Digital Bob Archive

DECEMBER 31, 1880-As the year 1880 draws to a close, our camp is two months and a half old, if dated from the day Dick Harris and Joe Juneau staked the townsite and named it Harrisburgh. At present there are approximately 40 men in the camp and log cabins are fast replacing tents along the waterfront. One of the worst features of living here is the bitterly cold wind that swirls down out of the valley of Gold Creek, sending clouds of snow in the air, knocking down tents and scattering sparks from the camp fires. Several tents have had holes burned in them as a result. At best, dry wood is scarce and when this wind blows it is especially difficult to keep fires burning.

According to French Pete Erussard, the Indians call this a Taku wind, since it blows down the river of that name. ?If that is so, then ?Taku? must mean ?devil? in the Indian language,? commented Pat McGlinchy, ?for this is a devil wind if ever there was one!? There is general agreement on that subject.

Since the original discovery on October 4, at least 70 placer claims have been staked and recorded and many others have been staked but not yet recorded owing to the absence of Recorder Dick Harris. In addition, some 22 lode claims have been recorded. All of these claims except two are in the valley of Gold Creek. The other two are on Douglas Island.

Despite their feelings about the wind, the miners are pleased with the heavy fall of snow since it will mean plenty of water for working their placer claims next spring. Many are chomping at the bit to get to work but occasional avalanches of snow down the mountains which form the valley are warning that it is no place to work during the winter months.

Some good news has come from Sitka. Collector of Customs M. D. Ball advises that, starting with her March trip, the mail steamer California will call at Harrisburgh each month. The California starts her trips in Portland and some of our residents are already preparing their orders to be sent to Portland merchants. Collector Ball also advises that Thomas A. Willson has been appointed Collector of Customs here and that he will arrive soon after the first of the year. He will be our first federal official. All in all, the new camp of Harrisburgh is off to a good start and we predict a bright future for it.