Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-09-18
SALOON AT LAKE LINpEMAN.

SALOON AT LAKE LINDEMAN.
ago. 1t is now believed that nm order will
be issued making it crime to gamble at
Dawson City. As yet no such order has
been heard of, however, and 1t is safe to
say that this winter gambling will be the
occupation at the Klondike.
The town has been invaded by half
dozen of the greatest gamblers that ever
ran games on tho Pacific coast. Some of
them have already reaped o golden harvest
and will be back in, the States before an
other year goes by with more gold than
will be found in the pack Of any single
miner. A few days ago q party of six
gamblers arrived in Seattle. They came
from Montana and Immediately took
passage northward on one CT the steam
ships bound for Dawson City by way Of
st. Michael's.
"They won't do any business" said n
local detective. "They are all sure thing
men, with records back of them and guns
in their pockets. They will try their
crooked work at Dawson City. There will
be n meeting Of miners, followed by q
hanging party, and the friends Of these
gamblers will never hear from them. The
miners Of the north want to gamble, but
they don't want to be robbed, and they're
right. The gambler, even II he runs
fair game, gets all the money in the end.
Harry Ash is the king Of gamblers ct
Dawson City. A story has it that he has
made q deal with the mounted police
whereby he has all the gambling privi-
leges at Dawson City. 1t is his intention
to permit others to run tho houses and
pay him heavy percentage. Ash left Sc
attic o poor man less than two years ago.
He is now wealthy. Ash is an old Pacific
coast gambler. In the boom days Of WASH
ington, when town lots which at present
may be purchaeed for $50 sold for SIC, 900,
Ash was in his glory. He had games 60
ing in all Of the boom cities. He spent
money rs fast as he made it, and when the
boom died his fortune was gone. Two
years ago he went to Juneau, opened a
game and made little money. Then he
proceeded to Circle City.
In the spring of 1895 Curly Munroe, one
OF the gamblers of the coast and O man
who had the reputation of being "a bad
one with the gum" conceived the idea
that the miner of the far north wanted a
change, that he needed q little recreation
during the long winter months to break
the monotony. Munroe had been ut Ju.
menu. He made contracts at Seattle with
10 good looking variety actresses to go
north with him. He got them out Of the
dance halls but refused to take q woman
unless she came up to his standard of
beauty. He took them to Juneau, and
there informed them that he proposed to
land them ut q small place near what Is
now Dawson City. The women protested,
but Munroe insisted, and as the women
had no money they consented to make the
trip over Chilkat pass. They were the
1rst women who successfully reached the
Yukon by the overland route. At Circle
City Munroe met Ash. They formed q
partnership, opened dance hall and a.
loon and cleared several hundred dollars q
night.
The news came of the finds at Dawson
City. Munroe caught the fever, sold out
to Ash and went north. Ho was followed
by Ash and the women. since that time
Ash has conducted his gambling gaines
and dance hall at Dawson City. Some of
the women deserted him, o few married,
others went into the restaurant business.
and several returned to civilization be-
cause they could not stand the hardships
Of the north.
Ash Is making money so rapidly that
he does not know what to do with it. 4"
says a recent letter from Dawson. "Ho
anticipates making 81 900 to 81, 800 day
| when winter comes on. If had q good
roulette outfit, could make my fortune In
less than year. Other gamblers are doing
it. Another man know is getting ricn.
He runs a square game, the miners know
1t, and every night his place is filled with
men, each Of whom loses from $40 to 800
II miner makes any money at gambling,
as some Of them do once in awhile, the
game is doubly well patronized for several
weeks. know of one man who lost O.. 600
at the table and another mana Swede
from Iowa who had 5000 when he ar
fived-who is now willing to work for SIS
per day. He owes his losses to the gam
bling table,
Klondike saloon keepers are making
even more money than the gamblers, and
| n we'll managed gin mill at Dawson will
pan out more gold than the richest placer
claim in the entire region.
There is one saloon at Lake Lindemap.
| and 1t is doing thriving business in a
tent. Without license or other lawful
| restrictions, and with the poorest quality
Of liquors wonderfully diluted, the pro-
prietor is coming money by selling drinks
| at SO cents each. A bottle Of whisky is
worth tl5. As the Indians arrive in from
the coast with their packs and receive
their sripends. averaging about $50, they
! are inveigled into the saloon and made
! drunk. A few drinks and bottle of vile
whisky, and they are broke, and after So
bering up are ready to ''hit the traip' and
| get another pack. Some Of the nights are
made hideous with midnight orgies by
! these natives