Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1898-04-28
Stalking Out Claims.

A number of Lock Haven boys are
now in Alaska. In a letter to the Loci;
Haven Express, y Jt Myers, one o.
the party, writes:
LAKE TAGIsH, Alas, Mar. "a, '98.
We received letters here ON the 10Th
OF March which were dated at Lock
Haven on February 18th. | walked
siXty-fve miles in twenty-threc hours.
| made the trip for the purpose OF
obtaining passes for Sam and Tom.
We sent them ahead to the Little
Salmon river There is a rich find
there. The gold pans cut 81 80 to the
shoVeiful of dirt. We will get two and
perhaps five claims There are three
creeks and we want to locate claims on
all of them. We may possibly stake
out five claims on each creek. The
pass was made out in all of our names
TO make it certain and sure and VIII en-
the Major General signed it that made
it binding.
Now, | will tell you something about
what we are doing out here. We will
stay here and build our boats We
traded one Of our horses for boat and
we are going to build another one our
selves. One of our horses died last
week This is q hard country on
horses. A bale of hay is worth $50
and a bag Of oats is worth $50. We
We're very glad to get rid of our horses
We had bag of oats and half bale
of hay left We sold uhe hay for SIS
and refused S25 fot the bag of oats. If
we don't get $50 for it here we will take
it down to Lake Barge and sell it for
$50
We will be compelled to remain here
for two months as it will be that long
before the lakes ere clear of ice. We
may as well rem; in here as down at
the river; staying here will not put us
back any. | am doing the cooking
now. Provisions are almost as valu-
able here as gold. A sack of flour is
worth so cents, and everything else in
the line of provisions is high in price.
We still have fifty-nine sacks of flour
and lots Of all other kinds ofprovisions.
We bought provisions all along the
trail from men who became discouraged
and sold out and started back home
again. When we received the news
from home it was almost as welcome
as if we had found a gold mine. Our
address now is at Lake LeBarge 4
man goes from here to Lake LCBarge
twice q week. and the mail carrier
goes once a month. He has all of our
names and an order to get our mail.
That is the way we received our letters
from home which had been addressed
to SEaguay. We have our tent on the
ground now for the first time since we
started over the trail The ground is
covered with moss. Our hot fire dried
out the moss and it makes good floor.
We are able for the first time since we
left Skaguay to undress at night and
go to bed right.
| baked four loves of good bread
yesterday. We had been living on
biscuit for some time and | told the
boys | would bake bread for supper
1t would have done the people at home
good to see the hungry men pitch into
the bread. If I get time, | expect to
bake pies this afternoon.
We are quite anxious to hear about
rafting. The boys are no doubt now
sailing down the old Susquehanna, as
they always do about this time of the
year All the news we hear is very
encouraging Gold is being found on
all the rivers and creeks. We are not
discouraged in the least, for the pros
poets for the future are bright We
are all well. When we reach the Little
Salmon river | will tell you all about
the gold fields there. We feel almost
certain Of striking it rich when we get
there. Every day some one comes in
from that section and they all have
lots of gold.
ROBERT MYERS.