The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-02
JUNEAU, THE MAN AND THE CITY.
One Bit of Luck of the Prospcctor Who
Founded Alnskn's Chief Town.

Founded Alaska's Chief Town.
Old Joseph Juneau. founder OF the Alaskan
town which bears his name. who died at Daw-
son City on May 10. was an inveterate and
incurable gold seeker He was French Cana
dian by birth. All his life he did nothing but
prospect He mined In California and in nearly
all the Western States; found gold. too. but
was never able to keep it. The last thirty years
OF his life he spent in southeastern Alaska and
the Yukon Valley.
lie was an old man already when he uncovered
the ledge whore the town OF Juneau now
stands 1t was his great day. There was no
gamble about it this time there was tho gold
tons OF it, and he was the owner 1t is recorded
that after making the discovery he sat down
and wcpt. bewalling the long life Of poverty and
hardship he had endured and the little time he
had left in which to spend and enjoy his fortune
His tears were shed moro or less in vain. In
three short but merry years he had not Il cent.
That was n period Of great pride to the old
miner. nevertheless. The town grew rapidly,
everybody prospered. and Juneau was the ora
Gle OF the place. His only rival was a man named
Harris. who had struck it rich at about the
same time and when the camp reached the point
OF pcrmancnco and it became necessary to give
1t name honors were easy between the two
men. An oldest inhahItant describes the con-
troversy as follows: You see. while we was
conSiderin the merits of Harrisburg as a name
for the camp. why. Harris he stood the liquor
for the hull crowd. and all the time we was
talkin' Of calm it juneau. why Joe he kept
thu boys Ginned up; so between EN- there
wasn't no need to hurry about decidin'."
Juneau never made another big strike. and
toward the end OF his career became almost n
vagrant. When the Klondike excitement was
at its height he managed with great iii fflculty to
he 4 =,
chcerfully and as hopefully as he had crosse d
the plains to California forty-hve years before.
Last winter was hard one. even as hard win =
tcrs go in Dawson, but he stood it fairly we'll
until spring. Then he began to fail. and n very
light attack Of pneumonia took him of He
died as he had lived-a miner In rude camp.
surrounded only by men. he drfted over the
last divide.
! He lived to see the town which bears his
name the greatest city OF Alaska. and its prob
| able capital in the near future. On the other
| hand, Juneau has never acquired any civic
dignity and it is hard to conceive OF anybody
except Il minero or an official deliberately taking
| up his residence there. No one in Juneau ever
| speaks OF II as town II is still the camp" A
more dcsoIate spot is impossible to imagine.
| and. where the famous IRE dwell mine is
| located The smoke from its chlorination works
| has Killed every green thing in the neghhor-
hood. and the country Is as barren If vegetation
as the valley OF the Dead Sea. The mountains
| rise so abruptly from the sea that there Is
scarcely any level ground for the town to cling
| 70. The streets are winding and dirty and the
| houses crowd tightly against the sidewalks
| On every corner is a saIoon-Alaska being
strictly prohibition and next to overy saloon
is . dance house. The next place Of business
| lishment or n curio shop for tho Turing OF the
summer tourist.
A steady downpour Of rain nine months in
| the year makes the winter aspect OF the camp
| anything but cheerful, but Juneau on u sum
mcr evening is about the livelicst town on
earth. 1t Is bright daylight until | O'Clock at
| night. and during the entire nty-four hours
| tho shops are open, the theatres are in full
| blast and the pianos of all the dance houses
play as madly as they can. The narrow streets
| are throngcd wit people. and occasionally one
| meets a man who Is not a miner or woman
| who is respectable, This does not happen
! often. hut II is liable to occur. People dine al
whatever hour peGses them, often a party
sits down at O'Clock IN the morning
| Like ali other Alaska towns. except Skag.
way, which had brief season OF lawlesSneSs
| Juneau is a fairly orderly place. Murder and
theft are almost unknown. The reason Is that
there is no place .: hi,iing for the criminal III
cannot run away. II he takes to thu bush hc
perlshes from hunger, and IL he attempts L
| escape in boat he is readily overtaken.