West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1898-06-16
Our Boys In Alaska.
The kingWoOd Boys i'm that Far.oir
Land Again Heard From.


/ CANAAANt- III A. sAAsAss May -, ISIS
| DEAR FRIENDs:
will give you all the information
have obtained by seeing and hearing.
I The FIRST IL, there Is gold here, but 10
hod II - another thing The trouble is
the bed rock lies on top the gold; or,
IA other words, there are no valleys 10
the rivers, and all the cree,S-beds are
taken no; and the laws here are 80
crippled 10y local district regulations
that they keep locating year after
year aud have their price, aud [ have
not seen anything that could handle
TO make wages. There are eight
claims in THIS district that p0y from
ten TO htieen dollars 10 the man per
day. They are working the bed OF che
river 10y putting in wing dams There
- no show To prospect with pactl-
morse or mule, as tine mountains are
too steep aud rough. The way TO
travel here is to 90 as far as you can in
boa, thea take up the bed and
walk" and II you are not able to do
that you are no good.
The formation is all slate or what is
called black schist. The timber here
is small and limby aud stands very
thicN on the ground The gold is
coarse and the bed rock stands on end
aud is SO rough you cant get any OF
the hne gold IL there is any.
There are lots OF prospectors here
who have been here for two years aud
have no mines yet and they are hus-
tiers from way back | do not say
this To discourage the company l rep
resent, but you wanted the truth and
will write just as il is aud hustle all
the harder myself. | have seen men
from all parts of Alaska who have been
here for four years, aud have been ia
Dawson and the Klondike. They saw
there are solre good mines there but
they have been overestimated by from
one'third To one-half. Many mines
there are not paying wages, for the
reason that the owners are broke and
cant get away There are CLAIMS
worked here that are not taking out
80 cents n day
have seen some very nice quartz
and think we will have something
vet. l will put in the summer pros
pecting. l will get boat and 90
around the head OF the Inlet, or ms
Captain Cook sail when he came M
the Inlet thinking IL was the way TO
Arctic sea, and found he was mistaken,
called it the "Turnagain Arm"
The scenery is all that anyone could
wish to see, and the nights are almost
all day. When 1t is cloudy il gets too
dark To read large print, but when
clear one can read right along at any
time during the - hours OF the dav
IL seems so strange To 10 to- bed before
II gets dark. There were some chick.
J ems brought here and when it came
Ted time they went To cost aud as il
ala not get dark they becume dis.
gusted and got down from the roost.
will send you "a pencil picture of the
city of Sunrise made by Joe Hanson. a
reporter for "a ST. Louis paper. / will
also send you map of Six Mile Creek
! District.
We nave three stores, three hotels.
and don't know how many saloons
but plenty of them TO take i'm all the
nuggets the miners have through the
winter; then they mortgage their
claims 60 the stnreSeepers and saloon
men for their first grub-stake i'm the
spring. refer to those who sport.
Gambling is the mania Of the miner in
the mines of the north
Well, hope 70 write more encour.
agiEg news the next time. The mail
lines are not established here vet Iv.
onoek 10 our nearest post-ofIiee. and il
20 miles distant We have not heard
from the war since we left Seattle
that is by the papers. The last news
we bad was secondhand. have had
one letter from Mrs. Boone and il was
written on April 2lst
Flour IS 80 90 per barrel; hams 14c:
bacon Zoe; dried fruits IL To &c. There
is no game here; but there is plenty Of
wild geese, ducks and fish
This is said 10 be the garden spot OF
Alaska Just what they raise in the
gardens don't know Gold nuggets.
likely If find such garden will
certainly work IL.
We are all well and enjoying our
selves the best we can after hard
days prospecting. Will Smalley gets
wild and walks as though he had 20
and has the appearance OF an old time
miner. lie has not shaved since we
left Seattle.
About half Of The people in this camp
will leave here TO go back TO the q. S.
] will send this letter out with a
miner by the name OF Paine, from
Bos ton. Mass lie may mail IL at
| Chicago. You can write me at this
place as it will be- headquarters Write
aud give me all the news, II It ever gets
here. n. VI. BOONE
a a.