The Minneapolis journal., 1905-11-10
COPPER TREASURE
In ALASKA WILDS
SOME OF THE PROPERTIES IN
THE COPPER RIVER DISTRICT.
Charles g. Hubbard, Who Owns Part Of
Group Of Mines, Gives Glowing De-
scription-He Declares that the Cop
per District Is Destined to Prove the
Greatest Producer Of Red Metal in
the World. -a

San Francisco, Cal.-Charles G.
Hubbard of San Diego, part owner of
copper mines in the Copper River dis
trict, recnetly arrived from the north,
where he had spent eight years. m
+ Hubbard's experiences in Alaska
would furnish material for a novel. He
left here in 1897 with a party Of gold
country, which was then beginning to
attract attention. from the outside
world.
:. Thirty days later the little expedi-
ton reached the coast off the mouth
of the Copper, where it wintered, and
IN the early part Of the next. year
started up the river. Out of band of
fifty hopeful men who undertook the
months of travelling food was exhausted
and enforced diet on decomposed sal
mon,. together with neglect Of person,
developed scurvy, from which many
died. Eventually, Hubbard and his part
ner, 81. G. Elliott, determined to re-
turn to the coast with the rest of the
inva lids, whom they pulled out on i'll
constructed sleds. - H-'' ~-
After two weeks' srecuperation on
the coast, Hubbard and Elliott again
started inland toward the Chittana
river along which they proceeded to
Chittana rivers. On their way in the
two daring prospectors picked up about
two and half tons Of provisions that
had been abandoned by other members
| Of the original party and thus, well
provided with the necessaries of life
they made plans for prospecting the
| country. ~Es-:t.a -. -
With a band of Indians they had
hired to haul their provisions and other
| c4n H11h II 1,rnan0Hn6
to the headwaters Of the Kotsina. They
obtained samples of ore with which
they returned to the coast. The follow
ing year, l900,t found the men again al
work along the banks of Elliott creek
where one day Elliott suddenly rar
upon a twenty-foot ledge Of copper ore
The following day they found another
ledge twenty-six feet. wide and extend
ing 900 feet: From this ore samples
taken. In ali they. acquired seventy
claims, or ], 400 acres of land, in, the
copper district, samples of which have
averaged 422.1S. to+79 per cent copper.
i. @.z Have Railroad Soon. -, i. .
Since 1900 the twFos w. men have mad,
several trips ont qf the district ant
have expended in5EAeyeIopment worl
and. patents $15oIso, fpre eparatory tt
his properties, Hubbard saia:ctr T.
The Copper River country, with th'
advent of the railroad which it will
soon have, is destined to be the riches
copper producing section in the heinis
Iphere.$ We@could today furnish dali,
tonnage of 500 tons to railroad, an,
five years hence, after the propertie
have been fully developed, it is saf
to say that the proposed railroad from
"a 70 ho Id 10 i
The district possesses advantages TO
copper mining that no other section O.
the United States enjoys. and it's loca
tlon is such as to insure it almost alb
solute control of the copper market il
the orient. -
9" In the Elliott creek district we ar
assured Of 10000 horsepower for ope1
! ating our mines, and can easily get 10
goo 900 900 gallons Of water into a re
timber tracts, from which material ca
be obtained for all purposes. Wha
makes the property an ideal one fo
mining is the fact that it does not re
! qu1re much expense for hosting machir
cry. for every pound of ore extracte
from the property is handled by a gray
lty system to the retort and is neve
raised until refined. When the railroa
is built and the ore from the distric
| 1CaCutS tuo Quasi IL Is Sale TO proQ1C
that some Of the largest smelters in tn
world will be built.
~ think a few years will see the e.
tablishment near Valdez of factorie
for making wire and other copper ms
terial, which will be shipped direct t
the markets of the world. ~.
May Compete With World.
"When you consider that the Coppe
river district is 1000 miles nearer tn
orient than Seattle it is easy to see tha
Alaskan mines are in position to con
pete with the world for oriental trade.
Hubbard says the greatest expense i
, the Copper river district is for carry
ing in goods. He and his partner ha
,, to ship in 10000 pounds Of supple
from Valdez by horse pack last yea
, for which they paid 60 cents pou,nt
This year having. thirty men at work, j
was found necessary to increase the su,
plies, and the freight cost So cents
pound.
The railroad company has promised t
reach the district in twelve months
time and Hubbard believes that whe
the line is operating and the mines q
the district are we'll develOped A lask