The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-08

the collapse Of the boom movement It
has always been looked upon as a substan-
tiai place and since the recent boom has
been given considerable prominence. Now
that this boom element Is leaving those who
have faith In the town say it win be bet
ter. financially and every other way.
The ''sure-thing'' men have found Wran-
gel the easiest thing In Alaska. 1t was
their last stamping ground. and for two
or three weeks they made hay while the
sun shore. coining money from the ten
terfeet every day.
Walter Bowen. formerly chief deputy
collector OF customs for this district. has
returned from Fort Wrangel where he
went late In February to engage In bust
ness. Al the Butler yesterday Mr.. Bowen
gave Post-Inte!lgencer reporter an &C
count OF his experiences at wrangel. He
said that word Of the failure OF the Mac
kenzie-Mann bill in the Dominion parlia-
ment had no. yet reached Wrangel when
he left but that undoubtedly when the
news was received II would result in a
rapid sloughing OF In the population.
FOR several weeks Fort Wrangei was
the hottest town IN Alaska said Mr..
Bowen. But when the slump came II was
awful. / am sorry for a good many men
who went there believing that when the
Mackengie-M Mann railroad was built from
Telegraph creek. permanent town would
grow up at the mouth Of the Stickeen
river. Merchants went to wrangei with
big stocks Of goods TENTS and buildings
OF all kinds were In great demand for
stores. restaurants, saloons and barber
shops. Many people established them
selves In business In order to make money
during the rush that every one believed
would be sure TO pass through wr1hgel.
1T will give you an idea Of how things
went Tor time when l tell you that iots
on the business streets that COLD have
been bought in January for go to 40
were sold In March for se.ooa and up. Sales
were made every day and prices kept
bounding upward. The citizens of wran-
gel predicted that one OF the great cities
Of the Pacific coast would grow up on
their townsise. and many OF them beIiev-
ing that this was true. went to work and
established themselves I'm business. pre-
pairing 10 make a mint OF money.
Then came the drop. The slump was
awfuL For the past two weeks few pee
Pile Fave stopped OF at Wrangei. and the
citizens OF the place began to have gloomy
foreeodinss ard that their bright dreams
or futare asnaence and greatness would
nos be realised. About this time. or q
little before. the .sure-thing' men began
TO Mock 10 WEangel They came. many OF
them, from Skagway. where they had
been ordered cut 81 town. Some Of the
cleserest men in the country at this line
CT business were. I am told. engaged In
ssindi;ng the creduious tendereoot out OF
his money.
IL was really laughahie to see q tender
foot so up against these shell m<n You
could expect In these days Of newspapers
and widely disseminated intelligence. that
no man would be so ignorant a. 10 bet On
TIE ois-tfme shell game. But at wrarge,
they actually tore their belts from around
their bodies 10 be; on the game. The shell
men were a. smooth as any that have ever
operated ia this section az the country.
Ccnmoily. they were atsired as minersx
with shaggy boards and rouxh clothes.
and row ard then a regulation Yukon fur
cap. Their victims SIS a rule we're the men
on tas boats bound for the towns aho.e.
The steamers usually stopped from three
10 four hours al wranee. Sometimes
they weu.a have 10 wait for the tite 70
De right before passing through he mar
rows
rYoa know thar Wrangei has more to-
ten posSs than any other to~u In Alaska
WeG when the steamer weQsd tie up A.
the wharf. he geld hunters ahoosA ~.