The Wadsworth dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1892-1899, 1898-03-16
IKE AND TOM.
WadsWorth Boys Strike 1t Rich
on the Klondyke.

Mrs. T.. T. LothroI' received a long
letter from Ike Yesterday and size kindly
permitted us to make such extracts
from it as we deemed to be OF public in
interest. The letter was dated at Dawson
City, Dee. Both, 1897.
Ike and his partner, Tom F~itzgibbons,
we're both pretty homesick but other
wise were happy and in the enjoyment
OF perfect health.
The journey from Wadsworti, to Daw-
son was a succession OF interesting scenes
on water, on land, among people and in
cidents OF their rush for the gold fields.
Tom and Ike met with no accidents OF
any kind and succeeded in reaching
Dawson with a full outfit. While wait.
ing at Dyea for several weeks an account
OF the weather they found lucrative EN-
ployment that more than Offset their
expenses and left then in better shape
for their journey inland.
In Ike's former letter which was brief
on account OF their hurry and the storm
which afterwards caused such havoc at
Sheep Camp, he said he had made a
saddle for the dog Danger and put a
25-pound pack on him. Then Danger
got sick. He now says that Danger re-
covered in a few days and since that
time has been OF inestimable value to
him.
As soon as the boys reached Dawson
they went right to work and built n OF
the best cabins in the city. They pros
pected when they could not find employ
ment but the greater part OF the time
was put in chopping wood at which they
made expenses right along. They went
on several successful moose hunts with
other parties and thereby got meat
enough to last them for six months.
But having gone there to look for gold
and only about making expenses, away
from home and friends and suffering all
the discomforts OF life in such a new and
cold country, they began to despair and
would have returned without accom-
plishing anything, had not some pride,
the journey before them and lack Of fat
purses prevented. There were many
times when they both had the blues in
full measure, and had they been in
Wadsworth half the gold in the Klon-
dyke would not again send them into
Alaska.
One thing we miss, he writes, is the
news and it is enough to set a man
crazy. 1t is a saying that the world is
small after all, but those who think it
would change their minds if they were
on the Klondyke and in search of news
from home.
"When a strike is heard of in a new
place a rush is made for the point. In
this country We call it a stampede. Dam
ger is in the front rank then and so are
the hardships. Christmas night l slept
On a cabin floor and l thought it luxuri-
GUS. In chasing around the country we
sleep on the snow in all kinds oil
weather. We don't notice cold weather
here any more than we do the winters
in Maine and Canada but when a mar
goes out on a stampede and meets every
thing without shelter he takes his life in
his hands.
1t is hard for men who are busted to
get out OF here. We call the trail 60C
miles of a tramp and a man has to take
300 pounds OF outfit with him and drae
it on a sled. After going on a number
of stampedes and having only our pains
for our troubles and finding the whole
country staked out for miles we would
be almost heart-broken and would talk
OF striking for Wadsworth anyhow.
| have kept the good news for the end
OF this letter. There is a turn in the