The Republican journal., 1899-05-11
Letter from Dawson City.

| ANANoOHN S1I13 NsAoAA ~ Aocc' 1Ao
you will see by the heading of this we are
once more in Dawson City. We came out
to Fort Cudaho in February for short
rest after long and hard winter of fruit
less adventures. and have arrived at the
conclusion that the way of the prospector
is hard. We prospected and worked hard
all winter and got nothing. While at
Cudaho we received several letters, the
first since August, 1898. Now we do not
mean to complain, but we do think some
parts of Alaska have been over estimated,
especially the Forty Mile River, where 5, 900
men have worked and prospected all win
ter for nothing, ourselves among the num-
Der. There are lots of men going out on the
ice, badly discouraged. Some claims on
Chicken Creek were worked this winter,
but with what success is hard to tell. We
rested a short time at Cudaho, and after
looking over the situation could see moth
ing that would pay much and so went
back to Dawson City. We find the situa-
ton much changed and improved since
last fall throughout the klondike district.
There is much activity and many new
claims have been opened, most of them
quite rich; and while there are many men
looking for work we have friends who
think they can get us work from now to
the first of May, when there will be work
for all, think We shall return to Forty
Mile Post and sell our heavy goods and
come back to Klondike and 90 to work
Wages are from 81 per hour down to S75
per month aud board. One dollar per
hour is the popular price. think by the
time the cleanup is over we can get a lay
or something that will make us some good
money Although | would like to see my
friends in Kansas | will not leave here
dead broke. | am determined to bring
| back as much as started with, and think
the prospects are growing brighter every
day.
Now a few remarks about this country:
The climate Of Alaskai is not half so bad as
pictured in the papers by those who have
come out here looking for paradise with
streets lined with gold and flowers bloom
ing on all sides would not attempt to pass
winter in Kansas with the same clothing
that | have worn here this winter All
we wore in the coolest weather was a
wooden suit of underclothes, wooden out
er shirt, mackinaw coat and pants. a
common cap, one pair OF socks, one pair
of German socks and moccasins, and one
pair of mittens. The main thing is to
have a warm bed at night. We have five
12-pound blankets, fur rug. a tarpauln
under us and one over us. We travelled
and camped in a tent in weather 80 below
zero and have not suffered any incon-
veniences beyond a frost bitten nose or
cheek; but a person must use care and
good judgment, for all that. Many have
lost limbs and lives in the last winter. One
of the worst features is that the river and
creeks that run SO rapidly that they do not
freeze entirely over and one encounters
places where the waters burst through
the ice and You are compelled to walk in
water 6 to inches deep for half mile.
Then you must change your foot gear or
your feet would be frozen in ten minutes
time. Snow falls to the depth of 4 feet
and is as dry as sand. We haul our sleds
over it with 200 lbs of stuff making a
good load for man, and it is the hardest
work l ever did. The weather goes by
SpaltS, nnllar aaab do ba
mercury reaches 40 OF 50 below zero; then
it clouds up and grows warmer rapidly
until it gets in the neighborhood of zero.
Then it SHOWS gently for 3 or days and
gets colder again. Game has been killed
mercilessly here this winter. Moose meat
is worth 80 cts. per pound and has nearly
driven beef out of the market. | hunte d
three days and got a caribou. Our trip TO
Forty mile Post is finished, and
hope | will never have to haul
sled any more. | shall have hauled
sled over 800 miles when we get back to
Dawson City, with load of 200 pounds.
l am losing faith in prospecting. If
one could find anything it would not be
so bad; but when five thousand men
prospect all winter and find nothing, it
looks rather hard for them. Prospecting
is like gambling, you may win sometimes,
but while one wins thousands fail, and
there are long times between winnings. l
would not advise any one to come to this
| country at the present time, as great
part of it is yet undeveloped and there is
little work, and prospecting is too uncer-
tain for man of limited capital.
Our health has been good since being
here. We have met with few accidents,
but no more than at home. We have
gone through hardships and privations and
not made a cent. | am now willing to
stop my foolishness and take what is in
sight and let the new corners who are
fond of adventures take their turn at
prospecting; and perhaps they may be
more successful than we were. With all
our hardships and privations we are
I healthy and have grown fat. My weight
is now 1874, while Charles is 1877, with hair
nearly two feet long.