The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-17

and lots OF snow fell. We We're in the
shelter of good big spruce grove also.
which kept the wind off us. We finaliy
decided to build shanty. 1t took us
about two weeks to build our house,
and here we are. The dimensions Of
our abode are about Is feet square, all
in one room. We have no stove. but
we have a big open fireplace. in which
we cook our very simple grub. But we
can pile on lots of big logs and keep
ourselves very warm and comfortable.
Our food consists of fish, game and
venison. We get beautiful trout here
in the lake. They weigh from 10 to 40
pounds each, and are species of
salmon trout and have most delicious
taste.
There are also lots of white fish be-
sides gold eyes and other kinds. We
set night lines under the ice and catch
them in that way. We do not live at
the fort, but are about two miles from
it on an island. We did not wish to be
near the fort as the natives are fond of
calling on strangers and begging for
grub, which we cannot afford to give
them. Another reason was, that there
are multitudes of dogs around the fort
and they would be liable to eat us out
of house and home before spring. We
are not alone here. Langworthy's crew
have their shanty about hundred
yards from us There are five men in
mis- crew, all good fellows, and we all
live like one big family and make free
of both shanties. We meet together in
the evening and sing or smoke and play
cards and other games. Then over at
the fort there are 10 or L men from
Chicago 1.-THE Warmolts party, who
arrived here two days after us, besides
four men from Montreal All these are
stuck here. at least for the present.
Then the gentleman in charge of the
IaX6s m
very nice to us. and invite us often to
go there, and last, but by no means
least, there is our friend Nagle. He Is
very hospitable and good to us, and in
yiteS us every day almost, to come ana
dine or spend the evening there, and he
never tires of trying to do more and
more for us. He comes over to see US
nearly every day also and tells us the
news and gives us excellent advice on
various subjects. He has invited all of
us including Langworthy's crew to dim
ner on Christmas day and to a dance in
the evening at his house, and ] think
from all the preparations he is making
we will have q glorious time of it. We
are also invited for New Years day to
the Hudson's Bay house for dinner and
a dance. There have been three or four
dances at the peoples houses since we
came to all of which we have been in
yited.
The Warmolts' party tried hard to
devise some scheme to cross the lake on
the ice to Fort Providence, but We're
| compelled 10 give il up. as the nearest
| point across was 40 miles over a bleak
waste of ice and snow. One time they
started out and got about 20 miles of
| the distance. but were compelled to
| turn back Forbes Groat had been to
| Hay river. about half way across to
| Providence, and had just returned at
! the time of Mr.. Griffin's writing. He
4
1 We're lightly loaded. He found the cold
| intense on the lake. where there is no
/ shelter, and the ice was piled up in
/ drifts 30 feet high and extending for
/ miles across the lake. The parties did
4 not expect to be able TO move until
! spring and they recognized that their
| failure to get across the lake before
winter set in will cause them great de-
/ lay in the spring. Mr.. Griffin's party
/ had decided to build two smaller boats
/ and abandon their large one. The
/ party had also divided and will travel
| separately for the remainder of the
! journey, the Griffin brothers taking one
boat and Neil Marshal and Forbes
| Groat the other. Word had come to
| the parties that gold had been discov-
cred in paying quantities on Hay river
| and that white man was working il
there, some 80 or 40 miles up the river
from the lake Arthur Griffin and two
men from the Warmclts' crew, together
with an Indian. had gone to Hay river
i TO ascertain the truth of the report
They had not had time 10 return when
| Mr.. Griffin was writing so he was un-
able to say what success they had. Ed
| Nagle expects to come in during Janu-
airy so that further word will be sent
in then The reports they have received
of the Lizard and Yukon are very en-
| couraging. All of the old timers assure
them that they knew of the gold being
there and in large quantities.
At Smiths landing and other places
| the Indians are making great prepare
tons for the work they expect whef
/ The miners come down ia the snrino