The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-12
GAMBLERS IN THE CAMPS.
AN EXODUS FROM THE STATES TO
THE KLONDIKE REGION.
mig Games New RunnipE In Dawson Clty-Thr
miners Readily Give Up Their Duet. and
"sauareo Games Are Good Enough.

miners Readily Give w Their Dust' ana
"sauare" Games Are Good Enough.
Prom the 81. Louis Globe. Democrat.
SEATTLE, Sept. If the twoscore of gam.
blers who have departed from Seattle to the
Yukon since tho steamer Portland arrived
laden with gold reach their destination and add
that many games to those now running, Daw-
son City will DO a great gambling point. There
will be many temptations for the lucky Klon'
dixie miner TO gamble away his precious dust
and nuggets in tho cosey gambling dons that
are to spring up like magic in every camp along
tho Yukon from Lake Lindernan to Fort Got
There, at tho mouth of the river. The whirr
Of the roulette wheel, the rattle of tho dice, and
the clicking OF the ivory poker chips rs they
are siftcd through the nervous fingers of the
miner poker player will practically never cease
in the land where IL is either all day or all night.
1t Is said that the temptation to gamble In the
miserably cold, dreary, PARKWAY land Is almost
Irresistible, just as in that country mon Of the
highest standing are attracted into the lowest
dives and dance halls OF the Klondihc--airpl.
because there are music and excitonlcrt. The
amount OF money that will 90 over klondikc
bars and into the pockets of the danco-Latl
Keepers during the next year will be enormous.
but nothing compared to the sums that will be
lost In gambling.
There are many poor buffers in Dawson
City to-day who seem almost doomed to spend
their lives there. all because OF the attraction
Of the gambling table. They work hard dur.
Ing the working season. perhaps, and save up a
few hundred dollars enough to keep them
though the winter, u perhaps to take them back
to civilization and reform. Before they get
visions with which they could do " prosps . pl"
FOR themselves, the old desire to gamble cones
over them, and the dust that they have sla ed
Tor passes out or their grasp In o night, They
then go back TO wb.k fer their board. Two
young men from seattle are living examples OF
in the country three year, first al Circle City.
and later at Dawson. They made money dur.
ing the first year, but gnnblcd II ali away dur
Ing the period they could not WORK. This year
they went TO Dawson. an" after locating a fine
claim lost Il on n game OF, poker. They are
going from bad TO worse, and IN case Of u short
age OF provisions this winter and there Gems
to, be every reason To look for ono-it is doubt
upon.
In all the great mining camps of history gam
bling and The gambler hay played prominent
parts, and,the gold camps OF the Yukon will prove
no exception. Coast gamblers have been going
INTO Alaska. one by one, for the last three
Portland arrived with Il wonderful amount of
gold and more startling stories OF what was left
behind. Since that tiiHt the gambler and sport
ing man have been freely sprinklcd among the
passengers OF north-bound steamers. and there
will be twoscore of them In the various camps
Oh the Yukon before the cnl OF The season.
The world has AS yet heard very little about
gambling and crime on the klondikc. OF tho
~ ~ 80 obiilh W " A'Li. bhI kuIIlIllnK
Is evcrybodys pastime. The few stories that
drifted out regarding some OF the more remark
extreme. but in the excitement over tie gold
diegings this detail OF life in the K!ondikc min
inE camps has been overlooked. These stories
tell of fabulous sums that were staked ON tho
turning Of II card: OF dust and gold nuggets
waeered by, the coal oil cam; OF a game where 1t
cost a sardine can full OF gold to enter. and
thousands to stay; OF a lack OF gambling para
ph hs Al Of these things happened again
anu again last winter. but in not "a single in.
stance is there the slightest intimation tina. Il
card was slipped or a hand filled from ones
sleeve, or hat any q those cheating trick
tempted. Yet some al the gamblers who win.
tered up on the Klondikc last year were the
worst Kind OF fakirs when gambling IN tie
States. The risk was too great on the Klon.
dixie. They were deH''nc with the wrong kind
death would have been the penalty for a single
departure from honesty.
There are a number of men at Dawson who
prospcred last winter and became wealthy
miners: Nearly all OF these started from Seattle.
Inc reform movement became very strong here
n few years ago. and since that time the gam.
hIeEs hare had very little chance 10 do anything
among the first to go to Alaska from here
green cloth" began his gambling career in Lead.
little stake he made az mining. and a. q result,
:urned gambler. He follow ed all OF the mining
came TO Seattle, He conducted several gam.
bling houses a variety theatre, and Two aal"ons
III Nv ifIlu'EIDln uIk'tltt hNI tnaur money.
Three years ago, business was quiet in sen'.lc
and ,Curley' departed Tor circle CITY. He
Was the rr.t SAMPLER to arrive at that camp
and made considerable murey during the two
years, he orcrated. The news Of the Klondike
struck Circl" ,lty about Il year ago, and Mon.
CITY and OPEN ! TIP with a tent the first OF tho
klondike x milling ,hells. This game is now
running in a large log cabin, and is thc finest
day and bar,endcrs SI5. II IL one continual
rnkad in hY his hlFNl snnrta 'l'nrlTN's' THna
Is occupied in investing his money and looking
after his numerous, mining interests. His
than $25O,Oon when he quits the NusOn. Mon.
roe is q medium sized man, about 81 years III
a small mustache. He does not look in the
least ike a sporting man, hut is the richest and
"G TSe i"f iSsPs al E I. n 1s On n" ,k hIo n, n he hos,
OF special correspondents gathering klOndikc
news in Seattle rs the "Kiag OF the Dawson
gamblers presumably because he was the first
gambler to come out with a stake. cortaiA!!
not because no is the %llcEic=t, wcnlthiCst. or
Il is said, belongs 10 "Cmslcy" Monroc' spoken
OF above. Ash arrived in Seattle last week on
the klondike worth from Ssj.OGO 10 $4,000.
Al OF which is the direct result of a years gam
s pm and the sale OF NJ! s,d DAWSON gambling
Pete Mcdonald OF Snohomish, n little town
not far north Of Seattle that for a long time
the coast. and which all the crooks In tho Coun.
try claimed as their home town. has opened ~
AZ dawson recently Win n complete RhlnDllfR
and saloon outfit. lie made u fabulous amount
on the opening night, and has been coming
money ever since.
1t Is the stories OF tho success OF those and
other lucky gamblers that has excited tho gam
bling and sporting men TO even II greater degree
than did tho news of the gold digKings excite
those who have gone north 10 mine. The gam
blers had u golden dream. the only hardshirs
connected with which were the long voyage
by water to roach Dawson and tho lack Of civ
iliZed surroundings.
They were not bothered with doubts rs to
whether there would be any claims left OF ha-
rassed by tho idea OF packing n ton Of supplies
over miles OF muddy trail and through danger
Gus rocky passes, and tnon rafting IL for miles
down n dangerous river, rs WAS the Klondikrr
who went north to mine. Their only freight
was thor gambling paraphernalia, and they
almost a always took the ali. water routo. After
their arrival II was only u question Of opening
up shop and making clean ups from their gam
bling tabios moro valuable than those of the
sluico boxes of the most valuable claims on the
Rlondike.
Seattle gamblers being the nearest to the
diRgfngs were, of course. tho first to leave. IL
did not take them long tn realize the value of
tho new discovery to men Of their profession.
and the Portland carried most of tho Seattle
gamblers whom she sailed on her return trip.
Tho remainder took passage on tho Clcvcland.