The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1898-01-28
ADAwsON LETTER.
A Linn oInty Man Gives Reliable
Facts.

The folio wing letter was received by w.
Smith of oakvil,e from his brother
y. o. Smith, who left here last June for
the gold fields OF tho Northwest Territory.
DAWSON CRY, N. w. T., Dec. 3, 1897.
You will no doubt be surprised to hear
from me at this point (if this ever reaches
you) ae the mail system here is very un.
certain. We have built our winter quar-.
ters twenty miles above Dawson City on
the klondike river We pulled in here
Nov. 9th to avoid an ice Jam below.
Siush ice began to form at Pelly river on
znd, and during our last three days run
we were hemmed in by ruoning ice most
OF the time would OF written sooner,
put the growing cold weather drove us to
oulld cabin and now We have Just COM
menced to get it dried out and get set-
tied down. We have been fortunate
enough to get us two claims ap' ece. One
on Eneiey creek and the other on Hem
defson creek. NY Henderson creek
Claim will bring me $22 500 or $1,000 any
day II l want to sell it. but think it is
worth more. We were the first to stake
on Ensley creek. and as discoverers
we named 1t for Mr.. Ensley OF our party
1t IS being rapidly taken up. We intend
to sink few holes on it as soon as we can
get good camp set up on our claims.
Mr.. Richards and made q three days
trip up the creek trying to find the source
OF 1t. We laid out two nights without
tent, 80 degrees below zero one night
and 40 the next. 30 degrees below here
feels about as cold as abovs In Oregon.
but will freeze you quicker as you do not
feei 1t. frost bit my toes and fingers
slightly. MIR. Ensley and went to Daw.
son to record our claims the 2Sth /
came hack " hednesday and Mr.. Ensley
camo back Thursday. When left Daw.
son at Q o'clock the mercury registered
~ degrees below and before 10 O'Clock
tell to 5S degrees and staid there till 9
O'Clock. 1t was very cold, but / was
warmly dressed and didn't feel it. II
have found that 10 degrees will freeze |
my ears and 55 degrees will freeze nv |
nose and cheeks il they are exposed |
Provisions are very scarce at Dawson, i
so many came in short. Flour was worth |
$3.50 to Si60 per sack during the latter |
part OF October and the first part of Nov. |
ember, but has fell to $50. Hundreds of |
people are selling out their outfits
and going out nn the Ice. Many a poor
fellow will drop out by the wayside from /
cold anu etAVatlon.
Many people have expected 10 come 10 |
and pick uD gold in nuggets, but when |
they lind they have to work TO get ii tney /
get disguised with the country and leave /
il.
have plenty of grub to feed me till |
July lst, by that time provisions will |
come up the river by boat am keep
ing sharp lookout for quartz, as where /
there are placer there lie sure to be quartz,
i not, that explodas the theory that /
quartz is the mother gold
This is rich country but L neeis
There will be great deyel-
opments here IN the next year, although
everyone Will not strike il rich. 1t will |
be at least two months before this
reaches you and months before ge,
an answer. four long winter months.
The days are getting very short, the
sun inst peeps sboye the horizon and is
getting lower every day. / have seen
The aurora borealis several times and IL
s beautiful sight. Potatoes are worth
81 apiece.
The upper Yukon is practically unde-
seloped. II promises to turn out rich
but that all depeads on this winters
The tributaries OF the
klondike are rich only in spots. bat
here are some very rich spots. Tie
soid that will leave Dawson by next
'pring by boat 10 estimated by od tim
,rs to be very near IL tons in weight
6. 500, 900 in value.
Now and heretofore unprospectesi /
;reeks are turning out rich beyond ali
The only creeks which
have been ptospecsed 10 any extent are
he BONANZA, Bear and Hunker on the
Alos like and Dominion Quar:x aud |
sulphur on Indian River. The ''all gold"
md "too much gold creeks OF the kion
ike, as named by the Indians, are
ihowing up well as the shafts 20 down
ieeper and when the pay streak" is
discovered the '-ophecy OF the Indians
nay come t.
There is .or here that Spain and
Japan have combined snd are at war
with the q S but rs no matt has been
q during the last eight weeks il cannot
be definitely learned. We also get ru
nors OF good times in ihe U. s., high
prices for wheat. wool. lam ber, etc.
Well, | must close this. hope 10 be
,ut next summer, but may have 10 go
iown 10 Alaska next spring where the
miner is allowed more privileges and 10
not 50 imposed upon as here. will
write again coon so as 10 send bv The
second mail, which will leave = month
ater. G. o SMTTIA,
Dawson Civ n w T