The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-09-07
THE CURSE OF sKAeuaY PASS.

THE CURSE OF ShAGCAf PASS.
People should keep clearly in mind the
great distinction between the gold fields OF
Alaska and the Northwest Territory, and
the trouble On the pass at Skaguay- They
are several hundred miles apart. The fact
that a number of people cannot get through
on account of the rush does not make the
gold fields less valuable or the stories told
BY those who have come down less reliable.
The whole trouble is that number Of
young and Inexperienced men have under
taken. in spite of the most solemn warn
ings. 10 do that which can only be safely
undertaken by men OF strong constitutions
and who have been accustomed 20 a rough
lfe. Even that might have been less of an
evil II people had not rushed in such num-
bers as to be compelled TO wait the passage
through Of those who were first on the
spot. The same sort OF crush is seen at a
box Office window and on street cars upon
occasions OF great interest Everybody
knows thar by going q little early or a lit
tie late he can avoid the inconvenience OF
the rush. but he does not do il. and then
grumeIes because so many others have
been as foolish as himself
Every man who has gone up to Skaguay
could have easily gone through the pass IL
he had only had a small number OF COM
panions- But everybody had as much right
TO go there as everybody else, and no man
has any right TO find fault with a condi-
ton which he has been the means as q
unit in bringing on
We had hopes that the intelligence and
prudence of the prospectors would have
united them in building a trail A very little
labor on the part OF each of 1000 men and
little sacrifce-or apparent sacrifice-of
selfish interests would have put that trail
in such condition as would have enabled
hundreds 10 pass over. Several attempts
were made TO obtain unity of action, but
selashness frustrated each effort of the
better element of the prospectors to do the
only sensible thing left. To this short
sighted and selfish policy is added the evil
of having gathered at the camp those ele-
ments which always thrive upon folly and
vice. II Is no new experience. The same
thing was seen in the roaring mining
search for gold seems TO be accompanied
TO great extent by utter reckIessness of
money and health, and upon that dare
devil spirit the gambler. the whisky seller
and the female harpies thrive.
IL is folly 10 blame anybody except him
self for conditions in which man may
find himself at temporary disadvantage.
Those who have been determined to go
through the trail have gone through. They
showed determination. and they must
have exercised judgment, or they could
not have outstripped in the race so many
hundreds who were there before them
There is no power can prevent such
scenes of dissipation as are reported from
skaguay. except the power possessed by
every man himself to withstand the
temptations TO which he IS exposed Even
az Skaguay no man is compelled TO gam
bic or 10 drink unless he chooses to: there
was no force exerted TO get any man to
go to skaguay pass. In each case he was
absolutely free to drink or to gamble OF
not or TO undertake the journey or 10
refrain from ii. In the one case he in.
dulges his own individual taste without
regGd TO the rights or the comforts OF
others. In the other case he went for
his own individual profit. expecting to
make great gains.
The man who abstains from gambling
and drinking. and who succeeds In going
over the tran and striking it rich. will
claim al the credit for himself: The man
who drinks and Eamhles and fails to cross
the tran. turning back In disappointment.
VIII accept no blame for himself. but
seek 20 pat It upon somebody eIse-either
the government for not stopping the
gambling and whisky drinking. or the
government for not building the trail or
the other people who got in his way. or
the newspaper in which he read about the
Klondlke-snybody except himself. or any
thing except IS own poor Judgment.
weak heart dolly or bad luck