The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-21
SKAGUAY.
Pen Picture of the Most Dismal Town
in America.

From the Baltimore American
What a motley throng you meet on the
streets, all bound for the new FL Dorado,
writes a Skaguay correspondent. Bank
clerks lawyers, doctors, farmers. loggers.
wealthy mems sons, grub-staked tender
feet, gamblers, sure-thing men and peo-
pie who know it all. It seems to me that
many of these men, who are unused to
frontier life, lose all control of themselves
when they strike a hot town. They
plunge into the mad whirl of chance and
dissipation like wild men. Well, it is all
a lottery, they say-that Is, their future
is. Many oe these men are returning to
their friends with a fairy story of hav-
ing lost their outfits or met disaster in
the "Sheep Camp flood" They simply
ran against some sure-thing graft, and
went down the line Fortunately, they
never reached Dawson, as they would do
the same thing there and become a burden
on the community. They are not miners,
and what any one can be thinking when
he sends these tenderfeet into the country
1 don't know. Any man who came up
here, equipped like many men, with out
hts, horses and coin. and returned to
their homes, should remain away in the
spring, as they will accomplish nothing in
the Yukon, and it viii be the same old
story-'damn the country"
The reckless spending Of coin is seen on
all sides, gambling is running open, every
thing goes. To a tenderfoot who enters
one of these gambling houses it seems like
a revelation. The polished arSof the pro.
prietor, as he gives YOU the glad hand, es-
pecially when he finds you have a fat
sack, staked as rule by some unfortu-
mates on the outside, or if you have just
returned from SIS per day packing trip.
~ a
glasses, the mirthNof the winners the
oaths of the losers, the brazen effrontery
OF the dancing girls, as they advance and
request you TO dance, the slick-witted
dealers around the various tables, the
suave smile of the bar boy as he asks
your pleasure at % cents per drink, the
brassy sound of a kettle-lke piano, the
coarse notes of a squeaky violin, and the
distant echo of popular song from the
stage beyond, and last, but not least some
friend leading an inebriated grub-staked
tenderfoot to his tent, are the nightly
scenes of these places of iniquity.
To the credit Of the town, with popu-
lation of 400, there has been little or no
crime There has been one murder and
suicide; carpenter in a crazy rage shot
woman and then killed himself Every
thing has been quiet and orderly, and
the sensational stories published about
lynching and crime are utterly unfounded,
and originated in the minds of the many
unreliable men who are writing the coun-
try up from the deck of steamboats, in the
offing, and publish everything they hear.
There are a number of stores, restau-
rants, saloons--in fact, all business is
well represented. Two wharves are in
course of construction, which will involve
an investment of $4,000 at the least cal
culationj saw mill is in operation, thou
sands of dollars have been invested in
houses, clearing lots and streets. There
are now about 400 dwelling and business
places, many of them good, sound build
ings, but the majority mere shacks. sim
ply thrown together, and it is good that
the cold weather is not long nor severe.
With the capital being invested in the
town and surroundings and the entire
population depending on a trail of the
Yukon, it seems strange that this wagon
road hasn't been pushed before but now
1t is an absolute necessity, or Skaguay
will be a dead letter. The merchants are
preparing for the winter and spring rush.
and everything pertaining to the wants OF
the Yukon can be obtained here
There are several factions in the town.
which is an injury to all as they are sim
ply working against one another to the
detriment of the Town, the travelling pub
lie, themselves and the whole community.
There is one thing certain, that a person
contemplating the Yukon trip should come
to Skaguay aud choose either river and
ice route in February or March. or over
the Dyea or Skaguay. Dyea river is only
three miles around the point to the north
of Skaguay, and one can choose either
route here, and both will be passa bic
March ! by sleigh. A person contemplate
Ing the trip cannot be too well supplied
with an outfit and cash, as personal OBJ
servation this fall would thoroughly indi-