The Somerset reporter., 1906-11-22
EAST sKOWHEGAN.

The snow is nearly all gone and the
ground dos not freeze any nights.
George Goodrich with four good men
finished pressing E. b. Richardson's hay,
Friday night, 10 tons and four ions oil
straw. Monday morning they moved the
press to Herbert Richardson's.
George Farnham Of Canaan, over SO
years old, ironed 10 pungs in five days for
Horace Weymouth doing nice job work
ing only Fights hours day.
No grinding done at Canaan, shut down
for repairs ill Wednesday.
H. H. Richardson sold four cows for
about $500, nice looking cows.
The ground froze very little Monday
night and farmers are getting ready for
winter.
A grand reception was held on Nov.
I3th, at Herbert Richardson's home IN
E. Skowhegan in honor Of Judge J. {
KelIum and wife of Fairbanks, Alaska.
Mrs. Kelum is the daughter OF Elbndge
and Arvile Richardson of this place, who
lief, home about 28 years ago for the west
and this is her first return since. Mr..
and Mrs Kelum went into the Klondyke
country in 1897 and from there went into
Alaska in 1900, never having been ou'
from there until now. About fifty rela-
tlyes and friends met at Mr. Richardson's
some 10 renew and review childhood
happy hours. And the older ones TO see
again the little tot that they fondled on
their knees about the centennial year oil
the existence of our common country.
After refreshments Judge Keum gave
a short talk on Alaska and its possibilities
saying, among other things, that Alaska
had produced to the nation since It's puT-
chase from Russia 10 1867 over one hun
bred million ia gold, about one hundred
million in fish and furs and about fifteen
million in revenue. Fairbanks, Mrs
Kellum's home, is city OF about 5000
people, heated by steam and Lighted by
electricity, with three daily newspapers,
four churches, two hospitals with capac-
iy of abou, $50 pa tents. about 400 school
children with 10 teachers, paid FIRE depart
ment and water system OF mains all over
town. In 1925 Fairbanks District (not
including Nome or juneau or any other
portion of Alaska produced over six
millions in gold. Ia 1906 she had pro-
duced 10 Sept. Ist over eleven millions,
with an undoubted production for Nov. I,
1876, of fourteen or fifteen millions.
The summers of Alaska are about the
same during the months OF June, July and
August, as Maine, and dnring these three
mon tbs it is daylight the entire "a hours.
In the winter the thermometer sometimes
reaches Is degrees below zero and from
so TO 6s below is quite common. The
darkest months, December, January and
February, it will be daylight about two
hours in the middle of the day. AS to
wages, miners and all common laborers
receive one dollar per hour. Board is
about 500 per month. General prices OF
wages and commodities OF life are about
four or FIVE times the price in eastern
states. A U. S. district court Is held al
Fairbanks the entire year. Transport IA
ton was furnished until within the past
year or two by means of dogs. A oog
team consists ordinarily OF dogs hitched
tandem A good dog team will readily
sell for one thousand dollars. The dog
is about half breed between a timber
wolf and Hudson Bay Husky. All fruit
and vegetables, including cream and but
ter, is placed in Theoretically sealed cans.
The gravel from whence gold comes is all
frozen and is taken out by being tha~ed
by steam. The ground is frc zen down as
deep as miners have ever sunk, to wit,
3oo feet. On account of three months
daylight in summer, all kinds OF garden
vegetables are successfully raised. The
distance from Skowhegan TO Fairbanks is
about 1900 miles; $500 to Seattle and
about 1000 to Fairbanks.