The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1903-03-19
A ualrY BOY IN ALASKA.
BENJAMIN T. Stevens Writes Enteftainingiy
from Coldfo0t, " here Prices soar ana
Tenn ns.ratnro Trnps

BENJAMIN T. Stevens Writes Enteftaininsly
from Coldfoot. " here Prices Soar and
Temperature Drops.
The following letter from former
well known and popular young man OF
Unity. Benz. T. Steve ms, son OF +. 5.
Stevens of that town, will be read with
interest. Mr.. Stevens has been in the
gold regions of Alaska for several years
and this letter gives the only lnforma-
ton received from him in the past year.
1t is dated Coldfoot, Alaska, Nov. II,
1902, and is as follows:
CAS- it has been about year since |
have heard from anybody at Unity l
thought it best to write and give some
body the deuce for not writing. L had
been thinking 1 would walt until l
heard from some of you at nome, but
presume you have written ana L nave
not got the letter as the mail is very
uncertain here.
"Well, l suppose you often wonder
what makes me stay in this country SO
long. will tell you. l came IN here
to make some money and just as long
as am healthy am going to stay un-
less l make enough to come out with.
l think this is the healthiest place in
the world to live in, just SO long. as
man takes care of himself, and you
know always do that. | weigh more
now than | ever did before in my life,
217 pounds, and am healthy all the time.
Am running store here III this place
this winter.
'This is about 200 miles up the river
from where | was last winter; don't
know what you would think to step in
here and ask me some of my prices on
goods. l will give you an example:
Calico, 50 cents a yard; common sheet
ing, SO cents yard: potatoes, three
pounds, 81; beans, 25 cents a pound;
sugar, 80 cents; peanuts, % cents
pound; candy, 81 pound; butter, 81;
thread, so cents a spool; lamp chlmneys,
rs cents; whiskey, S. bottle; cigars,
so cents each; beer, 81 a bottle, and
everything else in proportion. so you
see a man has to have very good in
come in order to live in this place. Our
supplies all come from the town of
Battles, Is miles down the river, and
they are all hauled from there with dog
teams at 10 cents a pound. A good dog
here is worth from SIS to 500, about
what horses are worth out there. A
man with six dogs will make the round
trip in about six days and bring back
about 400 pounds or about $50 pounds
to the dog. have two dogs. [ refused
$3.50 for them this fall, but you know a
dog here is what horse is to man on
the outside, as we use sleds about eight
months in the year here.
owe are having a very mild winter
here this winter and very little snow, as
yet. l suppose you would like to know
what we call mild weather here; well,
when the thermometer ranges from
zero to 30 degrees below we think that
very good weather.
November 90 The mail just got in to-
day, but there was nothing for me and
l was awfully disappointed as l thought
sure | would get some letters, as had
not got any all summer. l am going to
send you some photos of some of the
big nuggets from this country; one is
valued at s66950 and one at Ss42. 25, and
| there is a still larger one found this
fall valued at about $1,000; so you see
there is a little money here in this coun-
| try.
''Will close with love to all, hoping to
| hear from you some time"