The Nome nugget., 1933-12-23
0eerinQ
Special Nugget Correspondence)

Nov. 3
 I Hello everybody! I know lot of you folks down in Nome have been wondering how We are get tting along up here on the creek. When we left Nome, I promised individuals letters to. all my friends. But since we arrived I have been too busy to write and now car travel is practically over, picking up the mail will be very uncertain out our way. It VIII only be when an occasional trap per or native happens along with dog team. So hit upon. what I think. splendid plan. By writ ing one long letter and trying to persuade kind Mir. Maynard to publish it n the Nugget, I can thereby reach all of you before Christmas at least. So, here goes. We arrived in Deering about noon lSeptember 11th, having flown here with the MATS capable pilot, Ches ter Brown. The weather was splendid and the trip great. Upon arriving in Deering, Mir. and Mrs. Art Chamberlain very kindly in vited us to luncheon and dinner and we in turn very graciously accepted. And, indeed we were not sorry as Mrs. Chamberlain is wonderful cook and served us a very delicious dinner. We played cards until late in the evening, thence to the nearby hostelry, "Deering Roadhouse" where we spent the night. We arose at 5:30 in the morning and started by truck for Utica Camp, our new home. Utica is about twenty miles due north of Deering located on the Imachuck river. The camp consists of: A winter house, where we live, several large warehouses. summer cook house, barns, garag- Ies, blacksmith shop and numerous small cab .ns. Our house sets down in pocket n the bank of the river A wall of hills sur round it. with just the cut where the r.ver runs through. The side hills are covered with red willows and berries. making an ideal feed ing ground for ptasmigan. Follow ing around the complete top of the wall is lava rock eviden ly thrown there by some giant upheval of the earth when this country was trop. ical. We rarely see the-san- until noon as it. is behind the hill, then it $ just little while until it Our house is of frame, covered with sod and s very warm. There
 one large room which suffices for kitchen, living room, bedroom !. and bath. We have a portion cur. tained off for our sleeping quart CTS. And, say, we have one oi the best beds in Alaska, thanks to MT. Alfred Lomen. There is g smallroom in the back and a cell. ar for storage. Off the kitchen is nice large pantry. A good well of water with pump in the kitchen makes 1t very convenient j You must try if you can to pic ture the look of dispair on my face when I first entered the house Grimy walls, the soot of many years festooned from the ceiling line of hunks hanging from tn, wall, old parkas, reindeer skinl and whatnot serving the purpos, Eof mattresses. On shelf above ithe table stood several Coleman gasoline lamps, one minus a shad, another with ragged n1antles. Scat tered her and there were shotgun shells, a can of tobacco, a rust, pen and bottle of ink. I stoot rooted to the spot not knowini whether to weep or turn and run I didn't do either, however, bu calmly ''took the bull by tn, horns" flung off my coat, rolled up my sleeves and started clean ing.
 The men tore down the hunks scrubbed and painted everything Then we laid new linolium on tn, floor. washed the windows, hunl