The Penn's Grove record., 1899-03-17

following lettef iEOu MS AiiShH
Wheatley who has been hunting gold
in the Klondike region for a year, ana
Mr.. S. has kindly allowed us to pup
lish it because MI. Wheatley is known
by others in this region.
Dawson, January 29. 1893
DEAR FRIEND:-Your letter of Nov.
26, received and | was very glad 10
hear from you and that you have no in
tention of coming to this blasted Coun'
try. That is where your head is level
l was afraid after l wrote that you
might try it, but after receiving your
answer l am satisfied, for l wouldn't
want to be the means of bringing a dog
to this place, let alone a friend.
There are thousands of poor fellows
here who would give almost anything
to get away but it is out of the question
for some of them havn't grub enough
to last them if they tried to make the
trio out oyer the ice. 1t is Impossible
to get work here as there is nothing az
all doing The place is practicaI'y
dead. Every gambling house, saloon,
etc, is crowded day and night ana
there is lots of them here for the size
of the place. There ale more gamollhg
houses and ~ssloons, than at Gloucester
CITY or Coney Island. There are not
MANY women here but what there Is
are 80 per cent fast.
There is very little money in The town
The price of everything has dropped
and YOU can purchase things here
almost as cheaply as in the States
Auction sales are the order OF the DAY
and you can buy anything from a can
of tomatoes to a mining claim for your
W price. Mining claims that would
have sold for thousands last year on
speculation couldn't be given away
now. So many of them, after being
worked, turned out no good and are
practically deserted.
1t is very discouraging for men after
going through untold h~ardships, build
ing cabins, chopping wood and hauling
it through the snow to where he wants
to sink a shaft and work for a month
or two sinking 10 bedrock, by means
of thawing the ground which IS very
slow and laborous task. From 6inehes
to / foot is about all you can go down
these short days and then find nothing,
after all your hard work, l have work
ed this way all winter and hav'nt earn
ed a cent. Four of us worked SIX weeks
and found about % cents worth OF god
for our trouble. Thousands have done
likewise, and l think 1t would be hard
to fluid a more d~isheartened lot of men
in any community than you can lind IN
Dawson today.
But l am giving you the dark side OF
the story only. There ale hundreds OF
men who have got good paying proper
ties and are doing well making their
fortunes. They have been lucky enough
to strike the right spot and when you
once strike it it doesn't take long to
take out a fortune. l know one man
who sank a hole 60 #. and took out
$1,000 when he got to the pay on bed
rock. The size of the shaft is about
4x7 #, | know another who has got
10 TT. of gravel all pay, runs 80 cents to
the pan, and so on in numerous other
cases. So you see there is always a
bright side to look at.
am not discouraged but a little dis
appointed in doing so much work and
having nothing to show for it, but my
turn may come yet. | am not going
to quit at the first knock down. All
want is to get enough to buy me a ne"
grub stake for another year and l am
ready TO go old Dame Fortune another
round.
l saw this inscription on a stake one
day when coming down the creek.
No gold in sight, my grub is gone
My pocket book is empty.
Why did l leave Ey good old home
Where every thing is plenty.
Underneath this was written.
Cheer up old boy there still is hope
DON'T give up in despair;
Perhaps if sou sink another hole
You'll be a millionaire.
thought this very appropriate and
know that it doesn't matter into what
straights some poor fellows get who
have left a good home and perhaps pos
itions, they never give up hope and aIe
always ready to buckle on their armour,
pull a sled loaded with provisions a
hundred miles or more il necessary.
sleep in a tent, with the thermometer
between 80 and SO degrees below zero,
risk anything and put up with all the
discomfort imaginable with the hope
of some day striking it rich.
Well George, l suppose you will bt
getting weary with my harangue SC
will close wishing you the best of sue
cess in your hunt for sturgeon. l re
main our sincere friend.
Z. WHEATLEY.
Pennsville Points.
The election here passed off vert