The Republican journal., 1900-01-18
From Anvil City, Alaska.

The following is letter from Ed.
Nickerson of Anvil City, Alaska, to bis
brother Frank of Challis, Idaho, taken
from The Silver Messenger, weekly pa
per printed in Challis:
''Brother Frank: Yours of July Goth
received and was glad to hear from you.
I am we'll and all right. l have just re-
turned from tough trip of about 100
miles to the Bonanza Mining District.
located two claims, but do not know how
good they are. | run out of grub, and
did not have time to prospect them much,
but think they will be all right.
''Now l am going to tell you what we
have done. The first twenty days we
were here we took in the Cape Nome
Mining District, but everything was To-
Gated. Then we went to work on Snow
Gulch for 50 and 80 per day. and worked
40 days, then we came to Anvil City and
built us a house, - by IA. Lumber at
that time was worth $125. per 1000 feet;
now it is worth STD
Then | started for the Bonanza Mining
District and Frank Ferguson went to rock
ing on the beach. 1t took me Is days to
make up the trip. 1 have been working
on the beach mine since. We are making
about SO each per day. We would have
done much better if we had not gone to
work for wages, but no one knew about
the beach diggings at that time. There
have been men who rocked out as high as
5000 and $500 a day, but I am of the
opinion that it viii average about an
0vei fer this year, for il has begun freez-
ing and the days are getting short.
'Anvil City has population of about
1000 The streets are black with people.
This is a hard place for a working man,
for it has rained all summer have been
wet through with rain ever since | landed
here until the last few days. 1t is now
freezing and too cold to rain. I would
not advise any one to come here to work
for wages, but | don't suppose any one
comes here with that intention. Every
body cannot strike it rich but there is
lots of gold here.
''We are going to try and do some drift
ing on the beach this winter get out some
dirt and wash it out in the spring
81 send you by registered mail to- day
some small gold nuggets that | found my
self; also a sample of the beach gold. |
think there is about So oft; - in nuggets
and one dollar in beach gold.
''Flour is So per 100 lbs. :; hams 40 cents
per 10. bacon, 20 cents per Id. Sugar &25.
per 100 lbs. canned milk, SO 80 per case;
butter, Is cents per Id. tomatoes 81 per
case. We have most of our supplies for
the winter and expect to get the balance
when the boat comes in. Provisions will
be worth something in the spring, as a
great many people will re main all winter.
Sam Dipple is here working on the
beach. He came here from the klondike
country and has not done any good for
himself yet. There will be great rush
here next spring. People cannot get
lumber to build houses fast enough and
consequently many will have to live in
tents this winter. We could sell our
house for $1,000, and it cost US about
$500. Tarred paper cost us Sll a roll
corrugated cost 50. so a sheet.
"We have three tundra claims-iust
located them. They are back from the
beach about one half a mile. Tundra is
the Russian word for II 1T Doggy country
covered with moss. 1t will be winter
digging. If the tundra claims turn out
well this will be the greatest gold country
ever known.
''Iou will hear from me the filst thing
in the spring if nothing happens
The Nickerson brothers were formerly
OF Searsport.