The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-04-29
LETTER FROM MGREGOR
IT'S COLD BUT VERY RICH
Mining Il Done in the Winter and the
Gravel Is Washed in the Summer.
Advice TO Intending Prospsctors.
Lons.Haired Dogs the Best.

Great Falls, April Esd L. Murphy
has received the following letter from
Frank McGregor. formerly a citizen of
this county. 1t Is dated at Dawson
City. on March 4:
Friend Ed received our letter of
September date yesterday. the first
mail we have a since September.
Well, / have discovered the country,
and 1t is known as the Klondike. 1
arrived here last June, having been
~ days on the o from Helena. II
is a long, hard and expensive trip. and
dangerous in places, the river being
full of rocks. In regard to this place.
the gold is here. 1t is a great placer
country. the greatest the world has
ever known, but IL has many draw
backs. 1 will try to give you as good
an idea as possible, the way l see IT, of
the ountry here. There is a mineral
belt here 500 miles long, where there
is gold, but IL has been p~rospected for
a distance Of only about SO miles around
Klondike. which is very rich. The out
put ID estimated from ten to thirteen
million dollars this spring, but whether
the chance of the country is as good
is very doubtful in my mind. although
lESlS ID Blthy oh~
can make from SIS to SIS per day, but
the laws are bad and things are high,
flour meat, beans. sugar and all such
things are worth n dollar per pound.
Wages are $40 per day. The ground
never thaws. Mining is all dom in
the winter. They sink to bed rock,
thaw out the ground with fires and
wash Ii out in the 1t is hard
TO get aroun here. F~reighting Is all
done with dogs: a good dog is worth
5000. A claim is 200 feet long, SIS fees
for recording, and only one claim car
lie located in a district.
The mounted police are here, and
are very strict. Saloons are allowed
TO run, drinks, four bits. If you think
OF coming up here. bring one years
provisions with you. and buy 1t at Vic
toria to save duty. Take the Dyea
right from home, dogs that will weigh
20 to 100 pounds, with good, thick hair
Have your harness made at Seattle
and bring a good robe. for it's very
cold, colder tina you ever saw 1t In
Montana. i don't want to advise any
one to come or discourage any one. buI
this is the best country the world ha.
ever seen to make money in. o
course, you know that a man has t.
hustle, N that a large per cent won
make a dollar. On the other hand
you will see lots of hardships, in fact
It is all hardship. and one can't get an,
vegetables, not even 'spuds.'
Charles Boyle. Alex Thompson, a
Forrest, Mike MCGOWAN and Georgs
Remellard, French George. as we USED
to call him. are here, all well and do
ing well. French George has been here
two years, and is well of. He Is goinl
out this summer with $40, 600 cash, and
has some property to sell. You remem
Der Walker. who used to be arount
Niehart? He is here, n has made
a good stake. Ran Lombard is ais
here. In regard to McGregor. he ii
doing pretty well, and expects TO hav'
all he wants in one year more. HI
has some good claims, n is attend
ing strictly to biz. l might write SOM
more, but this will give you a goot
idea of what to expect. as well as
can explain ii with pen"