The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1897-10-20
REVELRY AT DAWSON,
RECKLESS MEN PLUNGE DEEPLY
IN DISSIPATION OF GAMBLING.
An Awful Danger over All. Starya-
tion in Arctic Cold Looms Up
Nearer and Nearer.

Special Dispatch to the Baltimore sun.
DAWSON CITY, via Seattle, Wash,
Sept. 26.--Anyone who has known the
relaxations of frontier town in the
United States during a gold boom can
understood without further explanation
what they are here. 1t is almost the
same spectacle, except that it is set off
by the novel environment of glaciers.
The popular dance hall is the biggest
house in the place except the headquar-
tiers of the Canadian police. 1t is nearly
seventy-fve feet long and fully fifty feet
wide, and at night is Transformed from
a cold, tenantless, barn-like structure to
a scene of reckless revelry. All the wo-
men Of Dawson, who did not include
good regulations in their outfits when
they left the states, can be seen in the
throng that fills the place, and rough
miners and more polished tenderfeet
mingle indiscriminately.
Over in one corner a piano that must
have seen better days, wheezy horn
and an instrument that it would be gross
1iattery 10 call d violin, yield up plaintiff
discOTds in response to the efforts OF
their grizz.ed manipuIators. But the
dancers do not mind the absence of real
music-a they demand is a noise and a
certain regular rythm, with plenty of
drinks. These the management supplies
in abundance, the last commodity being
at the uniform rate of 80 cents per" md
take your choice.
A woman of advanced years is the
leading dispenser of liquors. She is ia
military called by the oId-umers moth
er Abe"
II will be necessary in polite society TO
draw veil over many of the daucn-hal
scenses here, but one incident which |
saw last night is Of such frequent repeti-
ton that it conveys an Instructive SUI
gesuOn OF life in Dawson. A miner in
typical mining garb was dancing with
the belle of the hall. He was making
sorry E.ess of his light fantastic effort,
producing spectacle more fantastic
than light, when the lady in the case
suddenly left him to bestow her bland
lShments on youthful new arrival, who
bore evidences If recent contact with
civilization.
The miuer seemed dazed for an instant.
but promptly pulled himself together
When the pair came whirling toward
him q regulation waltz step, without
any klOndIke fTils he braCed himself.
grabbed the young nan by the collar
and another part OF his attire and threw
him clean thrJught the window, SAYING
as he did so: "IlI teach you tender
feet to leave my sgirl alone" Then he
calmly seized the gIggling maid, without
cracking a smile himself, and resumed
his COntOrtions.
1t is only the new corners who are sub
jected lc such humiliating flights
through space. The Others are better
acquainted with unwritten laws that pre-
vail and 'make no breaks which they
are not prepared to stand by and fight
for.
The gambling house is the natural as
sociate of the dance hall in Dawson, and
stands close by its side. But as far as
that is concerned the gambling house in
some manifestation seems to be close by
the side of about everything else in the
town.
The establishment of this kind most
frequented and that has the honor of
running the ''star dust game" is known
as "JOe's Place, " anu is taking in gold
about as fast as the miners can dig it.
There seems to be no evidence of any
thing crooked in the game, but that
may be the result of necessity. A man
who would run a crooked" game Of any
character and get detected would have
to take to the woods and there are no
woods to take to. His finish would be
quick and certain, and this fact is so
clearly recognized that everything is run
ION the square"
But life in Dawson, even in winter, is
not merely one long revel, and there is
plenty of the serious in everyday rou-
tine to occupy the attention Of the house
keeper or tentholder. The matron in
the states can consider herself lucky in
not being obliged to d. her shopping at
Dawson prices. Here one must pay $40
for a hundred pounds of -four, % cents
for a pound OF brown sugar. 81 for
pound of bacon and 81 for a pound of
butter. If he or she yearns for the lux
ury Of an egg one can be gotten for 70
cents, and other essentials are in proper
ton
Cigars, like drinks cost so cents each
and a shave commands the same price.
The barber shop is a wooden hut, and
the barber enjoys only a short season
When the cold weather arrives boards
are at a premium, and the barber
changes his occupation to that If faro
dealer.
There had never been much variety in
occupations at Dawson until this sum
meT, but then it must be remembered
that the city is only little over year
old. 1t was born in August, 1896. when
the report reached Circle City OF the
Klonkide COLA "fnds." Then Circle
City moved in bulk to the new location