Ruby, Alaska
Sep 22, 1912

Miss Gladys Bower
Seattle, WN

My Dear Daughter Gladys:

I just received your letter dated Aug. 20^th today it was the most welcome letter I have received since the last one I received from you and that is about two years ago. I was on Donaldson Creek, a tributary of the Kuskokwim River there. I was about 80 miles from a post office and I lost your letter before I got a chance to answer it and I could not remember your address so that is the reason I have not written to you. I was awful sorrow and do hope it will never occur again. I am very sorrow to hear of Gertrudes being sick and also that Henry is having trouble with his leg. I do hope he will be cured this time. I am awfully glad to know this is your sophomore year at colage. I guess my Dear Daughter you think you have a very neglectful Father and I cannot blame you but I hope to see you in a year or so and then I will explain that which I cannot by writing for it would take sheets of paper so I will just say this, I have been very unlucky since I left Seattle in getting ahead financially. I guess I have been too anxious and taken too long a chances and then again I have been wrong in my judgment in fact it seems the fates are against me so far. I thought I was going to make a few thousand dollars on the Cleary Creek but we had too much water to contend with so I did not make a cent there. Then I went to the Iditerod and Kuskokwim County but I could not do any good there. I was there 15 months then I came here to Ruby. I have interests in about 50 claims here and hope to be able to get enough out of them to make good all my arrears to you all it would be no use for me to go back to Seattle unless I could for at my trade I could only make enough for us to live on and not a very good living at that so I am staying in Alaska doing my very best to make some money for you. As you are all I have in this world to work for and try and make happy and you do not know how bad I am longing for the day to come that I can be with you again. I never have in all these years I have been away from you went to sleep without thinking of you, your Mother, Edwin and Loraine. Your sister you never saw. She died in November before you were born at the age of 6 months. I landed in Ruby on the 5^th of Sep 1911 and I have did well in procuring mining interests but I do not know yet if I will make anything out of them but it looks as though I would and you will see me very soon after I do. Yes I have many partners in fact I hardly know 1/2 of them. The claims are all from 4 to 8 claim associations and I got the most of my interests for representing them. I lived pretty near all last winter in a tent. I have a small boiler to thaw the ground with, 3 big dogs to pull it around with and to haul provisions when there is snow. The mines are all from 30 to 60 miles from Ruby and 4 mountain ranges to cross so you see it is very expensive to get supplies. It is 45 miles to my ground that I think will turn out all right. One of our partners has been very obstinate and contrary but I think he has seen his error and will do better from now on he would not work and he would not let any of the rest of us work the ground this summer but I guess we will have from 1/2 to a mile of it working this winter. We have let lays on 1/2 mile of it now and 3 different outfits are getting started to work. We get 25% of all the gold they take out so if they all work this winter I should have some money next spring. I worked 6 weeks this summer and took out $304.00 with my little boiler on the ground we let the lays on now it is awfully hard for me to explain conditions to you so you can understand them. The claim we let on lays contains 80 acres. 1320 ft across the valley and 2640 ft up and down stream and is owned by 5 of us. I only own 1/8 of it I sand the shaft we found the pay in for 1/2 of one claim (20 acres is a claim) I also received 1/2 of 1 claim in 3 other associations claims from the same party now the claims are not divided so any one owning an interest in a claim can keep the rest from working that claim. (that is one of the association claim evils) now I suppose you wonder why I am not going to work myself and take out some money. Now I have the hardest kind of work from now until the New Year. I have ground I staked myself enough to keep me jumping to represent and prospect. So I will be living in a tent again until then (New Year) or longer and some of it is 130 miles from here and I think I have a good chance to fine some more ground that will be valuable if I don't then I will come back to where we have ground that prospects good and work the rest of the winter on it. I think 5 of the claims I own interests in will prove valuable if they do I am satisfied but it will take a lot of work yet to tell and I have been fooled so often I don't figure on them any more until I am sure. If I could sell any for a reasonable price I would but you cannot sell anything here until you have them fully developed and that is what I want to do this winter. Develop them and try and get the money I should like awfully well to send you some money this Fall but I have not got any to send and I could not raise any on my ground just now in the condition it is in if I can I will send you all I can raise but I don't have any hope of being able to do so before Xmas at lease if the lay men stays and works. By that time I may be able to realize on some of it. Money is awful scarce and hard to get here. I had a letter from the fellow that went to Dawson with me and I asked him to try and find your address for me so I could write to you. I do hope we will keep in communication from this on and always write your address on the bottom of your letters and just write to me ever so often for I am awful glad to get a letter from you and just ask me any question you like and I will do my best to answer it and explain anything you would like to know to the best of my ability. Hoping you will excuse me writing of both pages but it would take so much paper it would make the letter so bulky if I only used one. Give my Love to all the folds and answer soon. I remain as ever yours

Loving Father B J Bower
Ruby, Alaska

P.S. I will send you a little --- M----