The Republican journal., 1898-04-21
Roughing it in Alaska.


and Party on the Trail. They are full of
Grit and Bound to get there
SKAGwAY, Alaska. March 8, 1898. Here
we are at last at the famous town SO much
has been said and written about. There
are probably ten thousand people here
now, l should say. There are five hun
dred buildings, including tents; last fall
there was hardly building here. The
thermometer has been but 10 degrees be-
low here this winter, but the wind has
blown gale and it was terribly cold.
There is no snow here now. The weather
is warm and the streets are all mud and
water The town is as filthy as ii can be,
with old stumps and trees alongside of
buildings and dead dogs in the streets. 1t
must be very sickly place in summer,
unless they take sanitary precautions. l
understand they are putting in water
works now. | hardly know how to de-
scribe this place. l might say it is like
tunnel The wind blows a gale most of
the time To-day it has blown from the
south and will continue to blow that way
for two months, with an occasional north
wind. The south wind is what they call
chinook. This place is in a ravine with
mountains ON both sides. 1t is at the
head of Lynn Canal and extends from the
fats, or shore, back until the mountains
meet 1t is not more than three or four
al, IL In, ,,11x-
high tide the water flows nearly all over
the town. | can see drift-wood in the
streets now. | think it would be good
thing to have the whole town swept away.
Gambling houses and houses of llfame
are on every hand. The women wear
short skirts down to their knees and
rubber boots and hoods.
We arrived here about noon, five days
from Vancouver, and shall get our goods
moved out to- morrow to the first camp,
which is about miles. Then the work
begins. 1t is about 81 miles from camp
TO Lake Bennett, which will take us
some time. Before we arrived we heard
lots about people dying here with spinal
meningitis or some other devilsh thing,
but l learn that only about fifteen have
died here in the last three months-no
more than would die anywhere with the
same population. Many who come as far
as here, sell their outfit and return; but
we intend to go in, hit or miss. One must
have money to do with or he had better
stay at home.
We are stopping at the Skagway Bunk
House. We pay % cents per night for
our bunk and mattress and furnish our
own blanket. This is a rough building
with hunks built on either side and
stove in the centre. | am standing be-
side my bunk with a kerosene lamp on Il
box writing this-not so convenient as at
home. Good hotels charge from three to
five dollars per night and meals at res
taurant are 80 to 80 cents. We pay five
dollars ton to get our goods moved six
miles, and we have six tons of provisions.
Many, in fact about ALL the stories of peo-
pie freezing to death ON the trail are lies.
You should not believe hardly anything
You readi most Of the papers about peo-
pie freezingand dying by the score. was
introduced To one Col. Fisher, real es-
tate man here who came from san Fran
cisco, Calf He read an article in one of
the Frisco papers to-day, stating he,
Fisher, was picked. on the White Pass in
bad condition; that his friends would not
know him, and letter has just been re-
ceived stating that Col Fisher had to
have both of his limbs amputated. THAT
is a contemplate story remarked Col
Fisher. ~ saw and talked not three
weeks ago with the man who wrote that
to the paper and he knew was all right.
He said he had & wife and daughters at
home and no way of contradicting the
story until he eou d get a letter to them
SO do not worry about any of us; we
are all right All say there is plenty of
gold. Our last load goes up in the morn
ing and we GO with it. l shall be glad to
get out of this place.