The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1911-05-04

peak was copper glance, assaying
about seventy per N pure copper,
Clarke looked at his roughly clad Wis
itors out Of one eye and turned the
subject to the weather and TO Butte
as a good mining camp. After a short
talk Clark allowed the Alaskans to
leave without making any further ref
erence to the property. He did not
believe their story.
Clark thought they were crazy.
In Montana bornite and copper
glance are not found on the surface,
but at depth. The formation in Alaska
Is entirely different. The Bonanza
outcrop is a freak in a way. 1t is
like a great blowout from subter-
ranean forces, a dome built upon the
cathedral range of such imposing APP
~pearance, with its weather-stained
green sides glistening In the sun, that
1t can be seen for a great distance.
The copper is found in other parts
Of Alaska at the contact, where a
layer of limestone rests upon a sup
porting basis OF greensboro.
Senator Clark afterward sem an ex,
pert copper mining engineer to look
over the field, but the Bonanza a
been sold meantime to the Havemey-
ers of New York and Norman Schultz
and James II. Ralph of Pittsburg, who
made a fortune in oil and steel. Smith,
Warner and their associates received
about S2S 900 each for their inter
est.
The Bonanza was now becoming the
wonder Of the copper world. Experts
for the Guggenheims made repeated
examinations and those copper mag
mates bought the property, paying. 1t
was said, about n million dollars.
Then the transportation problem was
tackled in earnest. The last spike in
the railroad from Cordova to Kenni-
cult, was driven this spring. ,
Contractor Heaney, who built the
White Pass & Yukon railroad, carried
out the plans for the Copper River
railroad under the direction of Chief
Engineer Hawkins. The difficulties to
be overcome were stupendous.
To avoid the two huge glaciers
which form ice walls for miles along
the Copper river, it was necessary to
cross the river twice by bridges OF
steel costing millions Of dollars to
build. In places the cliffs Of rock
were blown out and leveled to make
a roadbed for the rails, and the track
runs along the edge of deep canyons
through which the river waters rush
in mad torrents or fall in boiling rap
ids to a lower level.
The scenery along the Copper river
is a continual surprise. From glis-
tening glaciers to ~snow-capped peaks,
and from brown forests of cedar,
rusty from exposure, to brilliant fields
of flowers of every color, thick as butt
tercups in a meadow and covering
vast expanses of the mountainside.
the travellers eyes urn in wonder!
ment. The melting SHOWS fall in
great bridal wells of ~shimmering
beauty from p~recipitous cliffs. The
mild temperature of July and August.
in the valleys and along the rivers, is
sure to draw the sightseeing traveller
from every quarter of the world, with
the same fascination that Switzerland
holds for the s%ojourners abroad.
The superintendent of the Bonanza
says the assay values Of the ore will
amaze the mining world. When it is
understood hat copper ore yielding
two per cent. In pure metal Is good
| enough to induce capitalists to invest
millions, ore ~assaying 80 to ~ per
cent. copper justifes the name Bo-
nanza.
Jack Smith, the original ~discoverer
| with Clarence Warner, retired some
| years ago to live In a small town near
| Albany, N. Y, which vas his home In
his early youth. But the Alaska fever
seized him again. and he went to Sc
attic to be once more with his old
\ associates who cannot resist the al
lurements Of the trail and camp.
Warner spends most Of his time In
Chicago, but he. too, makes a trip
every year to the Copper river belt
and camps at, the familiar streams
along the government trail where hS
met and conquered hardship.