The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-11-22
FROM YUKON
GOLD FIELDS
Interesting Letter From an Astoria
Boy In the Frozen North.
FRESH PROVISIONS SCARCE
Fresh Meat a Luxury. Vegetables at a
Premium and Beans Worth
Fortune.
FRESH PROVISIONS SCARCE

Inc tolloWlOk fhNIhNl luNh lfN''i
written by an Astoria boy from far
away Aiaaka. dated Maatodon Gulch.
August "a. viii be Of Interest TO Port
land as well As Astoria people:
The last letter wrote was In June.
In Circle City Just M we were getting
ready TO leave for the diggings. This
letter shall try and send to town by
some one leaving 80 that II will catch
the boRt and you will receive Il In a
month or two. II II does not catch the
boat the sth Of next month you may
not get II until next summer. as such II
the mail service in the Yukon. We are
both we'll and have been ever since we
left Circle City.
We had miserable time from town
to the dlgRings: First. Pack OF eight
miles through swamp and mosquitoes
yes, through" mosquitoes At first they
bothered me 20 death. but after several
weeks I got so I did not mind few
bites. The whole country Is swamp,
hills and all II IL caused by moss,
which holds water like sponge. and
which never dries out. as Il ls con-
stantly supplied by Ice melting under
meath. Second we had river to pole
up for eighty miles, which was not bad
finally. pack OF twenty-five miles TO
the dlgginRs.
When we got to Circle City dad heard
Of Capt Watson. OF Portland. who
used To be on the police force there, on
Miller Greek: 40. when we reached the
mouth of Miller creek we took a run
up 90 Sc him. He had a claim all ready
10 40 To work. and made US an ofrer
20 work with him on equal shares,
which we accepted, So We packed all
our stun. thrte hundred pounds apiece,
enough TO do us till fall Tor rather. win
teri set In. nv there Is no spring nor
fall In this county-and started 10 work
The last of July we took three days'
trip over TO Eagle, creek discovered
last winter, and staked upon the first
right hand pup. All forks OF gulches
are called pups On the diagram you
viii lind that have marked two good
claims that were worked this summer.
They are said 10 be the two hest In
the country II is a new creek. and the
other claims have not been pruspected,
and nothing Is known about them.
DO you remember an old, crippled
tailor. Norwegian. in Portland. who
pcddled milk TO us on College street. by
the name Of $. w. Milan, q Christian
Church man? He Is in here-came in
with Capt, Watson and a young man
by the name of Darrah These two
We're over on Eagle prospecting two
claims when we went over Claims are
represented during the month OF July.
II you are not on your claim during
that month. anyone can jump II, and
you lose your right TO It.
So. after we had been over and stalk
Cd, the last day OF July, dad started
for Miller the first OF August In the
morning | waited and helped Milan
and Darrah pack up, as we We're all
going to Miller.
We got on In the afternoon and We're
going up TO the head OF Eagle, when
we saw band OF Caribou Darrah had
a gun and started out TO get behind
them. / started down Eagle and told
the miners to get out-the caribou were
going through In an hour caribou
were falling In every direction, and
everyone had fresh meat Darrah kill
ed four.
Wen. that band was a sight TO see.
There must have been millions. They
literally swarmed in one big drove,
like cattle
About four times n year they pass
through this part in such droves, and
only for few days, during these times,
can they be found, as they soon travel
out Of range, Watson, Darrah and
dad went back next day and killed four
more. We packed them to Miller, and
jerked the meat that we did not eat
fresh. Men In this country go wild
after little fresh meat after living
on bacon diet.
After we got back to Miller we all
went to work on that claim, but with
out any success. All had hopes, but
flanally lost mine, and came over to
Mastodon, two miles over the hill from
Miller, and am now working on a claim
at ten dollars a day, l have now put
in nine days, It is awful hard work, l
tell you, picking and shoveling ten
hours steady, and the owners expect
a man to work or he quits earning ten
dollars.
Yesterday l was over to see dad (as
my bosses were cleaning up and was
laiS off for day. and they had quit
the claim on Miller and were going over
to Eagle to work and prospect their
claims Dad wanted to come over with
me, but could not get job, so is going
to Eagle with Watson and party,
was lucky, they tell me, to get work.
II just happened that struck the right
time. shall probably work fifteen
more days, when they win have to shut
down on account OF the ground freez-
ing, when l shall go to town and go