The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-10
BLEED IN GOLD FIELDS.
Letter from SkaGuay Tells of Extor-
tiOnate Charges For Service.
From the Chicago Times-Herald.


uOnate Charges For Service.
From the Chicago Times Herald.
New York.-The Post prints this even
ing the following extracts from a priva- e
letter sent from Skaguay, Alaska, Aug.
. and addressed to a man in this city:
This is the first moment I've had for
a week to set by myself and l am taking
advantage of il by writing few private
letters. The excitement here reminds me
of Panama days only here it is more so.
Passengers are landed on rocks and sand
bars several miles out to sea, and 'cinch,
ed everlastingly by boatmen and Indians
to get ashore. Their baggage comes later.
and next their freight and outfits for win
tering in Yukon. The company have I,
reduced TO system, so that one is safe
on hgurng on finding each and every
package on a different landing and the
trouble and expense of collecting them
10 say nothing of getting them ashore,
are outrageouS. Horses, lumber and cat
Tie are dumpA overheard promiscuously
to get to shore or be lost, as the case
may be- and the, loss in that direction is
also great Saloons and dance halls and
gambling dens are beginning to show up.
WI en on shore, then the fun begins
Wagons haul mile or two for S. a loac
Then comes a ferry to cross a swift,
stream, for which 81 for horses and men
ana 5O cents a package for baggage ana
freight Is charged. Then come pack
mules Tor four or five miles, with the tariff
accordingly; then native Indians for a
few miles more; then more ferries to the
landing at the foothills, where the hard
work of crossing the mountains begins.
Nearly every day some fellow refuses to
pay ferry charges and attempts to swim
MS stock across and either browns his
horses or himself; but others try in ca
noes and lose their entire outfits
Day before yesterday | was appointed
United States marshal to take bad man
who started out to bluff his way ovAr the
trail by pulling his six-shooter on men. |
rode an Indian pony most of the way. and
caught the\man nearing the summit, which
Is the British line. l showed him the war
rant ana he dropped his pack and said he
was ready for his medicine and wanted
TO know what l expected to do with him.
took him back fifteen mics to the port.
where he was fined $60 which he paid and
laughingly said if he had only had a few
moments notice that 1 was on his trail he
would have been over the line, and then
he would have liked TO see me take him.
Last night an American was drowned
in the river in front of the Office, and to-
day l am selling his outfit and burylng his
body. found several hundred in gold in
his pockets and letters showing him to be
a married man with four children and
that he borrowed the money on his home
TO come here; also that his life is insured
for several thousand dollars. He was a
hne-looking man, middle age. and well
QUILTED, and several hundred dollars more
Will be realized out of his effects
Every man In camp has money. and
every one is making from $40 TO $25 day
that wants work. Some turn back when
they realize the difficulties; others work
until they can buy an outfit 10 20 on TO
the mines | have only been here week
and have cleared up $3.50 just buying and
selling odds and ends There are two
trails and two ports-only five miles apart
and ! run back and forth on a steam
launch. There are no houses or accom-
modations, and cold, damp rains all the
time.
one earns all he gets. and is liable to
make breaks and lose It occasionally. /
lost one canoe with $3.50 worth OF provis-
sions the second day landed by unset
ting, and yesterday a small canoe | had
rented got washed OUT to sea. and | sup
pose III have to settle for that at about
five times its value
Horses are worked almost TO death and
then shot All that are not dead when
snow comes are killed and used for dog
AOOhs ANOiit - WHiltItu 10 speak OF. reed
costs too much and they are no use in
winter Good dogs are worth as much as
horses-from $50 to S1O0 each
II am deputy United States marshal for
this district Dyea and Skaguay.) The
United States commissioner came on the
same boat with me, and we tent together
and work together on everything. / am
kept on the jump, ! assure you Ny dis
trict covers both the passes to the Yukon.
There is also a deputy at the mines. Some
thing exciting happens every few hours.
and all Is one grand rush. I'll have lots of
fun on ! don't get killed., even If don't
make anything. If | continue to do as well
as have so far I'll have no cause to kick.
Prices for packing are going M and Il is
going 10 be impossible 10 get half the peo-
pie over az any price before snow falls.
The rush is so great have not been able
TO exactly get my soundings. but as every
body moves on I'll soon be an old-tiner
and dead on TO the game There are a
thousand and one ways to make money
here, and the thing is to get in on. the
ground floor this fall and winter and be
ready for the spring rush.
IF you know OF any syndicates forming
IN New York put me IN touch with them.
In any event let me hear from you and let
me know something Of the pulse OF the
people in the east. The thing is certainly
all O. x. and permanent and great
camp"