The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-12-25

very interesting reading and are ap-
preciated by his many friends in this
vicinity.
Ruby, Alaska, Oct. 20, 1913.
Dear Reporter:
1t has been over month since
received copy of The Reporter and
I am hungry to get one. The mail
service into the interior of Alaska is
rather an uncertain quantity. One
would think that during the summer
months with open navigation the
than during the winter months, but
not so. 1t is true that we get more
second class matter during the sum-
mer but it comes in such lump that
one does not enjoy it so very much,
that is to say, the newspapers. The
news is always month old and Of
ten older by the time it reaches us.
In the winter the service is more
regular for first class matter, as
Ruby gets at least one mail every
week. During the winter the mail
comes by way of Cordova, then to
Chitina by rail, and then by way of
Fairbanks on to Ruby by trail.
am glad to say, hover, that we
received the magazines sent us by
our Leon friends and they are now
in service in our Free Reading Room.
Two or three of the magazines are
now 400 miles from Ruby, up at the
head waters Of the Novi river, car
ried there ny an old prospector and
trapper. He came down to Ruby the
first of August for his winter sup
plies and returned carrying them in
small polling boat. He is up there
all alone. Such a life would not
suit me SO very long, though there
are some old timers here who seem
to enjoy this sort of life. To be with
companion in such an isolated con-
dition would make life more enjoy
able to most people, l should think.
l wish to thank those who sent me
the magazines and / trust that ere
another season comes I may have
the great privilege of seeing some of
my Leon friends as they pass through
Alaska on a sightseeing tour.
This winter I will live in bachelor
style as it was impossible to get
things arranged to bring Mrs. Brad
shaw and the boy in. There is no
high school here and the school ad-
vantages for the boy would not be
what he would require. 1t is our
hope, however, not to be compelled
to be alone without my family an
ether year.
There is so much that is interest
ing here to me and am sure it would
be to you that l really know not
where to begin or what to say. You
nfkou hoor1 ~ hn Ncn11 IN,
August" Well, I have both seen
or three Of them. On August 2Sth
was visiting prospector in his
cabin, and as opened the door to
leave sighted the snow on the
mountains across the Yukon. It had
been cold and cloudy all day and
about p. m. it cleared, and as it
cleared We saw what it had been do
ing up on the mountains. The next
day, August 18th, it showed nearly
all day in Ruby. This was not the
first cold weather as it had frozen
several times before this. Again
there was snow in September, and
plenty of it in October, the present
month. The first SHOWS melted, but
the snow now has come to stay until
about the first of next June. Just
think of it, only. two months in the
year in which it has not showed.
Surely the summers are short and
for this reason agriculture in inter-
iOr ALASKA Is a very uncertain guam
tity. The government experiment
stations In Alaska, however, are very
optimistic about the future agricul-
ture of this last frontier of the Unit
ed States of America As ! desire
not to misrepresent anything shall
not say in this article just what the
agricultural possibilities of Alaska
are. as this would require longer
article than have time to write, or
you space to print. Will say that
garden stun of certain kinds may be
grown in Ruby. Potatoes do fairly
well, though they are rather soggy,
not mealy like the Iowa potatoes.
Tomatoes will not mature in the out
doors. Cabbage and turnips and
carrots, beets, radishes, lettuce and
peas may be grown. Celery does
we'll here and IL very delicious. One
my wonder that gardens may be
grows here during such short sea-
-. Yen, s. tho summer the sun