The record-union., 1898-07-29

| Succor, would have Swelled the al
| ready goodly number that occupy small
spaces on a little hill just back of Daw-
| son.
| Two of our party have been inmates
| of the hospital One, David Brown of
Port Townsend, Wash, is still there.
and quite low, but in the last few days
they think he has shown signs of inn
| provement. For the past month or
two, and until few days ago, Captain
! Wasson was patient there also. He
| is past all danger now, however, and
will be ready to start for home with
us next month. The balance Of our
party did not escape entirely. All had
the disease in mild form, but managed
to check it before getting down.
| The advance guard of new eomers
are now arriving. One fellow came in
on a sleigh and caused general laugh.
| The raft upon which it was fastened
was entirely submerged and out of
sight, which gave him the appearance
of riding with his outfit on the sleigh
alone. 1t caused the general exclama-
| ton, ''The last man in on a sleigh!"
| The few newcomers who have arrived
are reaping a harvest by selling pro-
visions, which can in a few days be re-
placed for a tenth of the sum they
| realize
| An amusing story was told me to-
day of a 'checharkoo'' who had dis
posed of his outfit Cor the greater part
thereof at figures up in the pictures.
He had heard, I suppose, that meals
We're SO, but was not aware of the fact
| that it did not include eggs, a few
dozen Of which had been brought in a
| few weeks before and disposed of at
$50 per dozen. The waiter asked him if
he would have eggs, and he ordered
two. The meal finished, he asked for
his bill and was told that it would be
$40
but great Scott, man, I was told
that meals were S3!"
You took eggs, my dear sir, and to-
day they are worth $3.50 each. To-
morrow the price will be So"
| The truth of the matter was the
restaurant keeper had been compelled
| to purchase provisions from the fell
| low that morning at exorbitant rates,
and saw a chance to get back. 1t was
an instance of bitter being bitten
| and a source Of great satisfaction to
all under whose notice it came.
We Cor many, anyhow are at the
mercy of those coming down the river
with food. We have to pay any price
they see fit to ask, and it will con-
tinue so until a steamer arrives Every
feeling gives way to a greed for gain,
and one hardly looks for honor or fair
ness in business dealings. Get all you
can, by any means, and through any
channel, and get out, seems to be the
rule. Tt is not to be compared with
the early times Of California, I can
41I1 rI,a hot
Harte and Joaquin Miller were wont to
depict are not to be found here.
OF the sporting fraternity Swift
water Bill takes the place of Jack
Hamlin," and it is much like going into
loon and gambling house.
But money is free and plentiful, as is
bound to be the case in rich mining
camp, and there are many ways to in
vest to advantage. One could come in
from the outside at this season of the
year and realize immense profits from
an outfit of luxuries and little nic-nacs
that people crave for here.
For the past two or three months
we have paid from So to SS a plug for
tobacco, and great was the cOnsterna-
ton some time since when word went
out that the supply of whisky was get
ting short. 1t proved to be true, it
seems, for only one saloon has been
able to serve it's patrons with the ar
ticle of late, and (needless to say) has
done a land-office business. Yesterday,
however, someone landed with 100 gal
Ions, which was Immediately corralled
by an opposition house for $50 per gall
lon, and his establishment Immediately
became popular
Every one is anxious for papers and
mail from outside on account Of the
war we are now engaged in. A few
papers of date May Sd came in.
At such a time a committee immediate
ly get possession of the same if posSi-
BILE, and what are termed readings
are held in one Of the largest buildings.
An admission fee of $3.50 is charged,
and the amount thus collected goes to
the hospital fund. The house is always
packed, particularly since there has
been talk of trouble with Spain, and
each reading nets quite a sum for
a good cause. You must save all back
numbers of papers for / shall want to
inform myself fully of the cause of the
trouble.
In both of your letters you spoke Of
the Rooney party. / gather from that
that they started last fall, but did not
get through You did not mention
Falkingburg and White. | hope they
reached home all right.
Well, / expect to reach home a month
or two after you receive this letter, and
the ten thousand and one things l
can't think of now, or don't care to
mention at this time, will help pass
many an evening. You and the folks
will know how glad I will be to see
you all once more. I have been with
you in thought a good portion of last
winter Now that the summer is here,
the time until / am ready to start
home will not seem long. / shall try
and go by way of Seattle AS little
of the ocean travel as is possible will
better suit me.
Bill Ahern is well, and wants to be
remembered to you and all his friends
you may chance to meet.
Tell Denham, if still in Sacramento,
that the bottom fell out of the boom
worse than ever after he left-when it
became known without doubt that the
royalty was on. At present there
seems to be no sale for any property.
Love to all the folks. FRANK.
Investigating Georgia's Gold Mines
Mr. Connolly, a member Of the Brit
ish Parliament, was in Atlanta yester-
day He came over to investigate the
gold fields, and he brought an expert
who is now examining properties in
the upper part of the State. Mr.. Con-