Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-03-22
From Alaska.

| ~
postoffice here until March ~
Fairbanks, Alaska, Jan. s, 1905
Mr.. A. j. Abbott, Manchester
Iowa, Dear Friend Andy: l an
surprised in not finding lettel
here from you, on my return iron
IA prospecting venture up thu
Tanana river. | was greatly disap
pointed. l wrote to You when
left Dawson, y. r., and | wrote yor
Of my arrival at Fairbanks, and al
the same time, or about the same
time, telling you of my prospecting
venture that l would soon be off on
and told you that l would be back
about holidays especially for mail
and that you must be sure to write
as soon as convenient, so that i,
would surely get here by New
Years. got seventeen letters, bu,
when looked them over you were
absent" Fine you $lOO-lirs,
offense. See? l am going back
up the river in a day or two, Just as
soon as | can answer these letters
What would you think of walking
200 miles on skyes and snow shoes
for no other purpose but to get YOU
mail and to post letters? That is
just what | did, | had no more
business in Fairbanks than a Jack
rabbit-more than to get my mail,
L knew there were letters here from
anxious relatives and friends. They
knew that started out alone on this
long trip to part Of the country
not known by white men, nor any
human race so far as | know, and
| was there nearly three (3) months,
and you know how it is-people
will imagine all sorts Of things. and
fret and stew and worry themselves
sick, and by the powers of "St.
Joseph Chrislisen," they dream
dreams and believe they mean some
thing, or that something terrible is
going to happen. And SO to keep
these dear loving, worrying friends
posted and relieve their minds, and,
too, as / think great deal of them,
and am always anxious to get letters
from them, [ am always ready to
make any length of a trip or dis
lance to get their letters and to
mail letters.
Well Andrew, I suppose | must
60 back 10 where | left off when l
last wrote you. On the morning of
October II, A. d, 1904, | loaded
my polling boat with 1900 pounds
Of supplies, such as food, clothing,
carpenter tools and prospecting
tools, tent, camp stove, household
goods, guns, ammunition, sled,
skyes and snow shoes, and pushed
off for the long trip. 1t was beau
tiful morning, yet for all its beauty
there was four inches ofsnow, white
and beautiful, and the Thermometer
showed up down to Is degrees be-
low zero. But for all this l did not
mind. ! was alone. | felt sad and
gloomy. | was going on a long
trip, maybe never to return. There
was not soul there to bid me God
speed, no friendly hand to grip till
tears of real heart felt sympathy"
trickle down the cheeks, no friendly
good-byes, or fare We we'll brother
Watkins, all" But as / turned to
take a last look at the place of my
last act in the "play," 10 and behold!
there was a poor, hungry, sud,
broken hearted, malimute (half
wolf, half dog dog sitting right
where l had showed off with my
push pole. He was shivering and
looking SO sad, pitiful and wishful
at me and believe there were tears
in his eyes too. But as | think of
it now lam at sea. am puzzled to
decide whether that malimute dog
was really looking SO awful sad and
down hearted at my going away
alone SO far, or whether it was all
for the nice sweet bacon that I was
carrying off with me that 1 did not
forget to put in the boat. Anyway
| felt very grateful that even a poor
starved sad looking malimute dog
was there to see me off, and so feel.
ing much relieved at heart, not III
mind, by the last act in the play
| mushed on, pushing and showing
showing and pushing, against {
three mile current and a light drift
of ice, and day after day the weather
grew colder and ice drift or flow
denser and heavier. The rivers o
the north have heavy flow of ic,
previous to freezing up for the sea
son. l did very we'll the first tire,
days out, making distance of 81
miles. But on the morning of DC
tober 2lst when 1 looked out o
camp, it did not strike me very en-
couraging, the weather was mucl
colder. 80 degrees below zero, an,
the ice was running much heavier
1t fact it looked as though the ole
Tanana might clog up with ice an,
freeze up at any hour, which mean
Old Frank must sled his outfit IL
miles. Now I didn't care to do this
it's right hard work, slow an
tedious, and, too, l think l hav
served my full term at that kind {
work.
In 1895 l sleded and boated tw
~ ton Of grub into Dawson, a dis
lance Of $50 miles. l packed ths
same winter 81 tons over he sum
nit of Chiloot Pass, a dis,..se G
two miles, straight up in the air
had steps cut in the ice. 1 said
packed 80 tons. and my partne
did it together. We were packin
for what we could make out of it 6
4 cents per pound, and I have bee
packing and sleding about til
| oouDtrv ,,,oro ~. los, e.,