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TRAILING & CAMPING
IN ALASKA
ADDISON M. POWELL
1800
Glass
F909
Book
. P88
Copyright N.º.
COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT.
Mt. Wrangell.
TRAILING and CAMPING IN ALASKA
By ADDISON M. POWELL
NEW YORK® A . WESSELS 1909
+ 909 P88
COPYRIGHT, 1909, BY NEWOLD PUBLISHING COMPANY
1
November
9:30411
THE PREMIER PRESS NEW YORK
CHIA253043
1
This narrative is dedicated to the boys who clung to the alders while others left, condemning a country they knew nothing about.
60/01/9 73
INTRODUCTION
Hiyu Skookum!
That is the Alaska Indian's expression for the in- comparable, and it is here used because the white tourist will borrow the exclamation when he stands amidst the largest group of high mountains on the globe-where flowers bloom beside the most won- derful glaciers ever seen by man; when he looks upward at the perpendicular precipice of Mount Sanford's southern face, a mile straight above, where eagles flying in front of their nests resemble sparrows; when he watches the spiral smoke and steam of Unaletta's volcano; or when he gazes at the rainbow-colored waterfalls that descend, appar- ently, from the heavens.
This narrative was written by a follower of the trail, when there was one to follow, and not by a follower of a Longfellow, a Cooper or a Stevenson. It is told in the simple language of the trailers, and unnecessarily long words or elaborate descriptions have been avoided. In fact, many incidents which were commonplace to the author, but which might have proved interesting and unusual to the reader, have been curtailed or withheld in order not to in- terfere with the general character, or to become tedious by their added length.
Introduction
Hiyu Skookum!
The mining man, also, will utter it to express his wonder when looking upon the most extensive min- eral deposits that nature has ever disclosed to view; when watching the working of the greatest gold- quartz mine in the world; when realizing that if all other copper and tin mines were closed down, Alaska alone could supply the demand; and that her in- fantile existence, thus far, has been signalized by the production of three hundred million dollars in value.
The statesmen of the future will repeat it when Alaska is acknowledged to be richer in mineral wealth than all the states of the American Union put together; when it shall supply the whole of the United States with paper from its spruce forests, and fish from its waters; and when they appreciate its marvelous development since Secretary Seward was ridiculed for " buying an ice box."
The naturalist will exclaim "Hiyu Skookum!" when he beholds the prodigious growth of its vege- tation, or the bones of those gigantic animals which once wandered through its forests when the earth was younger, the crust thinner and the climate warmer. The reader is invited to come with me, in his imagination, and camp amidst scenes which words can but partly describe, and when he visits Alaska in person, he, too, will exclaim “ Hiyu Skookum ! "
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
PAGE
Meeting Captain I. N. West in San Francisco-De- cided to Go to Alaska-The Loss of the Helen W. Alma-Seattle Experiences-A Pleasure Voyage-Landing at Valdez I
CHAPTER II
The Return of Captain West-The Hanging of Tan- ner-Big John's Experiences with a Mule-A Trip Down the Bay-The Adventure of an Im- prudent Man-A Mutual Understanding with a Bear 21
CHAPTER III
Crossing of the Valdez Glacier-A Profane Old Pros- pector-A Forest Fire-Along the Shore of Klutena Lake-A Tent Town of Salmon-dryers -Arrival at Copper Center 37
CHAPTER IV
Starting for the Alaskan Range-Swimming Horses Across the Copper River-An Indian Who Had Never Seen a White Man-A Marvelous Ex- hibition of Aurora Borealis-The Slahna River Country-Mentasta Pass 50
CHAPTER V
Among the Beaver Ponds-A Porcupine for Break- fast-Indian Albert's Camp-Creeping Up to the Wrong Bear-Back to the Slahna-A Battle with a Raft and the Rapids
