Abstract Letters written by John B. Troy to his family in Spencer and Ithaca, N.Y. from Helena, Montana, Dawson City, Yukon Territory; and Skaguay, Alaska during the gold rush. His letters discuss a gold miner's life in the Klondike district and include descriptions of the gold mining process, harsh weather and working conditions, fluctuating wages, the high cost of living, medical care, gambling and lawlessness, and the difficulty of making a fortune. The collection also includes photographs, a...

Scope and content One letter, one note, and two printed notices concerning the De Léry Gold Mining Company in Canada, all addressed to S. C. Durant. The note and printed notices announce upcoming meetings of the company's board of directors. The letter, from J.M. Winchell in Quebec, discusses an upcoming company board meeting and also enumerates the issues facing the Canadian Parliament, including the question of confederation, the question of annexation, the construction of an intercolonial railroad,...