The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1900-08-03
THE PARIS OF ALASKA.
Principal City of That
Territory.

Juneau is not pious town, notwith-
standing it has Methodist, Presby-
terrain, an Episcopalian, Greek, a
Catholic, and an Indian church, all of
them thrifty. The fact is, Juneau is
q good deal Partisan in it's style, and
is decidedly wide open. Gambling
places, saloons, dance halls and dives
abound, and they appear to be ne
cessity of existing conditions. The
streets of Juneau, beyond the one at
the water front, are mostly uphill,
and they are all paved with plank,
says the Washington Evening Star.
Wagons are few, ten in all, but there
are platform sheds on low runners,
that can slide down street like a
itoboggan. There are rs horses in
town and one buggy. There are 20
bicycles, but just where they can run
is not apparent. There is an opera
house, and unique method of hav-
ing shows in it. Every Friday night
it is open to the best people, at one
dollar seat, with selected talent
from the variety shows of the town
where the best people cannot go
except the men.
Socially Juneau is quite gay, and
pink and other hued teas prevail in
the afternoons, while assemblies, balls,
and other functions take up the night
time. On special occasions flowers are
ordered from Seattle. There are 25
or 80 ladies, who are prominent in So
ciety, and entertain. Men are plenty,
but there are few unmarried women,
land there is an urgent demand for
them.
There are two banks, and the stores
are very large, with fine window dis
plays. One firm pays it's window
trimmer sos month. What $500
size town in the states does as well
ias that? Extensive stocks are car
,ried, running from $4,000 to $4,000,
with annual sales running as high as
$350.000 at retail. There is a big
business done in Indian curios, the
Indians selling as high as $4,000
worth a year from their houses and on
the streets. One excursion steamer
last season carried out $4,000 worth
of Indian baskets.
The press is represented by the Dis
patch daily, and its weekly, the
Morning Record, by Z. c. Russell, Jr.,
a hustler; the Alaska Miner and the
Truth are weeklies.
There are two or three libraries
and free reading rooms maintained
by the citizens, and they are all well
rafrani1ad DaoIarc soil lor,c c,,,a,+;
ties of paper-back novels as well, and
all the periodicals of the east are in
eager demand.
There is no police in Juneau. the po-
lice function being in the hands of
deputy United States marshals, and
there is little disorder. Juneau has
climate that is all cloud and fog
and mist and rain for about 365 days
in the year.
All kinds Of hardy vegetables are
raised around the town, and one man
has a floral garden where roses and
other flowers flourish as the green
bay tree. Prices are quite reason
able. Good board may be had at from
five to six dollars week, and rooms
are IS cents each, except beer, which
is Is cents, and cigars are usually two
for quarter, but good five cent CT
gars are to be had, and the time-tried,
fre-tested Pittsburgh and Wheeling
stogie can be had at two fer" or
two dollars hundred. A shave costs
quarter. q hair cut so cents. Best
hotels, which have water, electric
light, and oil the modern improve
ments, charge two dollars and three
dollars day, and some very fair as
low as one dollar day.
The town is lighted by electricity
from fine plant, and it has water
works, supplied by mountain streams.
so high up that there is force enough
to throw water all over town. 1t is
cold water, too, and beautifully clear.