Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1898-04-22

the gold has been found in this vicin-
ity, and back. We went out to see
about leasing one of the claims and
made the arrangement.
Several good strikes have been made
within the past week on claims just
above and below the one we leased.
On one claim above they found several
good nuggets, one Of 5 ounces and one
of 8 ouncee-an ounce is worth 917--
being the largest ones, besides finding
good pay dirt all along. Little Manook
is the only creek in this vicinity that
developed last year and all the claims
on il were taken before we. got here,
and it is almost impossible to buy one
or 81 part Of one now at the i'd
vanced prices. The creeks on which
we own claims are all being developed
this winter and we hope they will all
turn out valuable. If the majority Of
our twenty-one claims turn out very
rich OF to be on rich creeks we of
course will return home next summer
we'll fixed. We can hardly expect the
creeks here to be as rich as those on
the Klondike, as that has proved to be
the richest placer strike ever made,
but we do expect the creeks here to
develope rich diggings this winter, and
that this camp will have quite a boom
next summer. We are hearing good
reports from creeks all about nearly
every day now and if the good work
keeps up we are bound to come out all
right. It is - below zero today, yes
terday 40 above. The cold snaps come
suddenly and last about four Or five
days as a rule and it will continue
getting colder on the average until
April, March being the coolest month
here; the thermometer generally goes
out of sight then or the mercury
freezes up, as it often remains at 65
degrees below for days. The great
danger here is in freezing mes feet
and hands, the former especially, and
one must never get his feet wet, when
out. In winter, the water sometimes is
backed up by the ice in the creeks and
overflows. We generally wear three
or four pair of heavy wooden stockings
and moccasins. / would give anything
to be with you for three or four days
and then to drop in for a visit of a few
days with Sisters Florence and Mary,
and / would also like to step over to
New York to sec how all my friends
there are getting on, also my old
company. At any rate 1 hope and
expect to be back in the states next
summer. A man is to start from here
in q couple days for Circle City, $50
miles up the river, with.a dog team to
carry the mail to that point and to get
mail for us. He charges 81 per letter
to carry it there OF bring it from there.
It is expected that another such trip
will be made in February, SO that we
hope to get mail twice this winter at
least and possibly arrangements can
be made so that we can hear from the
loved ones at home once a month, as
mail is brought into Circle City once a
month from Seattle.
November q, Saturday:-Seven men
came into town today with dog teams
and sleds from Circle City, $50 miles
down the river on the ice. They left
Dawson City on a boat October LIST and
went to Circle City and left there on
foot six weeks ago. They say that be-
fore they left Dawson $500 was offered
for n SO pound sack of flour and 50
each for candles and other things in
proportion and that there were no
provisions at all to be had. There are
about 5000 people at Dawson. About
300 people have come down as far as
Fort Yukon from Dawson, where there
is a plenty of provisions for that many
but no more. These men tell us that
no more IRE likely to come here this
winter because they cannot come with
out dog teams and it is impossible to
get dogs, $500 having been offered at
Dawson for each of a team of five 6ogs.
I pity the poor people at Dawson as
they are in a bad way. I hope some
aid will be sent. them from tho states
over the PASS this winter.