The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1899-07-14
RALPH TORREY WRITES.
Gives an Interesting Account of His
Alaska Experience.

Judge Torrey has received letter
from his son, Ralph, dated June 10th,
on board of the steamer Tyrrell, near
White Horse Rapids. Among other
things, it contains the following:
Il went to Selkirk last September
and worked for mill company until
nearly Christmas. Then I had about
$3.50. A young fellow and myself then
quit, bought team of horses for $3.50
and went TO teaming. l bought him
out in about four days and ran it my
self the rest of the winter, making from
SIS to $36 and once in awhile $50 per
day. Had one and sometimes two and
three men working for me. l had my
first housekeeping experience. I couldn't
boil water myself, so had to have a
cook-gave him So per day and board.
We'll, by the last of March had made
about 81, 500 and was figuring on COM
ing outside to get machinery for cutting
hay when instead of doing that, Stone,
my present partner, pursuaded me to
come to Dawson and invest in some
claims there with him. Well, down we
went to Dawson the 1st of April and
secured three lays on Hunker creek, on
on which claims we have worked about
six or seven men ever since. We worked
two months without getting thing.
and the last two holes are the only ones
from which we have taken any pay
dirt. However. when l left Dawson
ten days ago things looked fairly bright
and we will probably strike it there, as
they have it rich all around us, $50 to
the pan, etc. When l get back to Daw-
son in week or so, would not be sur
prised to find l was worth something.
We have also bought and staked some
where about thirteen bench claims and
l wouldn't be surprised if some of them
were worth something.
II have worked out on sthe claims
all along, myself, until June list, at
which time the head of this company
pursuaded me to take a run up as
purser on the steamer Tyrrell. Said he
would pay me enough to enable me to
employ two men to work in my place
out on the claims.
Il tell you I've done my share of
roughing it and hard work this past
year | think this winter l must have
handled myself, stick by stick, some
where about 400 cords of wood, say
nothing of freighting and other haul
ing. 1 got 81 per cord f Jr hauling wood
from half to one mile, and $15 where |
sold the wood myself The latter way
I made Sc per cord. I used to haul up
wards of ten cords per day. But talk
about expenses, my grocery bill was up
to 1926 per month";
Il presume they talk outside about
this country being dead. ETC., on &C
count of the dismal stories circulated by
the disheartened Klondikers of last
year, But say, just wait until you get
the returns of the amount of gold taken
out this year. They'll say it's lie and
that it never came out, but how will
the poor fellows account for the small
amounts have deposited in my safe
here behind me now by the forty-fve
passengers on board, amounting to
enough perhaps to purchase a good
share of the business portion of Man
kato. Why, this Swede looking through
the window here at me has got over
$40, 900 in it,
Il don't think I've done badly here
when consider that landed 10 Daw.
sen last fall with exactly % cents in my
pocket and not even mouthful Of pro-
visions and very few clothes. Now I'm
all in and may loose all, but I stand
show of winning anyway. Stone and l
have also bought up about 200 tons of
hay and we expect to make $40, 900 any
way on hay, as there are any amount of
horses and COWS coming in this summer.
He made $12, 900 to So, 900 off from hay
last year himself 1 want to come out
at least by Christmas for couple of
monts
Everything will be down in Dawson
soon. Sugar, which brought 81 per
pound two months ago, is now 30 cents.
Milk was $1.25 per can and is now so
cents, etc. Wages are away down and
l san get plenty of men for 500 per
month, and l guess even cheaper than
that. We pay our men out on the dig
gings 500 per month and board. Hun
dreds of idle men around Dawson can't
get anything to do and are nearly out of
provisions Dawson had another large
fire month or so ago 1t burned nearly
all of the business portion down, but
bless you week afterwards you could
scarcely tell where the fire had been, so
rapidly had it been rebuilt. 1t was
funny to see everybody sluicing the
ruins and panning out the ashes. Lots
of gold therein, too.
1.-THE weather is now very warm and
flies and mosquitoes own the country,
but three months more and then winter
again"
Mr.. Torrey encloses in his letter a
ooor rUbo Nrnoat ,,o,oa,.