Mesa free press., 1898-04-29
TIMES AND MINING.
Notes from Ft. St. Michael.)

in letter just received by Mr.. F. Hall.
The letter contains much practical ad-
vice of interest to prospective gold
seekers, besides matter OF general in
terest, and is printed below, with few
personal matters omitted. The let
ter is postmarked in Portland, April Z.
Fort st. Michael, January 6, 1898.
Friend Hall: Snow and ice to our
hearts content. Am working as car
penter at the rate of $50 per month and
found, on the North American Trading
and Transportation Company's hotel.
Am without money. Have over one
ton of grub and about $500 in clothes
curse to a man in this country, as
one can't carry it with him In pros
pecting, and in winter it Is an impos-
sibility, for even with dog team one
can carry only so pounds per dog, and
dog will eat the same amount as
man will, and that is 212 pounds OF
food day (this is before cooking.)
My advice to you is to carry only
enough to get you to a supply station.
The lowest temperature has been IL
degrees below zero, and this only for
day of two on three different occa-
sions; the average has been 20 degrees
above zero. If l were coming again /
would not bring thing but two suits
of thick underclothing and dozen
pairs of German socks. The rest OF
the clothing one can get here of the In
dians--a parki, deer skin, about 500;
light fur cap, So; one-half dozen pair
of skin boots or mucklucks, worth
about So per pair, to be purchased on
the coast, if possible; skin gloves, gum
boots and skin robe. Don't buy sheep
skin goods-they get damp and it is al
most impossible to get them dry. Get
goods that have hair on them-rein-
deer is best, but double parki of
squirrel skin is o. K.
Try and get all kinds of condensed
food in capsul fOrm-beef, etc. If you
want to prospect, bring pick, shovel
and gold pan. would advise you to-
stay in the vicinity of the headwaters
of the Tonana, Copper and Stuart
rivers, as everybody from around here
will start for there in the spring.
This is healthy climate. We have
had at no time over six inches Of snow
on a level. You would go wild over
fox and grouse shooting, on snowshoes.
Put your money in letters Of credit
which you can get of the North Ameri-
can Trading and Transportation Com
pany in Seattle, or the Alaska Com
mercial Company in San Francisco
Take little money and sled. Iwould
advise you to go over the Chilkoot
Pass. Go early in March and prospect
from the pass right and left toward
Dawson and Circle City. The lakes
are open a month later than the river
Go on sleds to the river. Leave your
address at Dawson and other places
My advice is to hang on to your pres
ent business and let Alaska alone. l
talked to man working on the steam
er Healey here, and he says that he
was all around Dawson and Klondyke
and couldn't get a claim. He cached
his provisions and went down the river
prospecting, but had no way to get
back so drifted on down.
1t Is an impossibility for me to leave
before the first boat leaves in the
spring-Which is the Charles H. Ham
ilton, now wintering in the Yukon
river at Dudreofski She belongs to
the N. A. T. & T. Co. The Mare Island
is a worthless old tub and will prob
ably never get up the river. Her draft
Is over six feet, which condemns her
for use on the Yukon river. Through
the double windows I can see across
the bay of smooth ice and snow, in
which is embedded the Polytowswi, the
old Russian gun-boat, thrown in when
Mr.. Seward bought Alaska. It is now
barge used by the N. A. T. & T. Co.
There is also whisky schooner, the
Selma, from Vancouver, seized by I'm
Gle Sam. She will be sold in the spring.
The Liebes Company of San Francis
co are building a warehouse and hotel
across the bay, getting ready for travel
up the Yukon next spring. The Ca
nadians are building a river boat here.
The other companies, with the Liebes
company, are building six boats each
near Ounalaska.
We have here at st. Michaels six In
dies. Three of them are at the Alaska
Commercial Company's town, which is
st. Michaels proper, and the others at
the North American Trading Com
pany's town, called Fort Get-there.
The snow was melting on Thanks
giving, Christmas and New Years
days. The stories about the cold are
frauds, and they don't humbug me any
more. With $50 worth of skin cloth
ing one is O. K. for cold
Col. Randall is in command of this
reservation and is worthy and genial
officer, as are also his aids, Lieut..
Walker and DR.. Edie, all of Fort Rus
sci, Mont, There are tnirty-four men
and officers in all.
Your friend,
J. FRED BLAKE. !