65
CONTENTS
CHAPTER VI
PAGE
Boating down the Copper River-Through the Rapids-Cutting a Rope with a Bullet-By Eyak back to Valdez-A Survey in a Snow- storm-Death of the Glacier-mushers 77
CHAPTER VII
A Rough-sea Voyage-A Pioneer's History of Juneau -How Juneau got its Name-The Treadwell Mines-Social Hotel Companions-The Tarku Winds . . 97
CHAPTER VIII
A Trip to Skagway-A Snoring Medley-Interview- ing an Old-timer-His Love for His Dog-Rid- ding the Town of the "Soapy Smith Gang "- The Murder of Bert Horten and Wife 108
CHAPTER IX
A Voyage to Sitka-Its Description and History- Interesting old Block Houses-Attending a Funeral-The Greek Catholic Church-A Beau- tifully Painted Picture
I21
CHAPTER X
Indian Totem Poles-A Poetical Spot-A Pictur- esque Old Highway-Mt. Edgecomb-A Visit to Yakutat-Indian Girls Selling Trinkets Aboard our Steamer I33
CHAPTER XI
.The Visit of Scientists to Alaska-The Return to Valdez-A Brave Rescue-I Act as Guide-A Chafing Restraint-Others Rush to the Tanana 138
CONTENTS
CHAPTER XII
ΡΑΘΕ
Missing a Bear-Exploring the Tekeil-Killing a Goat-The Perilous Voyage of Five Adven- turers-A Sociable Bear-Starting on an Ex- ploring Trip into the Alaskan Range £ 146
CHAPTER XIII
In the Alaskan Range-The Indian Gokona Charley -In Sight of Captain West's Placers-The Snow-storm-The Ptarmigans-A Perilous Re- turn 160
CHAPTER XIV
The Rush of 1900-A Remarkable Boy-The Loss of the Schooner-A Musical Prodigy-Astonish- ing an Indian-Astonished by an Indian 174
CHAPTER XV
Exploring During the Summer of 1900-Ed. Dicky's Placid Temperament-Arrival at Slate Creek- A Peculiar Electric Storm-On the Head Waters of the Gokona-A Soliloquy 186
CHAPTER XVI
The Doctor and his Porcupine-One Source of Two Rivers-Killing Two Bears and a Caribou-By Slate Creek to the Source of the Tanana- Crossing the Captain West Mud-glaciers-Kill- ing Two Mountain Sheep 199
CHAPTER XVII
A Grizzly Bear and a Foot-race-Exploring on the Nabezna River-A Lonely Grave and Its His- tory-The Suslota Indians-The Return to the Coast-Buying a Skeleton of a Horse 212
CONTENTS
CHAPTER XVIII
PAGE
The Exhausted Stampeder-A Forest Fire-At Slate Creek-On the Head-waters of the Shusitna River-Discovering Both Coal and Gold-Back to Hospital Camp
223
CHAPTER XIX
Killing Two Caribou-Meeting a Tenderfoot- Quiggly up a Tree-The Colonel's Story-The Rolling-hill Country-Summer Experiences of Alaska Prospectors . 235
CHAPTER XX
" Shorty " Fisher Shot by an Indian-A Terrible Experience While Descending the Copper River -The Dangerous Ice-field-A Diet of Dog- Drifting Out to Sea-Bob Young's Dream . 249
CHAPTER XXI In the Chitina River Country-Chititu Placers-The Photographing Party-The Discovery of the Bonanza Mine-A Great Copper Nugget- Prospecting Alone . 259
CHAPTER XXII
Killing a Mountain Sheep-Temperament of Wild Animals-Good Morning to a Wolverine-Re- crossing the Copper River-Entertained by In- dians-The Return to the Coast 266
CHAPTER XXIII
The Ahtnas, or Stick Indians-Their Marriages and Superstitions-A Familiar Wail-An Interest- ing Peace Talk-A Philosophical Indian-His Prophecy
282
CONTENTS
CHAPTER XXIV
PAGE
To the Head-waters of the Tanana-Three Bears- Killing a Mountain Goat-The Tanana Indians -A Foolish Experiment with a Grizzly-Agri- culture in the Copper River Valley 296
CHAPTER XXV
A Night's Experiences-Killing a Grizzly-The Wolverine-A Fish Story-Experiences of James Germansen-Killing Six Mountain Goats
310
CHAPTER XXVI
The Life of the Mountain Goat-Watching One Make His Escape-A Female Grizzly with Three Cubs-Killing a Black Bear-Six Men Shot in Keystone Canyon-Other Fatalities 327
CHAPTER XXVII
Reminiscences and Campfire Stories-Chris an'd Nick's Bear-fight-The Bear-hunted Doctor and His Mischievous Companion-Easy Marks in Seattle -Big Ben and His Raft 340
CHAPTER XXVIII
Leaving a Wonderland-The Storm-The Singers- Icy Straits-The Inside Voyage-Evidences of Prehistoric Mining in Alaska ·
356
CHAPTER XXIX
A Detective-Some Statistics-Down to California-
The End of the Trail
.
