The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1900-06-22
From Nome. Alaska.

VIM. Langille writes to his mother
from Nome, Alaska, under date of Nav
q, 1900, and through the courtesy of
Mrs. Langille We print the following ex-
tracts:
We came down in 4S DAYS, or
32919 hours travelling time. From Ia
mana we passed everything making from
30 to 70 miles day, 64 being the biggest
run, and that was far enough for IL
hours travelling time. We had splendid
weather until we got to Kowick where
a coast storm laid us up two days and
cost 81 900 bet that we would reach
Nome in 40 days. Mrs. Gates stood the
trip we'll but thinks now that it hurt
her some.
The future Of Nome is problematical.
1t will either be one of the richest camps
in the world or very poor one. At
present the beach diggings at Top Kuk,
Anvil, Snow Gulch, Dexter, Banner and
Buster, in the Nome district and re-
ported strikes from all over, that lack
proper confirmation and not to be relied
upon, are heard of. The beach diggings
are about worked out in this vicinity, $5
per day to the man being about all that
can be made except at Top-Kuk There
it is as rich as here last year. Living is
rapidly decreasing in price and soon
will be very cheap. The first vessel in
was the Alexandria, steam whaler of
San Francisco. Then came the jeanette
and Jeanie, followed by the Alpha with
268 passengers, to most of whom the
country does not look good.
1t is my intention to go to Port Clar-
ence and then into the country was in
after coming here. l was out 80 days
and am interested in a number of claims
in the "Golden Gate" Bunker Hill"
and "Koog- Ruk" districts, all tributary
to Port Clarence.
The conditions of living ON the heads
of the streams over the divide are about
the same as living on Coopers Spcr. We
hauled dry wood 40 miles, and that with
what coal oil we carried would fire the
the time to dig out of the snow and cut.
Snow, snow, everywhere. We would
get up at O'Clock in the morning, fix
up our notices and three would go and
stake, leaving two in camp to get wood
and cook dog feed While on Taylor
creek on the 7th instant, it stormed SO
we could hardly face it, and cold enough
to freeze one without plenty of furs on.
And on the 18th we crossed the divide
back on to Nome river about IL o'clock
at night with fair ice trail, and at in
the morning the ice broke with us and
we edged it until 10 A. NJ, camped until
P. NJ. and reached the city at P. NJ.
the l4th, with one meal between times,
and crossed 35 miles OF tundra, with q
swollen stream every quarter of mile,
ragged, muk-luks worn out and whishers
long as Rip Van Wrinkles.
II am lucky enough to get a piece of
money, will come out next fall and
spend the winter but if can't go right
will stay here or winter in the Kus-Ko-
Kwin country where timber is plenty,
also moose and caribou. The only game
here are birds. We kill no end of ptar-
mgan in the back country and they are
fine eating, better than pheasants, quail
or grouse ever dared to be. / have seen
them in the Golden Gate country in
focks of 1000 or more, and they are SO
much winter than the snow that one
can see them two or three hundred
yards away when the sun is behind you.
1t is great life here-different alto
gether from Dawson. When come out
I may bring an Esquimo kid with me las
l want him when | come back in the
winter to do carry work Write me,
care of A. c. Co., and they will forward
it to me.