The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-07-06
Morse S. Duffield Has Evary
Confidence in Merits of
Far North.
COPPER RIVER is
VERY FINE REGION
Ideal Conditions Exist for the
Prospector, and Empires
Are Untouched.

"When hard times come again in
prospector will flock to Alaska again. "
This was the remark let fall yesterday
by Morse S. Duffeld, who has spent
the better portion of the past ten years
in that interesting and richly blessed
portion of the United States posses
sions. This theory undoubtedly is Jus
tilted. especially applicable to the south
ern or copper mining portion of the
territory, and to which point Mr.. Duff
field will proceed toward the end of
the present month after attending to
business in this State. The climate at
the new e4oPper district. known as the
Prince William sound section, is ideal
the year round, children have been
known to wade in the surf in Novem-
Der and the prospector can take his
rifle, trapping outfits or fishing line and
rustic grub stake in short order So
it is an ideal portion of The mineral
lied world for the prospector.
Few arc more capable of Judging
this section than Mr. Dufield For
MANY years at Fairbanks, where, as he
states, many have become rich III gold
workings without the world becoming
any the wiser, lie is now looking into
the southern copper situation, and he
thinks with the coming of the railroad
into the Copper river region, that there
will be opened to the world n remark
able copper section. It will be recalled
that the Guggenhcim interests already
are there, and that each season there is
sent to Tacoma fully S2,000,000 worth
of copper ores for treatment Last sea
son Alaska produced $50, 100000 worth
of gold, Nome, Fairbanks and the
Treadwell providing the lions share of
this amount, Its copper industry is yet
untouched, and few realize its future
possibilities aside from those who have
been there and are going back for
business, as is Mr.. DufiieId
Alaska is not prospocted. he states.
There is tremendous field there await
ing the first touch of the metal hunter,
and among the very first sectious TO
demonstrate that Alaska s copper min.
ing is to take the lead will be this
Copper river portion. There is being
undertaken the most unique mining OF
the red metal ever attempted. Mr.. DUFF
field states that i'll Copper gulch the
miners arc sluicing out copper nuggets
according to the old approved gold
washing fashion, and few homes in
Valdez are without their great nugget
of the red metal, some weighing ex-
tremely heavy. This native copper in
many instances is accompanied by sill
Ntf NdlusS aS well. mere is "A great
deal of interest centering where so
much strong capital is spending mil
lions of dollars In preparatory work,
and even Ely, New, is providing both
men and money, attracted by the red
metal possibilities of this Northern new
camp.
One should see the steamers leaving
Seattle for Alaska ports to appreciate
how important this territory is becom-
m clr frol 81, ia -.
he worth to the merchants of Seattle
the round sum of 100000 each year,
and with the demands for supplies con
stantly on the increase. During the
carly days Of Alaska stampedinp, the
steamers were laden with supplies for
men and mines; now they are taking
up steel rails. freight and passenger
ment, Mr.. Duffield states that no one
could desire more ideal conditions un-
der which to labor both in acquiring
mines and IN developing them after
ward So he expects a great boom
there. 1t is due, and undoubtedly will
be forthcoming. And it will be when
the prospector begins looking round for
place where economical prospecting
can be done that the great army of
fortune-seekers now penetrating the
mountains and deserts of the western
section will be attracted toward the
north as they were several years ago.
In Nevada one finds the prospector
who blazed new trails in Alaska when
the Yukon country was calling men
from all over the world. In Alaska in
n few years they will be found again.
aud looking for copper as well as the
precious yellow metal
Mr.. Duiheld recently was on the
steamer with all his outfit bound for
the north, when he received word re-
garding other business interests that
forced temporary abandonment of the
trip. He will sail the latetr part of
this month, and in the meantime he is
looking over several Utah mines of in
terest