mm “i3”
THE LONG CONTINUED MIS
FORTUNES OF
Tkiittn Jtpih
Who Came to the Copper River
Country in Spring of
1898.
Most people are somewhat super
stitious in regard to the number
“13,” and the following account of
the misfortunes which attended a
parly*of gold seekers, numbering
thirteen would seem to indicate
that there are some grounds for the
belief. The story is alisolutely
true in all particulars.
When the Alaska gold fever
began to spread through the United
States, the germs reached the town
of Brainard, Minnesota, and two
brothers, Jaek and Mike H—, be
came thoroughly infeettd with the
disease. This was in the latter
part of the year ’97. They set
nixmt to organize an Alaska party
and found no trouble in making
up a sufficient number. When
organized they found that they
numbered iust thirteen. Being in
no way superstitious they let it go
at that and appointed a committee
of arrangements to attend to the
affairs preparatory to starting to
the land of promise.
While this committee was at
work, one of the party having
nothing to do left his home one
day with his shot gun, intending
to do some hunting. In the eve
ning of that same day he was car
ried home suffering with a fatal
wound caused by the accidental
discharge of his own gun. This
reduced the party to twelve, but in
less than two days his place was
taken by the son of a hotel keeper
in the town, so the party was again
thirteen.
Early in the year ’98, all prepar
ations having lieen completed, they
set out for Seattle with a numlier
of dogs. These proved a constant
source of trouble and caused a
number of fights on the train, but
they finally arrived in Seattle and
boarded the steamer Oen. SeigHn,
found for Copper City, or what is
now Valdes. On the steamer their
trouble was even greater than it
was on the train and culminated
in a fistic encounter between them
and the officers and crew.
Arriving at Valdes they were
ready with the earliest to start
hauling to the glacier. They finally
moved their outfit and in company
with hundred of others camped at
what was known as Dog town at
the foot of the glacier.
Previous to leaving the beach a
steamer arrived bringing a letter to
the young man who was the last to
join the party, stating that his
father’s hotel had burned down on
the 13th of the preceding month.
He prepared to return home but
the others persuaded him to remain
1 and get rich and thereby help his
father. Poor fellow, it proved his
finish; for on the evening of the
third day after moving into Dog
town, while the lairtv were resting
in their tent,a rifle was accidental
ly discharged nearby. The bullet
passed through several tents and
finally lodged in the body of the
hotel keeper’s son. He was buried
the next day.
The party was again reduced to
twelve and they continued on their
way over the glacier and arrived at
timber on the Klutena river just as
the ice was disappearing and far
thersledding was impossible. They
built boats and in boating down
the river discovered that one of
their party, an old man named
Buckley, became crippled in the
lower extremities whenever he en
tered the water. They feared for
his safety and offered bin every in
■rw-1
ducement to return to his home. I
but his only reply was that he I
would get gold or leave his bones
in Alaska.
They continued on down stream
and after a number of narrow es
capes from drowning on the part
of Buckley, they finally reached
the Copper river and hauled their
boat up that stream, the old man
holding the bead of the boat away
from the shore with a long pole,
while the others pulled on the rope.
In this manner they reached a
point above the Gakona when the
pole slipped and the old man took
a header into the river. That was
the last seen of him alive. The
rest of the party now being thor
oughly disheartened returned to
Copper Center.
Exactly thirteen days after the
drowning some men standing on
the banks of the river at Copper
Center saw what they sup|>osed 10
be a sack of clothing, but upon se
curing the object, it proved to be
the liodv of Buckley. He having
been a mason, a notice was sent
through the camp calling the mem
bers of that order together that
same evening to arrunge for the
funernl services. Fifteen masons
responded and decided to bury the
deceased the following day with
honors. ■ At the appointed hour
but thirteen were present and the
services were carried on by them.
Those of the party then remain
ing decided to disjiose of their out
fit and leave the country, so a
notice was posted announcing an
au tion sale of the outfit on the
following Thursday, which proved
to be the 13’h of August, ihough
the date was not thought of until
the sale was going on. At the ter
mination of the sale it was found
that besides other articlvs there
were just thirteen sacks of flour
sold.
During the sale, the attention of
the writer, who was an amateur in
the photographic busines, was at
tracted by a camera hung on a
C. E. BROWN,
New Store. New Goods.
Wholesale and Retail.
Outfitting for the mines a
Specialty. Coffee Ten* and
Spices are the Best Select
Stock. Guaranteed Fresh
Eggs Always on Hand. Fresh
Vegetables in Abundance.
Fresh Eastern Oysters.
Eas'ern Canned Fruit nnd
Vegetables of the Best Quality.
Tlie Bte- Brands of Butt* r,
Cream Che*se nnd all Brands
of Cream. R*x Bacon and
Ham.
Everything You Want To Eat.
Give me n Ca'I. and «e the
New H’or erd 1 e Cor j 'e e
8 ovk of Fit eh < rovirte.
M> K tv> y 8 .. on t' < Rt .• r
va .on, ne.k o Jui>. F.«ii, 8r’»
Ti eit’eree.
USE CRESCENT BAKING PCWDEF.
tree over the goods tha* were Wing
sold. The camera wa9 taken down
and exumined with the intention of
purchasing the same. It proved to
W a pattern made for roil* of
twenty-four expost res. The shut
ter was sprung hack and for.h sev
eral times, when someone suggested
that it might W loaded and an ex
posure spoiled. Ui»on closer in
spection it proved true, and to cap
the climax the numWr exposed
was thirteen.
You can’t Wgin to write a letter
to the old folks or the wife, that
will convey half the information
the Prospector does. Send it to
them.
I
.ayy4g BO YBARB*
EXPERIENCE
I W J J ^ L j J
™ [till, ■
a 1 I ■ L I 1
Trade Marks
fRHHT Demons
pFfff^ Copyrights Ac.
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■ quickly aacertaln our opinion free whether an
I Invention la probably patentable. fniumunlra
i Ilona atrlctlyconadentlal. Handbook on Patenta
pent free. Oldeat agency for aecurlng patenta.
Patenta taken through Munu Jt Co. reoetve
iprelnt notice, without onarge. In the
Scientific America#.
A handantnely Illustrated weekly, lanreet dr
relation of any aclentlflv Journal. Terma. 13 a
year: fourmontha.il. Sold by all newadealera
C. DEBORD J ORiFFil H feltlHENs*
Copper River Trading Post
AND FERRY.
at the June ion of Cn]'|>or River and :he Toi a’na Ri-1 r. ROAD
HOUSP. Proej ertor’e St j jiliia and S «f |'t 'j in ft n.-* i.nr.-dly lo
cated Roadiiouae and Sui>) ly P .s in ll.e Coj'j*er R<v«.r \\ a t railed.
The Wayside Inn
At Foot of Summit on Route- to Interior. Best Ac
comodation* for Man and Beast. Freigh ing to all
Points Contracted for. Address Valdez,
21 Milts From Valdez.
j WILSON, DAVISON & LITTLE, Proprietors.
co>rt* cvl ■ our cl'ii
C : O 4.*^iv,AlSuMVpr
fT-t 1—
TOPOGRAPHIC SKETCH MAP
PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND AND VICINITY
ALASKA
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