Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-08-17
From Yukon.
Dawson, Yukon Territory,

IL July "A, 1899.
My Dear Wife, Children, and Par
ents: You will probably be somewhat
surprised when you see that | am here.
While at Nulato waiting for mail, /
got chance for myself, Doran and
Sherlock to work our passage to st.
Michaels, which we gladly accepted, as
we were without provisions, or money,
or at least did not have enough grub
to last to St. Michaels in a small boat,
since it takes about three weeks to go
down. We went down in five days,
but had to work hard. was ac-
quainteda with fous of the men on the
steamboat. and through John Shilton
!. we got on. We left our boat at Nula-
to. so when we got to st. Michaels, /
got a, chance to sign as deck hand at
the enormous salary of $50 per month
and board, which is very small wages
for this country. If / do not receive
B the money from home at Nulato or
ST. Michaels when i get there, will
send you all the wages I will have
then and will make another trip to
Dawson. signed with. the steamer
Hannah" with the A.4Cs Co. Shells
the best and fastest sboats on the sY,l-
kon. We had race with 1.-THE "Mon-
ARCH coming up the 1avef, and ran
clear around her twice. arhere is very
little work here, and wages are small.
1t costs four dollars per day to live
here, and wages are from SIS to $40, but
lit is almost impossible to get job at
all. 1 saw Dell McCord on the Susie
He was going to Tanana. He had, the
contract for carrying mail from Circle
to Dawson last winter. I think he
made couple of thousand dollars or
more. He now has contract between
Circle and Weare, and he offered me
a job, driving the dog team and car
rying the mail, but I am afraid almost
to accept it as last year the mail car
rier between those points, only made
+ one trip, and he nearly froze to death
and had to throw away the mail and
lash himself on the sleds to get to
Rampant City,. want to come home
very much, but unless / get money ]
cannot. We will be in st. Michaels in
five days, and it took us fifteen DAYS
to come up. If I do not get the money
from home will make another trip
on the Hannah and try to get work
elsewhere until winter sets in. Then
will go out over the trail, and in that
case cannot get home much, If any, be-
fore January 4.
We met the boys, who came in with
the new steamboat, at st. Michaels
hut they say the letter I wrote home
last fall, prevented; them from selling
the stock, and if that is so 1 am glad
iswrote ii, as it is a big swindle. They
will not even go to Clear Creek again
They are going 10 Cape Nome
and start a restaurant and get rid of
their provisions that way. They can
not sell it at any price at st. Michaels.
From what / learn the gold strike al
Cape Nome is a big, fake and only an.
other transportation bcom in order tic
get people out of Dawson. The gold
they say came from there is exactly
like the Klondile gold. and the man
that found it has claims in Klondike,
SO 1t looks as if the mines were Sailed.
1t. may be that.I will go there if 1
can hear a good report from Twogood,
who}is over thee, but i want to get
home, and one" there will stay. This
Is written in haste us we will start at
7o'clock p. m. for st. Michaels.
Yours affectionately,