Phoenix weekly herald., 1897-10-07
FROM ALASKA
A Interesting Letter From . Phoe'
 nix Boy.

U A Interesting Letter From Paoe'
 nix Boy.
 DEEP LAKE, Alaska, Sept. 3. 1897.
 Dear Mr. and Mrs. Reed:
 I am still in the land of the living 8 Arrived here yesterday evening and '- am now waiting to get a boat to tske D our outfit across. We have had hard !; trip, has rsined on us every day since ' we left Dyes; have been thirteen days on the trail. We bought boat in Dyed ; and pulled it up to the head of osnos navigation, taking us three days; from there we hired Indians to pack our| stuff to Summit for 23 cents perl pound; tried to get it.tsken through to Lake Lindermen but could not; the
 Indians seemed to be on 8 strike.
 Since we left there there has been a
 got their freight taken through to
 Linderman; they are paying now 40|
 cents per pound. From Summit we|
 packed to the snow, about one quarter
 of mile, and from there we had easy
 sailing. We put from GOO to 800 lbs on
 isrge canvass and pulled it down to
 Crater Lake, about one-qusrter of e
 mlle, then we paid 11a cents per pound
 10 have ib taken 121 miles by boat.
 Then came a tbree-mile stretch 50 pack;
 we hired some packed for cents per
 pound snd packed the rest ourselves,
 which brought us to Long Lake; there
 we paid l E cents per pound to get it
 taken 1H miles in boat; from there
 we packed it across to Deep Lake, A Of
 8 mile. So here we are, waiting to get
 held-up again.
 It is almost highway robbery to pay
 the prices we have to pay to get boat
 to cross these lakes; they gre making
 from S15O to S25O per day and they are very sorry boats, but there is no way to help yourself, you can't get boats, there 1 IS no timber and it would take too long to pack around, and everybody is in a big hurry to get across. Packers gre making from s15 50 S25 per day; every day we packed we avsrsged SIS per day to the man, that IS, we saved that % uch, but oh my, such hard work
 I feel like I was twenty years older shan when I left Phoenix. We'll, I guess l am in experience. I have been soaking wet most every day since I left Dyea, and my feet, oh how sorei There is nothing but boulders to walk on. I left Dyes at o'clock in the morning for the summit; went ahead of the party to pay of Indians ss they came in; twelve hundred dollars in gold, big lofl l1I a%z hard tack and a can of canned beef, was my pack. I walked hard, climbed over bolders, up ths canon and got to the summit about 2:3O p. m; there ths wind was blowing hard and very cold. took pace of about ten feet and walked back and forth there for about two hours when the first Indian showed with nothing but canned beef for supper and breakfast next morning. One of the boys ceme in with 6 tent but uoth- ing to eat, so we carried what packs came in down to snow shat night We stretched our tent on the glacier and next morning. the Indians with cooking outfit came in, so We split up 6 box we had and made listle coffee, the first for over two days.
 Sept. Il, 1897.-Well, we are now at Lake Linderman; boat nearly complete ready to leave tomorrow, if weather will permit may possibly get of this afternoon; we have 8 good strong boat md shink will get through all OK rom here on; will probably get through n about fourteen days. Hsrpes and Bsrnette, of Fernando. California, Mahsn and Rudolph, of Old Mexico, md myself constitute our party. We eft MT. MyeF at Juneau but he has zone through; bought passage with ome party that had boat already. There is 6 regular ship yard here; .uess there are over 200 boats being constructed. People are working early md late. Flour here Is from SIS to S25 per hundred; none for sale only when ome one turns back; nails are S1 co per pound. I see Seattle paper quotes flour It ten dollar per hundred at Lindermsn put you can not buy it for that. I saw ( sell for twenty dollars e hHG1Hed -> 1vsFy thing is very dear, I think is much higher here than 60 Dawson. We'll you can write me at Dawson. I lave not heard anything as to mail but t might might find its way thtougha his winter ss so many people are com ng in. I do not know when we will top but guess we will winter some 7here near Dawson. We are all getting long nicely so far; all are agreeable nd stout hearty men. Messrs Nash nd Kyle of Phoenix, left yesterday for Dawson; they only had provisions to ast them to Dawson. Well I will close ud try and send this to Dyes by an ndisn, hoping to hear from you soon. remain as ever yours. A. NJ. Cox.