The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-16
THE MUSHROOM METROPOLIS OF
ALASKA PRACTICALLY DE-
SERTED CITY.
NOT 100 INHABITANTS LEFT.
THE THOUSANDS OF GOLD HINT
ERS RETURN TO THE STATES
DISCOURAGED.
FIVE FEET OF SNOW ALREADY.
Interesting Letter From the FIR
North Written by d WtngHa
NlGn.

Special To the Globe.
WIN0NA, Mimi, Oct IA letter
has just been received in this city from
Milton r. Lombard, q WtnOnR young
man, who is now in the Skaguay pass,
on his way to the klondike The let
ter is of much general interest, and is
given in most Interesting parts, as fol-
lows:
Only q short time RgO we were city the
place referred to Is Skaguay) OF 1900 popu-
la-iOn; no city IN The country felt the boom
Of prosperity We did here; money flowed
like water. Today, things are changed. We
cannot claim q population of over 900 people,
if that, ana fully 400 Of these are now pre-
pairing 10 return 10 the states TO spend the
winter and when early spring tLhaI is jan
uaryl sets il they will return 10 continue
the journey through the snow, having stored
all their goods here. This is considered the
finest winter route to De nau, Ior Lne reason
that if yOu follow the Skaguay river from
this city to It's source you have perfect
sheet Of ice on which you may travel with
more Of q load than otherwise, each man be
ing able 10 pull q sled Of 800 or 500 pounds
weight, while with z team OF seven dogs you
can load on ton.
This city unlike others Of like nature, is
not rhe toughest place on earth, for Al the
present time we have only three graves II
the buryIng grounds; one Of man T-ho
came with his wife 10 Alaska, the land Of
promise who by UveTWOrk and on account
Of the weather. died from neErt disease,
the othars man and e woman who Shut-
fed of this mortal coil together. she SAID
he wasn't good shot; ne SAID he was, ana
To prove II put the muZzle OF z pistol To Lhe
back Of her head and hrPd, and then shot
himself. This accounts for Lhe three pine
slabs IN the IiILle lonely spot down Lhe hill
Stories have been told OF the Ierrn1S ueaLhs
Of those VINO stole bacon an0 1000, DUL these
are not true. NO one has yet decorated The
limb Of any tree nor nave Ln9y met death
IN any way. These stories are mere taxes,
and as z proof Of their falseness you VIII
remember that no name mas ever De6n SIVen
OF the victim Of any SuCh uuLImeIy emu.
For those vino are gong 10 Lhe AIohdAhe'
there is q good chance Tor them TO come
right here without first purchasing their
outfits IN the states. There are z NUMBER
here who will sell ont cheap ana VINO WalI
TO 20 home, SO new comerB Dy DuyuS Wien
they get here viii save carrying heavy
freight TO THIS point, aE well as saving cash
4 short time ago 2 new coon came 70
town. He went I'D the trail 10 COOK Tor
z party Of ten men. They succeeded ID
reaching the lake and II building gooo
big boat and after loading Lhe boat With
nearly all their goods They Went Dack 10
the woods TO bid their friends goodbye, ieaV-
Ing the coon IL charge. On their return you
NAV imagine their .ChagTIn TO nno coon ana
boat making for Dawson City without them,
and right here let say there viii be one
coon less IN Dawson City pretty soon.
The Indians mere say that Lne snow
reaches the depth OF fifteen 1eet though as
10 the truth Of this cannot say from ex-
Derience Bur / VIII say that already n0I
over Two miles from here there has over five
feet of snow fallen during the pas1 week.
a short time ago everything ran VIDE
open" here, but that also Is now changed
today the tOwn has q Sunday appearance
Tt all happened ona day ago when the United
States marshal and his deputies cleaned out
the Town and closed up all the gambling
houses The saloons they can't very well
close fUr You see they only keep one bottle
of whisky and one Or Two bottles OF beer,
aside from soft drinks, IN the place al q
time: the balance they have stored uD III
the woods, and they sell they send Ior
IT, SO five minutes after the marshal leaves
they have new bottle and stock, and are
serving things the same as ever.