The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1899-01-25
AN ALASKAN LETTER
FROM LESLIE ROsER, SON OF JOHN
ROsER OF THIS PLACE.

W LiNot uuO II ull Oh "a Hnu AuTcutures
Eggs Sell for $500 Dozen -Orang&
20 cents Apiece.-Wages for the LaborF
are $1,000 Day.
EAGLE CRY, ALASKA, 0cT. 4.-The
month OF 0ctoter was ushered in
with fine crisp weather not unlike the
wea her at home the latter part Of Nov
emner around Thanksgiving. / had
understood that it was freezing cold here
in Sepenher, hut on the contrary 1t
was as fiue weather as a person could
wish for We had very light fall Of
snow for Il day or two the latter part Of
September and the mountains around
here are prettily covered with mantle
of white. The sunset upon these noun
tains now is a beautiful sight. A little
later and the sun will hide himself almost
entirely and we will have darkness for
'fare-the-well'. Steve and have Just
completed another log cabin, and we
now have two cabins In town we expect
to rent for the winter. It is no easy task
building cabin, chOpping and carrying
huge logs and filling every little crack
with moss. One brings more muscles
into play here than he would sitting be-
hind roll top desk in Chicago. The
last lot Of moss we gathered was so
frozen that we had to chop 1t out and
thaw it in our cabin. The temperature
at present is around the freezing point
but we work out of doors in our shirt
sleeves. The air is so dry and pure cold
is something we have not yet heard Of.
The Yukon river is still running but
old timers here look for it to freeze in q
short time and we will then be cut off
from the outside world as far as navi-
cation is concerned. We expect to 90
up to our claim in about week and get
in our winter supply Of wood which will
be Of no few cords. The city has had
quite growth since last wrote. The
North American Transportation Co., are
building large warehouses and store
here and several people locating in diff
erent branches Of business. We look for
this to be quite metropolitan city in
time. Lots Of men are working now
and all wages are ten dollars day. We
still have great deal Of faith In our
I claim, but cannot sink our holes until
IabOut November, when the ground Is
frozen hard. Then it will be a case of
building fires to thaw out the ground
again. Holes cannot be sunk to bed
rock here until the ground is frozen as
!, water will come in after digging a short
distance. We will be glad when 1t
! freezes up, for then we will know a
little better where we are at. Have had
the mosquitoes and black flies in all
their glory and am of the opinion that a
little 609 below zero weather will do nc
!. further damage than thickening the
y blood that the mosquitoes left and put
: ting on hOrsehide complexion upon
l. our physiOgnOmy. Steve received three
letters from home few days ago. The
government has contracted for two mails
l. month here so we will be able to get
% mail every two weeks IL all the carriers
y do not freeze up. The mails come Oyel
the ChilcoOt Pass via Dyea trail and they
are at work now establishing station
, all along the line, so that the mails vii
h be gotten in and sent out in relays. I
,r they could send pOrterh0use steak BY
,e mail, what blessing it would be, how
g. ever our appetite is not impaired AM
" can do full justice to what we call
k good square meal, which consists main
Of ly of pork init" beans. We do not hav
Of time to bake beans as 1t takes severa
Of hours, so we merely boil them. Have
he bean pot that holds five gallons, and W
a boil the pot full and eat them to the las
Id bean. This will last us about three day
of A few eggs came down from Dawso
10 today and they sell for $500 dozen an
re oranges 25 cents a piece. We can &c
n Armour's and Cudahy's canned corne
,le beef, roast beef and mutton for rs cent
per can. We get can occasionally an
a can Of tomatoes, which costs 30 cent
and we think we are living high for Oh
Oh meal at least. In short time we O.
lth pect to live on moose meat for time, |
cir there are plenty Of them around; aboV
m. fifteen miles back and we are going
In hunt them shortly. Some Of these moo
AN weigh a thousand pounds. II we cOu
nee get one or two it would keep US in frel
en- meat all winter.
OF We 60 to bed early he!e and get i
OF with the birds. Am feeling fine al
gle really enjoy my work, and at no tin
Id since my arrival here have / been disco
In tented, so what more cOuldI ask 70
the or course miss several little cOmfOl
cen that / get at home, but after q 4
per months here one seems to forget them
Tore no one here is more comfortably fix
than we, and we seem to live In wOl
Of our own as we hear 80 little Of
'an outside. Write often as letter Is VI
anu much appreciated here.
ppe. Leslie Roser
)nly -.>.-