The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-09-05
COLUMBIA.
p. L. Pfarr, Brother of Frank pf.rr
Writes Regarding the Country.
HAVING A cool TIME

Writes to His Home Paper, the Pomeroy
Ohio Democrat. From Which the
Following IL Taken.
I have just come from one of the
works where I have really been digging
out the precious yellow metal; not to
any alarming quantity. but it was gold
all the same. On my arrival back here
in the city, I hardly knew the place,
for last winter when / first reached
here there were only a few log shacks
and afew tents, and now in their places
stands a good sized city of 5000 or 5000
people, with a dozen or more of large
two story frame hotels and almost as
many stores. just think last year at
this season, no doubt, there were wild
animals roaming in a wilderness
through the very streets of the present
city of Atlin. Owls and hawks had
built their nests for years in the trees
that stood where now perhaps stands a
church or store or some other building;
but all were driven back into the yet
unsettled country.
The Atlin gold fields are not another
Klondike, and Atlin City will never be
another Dawson City.
Hundreds of people have already left
this country Disguised; many have gone
to Dawson and many back to civiliza-
ton. Many of those unsatisfed here
lay the blame to the British Columbia
Government and to the officials Of this
district. And there is no doubt that a
great deal of crooked work and unjust
management has been carried on here
ever since the camp begun. But you
can't have q good camp unless there is
something coming out of the ground.
At the same time you can't get any.
thing out of q gold mine unless YOU do
some work OF it; and to do that work
you must have q claim and a right to
WORK it. 1t seems that the officials
here have reserved the right to stop
any man from working a claim when.
ever they choose. Well. any way there
are some good mines in this country
and some nice gold is coming out of the
country. There are reports too, which
seem reliable, that several good quartz
lodges have been found. That of course
will make the country good for years to
come and there is no doubt that this
country will be much better next year
than it is this year.
For myself, l am glad l came here.
| am not going to make a fortune. I
never expected to. l have, however,
had a good time and agrand experience;
especially in taking care of myself in
the way of clothing and preparing food.
1t makes one feel Independent.
I am glad 1 came up here too, because
there are some of the greatest scener-
les here of its kind in the civilized
world; such as the great mountains of
ice glaciers. Some of the mountains
look like great snow banks. The snow
never leaves them at all. Then there
is fine landscape scenery along the
lakes and creek valleys with their
spruce, pine and, hemlock trees. The
air is always fresh and pure, and there
is plenty of good, cool sparkling water
ripping down the mountain sides.
There seems to be plenty of wild
animals in the forests and on the
mountains and plenty of fine fish in the
lakes. There is surely novelty in going
hunting and fishing up here, whether
you kill bear, moose or cariboo, or even
catch a ten pound fish We sometimes
see as many as twenty head Of noun
tain sheep in one flock, or a moose that
will weigh as much as thirteen hundred
pounds, and altogether it is exciting
and one will remember enough of it to
make some interesting stories for ones
grandchildren.
In a letter received from my little
niece some time ago she says: IF .
went to Alaska to go hunting and fish
ing you might as we'll have come to
eastern Iowa" But to my notion a
squirrel hunt in Iowa is a very meaper
comparison to a bear or moose hunt in
Alaska.
The climate and seasons of this
country are also,of such a nature that
one is not apt to forget them soon; GER
tainly one will not be apt to find them
in any other place except it be this far
north.
For example, 1 will give some data.
There was from 8 to S feet of snow
here from the time 1 came up to the
middle of May or first of June. / took
my last sleigh ride the 10Th of May. /
drove one horse that day a distance of
about twenty miles on the lake but
after that it wasdangerous to go on the
ice.
On the 1st of June the ice on lake
Atlin began to break up and on the I'd
Of Irvnn %hn~N - -