The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-20

Eax.erners bound for Copper river seem
20 know less about the country to which
they are going than the crowds that ara
headed for Dawson. Stewart river or
Munook II they could get any Informal
ton on the subject anywhere II woaid De
In Seattle. and they come here with the
idea OF learning the details OF the eoun-
try. They have ali .dea that they VIII
&c. rich IL they go somewhere up on the
unknown stream that has never been pros
pected. They know very little about
where they are going. for there Is very
Ettle to know. They spend hours toling
over big maps and talking over the trip
with other Fasteners who have no more
information. Anyone who has been any
where near the Copper river country. or
who says they have. is eagerly nabbed
and piled with questions innumerable.
While waiting for Copper river boats
10 sail they wander along the water front
asking questions When the steamer Elk
ceisor stea med into port Wednesday af-
teraoon the news went along the front
like q fash that there was a boat back
from Copper river. Immediately there
was a mad race for the coal bunkers on
the part Of the Fasteners, eager TO Sc
cure the lates, information.
They did not wait for the steamer to
tie up properly. They risked life and
limb climbing down rickety ladders.
crossing a couple Of tug boats and then
climbing UP another ladder and onto the
steamer Several slid down plies in their
haste to reach the Excelsior. Once on the
deck Of the steamer they crowded round
the few men who had returned and piled
them with questions.
One Eastern youth was very much
troubled over the Indian question. He
started in his questions by asking:
Are the Indians kind. Will they help
you IL you get into trouble. and do you
have to pay them much to pack your
outfits?''
The man who had just returned replied
that they might be kind II they Were
pad enough. He said that he had never
heard of their doing any great service
"out of the kindness Of their red hearts"
He informed his crowd of eager listeners
that the Indians cared for quantity. not
quality, in the money they received for
their services He told them that silver
was worth more than gold.
Then the Eastern youth had another
bright idea which savored OF old-time
trading voyages among the South Sea
Islanders. He asked il one could not
work OF some shoddy jeweIry on them.
and whether or not i, would be advisable
TO include in his outfit a quantity OF
beads. brass rings and a few bright
hatchets. His partner settled this mat
ter by saying.
THAT would never do at all. for If the
brutes found out that we had deceived
them they would kill US at once
There was one man aboard from Cook
inlet. and he could talk of nothing else.
He was full OF the subject, but was also
surrounded by people eager TO know about
Copper river. One Fastener. with a
scared look on his face, asked his opin-
hon regarding the best place TO land 10
reach the headwateTs of the river. The
Cook inlet man talked at a terrible rate
for about ten minutes with Resurrection
bay and the Kenai pen.nsular as his sub
5ec.. The man had never heard these
names mentioned as route TO the Copper
river and asked IL that was not a new
way TO go 70 the headwaters OF the river.
The Cook inlet man then said that he had
been talking about a new route To the
Inlet and the crowd left him In disgust
As far as real Information went the
prospective Copper river miners got little
from the Excelsior. They could not
straIghten out the statements OF a man
who held forth on the forward deck. and
who said that every one was getting
across n good order. with the positive
assertion Of another man in the stern
who said that the blockade was terrible
and that no one was getting across.
Whichever story they believed, however
did not lessen their desire to make a try
az getting into the country