The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-11-30
THE PASSING IHRONG.

.
Col. W. f. Mckee has recent copy Of
the Washington, d. C., Post, which con-
tafns the following:
Mr.. Jefferson r. Smith. OF the state OF
Washington. who has been In Alaska for
the past three years. was entertaining q
party at Chamberiain's last evening with
descriptions OF the gold country. and OF
the life Of the hardy adventures who
have gone into that region.
Any man In good health said Mr..
Smith. can stand the climate. and most
up there. ! have slept for weeks In wet
clothing. but never knew what it was 10
be sick But Of course . man wouldn't
so up there purely for the climate, and II
nizht be confessed that the long winter
nights are very monotonous.
The rush Of the people next spring
win be something unprecedented In the
annals of the world I believe at least
10000 fortune hunters viii make for the
klondike Just as soc1 as the weather VIII
admit. ! notice that agents sent out
by Victoria. e. c.. merchants are trying
to make 1t appear that the British CO.
lumbia town Il better place for out
Hitting than Seattle. This ought not TO
pass unchailenged. Seattle Is by long
odds the best place TO get equipped. as
the merchants there are IN every way
better provided with all the necessaries
needed by the miner, nor will q single
cent Of tariff tax be imposed on outfits
brought In from the United States. al
though that faisehood was also circulated
In the interest Of Victoria
think there IS gold in Alaska beyond
the Imagination OF man TO depict, and
nave been over the greater part Of 1t. and
In the British possessions as well. OF
course not all the people that are going
aifer gold Will succeed; only small per
cent In fact will acquire big amount.
but the few who do make a strike will
take out enough TO satisfy them. As
soon as constderablespopulatio gets In
there Is no doubt there will be a move to
obtain for the territory q regular ter
r.torial form Of government. This will
be bitterly fought by the big steamship
and trading companies and mining syndi-
Gates They have no taxes TO pay now,
and they are we'll content to have the
present status maintained.
was at Skaguay when there were
5000 people there. and never saw a more
orderly crowd. A move was made to get
UP a law and order society, something
after the fashiohn OF the California vigil
antes. but the thing was so utterly UNI
called for that It's promoters were forced
I'D dDdUuon the project. 1nere was no
stealing, no homicide, not even a simple
fist fight, and I consider this a very
remarkable thing when you take In con-
sideration the mixed character Of these
sojourners. made UP of Adventures from
every part OF the country"
Swiftwater BILL" who came out Of the
Yukon country Sunday, Is a guest at the
Butler. His name Is w. c. Gates but ne
Is much better known by the sohriquet
that he received three years ago while
making his way down the Yukon to the
gold fields. He had had experience in
shooting rapids in the Cariboo country
and various other places. until he felt
quite at home on the rushing streams.
His nature was dare-devilish and reckless
too. and when he came to the perilous
waters between White Horse rapids and
the canyon he laughed at the fears OF
men who we're painfully and laboriousiy
portaging their outfits around the danger
Gus waters. He did more than laugh. He
went through himself in boat and when
the men saw him do Ii they secured him
TO take their outfits through for them
AT one time several hundred men wit
messed Mr.. Gates take through seven men
IN boat. II was considered wonderful
feat. and ever since then Mr.. Gates has
been known by the nickname of swift
water BILL
He Is high roller. typical product
Of a rich mining camp. He wears a silk
hat, sports a huge diamond stud or his
shirt front, and talks with confidence
which only the owner OF kiondike claim
can assume. He owns interests In six
claims and spends money like water
II am going TO have the finest opera
house In Dawson" he said last evening
land II will be a beauty. / am going 10
take up lot of pretty girls. too
saltwater Bill brought down n Yukon
Indian with him, and he has been having
no end OF fun al the dark-skinned mans
expense. The Indian never saw n two
story house until two or three months ago
having never been out OF the Interior. He
feels very funny In the handsome suit
which Mr.. Gates bought him yesterday
and the wonders of Seattle are such as 10
nearly take his breath away. His first
elevator ride was disastrous In the ex.
treme, fer he was taken with violent at
tack Of sea sickness. The street cars
amaze him and the telephone Is inexplic-
able. His intelligent face shines VITA
mystiscaticn at every new thing he sees
while his master IS enough Of a Joker 10
spare the uncultured native no surprises
The Indian is here 20 train dogs for Swift
water BIZ to take back with him In the
spring.
Z. C. Sutton. secretary OF The Yukon
Rapid Transit Company. OF this city has
Just returned from a trip through the East
In the interest Of his company. during
which he visited s.. Paul. ST. Louis, Min
neapaI:s lincoln. Helena and other cities
~ found business improving" he said
yesterday. land everybody anxious 10 hear
ahoa: Alaska. All who are going talk only
OF Seattle as point for outfltting and OF
departure. They inquire for Seattle ana
rot for san Francisco Portland or Ia
coma
81 noticed yesterday the article against
Seattle written by Pat DOMAIN for the s.
Louis Globe Democrat and reprinted In the
Pcst-Iuieiligencer As Seattle man that
naturally makes me mad But the people
here can res. assured tia, II Will do no
harm whatever People throughout the
East arc too well posted "a 10 routes trans
portatiuu and Quilting 10 Ne taken in by
statements 50 evidently inspired by malice
II - generally understood that no city on
ihs Coast Is 50 well equipped 20 handle
rrosrsctors fer Alaska as Seattle Pat Do
nan spreads {, on too thick They appre-
cla;e that he Is liar almost as wei! as We
DO here.
''rsoaan speaks OF fake companies In Sc
attic. | do ues know Of any here. hut there
ara A number OF such IN the East They
are Incorporated OF all sorts OF p-opoSs-
t!ors and shares sci! from IS cents I'd.
Should ons-half the people come 20 Sc
attla In tire spring WHO are taking OF II
now, / do not know what we will DO with
them In Omaha talked with - Z. por-
ter agent OF THE Associated Press he
travels sAogI. the country 20 some extent