Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-03-01
From Gold Bottom,
Days Were Cold and Short On
Thanksgiving,
Latest AdvIces From a Salem Man in
the Yukon Gold Fields.

The following has just been re-
ceived from John Singleton by his
family in this city. 1t is the latest
from the Klondike:
GOLD BoTToM, n. W. T. Hunker
Dist, Thanksgiving, Noy. 25, 1897
On November IL the thermometer
went down to 26 degrees below zero
and has not been above since and
most OF the time it has been 30 degrees
below and three times 40 degrees be-
low. This morning it was 40 degrees
below and now il is 43 degrees below.
There is IA inches of snow. The
limbs of the trees hang heavy with
frost and snow. The weather is clear
and daylight comes at a. M. and it
is dark by 4;30 p. M. The sun was not
J n sight at all today for the first time
and yesterday we could just see the
edge of it along the hills to the south.
The nights are clear with the stars
shining brightly except when
dimmed by the beautiful auroras.
We invited two friends to dinner
today Mr.. Robert Menzier, of
Rochester, N. Y, and Mr.. Joseph
Roberts, of Callispel, Mont, but Mr..
Roberts had to 60 to Dawson on bust.
ness, so Bob, Earnest and L did justice
to the Thanksgiving dinner which the
boys pronounced The best dinner
since leaving home.
December 19.-When l was at Daw-
son which was about December /, the
mail had gone OUTS l will try to get
this off next month.
On December /, the thermometer
went down to 80 degrees below zero.
Since then it has been warmer even
going as high as 40 degrees above and
it has been showing more or less.
1t is daylight now from 1870 m.
to p. m. although we cannot see the
sun. We get up at + a. m. have our
breakfast, then go to work in the
shafts shoveling out the dirt
thawed by the fires the
night before, that takes US
till l or p. ~, then we get lunch
and cut wood and lay it in the holes
ready for the fires for night, by this
time it is dark, so we get dinner then
usually cook and bake while Ernest
washes dishes and cuts wood then at
$3.50 p. m. we go and start the fires in
the holes and by the time this is done
it is 10 or 1890 O'Clock so we go to bed.
You see we don't have much time to
write letters. After one has picked
gravel or hauled it up with the wind
las and cut half cord OF wood,
cooked his meals and done many
other little things which come up in
the course Of the day, he does not feel
very gay; so it goes from one Sun
day till the next and iS We usually
have some company Or Sunday, L
have extra cooking TO do and when
night comes am as tired as ever.
All the claims on Hunker and Gold
Bottom which have been worked to
any extent are turning out fine, pans
running as high as S74,
These creeks are rapidly coming to
the front and will be worth money
this spring when sluicing time comes.
Ernest Wagner is well, but is
hOmesick. He and Eben Singleton
will 20 home this summer If all goes
we'll.
Christmas we expect MesSrs. Hall,
WEIGH and Bayne over from Bonanza
creek to have dinner with us, We
haYe not seen them since November /,
but they we're well at last accounts.
December 29-Prof. Hall and party
did not come over, so Bob Menzier, Joe
Roberts, Ernest and l had TO take
care of the dinner, the following was
our menue:
Roast moose and pork with caan-
berry sauce, mashed potatoes, stewed
tomatoes, maccaroni and cheese, apple
dumplings, prune pie, Cherries, fruit
cake, made by Mrs. e. G. Cross,Salem)
and chocolate caramelS.
Jan. 5 '98 there has been no mail
in from the world since October and
we are getting anxious to hear from
home. The last letter l received was
dated Aug. 30, 1897.
We have had moderate weather all
winter, but today it is turning colder
and as it is very clear we may get
some very cold weather yet. 1t is
now 80 degree below zero.
We haye struck better ''dirt' but of
course will not know till summer what
our "out put" will be.
All letters for Dawson n. w. Il.
should be directed via Victoria, b. g.
for if otherwise directed they will go
in the U. S. Mail TO Circle City and
may never reach Dawson at all. If
sent via Vitoria they 90 in the Ca
madam mail which goes direct to
Dawson.