369
ILLUSTRATIONS
Mt. Wrangell
Frontispiece
Valdez
. FACING PAGE
21
"Little Dog Pete"
27
Reflection in Valdez Bay 32
A Glacier Crevasse.
38
Horses Swimming Copper River 50
Mt. Drum (seen through telescope) 56
Fording a Dangerous Glacier Stream 62
The Banks of the Copper River
77
Juneau
100
Skagway 108
Sitka, Indian Avenue, Greek Church
130
Totem Poles at Wrangell I34
Keystone Canyon
144
VA Lake Scene.
159
Among the Mountains of the Alaskan Range
164
Valdez, As We Left It.
182
Eselota and His Family 218
Pack-Train Crossing on a Pole-Bridge
226
Alaskan Caribou Swimming
233
Camping in Copper River Valley
242
The Dangerous Ice-Field.
251
The "Bonanza" Copper Deposit.
263
Copper Nugget on Nugget Creek 265
Skin of Alaskan Grizzly
270
An Indian Pack-Train.
300
James Germansen 318
Camp Comfort Roadhouse 327
Telling Camp-Fire Stories
340
Greenville Channel .
365
TRAILING AND CAMPING IN ALASKA
Trailing and Camping in Alaska
CHAPTER I
He has not lived in vain who has caused a smile to blossom on the face of another.
IT was partly because of that favorite motto of mine that this narrative, which is descriptive of ten years spent in exploring, hunting and prospecting in Alaska, has been written. Looking backward, across that interval, for beginnings, recalls an inci- dent that occurred in San Francisco in February, 1898. One day during my stay there, I was accosted by John D. Ackerman, who was, at that time, Chief Clerk in the United States Surveyors' office, and who offered me an opportunity that was, indeed, as agreeable as it was flattering.
" You're the very fellow I want to see. A man who is going to Alaska was in here this morning and asked me to recommend a Deputy United States Surveyor to go north with him. He proposes to bear all expenses, but he requires a man who is accustomed to roughing it and who is capable of frontiering it alone, if necessary. I told him that you were in the city, and that I would ask you to call on him at the International Hotel."
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Trailing and Camping in Alaska
" Who is this man ? " I inquired.
"He is Captain I. N. West, who has been a prospector and quasi-explorer. He spent three years in South America, and two in Alaska. One year he was in the Shusitna River country, and the other year was spent in the Copper River region. He claims he found a great deposit of gold and now is returning for it."
" When was he in that country ? "
" I believe it was some time in the eighties."
"Well, it sounds rather fakish to me, but I shall call upon him this evening; that is one of those trips, you know, from which the best of us might never return."
I called on Professor Davidson of the State Uni- versity, and from him obtained Lieutenant Allen's report of his trip through that country, because I desired to be prepared for false information, if this I. N. West should be inclined to give it. I confess I entertained doubts that any white man except Allen had ever been through that region.
