River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-02-07
From Fred Currier

/
| Currier to Ed Conrad of Hammond is
copied from last weeks Hammond
News. Mr.. Conrad was one of the
company that went TO Alaska with
Fred Two years ago.
Alaska, Dec q, 1900
Dear Ed;-Your very welcome let
ter Of the 3rd came in tonight. AT
last they are getting the mail service
in reasonable shape and three weeks
is not long time TO wait for mail, at
least to us who have had the expert
ence of sixteen months without news
from home.
We are still in town but do not ex-
pect to be here much longer. For the
past four weeks we have only teen
doing enough work to keep up expen-
ses and have devoted the rest of our
time in looking up an opening IN the
creeks, We tried hard to get a lease
on some good ground from Mr.. Healy
and thought we had it once. We
would have had to put on about
$500 worth of machinery and buy
$4,000 worth of wood, but the pay was
there as it was already located, but
another man had an option on it
And we lost. We were after another
even better proposition on Gold Run
from Count Carboneau. Unfortu-
nately for US, however, the ground he
was working on Bonanza proved too
wet for this winter; so he decided to
move bis own machinery over to Gold
Run instead of leasing it.
We have been offered any quantity
of wild cat' propositions, but Of
course will have nothing to do with
them.
1t is getting so late in the season
that we have decided to give up look
| ing for lease to try TO get work by
the day. OF course we have been out
pretty often and we're pretty well &C
quainted with the situation, but it
was even worse than we expected.
On almost every claim that is being
worked we found from six to twenty
men camped, waiting for possible
opening. Occasionally man would
get work, but some of them, whom
we knew, have been there six weeks
and are no nearer a job than when
they went out there. Ollie knew a
young fellow who is just opening
bench on Last Chance He has just
put his machinery on it. He offered
US both work. Wanted me to run
the engine and Ollie 10 the drift but
it was poor outlook, as the ground
did not prospect well, and they knew
nothing about mining so we decided
not to take hold Of it. | have good
chance with a Circle City friend Of
mine, who is foreman on % Bonanza.
AS soon as they start can go TO work;
about Jan. 9Th, he thought / think
he will give me the night shift on the
engine. Wages so cents an hour and
II hour days, Sundays included. He
could not put Ollie on, as he like all
the rest has his claim covered with
waiting men whom he promised work.
But he said he would find niche for
me, anyway.
1t is wonderful to see the machin
cry used here and the immense dump
already out. There eIe millions Of
dollars worth Of machinery on the
ground, 60-horsepower boilers away up
on the benches, 1900 feet above the
bed OF the creek.
The government has built trails all
over this country and we have as fine
roads, or finer, than in Wisconsin, for
it does not drift here. or course
thsre are many steep grades as some
OF the roads run along the ridges and
over the tops Of the mountains. But
in the gulches and valleys they are
lald out in fine style.
Freight is nearly all hauled by
horses and at so low rate that |
do not see how they can pay expenses;
only ! cent per pound to Bonanza o.
Eldorado % niles, and u cents to
Dominion, Sulphur or Gold Run go
miles and over the mountains).
Hay is down TO $3.50 per ton and
oats S4 per bushel, but even then
horses are expensive animals. I saw
some timothy and oats that we're
raised on a ranch on Stewart river
this year that we're as fine specimens
as one could wish TO see. How would
you like to come In and raise a crop
Of hay at those figures?
The hunters are just coming in
with moose and caribou. They get
30 cents per pound and bring it 100
miles down from the head waters Of
! the Klondlke. Some came up from