Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1897-09-24

year aud then possibly | can make
some mo- cy. You see, mother, ]
begin to talk of thousands a. easily a
! would talk of dOllal down below N
it is all on The strength OF having work
eel an hour Saturday and having bee
paid 81 in gold dust for my work J
sawed wood for the dollar and earuec
it. The sweat poured of me in stream d,
but | wasn't stiff the next dav, so | ana
all right. | had an offer yesterday of
800 and board for one months work,
but refused it. You see | don't believe
in working at less than the regulation
wages, 81 to Sl.25 an hour, and as long
as | have provisions to eat and a stove
to cook them on, | would rather board
myself I'll winter for 81 "A day and work
hard. AT present it costs me less. as |
don't need so much or SO big a variety.
OF course everything is very expensive,
and | wish had brought 200 pounds
OF excess baggage at 10 cents a pound.
| paid $50 for a toy which sells for IS
in Seattle, and it would only cost s. to
bring it. A pair of heavy shoes cost 81
worth about $3.50 in Seattle. One tin
cup 20 cents, one tin plate % cents, one
coffee pot (worth ID cents) S1.25.
Things come high, but we must have
them. In winter everybody makes
money and IN the spring most of them
spend it.
August 1.-The Healey arrived here
at loo today and found me working.
| picked cranberries last week for one
day and made $50, which overstocked
the market, so | quit. Yesterday | got
a job in the party surveoIng the town
and worked up till noon today, when |
stopped TO see Alice. Serene and Barr.
| am going 10 work again tomorrow
and will haye work for W. or three
days yet and there maybe a possibility
of more, | get for that work $40 a
day. When | get through there |
think | will make a strong try at a job
in the saw mill.
The boat today brought up bad news.
The Weare is stuck hard on a bar just
a little below Circle City. Unless she
gets off soon there will be terrible suf.
fering here this winter. Capt. Barr
Just brought back my order for goods
and said it vas all right except the
llour-I asked for 400 pound, but he
could only promise that on condition
that another boat gets here, as there Is
at present only one sack $50 pounds)
to a man. A sack only lasts six weeks
and hardly that the way | eat bread. |
think | will 90 TO the store and get one
sack for present needs. The other fel-
lows have bought none and | will ask
them to get one. There is no danger
for me, however. as | have..a pull at the
store. Some of the boys-one or two
talk as though they had great things,
and wouldn't be surprised if they had,
but at present ! know nothing better
than working for wages, but that
think Will be good enough. | have
begun to get acquainted and expect to
get in quite a little work before the
work at the mines start. Every day |
get means so pure gain. OF course.
there are lots of men not working, but
they do not look hard enough. | feel
sure of myself, but as Yeti would not
advise Erv. or Shower to come up. |
am pretty well settled in my tent now
and like it very well but it gets pretty
cold at night. About a week ago ice
formed in the boxes, but the DAYS are
hot enough. Yesterday was a scorcher.
| was working in the brush Con the
mountain and the sweat ran of in riy-
ers. 1t was a fine job, though, and
wish it would hold until October. A,
it is, | am all right with the surveyor,
so If they let any one man 90 | won't
be hat one. ! do some OF the rodding
Ga man brough up on contract is first
asslstant) and so | am really ahead OF
the other two helpers who haye worked
with HIM before.
1t is too dark to write more, and the
Healey leaves early in the morning, Sc
goodbye and very much love to you
father, Grum and all the others. Alice
will see you about the time you receive
this.
Your loving son,
Charles G.. Palmer.
Dawson, y. L. w.