The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1898-03-03
ALASKA GOLD HUNTERS.
An Interesting Letter From a TrayclOr
in that country.

received here from Clarence b. Rich
ardson, a responsible and observing
young business man of tins city, who
is in Alaska in the interests OF a syn
dictate ofNew York and London CAPT
taliSts:
"SKAGUAY, ALASKA, Feb. Ill
give this letter to a gentleman who
has been travelling with me for sew
eral days and he will mail it at Vic
toria, b. c., as he leaves here for that
place tomorrow. This is the very
toughest town ! have ever seen, or
heard, or read about. | shall not be
here after tomorrow. With all my
experience in different parts OF the
world / do not care to remain here
longer. They rob people on the
streets at 6 o'clock in the evening
and it is not safe to leave the hotel
alone, for you may get knocked on
the head. There are 10000 people
here and practically no police ard
no law OF any kind. Every tough
and thug IN the world seems to be
here. There are at least fifty large
gambling houses--each one with
dozen different surething games run
ming. Many of the games | have
never seen before. They have about
"a thousand boosters and pluggers
to catch suckers from the incoming
steamers, and every house seems to
be crowded There are fully 700
tough women about the various
dance halls and bars. This place
is about twice the size OF Taiya and
every other place is bunk house,
saloon and gambling house with
dance halls in between. Three
fourths OF the people who come to
Alaska never get beyond either the
Chilcoot or White passes, but leave
in disgust. Few have money
enough to get through if they had the
nerve and it is perlous trip this
time OF the year, or, for that matter,
any time. The first time they have
q fire here the whole town will burn
down, as the wind blows continually
and they have block after block OF
frame houses OF the toughest kind.
am almost afraid to go to bed at
night, the fire risk is 50 great. But
shall leave tomorrow, as | haYe
seen all of Skaguay | want. There
are too many cut throats here to
suit me-"
Mr.. Richardson writes from Sheep
Camp as follows: II have been TAX
ing a look around the camp and find
over twenty people that have frozen
ears, hand, noses and feet. OF this
number three will lose their feet.
There are people camped Tor eight
miles along the canyon trying to get
over the pass but few venture out
these days. | shall not go beyond
Bennett as the Canadian police stop
you there unless you have 1000
pounds OF provision and have no
desire to go farther at this time of
the year. | had a long talk with a
young Englishmen who has both FEET
and hands frozen. He will lose both
feet, but says he is happy to save his
hands. He said he had no idea that
mis- feet were cold at the time they
were freezing He had on two pairs
OF wooden socks over one pair OF Ger
man socks and pair of moccasins.
An Indian woman was caught out Ill
"a storm here recently. She took OIL
nearly all her clothes to wrap around
her baby and saved it's life, but was
frozen to death herself
Very discouraging reports come
from Dawson. You cannot believe
much OF what you read OF the coun-
try, as they have the press agent here
liked, and he only reports the bright
side in order TO keep the people COM
ing and make a harvest for the
steamship companies who bring up
thousands Of people and then raise
the price OF return tickets to take