The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-07
IN BOHEMIAN.
Gustaye Stefffns Writes Entertainingly of
Conditions in Alaska.

Gustase Steffins Writes Entertainingly of
Conditions in Alaska.
Special Correspondence of the Standard.
Bozeman, Feb. 6-The following IL an
extract from letter just received by
Claud Steffins from his father, Gustave
Steffins, formerly one of Bozeman's
prominent business men. He was a
partner of Mr.. Pease, the jeweler, and
was citizen of BoZeman for many
years. He started the latter part OF
last year for Alaska, intending To 80
into the klondike regions early in the
coming spring. The letter it dated
Dyea, Alaska, Jan. ID, 1898, and was re-
ceived on Thursday of last week. 1t
reads substantially as follows:
Il will stay here until | go to Klen-
dixie. and that will not be until April.
| have shop here, but there Is not
much work to do at present, but think
it will pick up soon. There is lots of
teaming and work of all kinds going
on. Board is from 81 to s12 per week
and lodging from so cents to 81 per
night, and not particularly good at
that. There are a number of houses
being put up and there are a number
of big stores here and a man can get
things to eat and wear just as cheap
as he can in Seattle. with the difference
of freight added. There are lots of peo-
pie going over the chilcoot Pass with
buIfiiS IL HINT tdIllt VII Liant
man or Lake Bennett and then come
back and go to work here until spring.
They will then build boats and go
down the river The Chilcoot Pass is
the best way To go. 1t is bad pass i'll
bad weather. but it is not as bad as
they make ii out A lot of men have
come down from Dawson, it taking
them from % to 40 days to come down
with dog teams. Some of the dog
teams have from three to ten dogs TO
a sleigh nine feet long. The l0-dos
teams that came in from Dawson have
from 100 to 800 pounds of gold dust
Parties that went in last summer did
well and | have not seen a man that
has come from Dawson that had less
than $500 with him. All of them say
that they will so back again as soon
as they can go down the river in boats
There are no men going down the river
on the ice, for reason that they cannot
take enough grub along to last over a
month after they get to their destina-
ton. The ice in the river over in the
Klondike country is piled up on end so
that the men have hard work TO get
over or around it. and so most of them
will wait until it thaws out. ! have not
heard of new strike so far, but all
have big hopes, and SO have /.
Il wish you could see the nice dog
teams here. A good dog will cost from
800 to 5000. and sometimes more. The
steam boats come every day or two
and they bring from 100 to 500 passen-
gers and lots of freight. | have not
| had a letter from anyone as yet. and
| the mail service has been very bad. 1t
will be hot times on the trail pretty
soon, as every steamer brings lots of
passengers, and the steamer Seattle
| brought $50 passengers and no freight.
| The Klondike is and will be, | think.
| a great, great country. and the chances
-4r fr. Il
| be there. Tonight another 'ason
| man came out with 100000 II Is and
| about two pounds in nugget He was
| a clerk in one of the trading company
stores and says that the output next
season will he about $4,000. 900 or s1a,-
o0O 900. and from his position he ought
| to know"
The work shop at the Agricultural
/ college is almost completed and will be
/ so by the end of the next week. as the
/ only thing remaining 10 be done is to
| put in the carpenter benches The ma
/ chinery was all started on Wednesday
/ for the first time. much 10 the delight
/ of the boys who had been bothering
/ Professor Williams for some time past
/ to let them see how everything worked
/ There are II students doing forge work
1 and some 10 shop work, and IL Is prob
| able many more will want TO enter, as
| ii is the kind of work boys like.
i A number of dogs. some 115. passed
| through Bozeman on the cars Thurs
| day morning. These CANNES are bound
| for the kiondike to help pull the pros
| pectors' sleds across the Chilcoot Pass
| TO the fortunes beyond
/ Chestnut was down in Bozeman il
| great force on Friday when the trial o.
| Sarah Rorren for selling liquor with
| out a license took place. Sarah. lady
| of 50 odd summers. has been running
| a free house in the lively little town .
| Chestnut for some time past and ha!
| been quite accommodating in the VA.
| of obtaining beer and the like for he
| customers Her defense was that whei
| a dollar was handed to her for beer sht
| would charge Is cents for making tn
trip to the saloon. and % cents was tn
! actual cost A jury OF her peers fount
| her not guilty and she was turnet
| loose Miss Sarah Borren stated TO IL
| sheriff that she liked married men am
| was somewhat appalled, when told tina
! the justice was a bachelor. but as In
Jury which acquitted her was compose
mainly of married men, she seems 1
be a fairly good judge of human ma
ture Chestnut is a hot little town il
every way. A man. quite renowned 70
his fighting proclivities, went Their
some little time ago and while tryini
TO act as a peaeemaker, got hit owe
the head with a drill. and when he at
tempted to draw his gun, 1t. togethe
with his little finger, We're both sepa
rated from their original owner Sara
Borren has a second charge pending
| against her for keeping a disorderl
| house which will come up In day O
| two. She seems 10 be very much afrai
that the United States officials RAl4 g