Marshall County independent., 1899-02-24

Dawson City, Canada, Dec. %, 1898
j. w. Thomas, Plymouth, lnd.-Desr
Father and Mother: This is Christmas
night and friend of ours, Tom Smart,
was just here, and he is going out in a
few days and said he would call again
and get any letters we wanted to send
out | have sent number by private
carriers this winter but am not sure
that any of that mail will ever reach its
destination which is mailed in Canadian
office here; that is out of the question
to calculate From Dawson to Skag-
uay is long way (or no way at all and
beset with Insurmountable obstacles of
which the outside world can have but a
faint conception. A dog team of ten
good animals can haul 600 pounds of
mail with two men, will require an ad-
ditional amount of 1000 pounds in out
fit, provisions, dog feed, blankets, robes
and tackle for camping.
Well, this is Christmas and Sunday
and of course we did not work today
Dick laid off yesterday to cook for
Christmas, and royal dinner We had
today. We had moose steak and don't
believe any one ever ale tenderer or
sweeter meat, plum duff, mince and
pun pkin pies, doughnuts, custard pud
ding, bread and butter L never enjoy
ed or relshed better dinner. We sent
every body IN the little settlement near
| by a taste of plum duff. Uncle Dick
knows how to cook good Christmas
dinner in the Klonkike.
Well, | never saw more delightful
weather. 1t has been about zero or
little below nearly all this month. One
does not feel the cold where it is SO
steady. We did have very cold snap
in November and perhaps will have an
other one before spring, but they do not
last long. The climate and cold weather
seems to agree with me; am getting
| fat.
L am still working for wages by the
hour. If nothing happens till spring |
will have enough TO pay my experience
debt and be even with this country,
which is much better than thousands
have done. 1 am we'll satisfied that
this is good county for a young man
| if he will stick to it and attend to his
business, save his earnings as he ought
to, and would have to do anywhere else
| if he would succeed at any other avo-
cation tell you they have not found
half the gold yet that there is right
here in this district. | would like to
no one at home that would like to see,
but for the present Will not say when L
will come out, it will depend entirely
on conditions and things. 1 would not
advise any one to come here, as | have
observed that not one out of twenty
who are now here are fit for this coun-
roads to the Klondike are long and hard
to travel, and once here the work has
just begun. The prospects for for
tune are very uncertain and disappOint-
Ing. Yet l am convinced that with
ordinary luck l could make good
stake in few years, hence the need for
requires time and patience. If the
thousands who are here and are doing
nothing will get out IN the spring, then
there will be some chance for those that
stay. The fact is that the country is
over run with people. think we were
lucky to get work as we can make
little grub stake and prospect next
summer. There have been no big finds
worthy of mention since l landed here
last July. 1 have not heard any thing
from Jim or Skaguay since l left. |
left my interest there all in Jim's care.
| had great expectations in Skaguay
when | left, but don't know if those
lots are wor one dollar and don't care
much, as 1 did not have much money |
in them anyhow. The last letter l got |
from you was written last summer, you |
was telling me about commencement.
The days are very short now; only |
about five hours daylight. We haven't |
seen the sun for long time.
Well l would like to tell you many |
things about how we work and the
sights we see, but paper is poor medi |
um, it takes too long to tell it all, be.
sides 1 don't think of everything L want
to say in hurry. When get homs
will tell it all My hopes are that you
are all well and are enjoying merry
Christmas and happy New Year.
From your loving son,