The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1898-03-25
A DYEA LETTER.


DYEA, Alaska, March 5.
MIR. F. p. NUTTING:
Dear Sir: Agreeable to promise j
write you a few lines on the situation oil
Skagway and Dyea. Arrived In Skag-
way February "a, stopping there only
one day found 1t very dull as far as
work was concerned, there being twenty
men to every situation, business in
nearly all its branches being overdone.
Sickness is very prevalent and in most
cases death ensues within 4S hours. AS
many as 10 deaths have occurred in one
day. The symptoms are similar to
spinal meningitis and no remedies have
been found To check it.
In Sksgway met Mr. Ramp and son,
Moon, Kelly, Maggie White and George
Anderson. Moon & Kelly were csrpen-
teripg, Maggie White was painting, Mr.
Ramp and son and George Anderson
were going 20 chopping wood. They
have all done very poorly since they
came up here, but all have plenty OF
hope and courage and expect to do bet.
ter when spring opens up.
| / came over to Dyea on the 25th Of
February. Met Duncan Monteith, C.
g Rawlings and John Lamar, also Mr.
Becker and wife and Mr. Jones. Al
we're wsilakeeps Jones, who has been
very poorly Tor some time. Monteith
q 20. are running real estate and
| iodgink houte and will probably do well
this spring. Mr. Becker owns three or
four houses and / am told is making
money. Dyea is very healthy and quite
an orderly place. Everyone appears to
be busy getting their outfits and striking
out up the trail We have had or s
days ot warm weather, the snow and ice
is melting and shedding will be q thing
OF the past in few days.
Freight was = OF cent TO Sheep Camp.
fourteen miles from here, that is as far
as teams can 60 One week ago now it
was two cents and will probably be five
shortly. Two horse teams are making
$40 per day here at present. and all the
work they want. saw fairly good
team sell for $500 a few days ago. met
John Rolfhs, Faber's man. He has go.
his outiit nearly all on top OF the cum.
init oil the Chi!koot pass and will move
right along.
Everything is high, hay t65 per ton
potatoes &c per pound eggs Csc per dozen.
everything else in proportion. Laboring
Work Is very scarce except carpentering
Wages are Scots per hour for all kinds
ot work wien there Is any to be had
- ZIG Vu tGC 0NA uuFlGV lU41R-
ing house and two dodgers lost their lives
in it. Their names did not learn. The
wrecking steamer Whitslaw was burned
to the waters edge at Skagwav this
morning. No further particulars. To
anyone who lie thinking of coming up
here for work or for business | would
say stay where you are - you will no
doubt be disappointed when you get
here as everything 10 overdone. Yon
viii have many hardships 10 overcome,
the cold is intense At times and everyone
nearly has very rad colds, the trip will
cost At the least ti00, 90 I say stay and
seve your money and enjoy the pleas.
nres OF civilized country Myself and
Mr. L A Allen. formerly OF Albany, leave
here Monday for sheep Camp, where
We will go to packing over the pass. II
can stand Ii am going TO stay until
make stake, IL not will make enough
10 come home on
had view OF the northern lights
lev nights since, one OF the grandesi
sights have ever witnessed. The lights
KEEP: closing and spreading out ike a fan
and with as many co,ors as \ rainbow
and .as,ed nearly all night. will close
this letter hoping IL may interest some
oi your readers. Yours
HExsT Rodgxs.
Wall ASswEs HAsLEr Rev. W. {.
Il