Fort Wrangel news., 1898-10-26
PROSPECTOR'S DISCOVERY
What Was Found Up the Stikeen
 River.
A DANGEROUS TRIP.

The past summer III the Gusslar country some have not found enough encour- agement Co take them back again. Most of them, however, have reason to think we'll of the country and in all probability will return in the spring There are those of third class who have run across tangible evidences of the excellence of the section and have either remained or will positively re turn in the spring. of this latter class k MT. II. (. Marston, of Vancouver, E. (. This gentleman arrived here last Wednesday by Indian canoe from Glen ora aud will go below by first boat to return about the first of the year. He went up the Stikeen last spring on the ice, but not early enough to have the advantage of a good trail. He will avoid that difficulty next year by going earlier. Mir Marston's story Is very interesting one, reeounting a number of narrow escapes he had in the rapids of the upper Stikeen, not to mention the fact of having inadvertently walked overheard from the C. r. dock on Wednesday night last, and being almost drowned
 On his way up the river he banned out dirt at different points. Near the mouth were Il few colors, only visible through the microscope, at the bound ary colors could be disting uished with the naked eye, about Glenora the amount of precious metal in the pros. pect had increased so that one could take up little specks on the point of d knife blade to examine them, and fifty miles or thereabouts above Telegraph Creek the dust had become so coarse that you could hear little pieces drop out of your fingers into the pan. This indicated to Mir. Marston, who Is an eX- perienced miner that he had progress. ed thus far towards the source of the gold. The best ground he encountered contained about fifty cents to- the pan, on bed rock From the surface there were abundant colors increasing through eight feet of gravel to a two inch stratum of clay few inches above a bedrock of tale and slate. He sank but two holes-one on the river bank and the other two hundred feet away. He did not investigate the upper part of the gulch at all There is but one other location adjoining his claim, and being asked the reason, he said it was on account of the extreme difficulty and danger in reaching the place. He was camping on the left hand bank of the river at a point not far from the Dees Lake trail and, having no boat, built raft and crossed the river. After prospecting and stalking off the ground and consuming what food they had himself and partner attempted to re- cross the river. but the current proving too strong for them, being inexperi enced river men, they were carried down into rapids and the raft broken in pieces. He jumped upon a rock while his companion was carried far ther down stream and thus separated from him. After remaining on the rock long time he concluded his only salvation was to attempt to swim ashore which he did, but unfortunate ly was still on the wrong side of the river Though almost worn out with fatigue and hunger he managed to con struct another raft, though very frail
 one, fastening the logs together with strips made from his rubber boots. At this time curious circumstance hap pened, which perhaps saved his life. He had eaten nothing for four days and was almost craZed with hunger. A DOT cupine came up in front of him and sat down as much as to say, you are very hungry, kill and eat me- He wait ed for no further hint, but immediatly raised his pick and killed the animal. Finishing his meal on the porcupine he was prepared to make one more effort to cross the river. Pulling out into the current, using shovel as his near
 est approach to a paddle, and had got ten more than half the way across when his strength began to fail and he saw with certainty that the raft was being taken again towards the rapids. In an instant all the circumstances of the
 first raft, held together by two inch wooden pins, yet hammered to smither- eens against the rocks, flashed through