The Savannah morning news., 1900-06-14


they worry he life out of 'Dikers' beg
ging for nuggets. They always offer to
buy them, of course and the Klondiker
does not like TO sell. so gives them a fake
or two Now, nearly everybody who
comes Out has a nugget for the train boy,
and l decided to sell my collection. Then
l bought nuggets and had them put on
brass pins II pays about ten times what
the gold is worth and the tourists are SO
hot for them that l have trouble supply
ing the demand"
The tourist noticed a white shirt or two
and a bundle of neckties in the chest
and asked if the boy ran a furnishing
store. He said, by way Of explanation;
lone day coming over from Bennett we
had both cars crowded with passengers
from Eldorado and Bonanza. They Were
the richest crowd | have ever seen to-
gether. The baggage car was filled with
their dust and three men stood guarc
with loaded guns. There must have been
two million on board.
"Only one of the crowd had thought t
buy anything in Bennett, and he had onl
succeeded in getting a white shirt eel
lar and necktie. Talk about women being
jealous You should have seen those min
ers. The one with the shirt strutted
round like kid with his first pair of
red-topped boots. You remember how ag
gravating that was when you We're a
kid
Now, in the summer when the wealth
er is good up here, l dress pretty swell
myself. and on this particular day I was
wearing my Sunday outfit. We were
abouI an hour out of Bennett when one
of the richest of the bunch came to me
and said:
and collar
Make it a hundred says I, and in
shrow in this red tie He agreed in a
minute and we went up on the tender and
'swapped' The shirt wasn't the cieanest
in the world. but he didn't mind. Then
we went back to the car, and there were
two of them strutting around after that.
Now | always carry a shirt or two and
q bundle of ties.
"If there is a woman or two on the
train the miners take to looking glasses
and combs like ducks to water II was
a barber | could make punches or Dust
for the men want 90 spruce up peiore
getting to Skaguay. Funny, isn't H. how
men who haven't worn tie all winter
get particular as soon as they see wo-
man.
"The miners are pretty good fellows
too that is, most of them. l never put
price on anything | sell 20 lucky dig
ger -
"'Give me what you ike SIR says Is
and thank you.
"Tbev ALWAYS cough up more than I'd
| dare to ask and are proud to do It,
"Tbere is another graft that ! have
| thought out that works wei with the
! tc,Iriets Now. this road has got the
/ 'dan5iest scenery in the Whoie world
/ hut there are lois of fine points which a
stranger cant appreciate unless they are
| nointed out to him. Now ] go into the
| tourist car and make my little speech
before we got into the hills.
Ladies and gents says /, with my
| best bow. wen soon ne rumblng aion2
| through the White Pass Mountains q
| think that rumbling is good, don't YOU
| Now look out this window and see Noun
| Dewey. as white as the ship ne fought al
Manila That mountain has positively
| been growing ever since the Spanisrds got
Clicked Now look out the other window.
| and half way down the hill you II see
| traces Of the wagon road on when the
| Shaeway horrors occurred. For the next
| four hours there is going to be something
| to see every minute if you know just
| where 10 look l am about to take up a
/ collection friends, to pay me TO stay
| right here in this car and tell you hil
| about 1t. Now, don't any one give more
! than they can afford
"And with that I pass the hat, and
you'd be surprised the way those EasI L
| erners gave up It's just like finding
| money.
Il don't 'bunco them. either, for there
are certainly lots of things to see. First,
| there is Coffin Rock, which lies just belo"
| the track 1t weighs tons. ana covers me
! bodies of several men who Were caughs
under IT when they were blasting shelf
out of the mountain side for the raiiroad
| one of the men had 81. 800 in his belt, and
his relatives are coming next summer 10
prospect the rock. A little nearer the
summit is the remnant of White Pass
City looking like a cyclone had struCh
it. II was the toughest hole on EARN
while the railroad was being built. Then
on the other side is Chilkoot Pass, where
100 mon and women were killed during the
rush bv one snowslde; and away off IN
the distance one can see the Atlin coun-
trv where they can't cut the grass be-
cause god nuggets duh the knives. On
the graft is straight enough They gel
their moneys worth.
Log Cabin Is regular tip-top Hover
he'd in summer. although II don't look lt,e
/. now. The train Stops there FOR ten
minutes and I get off and gather flow
ers There are about dozen different
kinds. and they sell like campaign but
tons to the women Everything faVor'
a train boy i'm this country. especially
when YOU are the. only one.
you must have made good deal Of
money tp here" said the tourist.
well that is a sort Of secret You
see I don't want q lot of fellows from
the states up here trying to get my gratt
| Then you know how graspng railroads
are. They are Just as bad in Alaska a.
In the states I'm satisfied with II. anu
wouldn't give up the run for the best
ih the states even II they gave me al
the profits"
The tourist bought another ring and
started back to his seat As he went ou'
the door the boy said:
Pass the word around back there that
there f. something hot to be had in the
buffet car. I wish they would leave OUT
the stoves. II would make more of de
mand for liquor"