Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 December 1896 — FORTUNES IN SILVER. [ARTICLE]

FORTUNES IN SILVER.

A B««ion of Alaska Where the White Metal Abounds. On the head water es the Copper River, Alaska, about 200 miles from the sea coast, where but one wfctte man has ever succeeded In reaching, dwells a strange and peculiarly mysterious race Of Indians In recent years, through some traders, they have acquired possession of a few guns, and now when they oome down to the trading posts at the head of Cook's inlet they often bring bullets moulded out of silver and other metals. The Indians have a great many primitive weapons and cooking utensils, all «f which are rudely though skillfully made out of pure copper. They have frequently informed the white traders that sllrer and copper abound In Immense quantities at the base es a peak back of Spirit mountain, which la now reckoned ae being the highest mountain in North America by surveyors and engineers who have viewed It from a distance. The winter in the only time the Indians visit the coast for trading purposes. In the summer the post on the Kueek River is abandoned on account of the rapacious appetite of the mosquitoes, it being impossible for a human being to survive their attack* Several instances are known where they have killed and devoured Indian doge. The only reason, apparently, why American prospectors have not visited the upper Copper River country is Its almost complete inaccessibility. Several parties have attempted to ascend the river, but from the nature es the stream, being excessively swift and turbulent, one might as well try to climb Niagara Falls. The river is lined on each side for miles and miles with nothing but glaciers, whose walls are perpendicular from the summit to an unknown depth below the water and whose every side is seamed with crevices so deep as te be almost fathomless. The Juneau Mining Itecord says that a party will try to find this new Eldorado this fali-