The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-13
In COOLEST ALASKA
Grua Is High, Frost Is Deep and the
Temperature Low.
LETTER TO SHERIFF DWYER
William c. Lowden Gives Some In
teresting Facts About the Coun-
try and the Pleasures to
Be Had There.

Great Falls, March 12.-William c.
Lowden, formerly of this city. and well
known in Northern Montana but now
a resident of distant Alaska, writes
Sheriff Dwyer an interesting letter. in
which he draws a vivid picture of the
hardships and privations endured by
the people of that territory. The let
ter was written last November, from
Oglivie. a point near the mining dis
trict of Forty Mile. on the Yukon river,
but did not leave Juneau until March
2. The letter is as follows:
After so bong a time and according
to promise, now attempt to give you
an account of this country as best /
can. / have no news to write. for we
are entirely cut off from communica-
ton with the outside world, the latest
news we have had being in the latter
part of June. All the news we get is
through travellers coming in and bring
ing in the mail. for there is no direct
mail route in the country. The Alaska
Commercial company has made ar
engagements with an Indian to bring in
mail from Juneau in March, but you
will not get this letter until the latter
part of March, for II will not leave
here until about the 10th of February
and then, as II goes out with a dog
team. it will not arrive in Juneau until
some time in February, or, rather
March. Then, as there Is only mail in
Juneau every two weeks, IL may lie
there until the steamboat comes in.
We'll, william, to begin with. an ac-
count of and description of this coun-
try: / will begin with saying that. in
regard to the mineral resources, be-
lieve that the time will come when IL
will prove very rich, although. as yet
very little has been done in the way
of developing them. Quartz is not
looked after at all, placer being the
greatest craze at present; and. no
doubt, there must be some terribly rich
gulches here, for they have worked
bars that have paid $50 per day to the
rocker; but bar diggings are a thing
of the past and the miners have turned
their attention TO the gulches in search
of coarse gold.
But prospecting Is an uphill bust
ness here: there are so many difficulties
to contend with. Scarcity of supplies
is the greatest drawback The only
means of transportation by river in
summer and by handsleighs I'm winter
and then pack IL on your back be-
tween times. There is a trading post
about 12 miles from US, but Il might as
well be 1000. for they have not enough
TO eat themselves. We nearly starved
to death last summer. depending on IL
for supplies. We would go down and
they would say that the steamboat
would be in sure next week. but next
week finally got to be an old song. so
we pulled out for Forty Mile post.
distance OF 100 miles. and got our win
teT's supplies and towed them back I'm
boats to the mouth of Sixty Mile creek
and thence hauled them on hand
sleighs a distance of Il miles After
ha he 49, -.
in place OF a cotton boat. she only
carried 10 tons. and the most OF her
cargo was iron door locks. butcher
knives and a few hundred pounds OF
horse feed. that was for the post where
we expected 90 trade. and the rest Of
the cargo for Policy post. 100 miles fur
Their up the river. Then all hands had
10 go TO Forty Mile post and 4 came
on cold and stormy and they had a
hard time TO make IL back.
Il have been prospecting ever since I
came here but as yet have not been