Arizona weekly citizen., 1886-07-03
Letter from Alaska.
DOUGLAS ISLAND, ALASKA, June 9, 1886.

hsNA hoAA Aidchas
 DOUGLAS ISLAND, F. ALASKA, June 9, 1eS6. e Alex Levin, Esq, Tucson. Arizona: 
 l arrived at Juneau on the 10th oI { May after a very pleasant trip coming 0 up Puget Sound and Linn's Bay; the l. scenery IS indeed grand. the water &. 2 smooth as glass with here and there g an iceberg, some glaciers and water. , falls; the mountains are densely GOV cred with frs to the waters edge. As , you know l came here to go the Yukon to the new placer discoveries. but when found out how difficult: it was to get there, and that ID reality there were bu: Few discoveries made as yet, was glad to accept the situation as battery-man in the largest quartz mI.l in the world. consisting Of l2U stamps; have to take care of l2 batteries GO stamps) and the sell feeders, keep them in order and see that they do their work; my wages are sJO per month and board. every room being we'll furnished and provided wlih hot and cold water for two men 10 each room. The mill IS run by wafer power, the free gold Is saved on copper. plates and the tailiDgs are concentrated: to each battery there are two Frue con. centrators (alt0gether 4S;) the concen-I tratIoBs are worked by the Colonization process, ths monthly riean up is between fsuOOO and :l00caG. The ore is low grade, but there .s SO much of if and SD handy, that lt pays first rate. The mine IS worked just like a quarry, it IS 65O feet through the ledge; this work is done l oy Cninamen and natives; strangers find " very difficult to obtain work of any kind.
 But now l will tell you how 10 get to inc supposed placers. Juneak is as far as the steamers csn 20; here you have to ouy your outfit, prOyIsiOns and tools for at least five months; then a party of moi less than four will hire a native with a | lsrGe caL oe who for S5J vii land the party | at the ChllcOoi village. distant lU5 | mlles- Here you have to hire natives to | ca " your baggage across the mountains | ]" slacierl; they charge you Sl0 for each | IgO pounds, the distance being 3S miles. | Now you Rre on the lakes which form
 
 thls on there are no more natives Ton have now 10 whipshw your lumber and ouIld boat; the lakes, four in number. are connected with each other by small | lnlets. Between two Of the lakes there Is cataract where you have to leave the water and carry your outfit for ! ], miles around. Reaching the Yukon you fol- low lis downward course to the moutL Steward river. tributary to the Yukon. and you have reached the supposed pla- Ger mines. The whole distance from Juneau IS 9OO miles Bil of which you have to make m an open boat, and as it rains here "ten days out of nine," and the ground about Steward river never thaws (being very close to the Arctic circle) you will easily come to the con clusion that IL IS rough. IL is almost i'm possible to stay there over winter. The Yukon flows into Bebring'- strait.
 Now all tine discoveries ever made consist of ihis: Last summer two old prospectors went to that coun- try on prospecting excursion: they dld not discover anything there, but their provisions becoming short and winter being st hand, they started back back for Juneau when. while camping on Steward river, they discovered gold. but had no time to ex- RmIne either the extent or richness of theIr find. They came back here, work cd during ths winter for the Treadwell Go. snd last March made up U party which started for Steward river on sleIghs, the lakes and rivers being frozen over. On the steamer on which came up. there Eere about 100 men bound for iLo lIkOu, bu5 only twenty went A good many retraced their steps, while some are staying here to WEit for news from those who have gone ahead, and who will come for provisions next fall Juneau is on the main land and Doug lass islanl is Hbont two miles across the bay where a new town is spriuging up. This company owns Q saw and blaming mil and sells lumber n; SIS per thous- and feet. AuOtEeT large mill will soon | 70 going up on the extension of the iirEG se.i, .ss;ci III make 1t lively for , Nevtown. There IS Co saloon license here. still every other house l. saloon where you , can get dTInk for two bIss o- bottle fer 8 a. There IS "A licensed brewery | here, but 1t Is terrible stuff tsoli nt ore bit per giass) bccause they can . not make IL fast enough and have to sell the beer before it arrived ai , maturity" TEere IS good deal of beer sold to the natives m dance houses , which are carried on m the same style as the old tune Mexican fandaugos H. Tucson; natives dsnce and gamble here almost exclusively although nov and then some whites will mix amongst them. The natives are 0ood looking: 6nd all dress well; the women are white wi.h ! red cheeks, they dress in dark calico and shawls placing over their head a white haDkerchief; their hair is Rrrnng ed in braids, they keep neat and ciesp but the young girls are turning out bad. The men are industrious aud gooc q workers; they mostly make living by fishing and trapping. I have seen then use canoes sixty feet long and six fee; q one solid log. q This is a nasty. vet and cold coun- try; a man s wardrobe Is not complete without paIr of rubber boots reaching V to the hip. slIcker and "souwesteT;" all the trsvel being in open canoes you . are liable to be drenched at any time. am just now on night shift If you can call it so, because on a clear day we [ ouly light the lamps in the mill from ' II D. 10. to 2;3D n. ID; the sun sets Rt q l0:30 p. m. but IL never becomes real dark. I sleep in s close room in day time under two par of heavy blankets ! lcEn't Cse Tucson blankets here) I wish I were back Tn Arizona but ] have to get even fret on Alaska.
 
 June l0-A man has returned from the lakes; be states that the party above mentioned are still camping on the lakes { being unable 70 proceed on account of ] heavy and numerous ice floats on the lakes. Em yours truly
 FrED STEVENS.
 \ Good Idea.