A LETTER FROM KLONDIKE

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4679, 16 August 1899, Page 3

A LETTER FROM KLONDIKE

The following extracts from a letter dated 23rd April from Mr Albert Soh&ib, at present at Dawson City, to bis brother, Mr W. A. H. Scheib, of Cromwell, is published in the •♦ Cromwell Argus " :— " I am going to get away as soon as the boats start running, it possible, as I don't want to put in a winter like last. I have struck nothing rich since I came here and see no chance of doing so. I have had a hard experience. Once navigation closed last autumn the storekeepers rose everything to such exorbitant prices that unless you were a rich claimowner you pouldn'fc afford to buy. Just fancy meat a dollar and a half per lb; butter, sdol per lb; sugar, Idol; mostly everything else in proportion. What with the rough food and hard weather I got ill and was laid up for weeks and weeks, not able to move, with only" four hours' daylight out; of the 24, so you can imagine my feelings better than X can express them, However, X

pulled through, and I trust next winter to be home. There are thousands and thousands of men here almost starving and unable to get anything to do. I guess the Government will have to take many of them out this summer. I have been working for wages on a claim on Eldorado Creek with about 30 other men for the past six weeks. T have over 200dol coming to me, but may not eft it all. In regard to bikes, the chainless Columbia is the leading bike in Amprica — price 140dol ; then come Sterlings from 60 to 85dol, RambUrs from 60 to 80dol, and Massey-Harris from 60 to 80 dol. You can get good bikes here from 20dol up. The chainless bikes are all the ' go ' in America. All these prices are retail