The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1898-11-08

lOr dulludlS 10 any great extent,
and the mode of coming here
does not offer much opportunity
to bring animals, SO we find the
majority of miners without any
mode of transportation, and
every man is his own pack horse.
The trails are lined with men GO
ing and coming all the time. I
had occasion to be out 25 miles
two days ago, and made a little
estimate of man each way every
ten minutes, and each man car
rying from so to 100 pounds, and
no one starts out without blank
cts and supplies. Some use
their dogs, pack 25 pounds to
each dog, but never fails to take
a load himself. But this mode
is only kept until winter, when
the streams freeze up, then the
sleds are used, both by man and
dogs. Dogs are the main mode
freighting in winter, for the
reason that the country furnish
es their food in dried Salmon
and moose meat.
There are quite a number of
horses here now, and those that
are fortunate enough to secure
feed, can use them TO good adj
vantage. Horse feed now is
selling at $400 per ton, and some
are asking $500, but a large per
cent of the horses will be slaugh-
tered and fed to the dogs. There
is one pack train of IL mules.
They already have on hand $685.
900 worth of feed. The rates for
packing either with man, dogs or
horses is $1.00 for 100 pounds
one mile; or to Eldorado, Is.
miles, 16 cts. per pound, and the
same ratio for long or short dis
lance. A great many pole boats
up the streams as far as posi-
BILE, then pack. Every man in
the country has pack straps, and
is as much of necessity as the
pack saddle for the horse. Now
do not fancy you see me carry
ing my blankets, for l have not
done it. | made one trip of Is
miles and carried an AK, frying
pan, two cups and butcher
knife, and that is the only load
have carried; nor have / pulled a
sled. [ brought horses from
Seattle, and have three yet.
I think this a great mining
country, but owing to the frozen
condition of the ground and the
mining laws, it will be slow of
development. In prospecting,
the frost is a benefit, as one can
sink to bedrock without pump or
drain. A great many bars and
bench claims have been worked
this Summer with sluice, the
same as in Idaho. The ground
thawing out as fast as worked,
but the deeper diggings will be
drifted this Winter. Two men
will burn 40 cords of wood to
melt down what ground they can
take out, or about 50x75 feet.
This country has been mined
up and down the Yukon for fif-
teen years or more in different
camps, from Stewart river col
miles above to the Tananaw 1000
miles down toward St. Michaels.
This is by far the richest of them
all, but | believe from what
can learn, the Alaska side is far
more extensive, and in the near
future will be equally as pro-
ductive.
1t would be useless for me to
try to tell how rich the mines are
or how much money can be made
here, but will say that there are
more rich claims than l expected
and double the extent of country.
The only thing overestimated |
was mosquitoes. Lost river can
beat this two to one, so far as l |
have seen.
A country that can stand the |
prices we have here must have
some merit. and I will give you
some of the prevailing prices
here in town, then add the freight
to the mines Flour, 1920 per
ton; corn meal, $500; oat meal,
$500; bacon, $500; sugar, 5000;
hams, 81. 900; oats, $500; timothy
bay, $500; case goods, $40; beef,
81. 90 per pound, choice cut, 81 so;
moose steak, 75c. labor $40 per
day; carpenters SIS; team work
$50 to $50 per day; lumber 5000
per M; saw logs $50 to SIS per
M; lease ground, water front,
$40 per front foot per month and
On your own building; back room
rent, second story, $125 per
pork 50 per pound; live
hogs $1.25 per pound; chickens,
i've, 81 per pound; turkeys, 75c.
per pound; oranges, lemons, APP