The record-union., 1898-04-08
LIFE ON THE KANOOk RIVER.
LETTER FROM A FORMER SAC
RAMENTAN's SON.
Walter Foley Gives an Interesting
Account Of How the
Miners Live.

for me ly resi- ed in Sacramento and was
foreman of pressroom of the Union
office many years ago. George Tnlsby
of Andrus Island is one of the party
now at Manook Creek with Walter Fo-
ley. The latter writes to his parents
as follows from Rampant City under
date of November 18th:
Dear Mother and Father: 1t is just
four months to-day that we left FRS
co, but it seems as if it was that many
years since we have seen any of you
did not think l would be able to send
a letter out until next summer. but as
there are about 600 people here now
an old-timer offered to take our mail
up TO Circle City, which is about 300
miles from here, for a dollar letter.
so we all agreed to it. The regular mail
from the States by way of Dawson
and over the pass, comes as far as
Circle City, so our mail will be taken
there by the regular mail carrier. He
will also bring back with him any let
ters that may be at Dawson for us,
at the same price. So you see let
tiers are a kind of a luxury up here.
But then it is worth $40 to hear from
home
ter, we are located at Rampant City,
which is on the Yukon, near the mouth
of Manook Creek. The Manook is
about fifty miles long and an average
of about 100 feet wide 1t has a great
many tributaries, or pups" as they
leah them up here, and every creek
land pup are staked for twenty-five
miles out on Manook A person is al
lowed to stake once in each district.
The districts so far are Ireland
/ (these are pups of Manook), Hunter,
Little Manook,'' "Hoosier,' Gold
PAN and Chapman" OF these Lit
| tie Manook is the first choice, but as 1t
was all staked before we got here we
were unable to locate on it, 1t is the
| only stream that has been worked to
any extent. and it has turned out pref
| ty rich, and there has been great eX-
element there. They have worked 1t
| for two years, but did not succeed in
/ finding anything until last summer.
| The rest of the creeks have not been
worked at all, but have been prospect
| ed and indications point that there is
| gold in all of them. But of course
that remains to be found out.
! Now we are located on Miller Creek,
which is in the Ireland district.
We have No. II below and 20 above
discovery. We are on No.
below on Hunter Creek, and have one
half interest on No. above on Hoosier
We are also No 10 above on Gold Pan
and No. below and II and IA above
on Chapman. On each of these claims
we have to do twenty days work
year to hold them. Each district has diff
ferent months to represent in, and you
have to do your work in that time
So YOU see we have our hands full. OF
course these are all new creeks and
if will take time and labor to develop
them. The opinion of a good many uI
here is that Chapman is one of the
best creeks. as the prospects showed
up very good, going rs cents to the
pan right on top surface. But time
will tell.
We have built a cabin on Miller
Greek. which is five miles from town
and are living there at present WE
make that our headquarters, but we
are always on the go from one place
to another-always something to do
George Thisby and Ed Allison have
Just gone out on Chapman Creek WITH
some other fellows, and are going &c
build a cabin there, so that we VII
have some place to stop when we are
working out there. Phil Cooley ano
myself are going to build another cabir
on Minook Creek also. we
will have our hands ful
this winter and won't have time &c
think about the cold weather.
Of course all this is new to us, anc
it takes us longer to get things II
shape than the old-timers. Tools anc
hardware of all kinds are very scarce
land we have to depend on the ak al
together to build with. The cabins
Edon't have a nail in them, but it sur
lprised us what a fine, warm house they
make when completed.
We have plenty of good dry timber
ION our claims, so we didn't have any
trouble about getting the right kline
Eof logs. The cabin on Miller Creek Is
141hx16 on the inside, which gives Us
plenty of room. The logs are notchee
at the corners, and moss put in be-
tween each log, so that when they set
tie down it makes the cabin alr-lght
At present We have no idea nov
things will turn out. We have enough
claims, if there is anything in them
We are not building any air castles
but hope to find something if hard WORE
and patience will do 1t.
| OF course we all expect a big rusf
up next summer, as some of the people
who went back to Frisco intend tC
boom up this country. A good many
who had capital with them invested
in claims up here, but went back Il
Frisco for the winter intending TO re
turn in the spring. If anybory comes
along and makes us a good offer, why
we might talk business with them, bu
then they will have to pay for it.
We can't decide on anything unit
next June. We expect to start in sink
ing on CHAPMAN Creek in week Of
two, but of course can't do any wash
ing until spring, until we have some
water. We are a great deal better OF
here than if we got up to Dawson
There is no chance of getting claim
within 100 miles of the Klondike, an(
then you are taking chances in tryine
to find some creek to stake on, and the
creeks here are just as good, and ma!
be better than up there. Secondly. We
are told that there is no grub, as NJ
boats were able to get up there on TIL
last trip, and they were very short o
provisions when the boats left coming
down to st. Michael.
There We're two boats which got VI
as far as Circle City, and that is 4o'
miles from Dawson, and the only way
they can do it is to sled it over the ic'
on dog teams, so you can imagine how
long it will take to go that distance.
A man just arrived here from Circle
City. and he told us that they were
all starving at Dawson. He is a good
responsible man. He said flour is S2o'
a barrel. SO we think we have a grea