The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-04-10
SEATTLE TO SUMMIT

on to the new gold fields and so, from
Lakes Bennett and Linderman. a
stampede Is on for the Salmon river.
Many reports and more rumors are In
circulation Of the richness Of these
new diggings; Sc to the pan, the lowest
being rs cents. These stories are not
generally credited at Skaguay. Some
say it's a scheme Of the Canadians to
boom that section of country.
Stampede Probable.
Another rumor is that dirt paying
80 cents to the pan has been found at
Lake Bennett. These reports are not
generally credited at Skaguay. Never
theless, many are Fastening on, and
this rush is likely to develop into a
stampede before many days. Before
visiting Skaguay l had heard awful
stories of disease, death and moral
decentralization at Skaguay and Dyea,
that people were dying like sheep; that
the citizens were concealing the true
conditions, but that, when the snow
and ice melts, it will tell an awful
story. Then the graves will give up
their dead, and the horrible truth be
known. That the dead are only bur-
led in the snow and ice, the ground
being too hard to make earth graves;
dig hole in the snow and Ice and
tumble them in; no one knows them;
no one cares.
In the East, somewhere friends and
relatives are waiting their return, but
they will never come back. When the
snow and ice melts, hundreds Of bodies
will float out to the ocean. That there
are hundreds Of people in Skaguay
who would rather die than not, all
they have struggled for has gone; am
bition crushed; they are without food
or money, and, not caring whether
they live or die. they approach a man
and demand money. If refused, then
they say We will die together. Then,
too, the terrible ravages of that dread
disease cerebro spinal menengetis,
known in Skaguay as spinal come and
get u.s." Well, can say, after careful
personal investigation and examina
ton, that the reports are lies made out
Of whole cloth. There has been in
Skaguay not to exceed thirty deaths
since last August, and, considering the
great number of people congregated
here, often 5000, and the exposures
they undergo. it seems quite remarka-
BILE that there has not been a greater
number of deaths. Morally, Skaguay
is not model tOwn-eXcept COMPARE
son is made with Wrangell-yet these
conditions are not one-quarter as bad
as I had been led to believe at Seattle
and other coast towns.
Opportunities for Gambling.
If the greenhorn is looking for op-
portunity to try his luck at three card
monte or the shell game, he will find
opportunities enough at either Skaguay
or Dyea. Three Of our smart allecks"
went on shore at Wrangell and were
out $500, afte" half an hours experience
They returned to the ship sadder, and
i trust wiser men. Alaska offers big
inducements and the conditions are
favorable and invite gamblers, fakes,
thieves and robbers and smugglers.
There is law and order anywhere across
the Canadian border, for Canadian
laws are for all her people and are en-
forced wherever the British flag floats,
but our Alaska is without laws and is
denied territorial government or repre-
sentation in congress. Copying. to
some extent, after the Canadian system
the president has appointed commits
sloners who are supposed to execute
the few laws that can be applied to
Alaska.
But judging from what I saw and
heard at Wrangell, Skaguay and Dyea
the sooner the present commissioners
and customs officials are removed the
better it will be for the people of Alas
ka. Under the law-the Alaska act-no
liquor can be taken into the territory,
yet l saw 1t taken openly from the
boats to the shores, both at Wrangell
and at Skaguay, under the very noses
of the customs officials. Either of
these places has more saloons where
nquor is sold than any other town of
their size in all our land. The passen-
ger, as he steps on shore, is bounced
upon by customs officer and his lug
gage overhauled in search for whisky.
If found confscated, even though it's
half pint for medical purposes. Re
port has it that Alaska's missionary
governor is to take hand in the sup
preston of the whisky traffic in Alaska.
and that there Is much uneasiness
among the mult1tudinous dealers in wet
goods, that the governor and Collector
1Vey are ON tour Of humiliation. This
is the same governor who has recon-
mended against territorial form of gov
eminent for Alaska. Of course, he
has religious scruples against the liq-
uor traffic, but take my word for it he
won't stop it, and doubt his putting
forth superhuman efforts in attempts
to stop it.
Wonderfully Rich.
1t Is reported here today that a won
derfully rich discovery has been made
near Sitka. Assays have been made
from the sands Of Pande basin show
ing from $500 to $1,000 to the ton. 1t is
approximately estimated that this ba-
sin contains 1OO,OOOOO0 tons of gold
bearing sands. 1t goes without saving
that stampede has begun.
A party just returned from the va
kutat bay district reports that new
route has been discovered to the in
terror Ito the Yukon) from Disenchant-
ment bay-the extreme indenture OF
Yakutat bay-far superior to any OF
the other routes known. But 1000 feet
OF elevation to be overcome, and this
within twelve miles of the coast, then
gradual descent to level country
At slight expense, it is claimed, a
wagon or sleigh road can be made
clear through to the Yukon. This is
not new to me. I had thoroughly in
vestigated the matter and since have
sent three prospectors via this route
Such news as I have from my pros
pectors fully confirms the above The
Wrangell- Stickeen, Yakutat bay and
Prince Williams sound routes are tic
be the future routes to the interior of
Alaska, and it will be we'll for the com.
ing prospector to investigate routes in
Seattle before he decides upon the
route he will take.
Have Passed the Glacier.
Latest news from the Copper rive,
route is that some 1000 prospectors
have passed the pla cior oDd ,ro -. ~,