The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1923-08-31
LAND Of The
MIDNIGHT sun
Extracts from Letter from Former
Resident Of OkanOgan County
Now Living In Alaska.

Ali of the old timers of the north
part of the county remember w. J.
Dorwin, who was a resident or this
county for a number Of years and
took an active part in public affairs.
Mr.. Darwin went to Alaska in 1914
and after working at various jobs at
last embarked in the fox raising busi-
ness, a business that is growing rap
idly not only in Alaska but all over the
coast. The hign price of fox fur en-
courages people taking up this line.
Mr.. Dorwin writes Interestingly OF
his experiences in Alaska to Winfield
Cox, of this place. and We take the fol-
lowing extracts from some OF his let
ters which will let his old friends
know Mr.. Dorwin's impressions of
Alaska, his experiences and what he
is now doing: Under date Of June 20
writing from Montana, Alaska, he
says:
Just at present the railroad Is In
bad way as three bridges went out,
but the road will be all o. X. again
witnin week The president and his
party are to be here about July IL
for a trip over the railroad. Mrs. Dor
win left today for Anchorage to meet
school teacher friend from Tomas
ket, Wash. who is to pay US visit,
Miss NJ. Ella Scoville, and an old
friend.
1--WE have up to date 1S silver fox
pups and il we cared to sell them we
could get $4,000, as We have lots of
calls to buy. While We got short crop
yet this is not bad returns for an in
vestment of $4,000 My son, who had
charge of them, evidently let them
get too fat. This is the prevailing fault
with most people. What a cat will eat
will keep fox too fat to produce
young we'll, and they are such persist
ent beggars it's nearly impossible to
not over feed them. Out of the thirteen
three are females, and we will not at
tempt to raise young fcbm them next
1year, but hold them over for twO-year
old breeders, watch most of the fox
farms do now and consider It better
We have two with litters of five each
land one with three. We had IS old
foxes.
Just at present We are clearing
Hand. and let ME add that this is nC
|lazy mans ranch country like some
parts Of eastern Washington for here
we have timber. and worst of all, the
moss to burn off, and it Is in lots o
places a foot deep. 1t is fact that
Isponge snot in it with this moss tt
absorb water. 1t has to be dug up ant
scattered around until dry enough tt
burn. After the month of June W.
cannot depend upon very much DIR!
weather If Okanogan county coult
lust have the rain from July on, o.
rather the first of July, they woul'
have moss as We do, and plenty of tim
ber as well.
eve can grow good crops thougl
and potatoes do very well and yiel
we'll. Cabbage grows better here tina
, in Okanogan and so do most roo
, crops, but beans, corn, tomatoes an
the like will not grow to do any goo(
, For wild berries Alaska has the worl
beat.
Just at present tne salmon are rur
ming and one kind after another wi
come along for about three month
< but we had our fill Of fish when tn
J. rainbow trout were running. W
{ caught so many that we had to sen
them all around to our friends. W
n caught them with hook and line to-
8 We have drawbacks as we'll here. Jul
now the gnats and mosquitoes are ba
O but there is not one where there We
= twenty two years ago. and We hope
stays that way"
Writing of the chances of work Il
:, Mr.. Cox's son, who wanted to go
y Alaska, Mr.. Dorwni says: Il land
= here with $S.40 and did not have
- job in sight and that was Septemb
:. IA, 1914. and worst of all l was not
working man. l had to buckle into
and / have not seen year that
of could not make from $l,400 to $40
lie a year. Generally speaking they
Mt not want gray headed men to VOL
er but ] got by on gall and doing t
is best knew how without complaint
he land now we are most out of the WOO
can truthfully say, l like Alasl
a. and for all the cold, l love the winte
ar best"
Under date of July 2S, MIR. Dorv
en writes as follows:
20 your letter came few days a.
nt but l just now find time to ansv
or as | have been putting up hay. Y
say your son told you the grass v
knee hign up in Alaska. Well, do
10 dispute his word but l find it h
mostly over five feet high.
Ter "It was a very dark day yestert
rs' and Mrs. Dorwin and Miss Scov
'a- went to see the Indians take fish
Tx of a net and to see how they put tn
as up to dry for dog and fox fed. The
salmon is now on, and the Indi
ar took out over 100 fish that would ay
the age about eight pounds to the f
in. but wnen cleaned and dried we
ces from two to two and a fourth pou
lon each, and is sold generally for
ges cents a pound. We have engaged
ay. pounds from them. We only feed
ro- 10 the foxes two or three times WI
Before feeding we pour boiling WI