The Elk Mountain pilot., 1899-05-02
A LETTER FROM DAWSON.
Dawson, N. w. T., Mar. 25, 1899
G. l.. Ross,
Crested Butte, Colo.

one of February-so you see our
mail service to this country is not
very good. A new system that
has Just been instituted promises
to give better satisfaction. The
police carry the mail in and out.
This country has been very quiet
all winter. / don't know how it
viii be during the summer. No
new discoveries have been made
here since we came in, and the
only creeks that are any good are
Eldorado and Bonanza and they
were staked in SO. The thousands
Of people who came in here last
year did not make very much. The
majority of them went out again,
but even then there were a great
many more men left here than
could find employment, and they
would work at almost anything in
order to get money enough to take
them out in the spring. Many of
these men lived on flour, bacon
and beans all winter, for they had
nothing else and no money to buy
anything. There will not be over
one man in each five hundred of
those who came in last year who
will get out of the country with as
much as they started with. Most
every one looked to hear of new
creeks being found this winter,
but no new discoveries were made.
The law in this country is the
most corrupt thing that was ever
given the name of claw" The
officials are the only men here who
have been making stake.
The coming summer will almost
clean up all the good claims in
this district and then this will be
a "has been" gold field.
This winter has been very mild
one, the coolest being 50 degrees
below and that only for a short
time. The greater part Of the
time it was not colder than 30
below. Rain fell on December 7th.
A large number of people have
lived in tents all winter.
The worst drawback to this
region is that the days are either
nearly all daylight or all darkness.
Bob and l have been working
steady all winter on a claim on
Bonanza creek. 1t is owned by
the n. A. T. & T. Co. Bob is
foreman and has an easy job; but
I have worked pretty hard all win
ter, and 1 have only missed two
days, except Sundays, since the
10th. of last October. During the
real short days we only worked
eight hours, but now we are work
ing ten. This will only last one
month more and then we will strike
out to rustic for something better,
because there is nothing in work
ing for days pay, and wages will
be low next fall and work scarce.
[ will either be working for myself
soon or l will leave the country
Some people say that they would
just as soon be here as anywhere
Else, but / wouldn't.
We have had good health since
we came in here and if the amount
we eat augurs for anything, l don't
think this winter will hurt US very
much. 1t takes me cooking all
day Sunday to prepare for the next
week. We have Jared very good;
the only thing we were short on
was fresh potatoes, and oh! how |
long for a taste of them. [ will
give you an account of my regular
cuisine job on Sunday: Baking
nine loaves Of bread (not the ''sour
Tough" variety, roasting a large
piece of beef, making three pies, a
pudding, either tapic ca, bread or
rice, a cake or dough nuts, cooking
4 pot Of peas, beans, evaporated
potatoes or hominy. 1t keeps me
going all day, for a sheet iron stove
s a hard thing to cook on. [ have
he reputation of being the best