The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-07

RessaIy Denssnee the Country oaA
Ceteictse Capt. Abercronhie.
Twenty-one Copper river miners return
there 10 not a man in the crowd kindly
Disposed toward the country. With ono
voice they condemn It az . gold producer.
And they unhesifafingiy say that In no
land under the sun In the pFospector met
with such hardships. Il consider the VAL
des trail the worst trail in any country
OF which mining history makes mention.
and that valdes glacier Is veritabie
deathtrap." is the verdict OF DIR. Leroy c.
Townsend. ct Beaver. Pa, and the physi-
clan Of the keystone expedition which
sought the Copper river cline eighteen
months ago.
The scurvy-strfcken miners OF the Cop
per river will ever have reason to hold
Dr.. Townsend In grateful remembrance.
He was their ministering angel. Appalling
as Is the death list, he. the survivors say.
saved scores of lives He went into the
country to mine. but devoted his entire
time and attention to the sick, receiving
nothing in the way OF remuneration save
the consciousness OF having saved the
lives OF fellow men.
When the scurvy reached its height DIR.
Townsend established what Ii known az
the Copper Center hospital, and equipped
this Institution the stricken miners from
a radius Of many miles about Copper Cen
ter were taken for treatment. As fast as
they recovered sufficiently to travel DIR.
Townsend sent them on to valdes.
The men who returned on the Topeka
left valdes June 3. taking the Excelsior
for Sitka and juneau. where they caught
the Seattle steamer They have no words
OF commentator for Capt. Abercrombie,
nf IN D.
per river exploring expedition. Their prin-
cipal grievance took root In a circular no.
tice extensively posted at yaldes and vi
cinity. In this the captain gave notice that
he would give all Idle men employment at
the rate Of 81 day for thirty-five days
thus enabling them TO pay their steamer
fare back TO the states. leaving each with
8 In cash. so they would not be ''amenable
to the vagrancy law" as the captain is
said to have worded his notice.
A. ID. Smith. Of Washington, - particu-
larry bitter against Capt Abercron4ofe. and
r. " Kirkham. a Montana man. says that
tho captain In doing nothing in the way o.
rendering real assistance TO the copper
river contingent. Smith boldly declares
that / sawmll has been established with
government funds and that the lumber Is
being sold for speculative purposes.
Capt Abercrombie Is making poor prog
reso with the trail he In constructing to
tho interior. according To Kirkham.
II Is a case OF blasting through rocks much
Of the way. and Ktrkham AYERS that not
over q mile Of the highway had been COM
pieted when the Excelsior left DR.. Town
send. however. expressed the opinion that
Capt Abercrombie would eventually sue
coed.
About 800 miners remained In the Copper
river district when the Excelsior left VAL
des. There liz now no sickness to speak
Of the scurvy victims having either re-
covered or left the country.
DR.. Townsend reports the following
deaths not including the Logan party ms
having taken place IN Ia the Cspper Center
H. c. shaw, June l. Ises
Nick Whan October -, 1893.
John Dahie. December II, lsaA
s Mlihxan. January 81, 1889
Jack Hayden. January II, 1879.
Dan cushman. January Ii. 1893.
Monard. January IA. iSe.
Dan Mccullough. February -, 1893.
Wesley Sehnedeser, February. 1859.
A. Lewis March. 1889
A. Il. Garnes March, 1899.
J r. Hackett May Is. 1879
s. w Baker. May ?. 1889.
Andrew Halter. May 9. 1889
All save Schnedeger. who WaS frozen
10 death died OF scurvy. William VIII
helm and Alex Steward are missing, and
are believed by their acquaintance TO be
dead
The post-inteihgencer gave full &C
count OF the death by freezing on Valdes
glacier of the members 90 the Logan par
~ several months ago.
or the keystone party Of twelve. DIR.
Kennedy says all save five have gotten
our OF the country. One crossed the d.
vide To Dawson, another went To Atin and
three are still in the Copper river Sec
ton.