The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1899-01-13
A KLONDIKE LETTER.
Some Interesting Things
About Alaska by a Former
EllenSburger.

| -AASA@SD - . ~
In order to give some knowledge
as to the changes in weather in this
country, have begun by dating
this letter September Odd, 1898,
and noting succeeding dates. The
date of commencement OF letter
two or three inches of snow fell,
and the weather following was
very nice until Oct. 10, ~, when it
became quite cold, but did not
reach zero. For several days then
the weather was grand, when on
the 18th snow fell again, followed
by warm wind which took it all
away. The Goth was u bright,
sunny day. From this on until
the 2Sth was changeable, some
days pleasant and others stormy,
but not very cold. On the 29th
the thermometer registered Is de-
grees below zero, after which date
the weather moderated again. The
first three days in November were
clear and cold. On the 4th, the
Yukon froze up, and will stay in
this condition until spring. (This
was on Bonanza creek.) The 9Th
and 9th l spent in Dawson. 1t
was 20 below zero the 9Th, and 80
below the 9th. 1t is always five or
six degrees colder up ON the creeks
than in Dawson City. Coming
back the 18th it was only % below
as the weather was cloudy. l met
men on the trail, but could not see
a bit of them excepting their eyes,
as they were enveloped in fur from
head to foot. The 9th was a nice
day. 1Oth-it is trying to snow,
and as this is only the 10, do not
know what tomorrow will be, bat
this will give some idea of the con-
dition of the weather up here, and
how quickly it changes.
am located on Bonanza creek
off No. 7, below Discovery, and
about ii miles from Dawson. The
claim belongs to Tony Kroeber. He
had hard time up here last winter
prospecting in the frost and snow,
and when he struck pay on his
claim this spring, was happy
man. He struck bed rock about 4
o'clock in the evening and began to
laugh-did not stop until four
minutes past nine the next even
ling, with the exception Of an inter
mission with the "hute," then lay
ing his head on his pillow, was
soon dreaming of his future happi-
ness. Tony went home by St.
Michael, and is coming back in
the gentle spring-time, when the
Yukon frost has melted away.
We have q nice cabin 10x13,
lined with canvas to keep it light
and clean. Lining a cabin is
something new here. Some people
objected to it, saying that it would
draw dampness, while others
thought it was just the thing, but
| have learned since / came in
here that ones own judgment is
for the best, and have stuck to it.
We have a shaft &c feet down to
bedrock or the lay, but are not
using it, as we drifted tunnel in
from the brow of the hill-5O feet
SO far. The lay was not taken
until September, and cutting the
wood and building the cabin took
some time. Packing the grub in
is hard work, but we can sled it in
very nicely. Now we can have it
hauled in with dogs or horses as
freighting is down to five cents to
the forks-154 miles from Dawson.
When one comes in to this
country, the first thing to be done
is to build boat, then start at the
head of Lake Linderman, from
which it is five miles to Bennett,
where portage has to be made.
We took half of our goods out and
lowered scow down with ropes.
This place was hard to get through
it was so narrow and rocky. saw
two scows smash on a rock at the
1,ct t,1r,, ,,,1,o.o H.