Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1901-12-13

st. Paul. We all had TO wait in St.
Michaels for our freight to be unload
ed, and these prospectors put up their
tents within mile from the town. On
Monday, the Sth of July, when ELDERS
partner Ia Mr.. Hitchcock, also from
Visalia) returned to the tent in the
evening, he found Hershel Elder on the
ground with bullet hole in his head,
and dead. Whether it was suicide or
accident no one could tell He left a
mother in Visalia, who thought more
of that boy OF hers than of her life.
His partner, Hitchcock, went to the
military authorities to have him buried,
but they would have nothing to do
with it as he was no soldier. Finally,
after much running around, he got
permission from the deputy marshal to
dig grave in the burying ground, so
Hitchcock told us about it, and four of
US borrowed picks and shovels from
the Alaska G. Co., and went the fol-
lowing afternoon to dig the grave.
We dug in solid mass of frozen
ground and ice, four feet 1t took four
of us all afternoon. In the evening
at o'clock, a small party of about
twelve of us assembled, and we carried
the poor fellow to his cold resting place.
An elderly gentleman by the name of
Cone, also from Visalia, held a short
but impressive service, and as we stood
there, with our hats in hand, saying
short prayer, thought, that was one
of the saddest funerals I've ever at
tended. On our way we picked up
post 12x12, painted white. This we
put at the head of the grave, and 1
printed with an indelible pencil,
''Hershel S. Elder of Visalia, Cal, died,
July 8, 1901, aged 25." 1 heard since
that his remains will be taken to
Visalia this fall
st. Michaels was another place 1
was glad to get away from. Every
thing is very dear. Hotels charge 81
per day; coffee and doughnuts, so
cents, etc. So just as soon as they put
my freight on board of the 'Susie"
lit cost lot of urging) 1 took my ticket
for Circle City, and left st. Michaels
on the l1th of July.
The trip up the Yukon was very
pleasant, and the scenery is beautiful.
The further up the river we went, the
warmer the weather got.
was landed in Circle City, freight
and all, on the 22d of July, where my
partners had been waiting for me
nearly month. This is typical
northern mining town, and the build
ings are all built of logs. Wagon
roads, we have none, and the trails are
all wet and swampy in summer, and
mosquitoes as thick as the dust in July
on the lone road. Travelling and haul
ing provisions are better in winter,
when the swamps and every thing is
frozen solid. We had the first snow
fall on the 1st of October, and it gets
quite cold now.
On the 18th of September the steam
er ''Susie" arrived on one of her trips
from st. Michael, and whom should 1
see on her but George Poggi, on his
way from Nome to Dawson. He look
ed well, and as happy as a lark. He
said that his next trip will be to South
Africa.
We went out on weeks trip into
the country to look at a place where
we intend to sink to bedrock this
winter. We packed about 30 lbs each
on our backs, slept out in the open,
and did our own cooking all the way.
L found the trails very hard to get
over, and we did an awful lot of pre-
spring. When we came home l found
my pants about three sizes too large
around the waist. On our trip we shot
II ducks, two grouse, two tree squirrels,
and caught about two dozen big trout.
This was in the early part of Septem-
Der, and still in the mornings when we
woke up we found quite heavy frost on
our blankets.
To tell the truth, since 1 have been
here several times L have been real
homesick after my little Jackson candy
factory. This life is rougher than
what l thought it was, but then 1 am
here now, and will try my hardest to
stick it out the three years, and when
L leave here and after landing in Frisco,
my first trip will be to Jackson, where
| hope l will find my many good friends
in the best of health. Will make the
old lone stage stop in front of the
Sanguinetti building. Meanwhile I
wish all Jackson merry Christmas
and "a happy New Year.
My partner, Peter Zeller, and also S.
Panley wish to be remembered TO their
Amador county friends; and 1 remain,
Yours truly,
FERDINAND MAYER,