The herald., 1898-05-01

ing to bake one loaf at time, 1t having to
be turned over and turned around to get
properly cooked. We bake every three
days.
January 29th.-The thermometer dropped
to 65 below zero, but as there was no wind
ii did not keep us indoors. Most of the
men in the cabin are building sleds 1t Is
nearly a hundred miles from here to the
mountains, and old miners say there is the
place to look for gold. Mr.. Tarwater and
1 have begun to build sled; we put in half
a day in the woods looking for sled timber;
we have to borrow tools, and sled building
is slow work at Fort Yukon. We visit
among the other cabins, playing checkers
and talking, etc. The only excitement We
have had since New Years was the ap-
pearance of wolves; four or five chased
miner few nights ago who was hauling
provisions from the warehouse to this
place -four miles,. The man got here safe.
few nights before some wolves carried
off and ate up a large dog that lay at the
cabin door; there was nothing left but his
hide and a few bones.
Several miners have come up from I'D
Minook river; one man said they struck
good mines, but the rest report only a few
paying mines, and advise people to stay
away. Ex-Mayor Wood of Seattle reached
here from St. Michaels two or three weeks
ago; he had a white man and an Indian
with him and sixteen dogs. He stayed
here a week, then started for Dawson;
from there he intended to go out Of the
country by way of Dyea.
If any of our friends want to come to this
country, tell them to think twice before
they come. If they do come, to bring not
less than a years provisions, and If they
want to get in with any comfort, tell them
to bring in the neighborhood of thousand
dollars to pay transportation, packing and
boat building.
Several Deaths
February 2Oth.-Time passes slowly in
this part of the country; hemmed in in
what is termed the Yukon flats, the couu-
try being fiat and swampy for many miles,
the river spreading out for about sixty
miles at this point, 1t is filled with small
islands. The thermometer has ranged
from so to 60 below zero for the past week.
There was man named Charles Rohring
buried here last Friday in the Indian
grave yard; he had gone with a party to
Beaver creek some weeks ago; he had one
of his feet frozen, and the balance Of thu
without any stove; here he remained a
week or more, and was found by a party
coming back, who brought him in on their
sled, but he was so badly frozen he died in
few days. Rev. Mr.. Hawksley delivered
the funeral sermon in the little log church:
| 1t was a sad occasion; the room was filled
with miners and Indians; two white women
were present. The miners made coffin
cut of some rough lumber. The dead man
had relatives living in Oshkosh Wis.
February 22nd.-Washington's birthday.
but no celebra( pm here. We learned yes
terday that two men who had gone over
to Beaver creek had been frozen to death
in their tent; they were found by the In
dams. We did not learn their names. The
Indians had a funeral yesterday, one Of
their number having died few days ago.
For all it is so cold the Indians do not seem
to mind it, Their children run outdoors
and play
No news from home since last August.
No newspaper since August 10Th.
o. T. THOMAS.