Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-02-01
FRANK BRADY's LETTER
In Which He Tells His Old Lanpdon
Friends of Adventures in
the Hunt for Gold.
STAY ONE YEAR LONGER.
Dogs Take the Place of Horses and
Fish is Used as Their Food
in Place of Hay.

in Place of Hay.
Every once in awhile letter is
received by old friends in Langdon from
Frank Brady, who previous to going to
the Klontllke three years ago WAS the
popular restaurant man at the u. s.
Coffee House stand. His letters are
always entertaining and the extracts
given below from couple received
about two weeks ago give every illlca-
ton that Frank still cherishes the
friendship OF the people in Langdon.
His letter is dated at Rampant City,
Alaska, November 4, 1899, show that
he's slayer; has fair prospects of max
ing stake and lives in hopes OF again
greeting his old friends here.
Summer is thing Of the past and we
have winter with Tia now in full dress pa
rade. The rivers and lakes have closed
up Oh their long sleep of seven or eight
months. The SUI is about ready to say
good bye and soon the last CLEAN OF day
light will disappear, leaving US to dwell
in darkness the coming three months,
when all work will be carried on by the
Pickering light OF u talow candle. Ihave
already moved out to the mountains and
started in on my winters work on claim
No IA on Dawson Creek and should a,
leus, clean up n few hundred of the vel
low fellows III the spring. Work is being
pushed hard this winter and all the boys
seem determined to find the golden mug
gets if there are any in this district.
There's about five hundred white
miners here now where there were three
thousand n year ago. Those left here
now are men who can stand hardship
and are determined to prospect the
country and try to find their share of the
hidden treasure. A year ago there were
too many tender feet in thecountry, who
did nothing but sit around camp. kick
and curse the country. That class of
people are Of no earthly use here. Aman
must have an iron constitution and also
take care that it is not allowed to rust
am not the least bit discouraged and
am inclined to think that Rampant City
will be II second Dawson in two or three
years and teel it in my bones that shall
be strictly in the race. OF course. like the
great champion "Fitz." | may be defeat
ed aud only get second money. and even
SO shall be satisfied. But 1 shall try
hard for first place. for am in The best
OF health and feel better than [ have done
for years. Did You ever see gold in it's
dress OF nature? havs few small mug
gets and would like to- send you and
some OF the boys one each; but as the
mail service is not safe 70 the trans
mission Of valnables you will all have to
xV.,if nnfi1 | hapE To I
Provisions are quite plentiful and sell
at about the same price AZ when l first
came in here. My partner and I bought
our winter supplies about three week
ago and paid $762.OO for them. They
consist OF nothing but the coarse grades
of actual necessities. Flour is $35 per
barrel, pork $40 per hundred; potatoes
40 cent pound and everything else pro-
portionntely high. 1t costs small
fortune to live here.
Rampant City is located in latitude Ga
north and longitude $50 west in the
dreary Northand, where dogs take the
place OF horses and fish takes the place Of
hay as their fodder. The miner and his
dog become inselmrable, but no man
knows the character of these dogs until
he has driven them. Here the dog is a
beast OF burden. He draws the sleigh in
winter and packs loads on his back in
in the summer. Life here would be an
impossibiity without his services, he
takes the place OF the horse, the burro
and the mule back in the States. The
native dog, or Siwash, liz at once the
most cheerful worker, and the most con-
trarS devil in the world. TO lie sue
cessiul dog driver one must havepatience
and self control. The dogs soon learn
who is master. and If YOU are not they
are. They need not be handled with a
rough hand as they respect power but
they also have a strong sense of jnstice
and know when they are being treated
right. They dtspise going over the same
road everyday, especially ii it is short
distance. They have the rowing instinct
OF hunters and Ell Joy the excitement of
new scenes and unexpected turns in the
trail. They travel best by moonlight.
which is probably IN instinct that they
inherit from their ancestors. the wolves.
A fair load for the Siwash dog OF Alaska.
exclusive OF the weight OF the sleighs. for
long journey is from 100 to It's pounds
each, when the trail has been welltravel-
ed and on a short haul a we'll broken
tear will haul from 175 to 225 per dog
Five dogs make the best all round team,
especially for one man to handle When
camp is made at right, especially if there
Is NOR" I han one team, the first thing ol,
the bill OF fare is IL free fight. This il
where they get even for the various an
noynnces al he days travel. Very
often he rest nj the team have it in for
the leader and proceed to fake it cut of
his hide. Sometimes there are two
bosom friends in lie team and they al
ways stand up for each other nga,,s, all
corners An amusing feat urr OF driving
dogs is wh", two Teams chance to meet
one another on th" trail The chances
are thousand to one that there will be
a general nix-up and free Tor all fight, as
they take 1t for granted they must all
Tight. Alter the teams and harness are
again Strengthened out each party re-
sumes the journey as ii nothing had ham
pened. On making camp at night the
feed Tor the dogs consists of either 81
dried salmon or white fish to each