Document 36: Letter from William Ballou, Dawson City, June 20, 1899
William B. Ballou Papers, Letters 1898-1918, Box 1-2, Archives, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
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Last winter very little prospecting work has been done. The would[-]be miners simply sat in their cabins and gossiped. Did nothing but eat up their grub, waiting for some body else to do the prospecting and if they find something then...they go on a stampede, dig a hole or two, and because they cannot find pay dirt at once, say the creek is not good. Alaska is a hard country and requires indomitable pluck and nerve.