Amador ledger., 1901-12-20
Letter From Skagway.
SKAGwAY, ALASKA. Nov. %. 1901.
Dear LEDGER

III ene lano OF frozen blessednesS. Like
England, we are glorying in our
splendid isolation'' No mail from
the south now for six days. The steam
ship Dirigo was due three days ago
with supply of turkeys, but has not
yet arrived. The Canadian telegraph
line to Vancouver has been down for
several days; in fact, that has been its
normal condition ever since it was
opened in October, making our connec-
ton with the outside world very spas
modic and uncertain. The cable 10
Juneau is failure thus far, as the jag
ged rocks cut it to pieces faster than It
can be repaired. Between White Horse
and Dawson there is ice enough to keep
steamboats, from running, and all traffic
is suspended until the ice is thick
enough to travel over, then stages will
leave each end of the route every day.
Trains run regularly between here and
White Horse, but often with less than
half dozen passengers. Here in Skag-
way are about 5000 people, all together
by their lonely selves, yet enjoying life
as we'll as those nearer civilized centers.
Three daily papers, one weekly, and one
monthly, show that we are not exactly
illiterate, nor altogether sanity. Five
churches are we'll attended, and the
Salvation Army is much in evidence,
at least once in "a hours. Two hun
dred and six children keep five teachers
busy in the new $4,000 school house.
The police court and jail are not lonely
places by any means, and eleven
lawyers wear good clothes and smoke
two bit cigars. The Light & Power
Co. is putting in a new $40, 900 electric
plant, and improvements are being
made in many places. The frequent
blasts heard from the prospect tunnels
on either side of town, tell where the
ledges are being tested, and if, as many
believe, these mountains are worth
working, Skagway has a great future.
These lodges lie like those of the
Treadwell lode, and would require no
hoists or pumps. We have had no
severely cold weather yet, and very
little snow-a marked contrast to last
year. The average temperature lately
is 20 degrees above, just keen and brac-
ing. Windows generally have dainty
tracing of frostwork, under foot the
snow creaks at every step, gloves and
mittens are very comfortable, and un-
covered ears soon tingle. From the
mountain side east of town comes a
mighty racket, caused by the wood
that is being constantly sent down the
numerous chutes or slides, from where
it grew, to the level plain on which the
town stands. Some of these chutes are
half a mile long, and cheap, quick
means of transportation. Wood sells
for Sc and 81 cord; coal is $13 ton.
To-day union services are held in the
Baptist church, egg-nog and hot lunch
es in the saloons, and the "A. B. S."
give ''Grand Ball" in their hall to-
night. The Arctic Brotherhood is a
society started in Skagway about three
years ago, and now has lodges all over
the northern country. The chief ex-
citement lately, is the supposed un-
earthing, by the Northwest Mounted
Police, of an organization called the
Order of the Midnight Sun; the object
of which was to overthrow the Canadi-
an government, and ask protection of
the United States. Whether this be-
lief had any foundation or not, it is
certainly a strange state of affairs,
when Uncle Sam pays so much atten-
tion to aliens across the ocean, and al
lows American citizens to be driven
out of American territory, and region,
rich as that for which England is
fighting in South Africa, given up
without a protest.
The sun is in sight here now less than
two hours each day, and yet we would
all be happy if the Dirigo had arrived
with those turkeys. An inquiry made
by kindhearted people regarding the
destitute in town, resulted in the COM
forting assurance that no one was
without means to buy turkey if the
birds could be found. Another in
stance of Turkeys shortcomings.
Yours in disappointment,
G. II. G.
Friday morning-The Dirigo has just
arrived with three tons of turkeys.