Amador ledger., 1900-05-18
DR.. Gibbons Writes About
Juneau.
AMLDOR CITY BASE BALL CLUB GIVES A DANCE
Amador People Visit and Have Visit
ors.-Typhoid Fever At South
Jackson.
Juneau, Alaska, April 90, 1900

Dear LEDGER:
Juneau is the largest town in
southeastern Alaska. It was founded
in 1881 by two prospectors named
Harris and Juneau, was fPst called Har-
risburg but the name was afterward
changed to Juneau, pronounced Juno).
1t lies at the foot of mountain about
1000 feet high, and is built partly upon
a bluff and partly upon planking sup.
ported by piles. In this part of the
town the cellars are filled with brine at
high tide. About half the mountain
side is covered with dense growth of
spruce, hemlock and cedar. The rest
is too precipitous for tree to obtain
fOOthOld. This affords a charming
sight when the sun shines upon the
rivulets caused by the melting snow
above. The numerous little cascades
of stream and spray gistening, foam
ing, dashing down the rocky ravines
in the almost, quite, or more than per-
pendicular walls, form sample of
Natures finest handiwork. said
when the sun shines. | should say it
is more charming then. We have
seldom seen the sun since our arrival.
There has been two fine days and two
or three fragments of pleasant
weather in three weeks. 1t is related
that a chechakO new comer) asked an
Indian, 'Does it always rain in
Juneau?" and the noble redlnan re-
piled, ''No, sometime he snow" But
this is said to be the wettest part OF the
year and we hope for better times.
This town is on the east side of the
Gastineaux Channel, small arm of the
sea, that cuts Douglas Island off the
main land, and is about a mile in width.
The average tide is sixteen feet, the
high tide twenty eight. A few morn
sight. Half a dozen small icebergs
had been driven up the channel by the
storm, and the retreating tide had left
them high and dry-no, cold, upon the
bar, close to town. The largest was
about the size of Mr.. Caminetti's Of
flee, light blue in color, irregular in
shape. Of course these were only
homeopathic specimens of real icebergs.
Juneau has about 5000 population.
The streets are covered with finch
plankings. The stores are up-to-date,
and prices about the same as in Jack
son. The town is closely built, entirely
of wood, and sure to be swept by fire
sooner or later. Insurance rates are
less than might be expected, three to
six per cent. This is due to the splen-
did fire service. One day while on the
street heard the alarm bell and took
out my watch. In Sc seconds hose
cart was on the street. In two minutes
the three carts of the fire department
were at the scene. The pressure is
sufficient to throw water over the high
est building in town. The streets are
washed twice a week and dpss is a
stranger. There are five churches
here. Methodist, Episcopal, Presby-
terian, Catholic and Greek, also a
headquarters of the Ceniel Society,
similar to the Salvation Army. The
Sisters of Mercy have a hospital.
Juneau has machine shops, electric
plant, brewery, soda works, steam
laundry, four newspapers, lone daily,)
two banks, seven doctors, three drug.
stores, one opera house, two variety
theatres, stores, hotels, lodging houses,
restaurants, saloons, etc., ad lib. Three
regular lines of steamers to Seattle and
occasional steam and sailing vessels to
various places. Ice is brought from
Taku glacier few miles away.
We are not hOmesick, but would
like to see a few days of California sun
shine. Yours as ever,
G.. H. G.