The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-04-13
is 10 BELOW ZERO
Frank Grace Of Honolulu Writes
From Alaska.
HE is WORKING ON A CLAIM
Hopes to Find the GoId-Tens of
Dog Teams-Days of But Three
Hours-FIour $3.50 a Sack.
HE is WORKING ON A CLAIM

There came by the last Coast mail a
letter from Frank Grace, the Honolulu
young man who is seeking fortune in
| the frozen north. Frank Grace left
| San Francisco for Alaska with two
other former residents of Honolulu,
about eight months ago. The first let
ter received from the young man told
a little of the journey and something
of the heavy and trying climate. The
second letter, dated at the same town
as the frst-Rampart City-was writ
ten November 28th, of last year, Mr.
Grace says:
CAS- there is a possibility of mail
getting out over the pass, l write you
these few words, to let you know that
am in excellent spirits and good
health, and hopeful for the future
''It is pretty cold here now. 1t is 40
degrees below zero and getting colder
every day. We expect to see it 20 de-
gress below, before the winter is over
Several of the men have been frost
bitten, but l seem to stand the cold
quite we'll.
- 81 have been prospecting for the past
month, but so far, have not found any
thing Perhaps I may be fortunate
enough to strike a paying claim before
long. There is plenty of gold in this
country, if one appears to touch the
right spot.
"Times look very bad up at Dawson
now. Flour is quoted at $3.50 a sack
and the reports are that it cannot be
had even for that enormous amount.
Four men arrived in here yesterday
from Dawson. They told us that more
than one man would perish from star
walton at Dawson before the winter
ended and from what they say on the |
short food supply, it is easy to believe |
their predictions of hardship and suf- |
fering and death. We have plenty of |
food at this place-that is enough to |
last us all till the first steamer comes
in the summer. We are better situated |
at this camp than the people of almost |
any other community in the whole of
Alaska away from the old coast towns.
'"This is quite a change from Homo
lulu for US who had lived in the ISL
ands We have had three months of
snow already and it will not be all
gone for six months to come. The
actual summer is never more than
three and sometimes at the beginning
and ending of the three months there
are severe storms.
yesterday 1 came in from the gulch
where 1 am prospecting. The place is
l6 miles from Rampant City and had
to move lively to keep warm.
ct will take this letter three months
to reach you, at least. Our mail has
to be carried 1900 miles by dog team
before it reaches Jueaun, where there
IS connection with steamers.
''The dogs sued so extensively and
generally for hauling up here, are re
creatures. A team of four of
them can pull load of 500 pound on a
sleigh all day long without any trouble
at all. 1 have used sometimes a team
Of the dogs in going to the gulch for
work. 1t seemed odd in
deed to me to be using dogs and driy-
ing them, after having all my life been
accustomed to horses. The dogs stand
the work much better than any one
would think they could.
F'The days are getting short here
now. Daylight comes at 9 a. m. and
ceases at $50 p m, so you see we have
darkness. By December
21st the days will be only two hours
ong. 1t is difficult at first to keep any
track at all OF the time. Your sleep
ng and eating and working hours seem
to be all crooked and unless you can
interest yourself in something right
along, the night seems like a whole
week. We have not seen the sun for
L full month now and do not expect to