The Newtown bee., 1904-11-18
China, Alaska,

A
 HIS SON.
 China, Alaska,
 August 27, 1904.
 Dear Father: Your letter of July 26 arrived here day or two ago and found me we'll, and quite surprised to hear that you are sick. We are hay ing some quite cool weather here, 1t freezes nearly every night and winter will soon be upon us. l really dread thecold weather in way. l Ihave lots in nFairbanks, which is but 12 miles from heream also to build house out on my claims on Gold Stream creek; the req son that l am not out there is because the eXhOrbitant freight rates from Fairbanks out there, the distance is IF miles and the rate at present IS b cents per pound, horses are used to pack everything as the trails are not suitable for wagons. saw two hors- es, harness and wagon sold for $500; hay and oats are 7Rc per pound. l have some native hay cut and may buy a mule or two for hauling my own wood. 1 have a splendid opportunity to make some money this winte1> cord in 16 feet lengths at Fairbanks. have 500 cords in sight one mile from the town; the Sleighing is fine in win- ter, man can haul 12 or 15 cords in d day with team and wood will be scarce. I am soon to get small barr, and will soon decide what l will do in that regard; the 500 cords of wood a e all cut and l can get it for S5 per cord where it is, on homestead owned by a friend of mine; men get Sl per hour for ordinary labor, and there are five men for every vacancy at present.
 You inquired about farming, etc. This is frozen country, all of the ground is frozen to depth of several hundred feet; it thaws from two to two'and one-half feet during the entire do not mature, in fact some seasons are so short that even the shortest grown vegetables get ruined from the frost. Potatoes, peas, turnips, radiSh- es, lettuce, celery, cabbage, carrots and caullflower all mature in good warm seasons, but other things are of no use, because they will not grow. Potatoes are not good quality, they ali get red in the center and are SOapy. Cranberries grow wild, but are not very large. Blueberries are quite abundant; there are some raspberries and some entrants but very few and only in places.
 1 had some intention of going to the St Louis fair, but l am now going to stay in here until New Year any how, and if I go to the outside, l will prob ably go to Vancouver, Seattle or San Francisco, for short stay, partially on business and par tially on pleasure. The best way from here is to Valdez with dog team and then to Seattle by steamboat. Provisions are going to be good investment in here. But ter is 75c per pound; lard, BOG per pound, sugar 200 pound: dried fruit, 25c per pound; eggs 75c dozen; oranges S1.5O per dozen; apples poor ones, S1.5O dozen; three cans of milk, $l; cream pound; flour, S9 per hundredweight; rice, 200 pound; beef Sl pound and $1. 50. I have plenty to last until June l, 1905, and nice little cabin to live in. 1 believe 1 am in position to do well this coming winter. 1 am not afraid of any work but do not do much of any real hard work myself, because l am in position to do better. l re- fused to work for the same company that was with in Dawson. 1 had the chance of going to work as watchman here at Sl75 per month and part of my expenses. It was offered to me by the company's auditor who is in here from San Francisco on a trip of in- spection. He said that possibly they could use 200 or 300 cord of dry wood this winter, so my present idea of the wood business is quite promising, but expenses are heavy. By paying atten- tion strict to my affairs I will do much better than by working myself. l in tend to spend some of my time out on the claim as some work must be done on them to hold them. It requires S1O0 per year for each and every claim to hold them. l have interests in nine different pieces of mining proper ty, some of them in quite good lOca- tiOnS, but it takes time to prospect them, as this is still new country and practically not developed and will be very good country in another year or two. l am now B years old, am getting quite old, many would take me for person of about 2S or 30. 1 meet lots of people whom l knew in and about Dawson. We are having lots of rain here now, much more than is needed. It has rained nearly every day for the last two weeks and the river is quite high. 1 am going up to not reach you for some time as I be- lieve no mail is to leave here for about a week. The mails are very ir- regular in here, much worse than Dawson. I know of no more to write this time so will have to draw this to a close hoping to hear from you soon. I send love to all. If I make good this winter you will be remembered in due time. Hoping you are all as well as l am, l remain, Your loving son.