Mr Red. - In a New York magazine dated 23rd of January was mentioned something about a "Mine sold on the Bowery", and when I read the text and saw that the goldmine was located in Idaho, it stirred my interest because I have been there. It is quite certain that there is gold along the Snake River, and I have tried to find it. For that reason I went to the place gold was dug for. We brought with us an ordinary thin fryingpan. It had been burnt so that no grease stuck; it is no use trying to wash for gold in someting that is not completely without fat (/grease). I was lucky enough to find the right colour, as they express it there.

There are many people who have tried their luck there. Many of those we talked to have spent all their money on this, as it costs a lot to get "sluises", and they must have on sites where there are "placer mines".

The mine that was mentioned in the New York magazine was for sale for $ 60,000; but I doubt if there is any mine along the whole Snake River that is worth such a price. I would not advice anyone to go out there to try their fortune, unless it is someone who could invent a machine that could collect (and save) the fine gold dust that now is wasted for no use. The one who could invent such a machine would become a rich man. There were many Chinese and Italians there, and for Chinese and Italians it is possible to live there, for they can survive on nothing.

In the silver mines of Utah.

In Utah we were in the big silver camp Park City, and there we visited the great Ontario Silvermine. When we were on our way up, a waggon came; it was on its way up to fetch ore or quarts (which must be transported down to the smelters), and when the mineworkers saw us climb up on that high waggon, they laughed, but we sat comfortably and we got a lot of valuable information from the driver. When we reached our goal, we went and got rubber boots and rubber coats and hats, and then we were ready to go down.

The foreman said that soon a cage would come up, and when it came, we stepped onto it. It is a platform, but is has no walls like an elevator, but it goes up and down like one. I got a lantern and my daughter a candle, and the foreman also had a candle. When we went out onto the platform, we grabbed hold of an iron bar, and another (man) also came with us for safety's sake, explained the foreman. When I said that we were not afraid and were not going to be dizzy, he said that many men get so scared that thay must be held tight; if they stagger to the side, it would mean goodbye for them. It really is a strange feeling when you come from the burning July sunshine and light and then go down straight into the cold and damp abyss.

We went striaght down, and when I saw some light, I was happy that we had reached our goal. I asked, "How deep down aer we now?" "1300 feet," was the answer.

We went further down. In a while we heard a splashing sound, and we were down at the last station, which was 1500 feet below ground level. Now we stepped out and we walked several miles and we could see the silver glittering, and we chopped our specimens. Earlier they used to pump the water out, but now they have dug a tunnel that is several miles long, and the water is led out there. When we were finished with our diging deepest down and had found neither gnomes nor trolls, we went up again to 1300 feet, and there we let ourselves be lowered down again several feet at a time, and then we walked again, and then we climbed down ladders until we again reached the bottom place.

After two and a half hours we were back on the platform, and now started our journey upwards. The daylight was welcome when we saw it again. We were as hungry as wolves, so we had to go in and get something to eat before we could walk down to the town.

In the goldmines of Cripple Creek.

We also visited the goldmines of Cripple Creek. But if I tried to describe all that we saw there , it would be too lengthy. One thing I cannot leave out, and that is a hint to wives who have husbands who love their glass, she must send him to Cripple Creek; there he must stop drinking or he will die.

The air is so thin that strong drinks almost cannot be tolerated (by the organism). One must not believe that there are no saloons there; unfortunately there are too many of them there also, and when we were there, we saw many hundreed drunk men. It was Labor Day. In the morning there was a parade, and there the saloon was represented by a big waggon where the host sat with two others, and there were all sorts of good things there to tempt everyone who saw it, and it was visited in the afternoon and evening by many people.

Greetings to all friends,

.....

Mrs H Estby and Daughter