Stikeen River journal., 1899-04-22

commanded d premium. Women shar- ed the hardships with the men in tents often only warmed by Yukon stoves. Food supplies were never short except in certain lines, and that only for short time.
 The indians reaped d harvest in sup plying fresh venison, the most tooth- some of flesh.
 Along in January, a great many persons, against all advice of old tim CTS, began to move up the Stikeen river, but only two succeeded in get ting to Telegraph Creek. In Febru- ary some two thousand persons were camped on Cottonwood island, in the mouth of the river, s miles north of Wrangel Small dctachments left daily up the river. The full history of toeir trials and hardships would make an extended story, and can be found mostly in the files of the JOURNAL, which kept faithful watch and ward over the news In March, river travel became fine, and some three thousand people were ,on the trail. of which nearly all got through. The trail re- mained in most excellent conditian till about the middle of April, when ice be- gan to break up, and by April 2S the last foe was out.
 Meanwhile the town grew rapidly. New houses went up almost in night, and an army of carpenters made indus trial music with the hammer and saw.
 In all the great rush, lack of accom-. odations. and absence of home luXuries, a more contented. cheerful, and happy lot of people were never cOngregated than were gathered together in Wran- gel from the four corners of the world during that winter. But very few quarrels took place. Early in the win ter disreputable gang of gamblers and grafters, playing the notorious and ancient'shell game,' together with d firm of most favOred' custom house brokersrobbed large num- Der of klondikers and tourists. The evil grew to such proportions that the good citizens took the matter in hand. and ordered the band of grafters out of town, and they stood not on the order of going. but took the first boat out. A few have since quietly returned. but it is not believed that they will in- suit public opinion.
 A more orderly. quiet and peaceble city than this does not exist on the face the earth, and the good citizens have resolved. as with will of iron, that this splendid character shall be main- taided at any cost
 GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION.
 Wrangel enjoys a geographical loca- tion that gives her great advantages.
 Glancing at Il map of the Pacific coast it will be seen that every few hundred miles is d large and growing city.
 On the far south there is Los Ange- les that young giant among the orange groves. that feels the pulse of her hot young blood, as the is marching on to her glorious destiny with d momentum that cannot be stopped.
 Beside the Golden Gate, San Fran cisco, the city of the argonauts of '49. lies tranquilly in her accumulated wealth and power.
 Further north is Seattle, the queen city of the northwest, with her pecu- liar geographical location, and great resources.
 Wrangel is at about the same inter- val north, with more great resources, and equally as good a geographical location as her sister city on the sound.
 Dawson, the delight and wonder of the world, sitting by the great Yukon, surrounded by inexhaustable and en- ormous quantities of gold such as the world has not known since the days when King Solomon yilded his temple from the mines of Ophir. is about the same interval further north, and will be last in the chain of great cities that extend from the Tropics to the frozen 1 North.
 Nature has ordained that here should be great city. She has provided all tho rcsources,for it's erection, and the ,.....,...,,n,, fnn1 f,,ol npl f,,np h , ,,,,