Amador ledger., 1900-08-17
THE TREASURES OF alaska
Enormous Production Ex-
pected This Year.
AAAD0R LADIES' AID GIVES A LAWN SOCIAL
]. M. Hinkson Nearly Loses Thrss
Fingers In the South Spring
Hill Mill.
SKAGwAY. Alaska, Aug. 3, 1900.
Dear LEDGER:

SKAGwAY, Alaska, Aug. 3, 1900.
Dear LEDGER:
Many of your readers were per-
sonally promised a candid statement of
conditions in the mighty northwest"
as they appear to the writer, and the
promise is not forgotten.
Beyond doubt, Alaska is one of
earth's richest treasure boxes, and it Is
certainly most securely bound. But
close acquaintance seems to rob it of
most OF its terrors. A nine-year-old
boy just arrived from Dawson with his
parents where he lived two years, says,
1T was not much cold last winter, only
a few days." And great many deli
cate women and children who havo
lived inside, as the Yukon Valley Is
designated, say the hardships of winter
are little to be dreaded.
l am meeting people every day who
have had more or less experience In
mines OF the coast and interior, and
have not talked with one who had not
perfect faith in Alaska's great mineral
wealth. Her greatest drawback comes
from the steamship companies. Nome
Is pitiful Illustration of this fact. That
remote desert regions is easily reached by
water and the companies doomed It be-
yond all reason for the sake of trans
portation profits. As result there are
about S5, 900 people there now and most
ofthem anxious to get away. Probably
about one-tenth of the number might
do we'll. for the camp is undoubtedly
rich. But Rampant has thus far pro.
duced twice as much gold as Nome, yet
you seldom hear Rampant mentioned,
for the reason that ocean steamers can
make more by carrying people to Nome.
People 60 wild about these new strikes
and the transportation companies assist
and intensity their madness. Now
Dawson and the Klondike region has
settled down to business basis. The
40,000 people who rushed there have
rushed away again, excepting about
$500, who are doing well.
Itisexpected the Ronkike region will
produce over twenty-five millions of
dollars this year, but there is no excite
ment over it. Perhaps in three years
Nome will bsjust as good, for it takes
time to develop a district. While It
seems that anyone with health and en-
ergy can do well in Alaska the change
should be made with deliberation and
foresight. 1 intend to remain in Skag-
way until next year for the sole purpose
of getting definite idea OF the best,
new fields so to be ready to take advan-
tage of the situation. Big stories are
just as fourishing here as In warmer
climates, but the fortunes that are COM
ing out of the earth all the time show
that the whopping yarns are not with
out foundation. Many funny stories
are told of the tricks played upon
"chechakoes. A guileless Israelits
from the city was cutting wood for his
claim and broke his axehandle. He
asked neighbor how to get the broken
piece out of the head and the shameless
wretch told him to boil it. So he
boiled it in kettle of water all day and
in despair reported that he had soften
ed it but very little. Another followed
equally friendly advice and baked dry
beans several hours without making
them tender. So you see the fools are
not all dead yet. Yours, etc.,
O. n. q.