Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1897-09-04
V|GILANTS AT SKAGUAY
MAN SHOT ON THE TRAIL FOR
STEALING A SACK OF FLOUR.
A Steady Stream OF Humanity Is
Pushing Forward to the Land
of Gold.

Seattle, Aug. 3l-An unknown man
has been shot on the Sha quay trail by
the committee of vigilantes, and his
bones are now rotting beneath a pile Of
rocks within a few rods of the pass.
This news is brought down by the
steamer Utopia, which arrived this
morning at 6 o'clock from Skaguay. The
Utopia left Skaguay August % The
story in general is all that can be learn
ed the details being unknown among
the ltopias six passengers Some time
ago a sack of flour was stolen. Suspi
cion pointed to a man who was encamp
ed near the summit. A committee of
six was chosen to ferret out and punish
the thief. These men 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. decreed that he be Immediate
ly killed. The man was dragged from
the tent and tied to an upright pole.
The committeeman stood off short dis
tance, and at a word shot together. The
thief's body was pierced in six
places.
Feeling their duty done, and sick of
their task, the viglantes 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 odors
emanating from the body became so Of
fensivc that two men cut it loose, and
carrying it up a hillside, covered it with
a pile Of stones
The steamer Detroit sailed for Dyea
and Skaguay this afternoon with 40
passengers.
sI<aEuny Trail Open at Last.
Seattle, Aug. 3l.-The following letter
was received per steamer Utopia to the
Associated Press:
Skaguay, Aug. 23.-The jam is bro
ken on the Skaguay trail. A number OF
outfits have gotten over, and there is
a steady stream of moving humanity,
mixed up in an almost indescribable
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,
where it is loaded on wagons OF carried
over in the high tide. The Utopia is
loading at the only wharf, which is a
shaky structure. Two pile drivers are
at work on another dock, which is in
tended to be substantial affair A.
new sawmill got up steam for the first
time this morning. Rough lumber is
worth SIT per thousand, but can not be
gotten out fast enough at any price.
The city of tents is not being dis
placed. but reinforced by city OF
"shacks' of all sizes and degrees Of fin
ish !,,s ~
Skaguav is the boom town Of Alaska.
Every man whose heart failed HIM
when he encountered the first hardship
has turned townsite boomer -Four weeks
ago Skaguay was not known; today
there are not less than 5000 people here,
in addition to those on the ships IN the
harbor They have surveyed oil the
townsite the first comers having the
choice. The United States commission
err is issuing some kind of a certificate.
fee So. surveyor another 5; then the
squatter sticks up his tent, shack OF
corral and is ready to take in the first
tenderfoot that comes along. Transfers
by quit claim are quite common and as
high as 5000 has been paid for choice
location.
Skag,av has all the usual accompani-
mcnts of Il frontier mining town
dance halls, roulette, faro, stud poker
and craps find devotees ready to tempt
fortunes smiles There is no longer
of a famine here, though there may be
a shortage in certain lines. On all sides
"Smiling plenty, as if conjured by some
enchanter." here abounds. Great piles
of hay, grain, flour, bacon, sugar and all
the necessaries are in stock, apparently
for some time to come. There are not
less than 2O0O horses at work on the
Skae1av trail, but it is hard to get any
one to contract to deliver you over the
summit at any price; but you can get
over for about 80 cents a pound II you
are willing to wait and contract by
sections The packers at this end OF the
trail do not like to contract farther
than the first hill, six miles out, where
one has to hire another outfit.
At Dyea the Indians are moving
freight in an almost unbroken stream
from the landing to Lake Lindernan,
and it is no trouble to contract to get
ones entire outfit put over at one trip
for 80 to 35 cents per pound. NO one
should come expecting to get over tins
fall for less rate, and no one should
bring boats. There are boats set up,
knocked down in sections and single
boards on both trails from the landing
to the base of the summit. but none
have vet been taken over.