The silver star., 1899-09-01
ANALAss<A LETTER I'll
John Littss Whtss an lnsssvsting Lsstsr TO ~
KorzEBuE SouND.; ALASKA,
July -. 1899.

! July -. 1889.
My DEAR Boysi - Cofrepyiopd snce
between us hHs not been worry briak of:
la'c. yet 1t is not to be wondered at in
tsiis God f6rnaken country. Your ietter
to ME. received during the Writer. was
Tie only ore reAche1 hsre ir reply IL i,
numbef Iselt out ffofi Kbtzehrs Sound
!uet year, hut tho trail from ST. M:ebaei-
has not reached hcrg yet sing to Aii ex
cepttbtiallv late reason and the icr pack
out in tho sound is hurd TO brcal, up
.A'siut 800 men wintered On tho KovaL
fIgsr and DID more or Ices prcspectine
all tho sesson. Tho ftsrIlte in every ceHt
were rather t,lsntissactory. l pr.spect.
% w.th. our par y. the most brni,.isinc
locking range in sight aud tic sDa.st ]
could find wac gravel that would run
about 1900 per day to the man. or
course That would not bay.in this couu
try md no ground was stake.i Only
this summer veg anything like wdcceni
lind made and !. is located at the head
watera of the Naatsk river und north
hraLch Of the Kowak. Just how rich h,
is cannot be estimated yet. The pros.
aectors who found il had 10 pack what
PROVISIONS they had on their backs, and
came out when 1t WAC gonc and rowad
quickly down the river 10 this poin. to
get mcrc supplies in order TO continue
the work for anoihet year.
Out OF tie reveril huntlred pcorle WHO
"ere encaWred here waiting W gHt out =
grah: nup'lper had goue to the re- ported
y0lI strike at Cape Nome tyicinity ut
Norton S0und) in smatl boats VIXEN the
rrospectors frcu, the Upper waters came
tc@n. What they had to tell created
cute ripple oil excitement and those
sho had money and provisions enough
.or another year Immediately returned
mp the river. but less than hundred
we're properly supplied Bu!. 81, ytlcr,
Who is with NE. AND others Ut our part =
went back . fly ,rg IN tho launch. / ia
fcnd to wait here until trading shifts
come In got fresh supplies sad get back
rnaindcr ot tho way. Ii is a ;oox nr,iu
ous tr:r. frnvght with hardahirs and
danger, but We arc in tho field To win,
End aim to accomplish my mission Ia
Alaska Il within hunhn possibility. I
may safeiy say that nine sui of every ton
pcOple who came 10 Alaska last year
haze. returned or will return afler one
yeqf.s stsy. condemning the cauntry and
leaving 1t !ore.er.
Climate and conditions arss x..a inst the
ptubpscfor hero. The country IL SO vast
nbst .distancee 10 .ercnt that ora is eli.
9ngcd CONSTANTLY packing suppI,es te
tween one point and another, leaving nd
tilne for digging gold. II wouiti not be-
No bsd could one trnvel scrf.se the tx,un
try betwenn any two given points urinc
antraIa for packing. Tut thst is rimple
i'm possibis.i The uioes. tundra AID water
may he knec desp for fifty miles at a
stretch. In winter il is. of couvss, earief
tn 20 by such routes. but the danger is
correepon1ingly great. No timber ex
sept slong the ytfeams. Waterways 10
tbe only practicable couvre.
Last winter 10 campeti about 400 miles.
up the Kownk. This cu,,,inR winter ex
pect to reach the hendwaters II the 10
~nk and Nnafak. prospect there anil also
TIE Colville river section. aud IL nuth,nr
great IL found can inform Cncl. Sau.
that he didn't accomplish much when
buying Aiaslsa. I feel reasousbly surc
can drop onto soms,hing this trip up the
kowak and II not, will try and get over
to the Yukon country. -.
] lind the cold season 10 the plessntest
tinno here bersnae then. no mosqu quitos
aud rain to bother: The weather gets
brtween % and 10 below sometimes. yct
the stmosnherc. like { Colorado, IL dry and
the lntensr cold II easily wlthstcod h!
properly ciad. Several. however. last
winter became exhausted from pulling
eletle. sat down TO icst, dnzei Oh and
pevsr woke up Our Of ono people who
.cAmn 70 tbis sAttinn 10 seek their snr
tuner Iahf season oter sixty fontd shci-
gfsyes BY drowning .cx poenrs uod sco-vy
] don't know whether Alaska IL bow be
ing bsscmed or not; have no sAy 70 fnd
out here. brt 10 ,kiow that It lnssn't
cor,pass with the mining ssstes some
rsopic left snd strikes here musl nAres
sarily he very rich to mako Il pay ut aIl
My health IL good Ut pteschi and car,
r.s In another yeir IN Alaska, I gises.
al rirhs. willwritc ;",e ee,iu when cpi
rcrtunity ofers and givo vol oil tho
news. Hope buu:uesa js good with you
.nd the political complexion to your jiis
Ing. Don't know what silver u worth
Expcat mail sopn. Ny l,ipdeet Wishes
IL both Ut you aud MI tricnds
~ Fr0sn your friend.
JAcK LlTfLE.
Ads. M brfors 10 ~. Michaols until