked freely
of his trip. Mr.. Golf lives in North To-
peka.
They left Topeka March Is and out
fitted at Portland leaving there for the
Copper River country in April. The
party had decided that the KIondike
territory proper would be OverdOne by
a rush OF gold seekers and therefore
concluded to try the Copper River dis
trict. They secured about five tons of
provisions expecting to stay at least
two years in the district trying gravel
hnf7 a1 oil TT7a Z T~frr
passed through many hardShipS on
their journey, which was made on foot
dragging hand sleds and suffering from
cold. At one time they were in a. snow
storm in which snow fell about seven
feet and detained them from travelling
for many days. At another time they
had to pass over glacier of thirty-f five
miles extent. During that period they
suffered for want of water as there was
no wood to build a fire to melt the ice.
But the worst plague to contend with
was the mosquitoes; they lowered over
them in clouds and made life a weary
burden for the party. The Kleutine
rapids was another hard problem. At
that point the company stored the
greater portion of their provisions as
they feared in shooting the rapids the
RATS and boats might upset and dump
their supplies in the river. They were
lucky enough to pass through without
rnishap. Prospecting along the entire
route wherever a river gravel bed Of
fered an opportunity they finally reach
ed Copper Center, the north limit Of
the Copper river country and eighteen
hundred miles north OF Portland Here
the party went into camp and explored
the country around for miles for gold
but failed to discover but slight traces
of it.
Mr.. Goff stated that no strikes were
made in the camp worth mentioning
and the stories that had been circulated
of rich finds were absolute falsehoodS-
As the summer began to wane prospec-
tors began to leave and the Topeka
party now thoroughly tired out decided
to do likewise. They sold their pro-
visions for what they could get, which
was an infinitesimaI price beside what
they paid for them. As Golf expressed
if they bought on a rising market and
sold on a falling one When they reach-
ed that country -four was worth $50
per hundred pounds, when they left it
had fallen to 65 cents per hundred
Other provisions were in proportion
The entire party say that the coun-
try is very much OVer-rated and ADVISE
no one to go there seeking for wealth.
The company which furnished the
some regret that the men returned so
quickly. Chief Strauss, who was per-
haps more deeply interested than any
one other man financially said last
night:
Il am rather surprised at the sudden
return of the boys. If 7 had been up
there will bet I would not have re-
turned so soon. There certainly must
be some gold in that vicinity
Mr.. Cor stated that the Copper River
district was a high barren plain and
that the weather was as warm there in
summer as in Topeka. They could get
their mail but once month Many of
the prospectors would have to be given
government assis lance to get out of the
country.