The Dickinson press., 1898-02-19
Our Alaska Letter.
Dickinson Boys Bound for
the Copper River Arrive
in Juneau.

ED. PRESS: We have now. been
domiciled in Juneau for two weeks and
are beginning to feel quite at home. Jun
eau, like all mountain towns, is very pic
turesque, and presents a beautiful ap-
pearance from the bay, as you approach
it. The houses are jumbled together in
the greatest confusion, standing with all
points of the compass; and the streets
are even more confusing than the houses,
Some are very narrow, some are wider;
they turn at all sorts of unexpected an
giles, and some of them end suddenly,
just when you least expect it. But des-
pite these drawbacks, Juneau is a thriv-
ing little city of about five thousand in
habitants, with electric lights, water
works, telephones and all such modern
conveniences. The merchants are now
beginning to reap their annual harvest
in selling Yukon outfits; and it is a we'll
deserved harvest, too, for they not only
put up a better grade of goods than the
Seattle and Tacoma merchants, and
much better suited to a Yukoner's needs,
but at a much lower price than they can
be obtained below. We wish to offer
this piece of advice to all who intend 60.
ing into the interior this spring: Do NOT
outfit until you reach Juneau. They will
tell you in Seattle that you cannot outfit
after you leave; that the prices are high
er here than there; that the freight will
be as high from Juneau to Dyea as from
Seattle to Dyea; and so on, ad infnitum,
but these statements are not true. We
made all inquiries and obtained all
price-lists possible in Tacoma and Seat
tie and have compared them with Juneau
prices since we came here, greatly to the
disadvantage of the Sound cities. The
freight from Seattle to Dyea is SIS. per
ton, and a boat ton is IS cubic feet.
Freight from Juneau to Dyea is $3.50 per
ton and each passenger is allowed 900
lbs. of baggage. First class fare from
Seattle to Juneau is s32.5o; from Seattle
to Dyea, $40; from Juneau to Dyea, $3.50
So you will see there is nothing gained
in buying a ticket direct to Dyea from
Seattle. In mackinaw suits, a man can
save s2.25 on a suit by buying here in
Juneau. All other clothing is cheaper in
proportion. In provisions and hardware
there is a much greater difference in fav.
or of Juneau. And, remember, one
saves half the freight by not paying
freight from Seattle. The Juneau mer.
chants carry a full line of everything
needed in the interior, and they sell you
only what you DO need; and everything
is put up with the least bulk and weigh,
possible. They have every kind Of
evaporated fruit and vegetable, ever to
ev%aporated sauer kraut and crystalized
eggs. So we advice all who are contem.
plating going to the Yukon this year tc
come empty-handed to Juneau and pur.
chase their full outfit here. We have nc
interest in offering this advice, except tc
state the simple facts.
We went down to the wharf to-day
when the Excelsior came in; and how
surprised were we to meet and greet
Messrs Tom McGregor, "Doc" Hamilton
Ed. T. Woods, Bob Myers and RALPH
Hatton, all of Dickinson. The Excel
sior is a San Francisco boat and is bound
for Copper river. She carried a full loat
OF passengers. Among the dogs on,
Dickinson contingent brought up, wa
little Charley Brislin's dog. 1t did seen
good to see a Dickinson dog. We lear
that more Dickinsonians are headed thi
way, and shall hail them with delight
for we feel that the more Dickinson me
the better for this country-and for tn,
Dickinson men, also. The latest re
ports that have come out, regarding ricl
strikes near the southern coast, have no
been verified; but one is prepared to be
lieve anything after talking with miner
from the interior here. The winter ha
been unusually mild, permitting trave
from the Klondyke all winter. Here j
Juneau it isn't much like the "frozel
Alaska" we read of. The climate is a
mild here as in Tacoma, save for tn
chill that the snow would naturally give
and there has been very little snow, S
far this winter. We shall probably writ
one more letter from Juneau, as we sha'
; be here a month yet, and then-awa
: for the frozen ~ North!
ELLA H. CUNNINGHAM.
! Juneau, Alaska. 4