Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1911-05-05

"a copper in the mountain
N ranges of the Copper river
district in Alaska is to be
transported to a smelter at
Tacoma Wash. The first shipment of
1000 tons of broken ore was shipped
recently by railroad just completed
from Cordova on the southern coast
of Alaska to Kennicutt, about two
hundred miles inland, where the mine
is located.
The mine cost its owners about one
million dollars, the railroad with
equipment calls for an expenditure of
some twenty-three million dollars.
To the prospectors who originally
located the copper lode now called the
Bonanza, the property was practically
worthless without a railroad They
could not get the copper to market.
In fact, without capital they could not
mine the ore, and it was with the
greatest difficulty that the hardy pi-
oneers who discovered the deposit
could meet the legal requirements of
the United States government and pay
for the assessment work from year to
year.
The law demands that 500 worth of
work shall be done on each claim
every year by any one taking up min
ing rights in Alaska. This demand
meant not only the cost Of labor, for
which the liberal estimate of ten dol
lars day is allowed for each man
employed but 1t necessitated carrying
supplies of food from Valdez along
hazardous and narrow horse trail for
distance roughly calculated at two
hundred miles.
The discouragements, sufferings and
tragedies which followed this trail trip
through the wilderness, in the winter
months when the fierce billiards. of
Alaska swept for days at time down
the Copper river valley, piling the
snow ten to twenty feet deep in
gulches. are heard of at the camp
nreside today. and have caused many
chechak newcomer in Alaska) to
turn back before he has crossed the
summit.
1t was conditions like these with
which Jack Smith and Clarence War
ner, who discovered the Bonanza, had
70 contend from 1900 until they sold
lheir interest in the property, sew
eral years later.
When they made the location the
Two men were prospecting with four
OF hve others, and it had been agreed
at the start that all were to share in
any discovery made by any member
Vi the party. Out Of gratitude to Col
onel Abercrombie, government
army officer, who gave them great as
ISSUANCE, the prospectors gave him an
interest Then further division oc-
Cured when 1t was necessary to raise
money to do the annual assessment
Work They had to buy a dozen
Horses every year and canned food
sufncient to last a dozen men for six
10 eight months.
one OF the party took the role of
hunter and supplied the camp with
4resh mountain sheep and bear meat.
ne trip inside was made in win
Ser' because by using sleds drawn by
nurses ton Of grub" could be taken
a over the snow by each sled. In
summer 1t was necessary to pack the
orppnes on the back of horse, and
SOW pounds was the limit for each
a ., owing to the steep hills to
.hlno The wind blew so fiercely ON
n7 summit at times that horse and
sied We're blown off the trail and down
eeciiyities into soft snow so or 100
feet below. Nv
It was then labor of hours to get
-,e morse on his feet and back to the
e Gsl. The "sourdough" prospector or
o.a timer, had learned BY experience
% spread blankets on the snow for
.ae horse to stand on, and in this way
.le animal was saved. But the trail
marked by many skeletons of
curses and of men.
"a their efforts to sell the propertv
.1e2 Smith and Warner went to Butfe
~ see Senator William A. Clark of
o'h'ana, whose fame as a copper
-asnate had spread to Alaska. when
smith told Clark that the mountain