The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-08-31
THE BOOM IN SKAGUAY.
The Alaska Town Which Has
Sprung Up in Five Weeks.
A TYPICAL BORDER SETTLEMENT

Dance Halls, Roulette, Faro, Poker
and Crap Games Flourish-For Steal-
ing Sack of:FIour One Man Was
Tied to Post and Shot.
Seattle, Wash, Aug. 31.-The follow
ing letter was received per steamer
Utopia yesterday from newspaper
correspondent at Skaguay:
The jam is broken on the Skaguay
trail. A number of outfits have gotten
over, and there is a steady stream OF
moving humanity mixed up In an al
most indescrbable mass of horses Of all
sizes, ages and conditions; mules,
steers. milch cows, goats and dogs;
also vehicles of every description.
Three steamers are now unloading on
lighters, which convey the freight as
near the shore as possible before 1t Is
unloaded on wagons or anchored above
high tide.
The Utopia is now unloading at the
only wharf. very shaky structure.
Two pile drivers are at work on an
other dock, which is intended to be
substantial affair. A new sawmill
got up steam for the first time on Aug.
%. Rough lumber Is worth s27 per
thousand. but 1t cannot be got half
fast enough. The city of tents Is not
being displaced, but reinforced. by
city of "shacks" of all sizes and de-
grees. Skaguay Is the boom town of
Alaska. Every man whose heart failed
him when he encountered the first
hardship has turned town site boomer.
Five weeks ago Skaguay was not
known. Today there are not less than
1000 people, in addition to those on
ships In the harbor. They have sur
yeyed the town site, and the first com-
ers had first choice. The United States
commissioner is issuing some kind OF
a certificate for $5 surveyor another S.,
and then the squatter sticks up his
tent, shack or corral, and 1t ready to
skin the first tenderfoot that comes
along. Transfers by quit claims are
quite common, and as high as 5000 has
been paid for a choice location.
Skaguay has all the useful accom-
paniments of frontier mining town.
Dance halls, roulette, faro, stud poker
and craps find devotees. There is no
danger of a famine here, though there
may be shortages in certain lines.
There are no less than 1000 horses
at work on the skaguay trail, but it
is hard to get anyone to contract to
deliver you over the summit. The
packers at this end of the trail do not
like to contract further than the first
hill, six miles out.
At Dyea the Indians are moving the
freight in an almost unbroken stream
from Dyea to Lake Linderman, and II
Is not much trouble to contract to get
ones outfit put over at one trip for 80
to 35 cents per pound No one should
come expecting to get over this fall at
less than these rates. and no one should
bring boats.
An unknown man has been shot on
the Skaguay trail by committee OF
vigilantes, and his bones are now
rotting on pile of rocks within few
rods of the pass. This news was
brought down by the steamer Utopia,
which arrived yesterday from Skaguay.
The Utopia left Skaguay Aug. a. The
story in general is all that can be
learned, the details being unknown
among the Utopia's six passengers.
Some time ago sack of flour was
stolen. Suspicion pointed to a man
who was encamped near the summit.
A committee of six was chosen to fer
ret out and punish the thief These
ment went to the tent of the suspected
man and found the missing sack.
The man begged for mercy but the
committee, satisfied of his guilt, de-
creed that he be killed. The man was
dragged from the tent and tied UP to
a post. The committeeman stood off
a short distance and shot together
The thiefs body was pierced in six
places. Feeling their duty done, and
sick Of their task. the vigilantes left
at once, not even waiting to put the
bleeding form beneath the ground. For
three days it hung there in full view
Of those passing with their packs. The
odor emanating from the body became
so offensive that two men cut it loose
and. carrying it up hillside, covered
1t with a pile of stones.