From: "Joe Ferguson" <joeferg@sprynet.com

Sandy,

Lisa Penner, Editor of the Cumtux, ( An Oregon historical publication ) was
nice enough to send me some articles from the Astoria, Oregon, paper,
written while Hope Ferguson ( Hope's Incredible Journey ) was still in
Alaska. Happily, they confirm not only the trip, but what a unique
individual he must have been.

Regards,

Joe Ferguson/Oregon


 May 13, 1899:
 A letter received from H.B. Ferguson states that he arrived safely at
 Skagway and expected to leave for Atlin in a day or two. He says the
 Canadian gold commissioner has extended until July 1 the time in which
 Work must be commenced on the claims.
 
 May 27, 1899 ADB
 Deputy Sheriff Grant Trullinger received a letter yesterday from his old
 friend Harry Phillips, who was everybody's friend in Astoria...Hope
 Ferguson, his son, and Tom Bryce spent last night here on the Summit, and
 left this morning, pulling a hand sled with 400 pounds. I advised them to
 buy a horse, but Hope seemed to think that they could manage all right.
 They may possibly get through before it breaks up, but I doubt it, as the
 trail is getting bad and the weather is miserable. It has been blowing and
 snowing for a week steady. I will see them at Log Cabin tomorrow, when I
 think Hope will find 'tis not such a picnic... I started this letter two
 days ago, and hope to be able to finish it now. Ferguson and the boys
 left the Cabin and are well on their way to Atlin now, if they have not pegged
 out. Quite a number of Astorians are in Atlin now...
 
 July 18, 1899 ADB
 Robert Whidby, who has just returned from Alaska, saw many of the
 Astorians who are now in the Atlin district and around Skagway and Dyea...Hope
 Ferguson and his son Roy left Atlin and started for the Northwest
 Territory, the line of which was thirty miles away but they were going
 fifty miles further to where they had received information were some
 valuable finds. Tom Bryce returned to Skagway where he is working for his
 brother-in-law C.B. Harriden who manages the Ross, Higgins & Co.
store....
 
 Jan. 19, 1900 ADB
 A letter has been received from Hope Ferguson from Dawson City stating
 That he and Sam Freeman were about to start from there down the Yukon on the
 Ice for Cape Nome.
 
 Same day
 Mrs. H.B. Ferguson left this morning on a visit to her parents at
 Pomeroy. Mrs. J.E. Ferguson and Mrs. Hanthorn are spending the day in Portland.
 
 May 24, 1900 ADB
 A letter has been received from Hope Ferguson dated Rampart City March 6
 and was received by his wife about ten days ago. He says that he had
 reached that city without having experienced any real hardships and was
 then half way from Dawson to Cape Nome and the trail ahead of him was
 reported to be in good condition and he expected to reach his destination
 within twenty days. His health was excellent, in fact never better. He
 says that he can run from 35 to 45 miles per day and can easily make 30 miles
 in six hours. He explains this by saying that it is necessary to make over
 three miles an hour or some part of the body will freeze as the cold
 averages 45 below. The traveling is done in a dog trot that is very
 tiresome at first but you soon become accustomed to it.
 
 July 2, 1900 ADB
 A letter was received from Tom Bryce on Saturday by his father. It was
 dated Cape Nome, June 18, the day that he arrived there with a party of
 friends on the steamer Nome City after a passage of 22 days. He gives a
 very interesting account of his trip and speaks in the highest terms of
the treatment received on his way up. After leaving Dutch Harbor the vessel
was retarded by great ice floes that sometimes reached as far as the eye
could see. They rescued two shipwrecked crews, those of the Hunter and Eclipse.
 The steam launch of the Hunter ........ [did not get rest].
 
 February 10, 1902 ADB
 Word has been received from Nome that Hope Ferguson has made a very rich
 strike on a claim that he has discovered on a tributary to the Yukon river abot     500 miles from its mouth. Large nuggets are being taken from the bed
 off the stream and the quartz ledge on the claim is very rich.
 
 That's all I found. Sure was fun to read.
 Liisa