News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1901-11-13
A Letter From Alaska.

y. A. sanders OF Unls place Dy d lflenu
and former resident of Montpelier
and was kindly given to the News
AND CITIZEN for publication.
RowEBURG, ALASKA, Apr. Z, 1901.
The greater part of our party and
my family have spent apleasant win
ter here. We built our log cabins in
the timber, which is spruce, at the
junction of Fox River with Fish River.
A very pretty place and sheltered by
trees from winds and billiards.. The
thermometer has registered 750 be-
low, with bad winds and great fall OF
snow. A number of men and dogs
have frozen on the trail this winter.
Here we travel with dogs and rein
deer. Our party, con- listing twenty
one people, have lived 10 our pleasant
cabins all well and comfortable; not
any of them on the trail only in the
finest of weather. We have enter
tanned a great deal and in return
have been entertained, so the cold
and severe winter has passed very
quickly.
Now it is April. Ia New England
warm spring month with April show
ers; here it is spring month, but so
different! AS yet we have not had
one thaw. 1t is very cold, the ther
mometer 200 below; snow about six
feet deep on the level, and ice four and
five feet thick on the rivers. But the
sun is working hard, it rises now
about 5o'cIock in the morning andsets
at seven in the evening. 1t is very
good travelling now and the men at
the different camps are getting wood
and food on the claims that they are
going to work this summer. You
will be surprised when | tell you that
five dogs will draw one thousands
pounds and make % miles per day
with the load.
There are great many people in
this section of the country, and they
are just getting down to business.
There are great many rich claims
in operation, and many more will oe
opened up this summer. A large
amount of ground has not yet been
located. We are going to locate new
claims, prospect some and open up
and work three. AS yet, we are not
planning to 60 into the states this
winter. 1t will all depend on our bust
ness at the end of the season. We were
not ready to close our transactions
in November when the last boats
went out. 1t may be the same this
year, as | have planned a very busy
summer. There has been mail in
and out every three weeks, Ihave and
received papers and letters on every
mail. [ have not written to any one
this winter, and now have thirteen
letters to write and have commenced
by writing you the first.
May %. Still in camp held by ice
and snow. The season is very late
and we have had no rain as yet. The
sun is working very hard and long
hours rises at O'Clock inthe morn
ing and sets at 10o'clock in theev
ing. Isay the sun sets; it drops below
the horizon and we see the retiect iOT
of light all night, as the sun skirts
along just below the horizon. 1t il
light adj mig at now and will be unit
the first ofSeptember. The sun drops
below the horizon in the northwest
and rises in thenorth. From the time
the sun goes out of sight until il
shines again, the sky takes on the mos
wonderful, grand and glorious colorI
/ ever saw. don't think an arts
could paint the colors. Should al
artist succeed in putting the variou
hues and shades on canvas, people
who had never seen them here, woul(
say, impossible! Who ever saw {
sunset like that? There is everything
that is grand, glorious and beautiful
here in scenery and sunsets. Thel
the country is rich in all minerals an(
ore. Very few people who come il
here realiz3 the wealth of the country
The hardships are few. If the peopI
would not rush out on the trail hal
QUILTED, there would not be 81
many frozen and starved. Large
docks of ducks, geese, quail, snip
and sand hill crows are coming in
They seem very much surprised to SCI
so much snow and ice and cry "quack
and "hello." They all fly so high W
have not been able to get a shot a
them yet. In May, Mr.. Rowe and
leave this camp and go to Nome t.
be there when the first boats come in
We open up claim on Nome river
and one on West Creek, so there will
be claim at both places. Then W
work out assessment work on Fol
river, on this side of the mountains
There will be q camp there. Thel
we keep some Of the men here a
Roweburg to sell property and catcl
fish. There are beautiful salmon il
the rivers here and we catch ant
dress them; split and dry them owe
long poles, then in winter feed then
to the dogs. The natives eat tn
dried salmon also.
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Art At Home.