Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-11-01

The many friends of Bert Ham!en will
be interested in the following letter re-
ceived from him, a few days ago, which
details some of his experiences in the
Klondike:
Scaretown Heights, Sunday, Sept. 49, '9S
Today being Sunday ] thought l would
sit down and write to you. 1t has been
some time since l have written as have
been away from camp most of the time
prospecting.
The boys got back from Forty Mile
about two weeks ago. One of them (Mr.
Mcclellan has been way through to Daw-
son city and back. Something that think
no other man who landed at Valdes this
summer can say. They do not bring back
OF the country, as food Is so high that 1t
takes very rich mine to pay. At Forty
Mile Post. flour sells for $500 hundred,
proportion. The boys found very good
prospects on one Of the tributaries of the
Copper river and there is where we shall
probably put in the winter, They built a
cabin there before coming back and now
we are waiting for the rivers to freeze
up. SO we can sled our goods up there, as
that Is the only practicable way we can
get them to our destination.
There have been hundreds of people go
ing back to the states and there will prob
ably be hundreds more going in few
aged. They came here to stay and they
intend to stay. We could not have got
into better crowd If we had picked the
men ourselves. I believe this is the only
leaving the boat The rest of the large
companies that came in here together
have all split up or had some trouble. /
think one reason is, that we have our
outfits separate and so feel perfectly in
dependent and know we can separate at
any time. The boys all feel confident that
the claims where we are going. to work
this winter. will pan out well, but of
course We cannot tell anything about that
until we sluice our dirt next spring. Still
we have something to do this winter and
that is a good deal in country like this
and is more than good many can say.
The days are beginning to grow shorter
quite fast now. There was time this
summer when l could lie in the tent and
read a novel at II o'clock at night without
P. NJ.
l was over across the country prospect
ing last week and got caught in snow
storm. 1t showed about three inches and
was bitterly cold. Several nights we had
to sleep with our feet close to big camp
ground would shake. If we should do in
the states as we do up here we would all
be taken with the rheumatism and
dhe IN week was out snd
wasn't day that wasn't wet to my
knees and some days | was wet all over.
One day l waded a creek twelve times
and the creek headed right in a glacier
so you can imagine how cold the water
must be. But such things are an every
day occurrence up here and we get so we
don't feel natural unless we are more or
less wet. l believe this is the healthest
country in the world or else we would
all be dead There has been very little
sickness on the trail but there have been
several deaths by accidental shooting,
drowning and overwork. Two men have
committed suicide. and last week three
men were lost coming over theF glacier.
One of them died and the other two are
committed
eide because his partner would not give
him money to go back to the states with.
Four of those New York boys we out
fitted with, in Seattle, have gone home
Disguised with the country and every
thing in it. Those kind of people ought
never to have left home, at all. / am
feeling first rate and weigh one hundred
and sixty pounds without a coat or vest
on, and | had been working hard for Il
month before l was weighed. Harry
weighs hundred and ninety-five pounds.
l guess that is the most he ever weighed.
We are still living in tents and hope TO
do so, until the river freezes, for | have
an idea that those people who go to liv-
winter when they get ready to start for
Forty Mile while those who live in tents.
will gradually get used to the cold and
be much better able to stand it. The log
cabin the boys built up where we are go
ing to winter, is sixteen by twenty inside
and that will hold all of u.s. until we can
build more. The salmon we. caught this
summer would weigh all the way from
five to twelve pounds, but / have seen
some caught this summer, that would
weigh IS or 40 pounds. BERT.