The Washington weekly post., 1900-11-20
ONLY TRAlNBOY IN ALASKA.
The Youngster l. on the Kiondike Limited
aud Rates Are High.

From the Chicago Tribune.
The old query as 10 whether or not you
would like to be the iceman will be rapid
ly forgotten as soon as song writers AID
balladists learn about the train boy in
Alaska. There is a train boy in Alaska
Just one. Or rather there was few
weeks ago, but by this time he may be
somewhere in the Mediterranean on his
private yacht blowing rings from his 20
cent cigars, and swearing at his S,0yO-a-
year sailing master because he cannot
whistle up breeze.
Think Of being the only train boy on
railroad that brings miners with thou
sands and thousands of dollars worth OF
gold out of the greatest mining camp in
the world There Is only one railroad to
Alaska-that is the White Pass and Yukon
Railroad. On that railroad there is a
train called the KlOndyke Limited.
The klOndyke Limited Isn't the sound
CT that name enough to make a common
candy butcher on the run between Peoria
and Lafayette, Ind, stick his head into
his basket Of salted peanuts and Strancle
himself to death? For there is a train boy
On the KlOndyke Limited. On the Klon-
dyke Limited that brings prOspectOrs and
miners and Adventures weighted down
with golden nuggets back to the States
and civilization, and the girls they left be-
hind them there is a candy butcher. And
all THESE 1fDSDGGIOFS ana miners ana dQ-
YentureTs On this KlOndyke Limited are
hubbing over with joy that the days Of
their exile are over, and that soon they
will be back To their boyhood homes again.
Think of turning loose candy butcher in
such crowd as that To quote another
popular song, 1T seems like shame 10
take the money"
The trainbOy on the Klondyke Limitel,
like his brothers on the Kenosha local,
deals in peanuts candy books papers
n gQ N 1f,Fa hlr hot no
sells shirts and collars and bright red
necktieS He also has full line of whis-
kies and plug tobacco and cigars of the
finest cabbage selected leaf. The train
hoy does not like TO sell cigars. He only
gets 80 cents apiece for them, and they
cost him Is cents a hundred He sells the
cigars to show he's a good fellow. II
didn't originally deal in shirts and habeF-
dashery, but he found that the miners
returning to civilization yearn madly for
a billed" shirt. So after he had sold the
shirt off his back, together with his collar
AID red necktie for $l00 he decided TO
carry a stock Of shirts and ties
There are stringent restrictions in Alas
ka IN regard to selling whisky. and so the
trainboy doesn't sell ii. Re gives it away,
and lets the man who drinks it tip him
for his trouble in pulling the cork. If the
men We're TO give him a nugget any small
er than the size OF the cork the trainboy
would haughtily refuse TO let him buy my
more cigars. and would charge him at
least s. for a two months old newspaper,
which he ordinarily gives away for only
$3.50
Then the trainboy sells playing cards.
and the passengers are always wanting a
game. He puts no the table, too. hanls
around the matches, and, of course, a
| large and substantial kitty is maintain
ed on one side of the table for the sole
support of the obliginG trainboy II any
| body was to pat a quarter or a silver half
dollar into the kitty the trainboy
wouldn't be angry. He uses those things
to pay storekeepers for fresh goods Tor
his next run.
A Seattle newspaper man interviewed
the trainboy on the last trip from Alaska
QuOth the trainbOy: Am | il? Am /?
Say, amt | a naughty boy? ! know it's
wrong to take the money, but / need il
! in my business, and, besides as soon as |
get enough I'll buy the railroad and give
some other good deserving boy a chance
| 10 faSten on to a little honest money. But
81 for a sack OF peanuts. Say. that's
penitentisry offeEse in illinois. But /
need the money"