At seven P. M. I called at his hotel and found him waiting for me. Upon entering his room he re- quested some gentlemen to retire, as he said he had important business with me. He then closed and locked the door and moved a small table over to the back part of the room, and spread a blue print upon it. Before he proceeded with the subject, he desired to know, in the event of my rejecting his offer, if I
3
Trailing and Camping in Alaska
would agree not to announce his secret for a limited time. He inquired also whether I ever had been be- wildered; what I would take with me on such a trip; the kinds of guns and ammunition, and even what kind of matches I would take along.
During our talk I observed that he was a man of strong features and mentally pronounced him to be the one man among a thousand who would dare to undertake such a trip as he claimed to have made. He was more than six foot tall and gave his age as seventy-two years. He said he desired to locate some placer ground which he wished to have sur- veyed for patent, so that his family would be bene- fited thereby, as he expected never to return to that fabulously rich eldorado. He said :
" Once I cleared eighty thousand dollars in the Black Hills country. I let my family have all but ten thousand, which I spent while looking for another rich placer deposit, and at the very last I found enough gold for all of us. Although it was far away in the wilds of Alaska, I have worked for years with the constant expectation of returning to it some day. I have endeavored vainly to get finan- cial aid, but the word Alaska has scared them away.
"I failed to find what I was looking for, in South America. When I started for the Copper River country, I engaged nine Yakutat Indians to accompany me. One had been in that country, and
4
Trailing and Camping in 'Alaska
could talk the Indian language of that region, and he could talk very good English. We skirted the coast until we arrived at a point about half-way be- tween Malispina and Behring glaciers. From there we packed up the steep mountain range, crossed glaciers and descended a creek the Indians called Tana, meaning Trail, River. This emptied into the Chitina (Copper River) and it contained some placer gold, but owing to the glacier floods it is doubtful if it could be worked profitably.
" As rapidly as the stock of provisions was con- sumed, I would send two Indians back. I con- tinued to do this until there was but one, my inter- preter, with me. We ascended a river called the Chitistone (Copper Rock) and went through a pass, south of Mt. Wrangell, over to the head of White River, crossing to the head of the Tanana, and finally to the head of the Ahtna, or the river now known as the Copper River.
" At the southeast end of the Suslota Mountains, on the Tanana side, is where I tell my men that I have found the gold. Some old glacier moraines, which I call mud-glaciers, are there. You see I am compelled to tell them something, and if I should tell them the exact place, they would mutiny, and either go ahead or send some of their friends to beat me to it; so it is necessary that I guard against such trouble.
"We lived on sheep meat and wild parsnip-root,
5
Trailing and Camping in Alaska
until we arrived at Suslota Lake, and there we obtained all the dried salmon we could carry; after this we had fresh salmon nearly all the time.
" We descended the outlet of the Suslota to the Slahna River, and there got a boat from some In- dians and drifted down to a grassy plot where there was an old Indian village, about three miles from the Copper River."
" The maps mark the outlet of the Suslota as emptying into the Copper River and not the Slahna," I said.
" There are no correct maps of that country, and Allen might have assumed it did that, but I say it empties into the Slahna about eight miles up from the mouth. Now, if you must wait for an appoint- ment for Alaska, as you say, and should come later with a horse, I want you to come direct to this old abandoned Indian town. You'll find horse feed there, and I shall come down there every two weeks and pilot you to the discovery. I shall blaze a cot- tonwood tree, facing and in sight of the old Indian wickiups, and shall write my name there, and at the foot I shall bury a little can in which there will be a note.
" Well, we descended the Copper as far as the Chistochina River. There I discovered fine gold coming down that river, so we hid our raft in the brush, and spent two weeks up at the source. Now,
6
Trailing and Camping in Alaska
I will say that there is some placer up there some- where, and I am going to leave my men in there to find it."
The peculiar emphasis with which he said this, together with the twinkle of his eye, caused me to wonder if his discovery were not on the head waters of the Chistochina.
