The Cordova daily times., 1921-06-13

taken from the report of F. c. Schra- der government geologist, attached to the party of Capt. w. R. Abercrom- die. The trip was made during the summer of 1898.
 The principal object of the expe- dition, as set forth in general orders No. 9 of the war department, was to gather all information of general and economic value, and to find of possible, an all-American route, rail road or otherwise, from tide water to the gold districts of the Upper Yukon in the interior.
 Practically the whole of the west ern and northern part of the Copper river district had never been visited by any geologist. Of the geology in this part of the district nothing was known. The same is largely true of the topography, especially in the west, where the district merges into the hitherto unexplored region be. tween the coast, and on the Panama river. It is not the remoteness of the region so much as it's difficulty of access that has kept scientists cruis- ing along the coast from entering the Copper river country, and has kept their pens silent concerning it. The expedition left Seattle April [ on the ocean steamer Valencia, with passengers, mostly prospectors and several hundred other north-bound gold seekers, with their outfits. con- sisting of from one to three years grub stake, and pack animals, horses, burros, and dogs. There were also aboard several score of Chinese from San Francisco summer laborers in the salmon canneries about Prince William Sound.
 On April IS the vessel touched at Orca, the site of the Pacific Steam Whaling Company's cannery, where some stock and most of our celestial passengers were discharged The feet in depth on the level at the beach, together with the report that it was ing pedestrianism almost impossible caused several of the wavering and less stout-hearted of the gold seekers to fully decide that their line of duty lay in an immediate return to home to dispose of their outfits accordingly. Leaving Orca early in the after noon the vessel anchored in the head of Port Valdez on the night of the 18th. Port Valdez is the most inland arm of Prince William sound, and our arrival here terminated the ocean voyage of the Copper river expedition and of most of the prospectors and passengers.
 The several succeeding days. espec- ially the goth and Fist, were devoted to seperating and unloading the prom iscuous cargo of freight, supplies, out fits, passengers, and live stock. AS there is no dock or pier here, the landing was made by transferring the cargo to several stern-wheel fishing steamers as lighters. which on being beached at flood tide were left high and dry at ebb about 400 yards from the snow scrap delimiting at the time the encroachment of the sea. The scrap is simply the vertical edge of the snow sheet, which here on the level was 6A feet in thickness. '#
 From the steamboats or lighters to the edge of the snow sheet the cargo of the expedition, amounting to some 20 tons, was packed, mostly on the backs of the men. As the work could proceed at low tide only, and as many of the prospectors were feverish to get their outfits ashore and start for the gold country of the interior, all available help, both native and i'm ported, was pressed into service at remunerative prices. Whites, natives, mules, burros, and dogs struggled to- gether promiscuously, dragging, sled ding, and packing supplies across the beach. Those in possession of stock at this hour regarded themselves for tunate, as a man and horse readily earned $25 a day.
 At Valdez, and strung out with thelr tents and outfits along the trail to- ward the glacier, we found hundreds of prospectors who had preceded us into the snowy country, the immigra- tion having begun early in February