Arizona republican., 1898-03-22
Seattle the Gate to the Golden
 Land Of the North
JAMMED WITH KL0NDYKERS
Skaguay is an Aggre gation of
 Filth, Criale and Woe
A Republican Cores pendent De- ScrioeS the Routes to Various
 Gold Fields Other Than Those Along the Yukon.

Along the Yukon.
 Seattle, Wash. March 16.-(Special correspondence of The Republi an. J. Seattle is certainly a more lively town, at present, than San Francisco. I ar rived at six in the evening and I walk ed about the town for three hours be- fore I could find room-and that was in a private house. The town is crammed, yet the merchants complain that the trade is falling off. Perhaps the jam here may partly be accounted for by this: that a great number of disgusted and fiat broke Klondykers are coming back now from Dyea and Skaguay-having sold their outfits for enough to buy return ticket. These things do not appear in the newspa- pers. I obtained my information from officers on the Australia, just returned, and to sail again tonight. They say that Skagway is without doubt the most horrible town on earth-howing over with filth, crime and suffering. Thugs, swindlers, and every variety of scoundre1 seem to have the place in hand, and from all 1 can make out they work it for all the traffic will bear. 1 hope they may work it little beyond that point and get themselves strung up, to a certain extent.
 On the train coming in here were a number of Klondykers, all of them utterly ignorant of mining. In the course of conversation they found out that I was mining man. Soon I was surrounded by eight or ten eager ques- tioners. They insisted on my telling them just how to find the gold. Sev- eral whipped out note books and pen cils, to take the words of wisdom down in writing. "Now, how would you go about it to find a gold mine? What signs would you look for?" etc., etc. Great Scott!
 I had a hard time to persuade them that I couldn't tell them. Some of them wouldn't believe me, but evident ly thought that I was selfishly keep ing back the secret-keeping the cream for myself, as it were. These are the sort of people, for the most part. Yet I have come across one well or ganized party, "The AlaskaYukon Cooperative Mining and Development company" Really, it ought to be we'll organized to have developed such an imposing name. However, each of the sixty-fve members of this party is master mechanic, or a miner. The party comprises car penters, engineers, machinists, besides two mining engineers, doctor and a dentist. They have two engines, three boilers, a steam launch, saw mill, and boring machinery for prospecting. The mechanics and miners are in propor- tion to the work that will be required of them They will probably succeed if they can manage to pull together. That is certainly great big if, though. If I should hear that they have ceased pulling together I will advise you, and it would be first rate speculation for some one to go and pick up the pieces.
 This is a great place for the break ing up of friendships. Many parties have been formed in the east, with Dawson and gold galore as their ulti- mate object. In most cases an "ad- vance agent has been sent out to do the buying and engage transportation. For such a man the temptations here are great. Seemingly similar outfits are offered at very different prices Outfits can be bought for S100. But the man who has one of that sort must do little more than trust in Provi- dence and keep his powder dry. good outfit for year, reliable and complete ill every respect, can be bought for $200. And the worst of il is that when an outfit is all packed III and ready to ship it is not easy to tel the good from the bad. Some of thu advance agents" however, have beer detected by their friends in fraud O this sort. And the method of punish ment most in vogue seems to be al unmerciful pounding by the combined force of the party. One such mal was really almost pounded to deatl here last night for such an offense- a light enough punishment, too, whel you consider that he had risked tn lives of all his comrades by his dis honesty. To face an Arctic winter un der the best of circumstances is ba enough. To face it with shodd clothes and blankets and rotten sup plies Is desperate.
 It may not be amiss to give here
 list, necessarily short, of reliable out fitting houses. I do not by any mean say that there are not many more re