" We returned as far as the Klutina River. From there we ascended to a lake which is about twenty miles long. Of course, there is no lake marked on the maps, but it is there, all the same. On the west side of this lake I am going to attempt to ascend a creek that leads over towards the Chistochina. I believe I can get through that way. From that lake we crossed the glacier over to Valdez Bay. We hoped to find a trading post there, but there was none, and we built a raft and floated with the tide, about twenty-five miles, to where we arrived at an Indian town. We were taken from here in bi- darkies to Nutchek. The Jeanie soon arrived there on her return from a whaling cruise, and on it I returned to San Francisco.
"Now, let me tell you something about the dis- covery. The Indian found the first nugget, which he picked up with his hand. I then washed out con- siderable gold with my pan. I had to take it down nearly a quarter of a mile to where there was a little water at the junction of another creek. We found, on the mountain-side, a very rich pocket, and the In-
7
Trailing and Camping in Alaska
dian carried the gravel down in a sack. I continued to wash until I had panned out about six hundred dollars. The only thing that bothers me is the scarc- ity of water, but of course that is more plentiful in summer-time, as it was very late in the fall when we were there. Gold! Why, man-come up there and I'll pay you, not only for your trouble, but you shall have an interest with me, for there is gold enough for all of us."
" What direction did the drainage run from that mountain ? " I asked.
" The gulch draining the hillside where we found the gold, ran southeasternly and emptied into a creek that ran westward. Now, what do you say to the proposition ? "
To this I answered :
" To-morrow I shall bring a friend with me by the name of Stephens. I want you to meet him, so that you can leave any word with him for me when up at Valdez Bay. I shall see him off on the next boat with my outfit, except my horse. I shall write my application to be appointed Deputy Mineral Surveyor for Alaska, for the purpose of surveying out some mining claims of I. N. West. That will be sent off to-morrow. I shall be in Valdez in June, and shall attempt to cross over into the Copper River valley with' the military expedition that is going in there."
I wired for Stephens, sent up my application, and,
8
Trailing and Camping in Alaska
within a week, I saw all hands off on the same boat. Sherman Stephens wanted adventure and so did I. Two months later, I was on my way to join the gold- seeking throng that was rushing northward, and I lingered for a few days in San Francisco before making the final plunge. While there the cry of a newsboy attracted my attention and I heard him say :
" Total loss! The Helen W. Alma goes down with forty souls !"
This old boat had been chartered to go to Valdez, Alaska, but when it struck the heavy seaswells it broke up, and all on board were lost. The only sign of the ship that the sea ever gave up was some rotten driftwood that floated on the surface.
This was the significant beginning of a life where the loss of one's comrades, I afterwards learned, would be a common occurrence. About every old sea relic had been put into commission to accommo- date the northward rush. A short time after this, the Jane Falkenburg was abandoned on the coast of Behring Sea; the Jane Gray broke up in mid-ocean and many lives were lost; and the Mermaid, another old sea-coffin, was wrecked on the coast of Vancouver Island.
I traveled a thousand miles overland to Seattle, the metropolis of the northwest. Never again will that city be filled with such a mongrel lot of tran- sients. They hailed from everywhere and were
9
Trailing and Camping in Alaska
dressed in all sorts of clothes. What the merchants advised them to buy for their northern trip was pur- chased without question. They bought furs and striped and variegated mackinaw clothing, and proud of their purchases, paraded the streets in most fantastic costumes.
I attempted to demonstrate that "a fool and his money are soon parted " by purchasing a cigar and burning some of mine. I invited a short, pumpkin- seed-shaped man to have one also. He had no legs to speak of, that is, they only had sprouted and then had evidently become discouraged and stopped growing. He said:
" How mad it does make me to have one of those gold-crazed idiots ask to what part of the North I am going! Why, I came near whipping a fellow yesterday who asked me that question. I tell you," and his neck began to swell, as he pounded his left hand with the clenched fist of the other, "I am going to remain right here, for no other purpose but to see the disappointed expression on the faces of those fooled fellows when they return from the North. That is what I am going to do!"
