The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1898-02-24

The following letter is from Peter
Johnston of this city who left for the
klOndIke last summer He is admir-
ably fitted for adventure of that kind,
being strong, compactly built, healthy
and capable of withstanding any hard
ship 1t is evident he believes all is not
god that glltters in the reports which
come from the klondike.
Dawson City, N. T., Dec. %, '97.
DEAR BRoTHER:-Not having any
thing to do just now, and having a
good chance to send letter out, I
thought would drop You a line or
two.
I left Lake Bennett the 9th of Sep
TENDER and arrived at Dawson Sept
25ta Had fine trip down the lakes
and rivers. We went through the
canon and White Horse Rapids fly
ing. l have heard since that a good
many men were lost on the lakes The
wind kicks up an awful sea on them.
l have been hustling to get me grub
enough to last me all winter. We are
having fine weather now, but it will
probably be cold enough next month.
Everything is $1.00 pound. -four,
bacon, beans, but sugar is only 30c.
per 10. Wages are 81 so an hour if
you have your own grub, but You
can't get any work at all if you haven't.
1t is just noon now and l can hardly
see to write. Candles only cost 75c
apiece, so we don't use very many. 1
don't think that Pll put in another
winter in this couDtry unless l have
better luck than l have had, There
is no doubt but that there is lots of
gold here if we can only find it. There
are few claims on Bonanza and Ell
dorado Creeks owned by the Berrys
and Mcdonald, where they are taking
out big money, but there are whole
lot more that don't make expenses
The most of the claim owners are fig
uring on selling their claims outside
for big stake, and good many ont
siders will probably get bit pretty
hard. l haven't met soul that ever
saw since 1 left home. Do any of the
boys from there intend to come up
here in the spring? They will wish
they never had started if they do. l
hope Bob won't be foolish enough to
quit his job to dig gold. If a man
could get in early next spring with a
thousand gallons of whiskey ne would
be all right 1t brings $4,000 a gallon
now. 1t is estimated that five hun.
dred people went ont over the ice up
to now, and they are all going to bring
in big outfits or whiskey ID the spring,
but if they have good luck to get out
l think they will stay out. Have you
any intention of coming to this coun
try? If you do, you want to bring
plenty of the "long green" 1 under
stand that man cannot travel over
this country in summer There is too
much water, and old timers say the
mosquitoes are terrible. Dogs are
worth anywhere from $3.50 to $500
here now, and man cannot do much
here without them. Two boys from
Montana went up in the mountains
and killed 46 caribou They could
have got more, but their ammunition
ran out. They said there must have
been ten thousand in the bunch. They
are hard to get because they go uI
SO high it is hard for a man to get
within life shot. Ihelped them draw
them to town and made $4,000 in Sly
days. That caribou meat is the fin
est that / ever ate. 1t beats any
Chicken or turkey: There is not much
use of my trying to give you a de
scription of the country or any point
ers, because | can't. It is a tough
country and after you are in here 20,
can't get out
| Give my love to the folks I an
not sure that you will ever get this
Wishing you Merry Christmas ant
Happy New Year, am
Your affectionate brother,
PETER JOHNSTON, Jf