The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1921-07-29

aid McCrea's diary, giving an ac-
count of hunting trip on Copper
river, will prove very interesting.
I have been lured by the "call of
the Wild. One day last May Bill
Boswell, hunter, trapper and pros
pector, who has been in Alaska for
over forty years came into the store
and sings out. Give me a thousand
rounds of 30-3O cartridges. and five
hundred IL guage shells loaded with
10 buck shot. am gong out after
seals for the Fish Commission" Bill
is IA years old and fine old man
with complexion like girl.
Black HAIR with little gray, and a
keen old eye. He is we'll educated |
and great reader OF good books. !
He has quite bit of money and
bay on one of the islands is named
after him. While talking about the
trip, he asked me if l wanted to 60
with him. | got leave from the
company, SO told Bill | would 60.
He went over to Headquarters and
reported to Mr.. Adams, head Of the
Commission here, who was formerly
mayor of Cordova, and he came over
to interview me, and one OF the
questions was "Are you good
shot,. said ''sure" and told hlm
| would give him demonstration
of my shooting ability If he desired.
But he took my word for it. This
was os Saturday and we were to
leave at 8 a. m. Monday. My Job
was to pack my own things. get a
row boat and pack our sIx-weeks
grub stake IN it and get our whole
outht to the train before that time.
l made it all right and we left Cor
dova in high spirits enroute to the
mysteries of the Copper River.
1t was my turn to cook dinner and
| sure had some meal. How would
baked fish well seasoned, mashed
potatoes, baking powder biscuits
and butter beans taste to you when
in the woods, with plenty of pep
and lots of pure ar? Old Bill. as a
rule, is not very complimentary,
but his eyes sure did sparkle when
!. he saw this spread in front of him.
Well to come back to the theme
of my story, we shipped our boat on
the train as far as Mile 49. There
is a bridge there crossing the Cop
per River and on the South end of
, the bridge there is steep embank
ment edging into the water. We
slid our boat from the car down the
embanKment directly into the river.
: The conductor was kind enough to
, place the car IN the right place for
this. We camped at Mile 49 for
the night and the next day we load
ed our skiff and tioated swiftly
down Copper River. Copper River
is as wide there as the Snake al
Lewiston and is as swift, but it has
< no whirlpools and so is perfectly
a safe. We f1oated by Miles Glacier
s and it sure is pretty but rather
S awesome. 1t is an emerald green il
e color and is a mile wide and ION
feet deep. | don't know how tai
back 1t runs in the mountains. We
r fioated among drlttwood and chunk
S of Ice which are continually break
h ing off this glacier, and by th'
way. this glacier makes some noise
: and at times it fairly shakes th'
y earth for distance CT mile away
When pieces of ice break off ant
l. fall into the river 1T causes wave
l. four and hve feet high to be throw
It against the opposite shore about 20
e yards away at this point.
3; After We had foated (or IN som
,; places almost), because uf tn
y swift water for about ten miles w
= took small channel to the righ
and followed this tor about half a
e hour and came into the mouth O
); another river. We rowed up thi
3; river for short time, but mad
l. slow progress because 1t was swit
'r and shallow. So finally got ou
r and grabbed the bow line and Will
| pulled on the line, Bill held he
n out from shore. We had good q
n ing until the river became so sha
y low we could go no farther so Bi
D. went ahead to look for campin
'e place. He went a short distanc
ID and found an ideal spot. 1t wa
just small meadow about SO varc