The Glenwood post., 1917-03-24
LONG HUNT FOR c1NNABAR
CLOSED BY DEATH

month, arrived here recently by dog
team from Council, on Seward penn-
sula, and brought word of tragedy on
the lower Kuskokwim, involving
fight for life against desperate odds.
The hero, who died trying, was Duncan
"Cinnabar" Mcdonald, well known
miner. who had lived at Iditaror and
later at Bethel, on the Kuskokwin.
His story was related by Mrs. Duke F,
Stubbs of Aniak, who ministered tn
him in his last hours.
"Cinnabar' Mcdonald gained his
name by his repeated efforts to interest
people with money to handle deposits
of Cinnabar on the Kuskowim. 1t is
from this ore that the quicksilver of
commerce is produced. Mcdonald found
it an uphill undertaking for while it is
possible to get capital for gold mining,
the average man with money to invest
knows little or nothing about cinnabar
and views it askance. Mcdonald wrote
and talked and dreamed about the
mineral he had found and the other
miners finally called him "Cinnabar.
But cinnabar is not good to eat and
Nc cDonald was forced to abandon his
hobby from time to time to mine gold,
enough at least to keep him in supplies
from road houses between Iditarod and
Bathel.
Some years back Mcdonald found
placer ground in Bear creek, tribu-
tary to the Kuskokwim which looked
good. In small gulleys nearby pay dirt
was found in various pockets and this
year a man named Danny Bryce, after
four seasons work, broke into the pay
upstream. He went "outside' with
"poke' full of nuggets the size IF
walnuts. Danny was silent about his
find, but in vague way it drifted back
to Bethel that he had gone out to get
hydraulic plant.
"Cinnabar" heard of it, and remem-
bered his claims. He knew well the
mining law which provides that any
man striking claim must do work on
that claim each to the amount of 500
to hold it, and failure to have proof of
such labor recorded within ninety days
after the end of the year is considered
evidence that the owner has abandoned
it. so he hit the trail for Bear creek
early in December to do his assessment
work
About forty days later trapper
living on the Bethel-Aniki trail, who
was keeping close to his cabin because
it was fifty below zero outside, was
attracted by strange figure crawling
up the trail on hands and knees, his
whiskers mass of ice. 1t was Nc
Donald fighting for his life. His hands
! and feet were frozen and the tip of his
tongue was frozen to his teeth.
The trapper, long in the wilds, pro-
duced two cans of coal oil and tub
and proceeded to "draw the frost' out
of the frozen extremities of his friend
Thawing out a frozen man is putting
him through the torture of fire The
pain is the same as though the frozen
part were held in flames. but il had to
be done. Thawing his face and tongue
was a job for a surgeon, but the trap
per accomplished it.
When it was done and the injured
parts wrapped in mixture of lard and
other ingredients, Mcdonald made it
known that there was something wrong
his chest and he must have a doctor.
He signified his willingness to be taken
to Aniak, four day trip, and away
they went with the mercury lowering
around 45 below, the thawed "Cinna-
barr wrapped in many blankets and
robes on dog sled.
At Aniak, Mrs. Stubs took the case
in hand and Arthur Willis took another
team and went to Iditarod for DR..
Moore, another three day trip.
In the meantime "Cinnabar'' felt
himself going. The frost had bitten
into his lungs and for that there is no
| cure. He, lisped with his injured
| tongue the story of the nine days be-
fore he reached the trappers cabin.
cleft claim all right but pretty cold.
Second night colder; afraid to siwash
it, tsleep out). Moonlight so easy keep
going. Lots overflow along creek, had
look out keep from getting in.
Middle night moon lost light,
eclipse. Eclipse got me. Afraid stop
missed trail-dark-stepped water.
Ought to quit right there. Dead then,
but didn't like to give up. Never quit
going. Saw sun rise seven times before