I walked over to a friend who was going North and said:
" I have discovered a curiosity and want you to examine it."
" Is it an animal ? " he asked.
" Yes. Do you see that stump of a human with his
10
Trailing and Camping in Alaska
hat drawn down near to his boot tops and smoke puffing from under it?"
" Yes."
" Well, you will do me a favor if you will talk with him until you can find out to which part of the North he is going. You see, he is trying to keep it a secret, by pretending that he is not going North, but you can explain that you heard that he posi- tively was going. You should be able to worm it out of so short a sawed-off block as that."
" I'll just enter the ring for one round, for your sake," he answered, and he approached the man.
They appeared to talk very earnestly for a while, then again I noticed the swelling of the little fel- low's neck and he began to pound his left hand, and I heard him say:
" I have told you three times that I am not going North, and by -_ "
I had turned away, and failed to hear any more. Presently my friend came by me and as he did so he muttered :
" I'll be durned ! "
He acted, after that incident, as if he thought I was trying to get him into trouble. It was several hours before I ventured to ask him what luck he had had in getting information from the man who lived so near mother earth, and then he replied:
" Do you suppose that I am such an idiot as to want the reputation of being whipped by that little
11
Trailing and Camping in Alaska
sawed-off block of insolence whose excuse for living cannot be seen below his hip-pockets? "
I said: " It is remarkable that a man in Seattle should openly deny that he cared to go North. Would you believe that I could shoot in any direc- tion without hitting a man who intends to go to Alaska or to the Klondike? "
" Are you going to shoot? "
"No, I was only using the expression in a com- parative way."
"I guess if you should let fly into that crowd across the street, you probably would wing a dozen of them."
And I walked over to the crowd to see the at- traction. It proved to be one of the many patented devices for "saving " gold, for sale in nearly every block in town, and finding ready purchasers. Experienced miners walked up, peeped at the ma- chine, smiled and then walked away. There was one young man, however, who had made himself conspicuous by loading an express wagon down with rockers, plates, etc. My companion, who had been a life-long prospector, volunteered some informa- tion, saying :
" My dear sir, you must have a mine already dis- covered ? "
" No," he replied, " I have never been in a min- ing country in my life."
" Then wouldn't it be advisable first to secure a
12
Trailing and Camping in Alaska
mine to work, before making such extensive pur- chases ? " was asked.
"Now, see here, old fellow, do you think I'm fool enough to be going North for fun? Do I look like it? I will tell you, right now, sir, I'm going to have a mine before I am in Alaska six weeks."
" I sincerely hope you will, but are you not aware that an ordinary sluice-box is all that a miner needs for washing out placer gold?"
" Very well, please tell me what a sluice-box looks like, and where I can get one, and I will buy that, too."
The foolish fellow was buying everything any one suggested, and knew no more about mining than did his shadow. There were hundreds of that par- ticular kind going North. Seattle hotel men and merchants were reaping a harvest. Even pickpock- ets were doing a lucrative business, as that city had a so-called Klondike of its own. The few days spent in Seattle were amidst surging, wild-eyed stampeders, who were hopefully roofing castles in the air. Most of those visionaries returned from the North within six months, dejected, tattered and for- lorn, indicating by their appearance the many hard- ships they had endured and their dire disappoint- ments.
I left Seattle on May 12, on the steamer Valencia, with my outfit, horses and hopes. That steamer was afterwards wrecked on the coast of Vancouver, Jan.
.
Trailing and Camping in Alaska
13
25, 1906, with a loss of 133 lives. We glided over Puget Sound, so named after Lieutenant Puget, and landed at Nanaimo, B. C., where we spent a day, coaling. A few passengers visited the mines, while others wandered about and smelled the dogwood blossoms as large as saucers. After sailing two days along the coast of Vancouver, and other islands, we left British waters by crossing Dixon's Entrance and entering Alaska. Dixon was another English navigator whose explorations assisted the British in a contest with Russia, France and Spain for the Pacific seaboard.
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