The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-08-01
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

After sojourn of nearly two weeks
in Shakan, we moved on to Juneau the
18th inst. and have been stuck here
most of the time since Transports
ton facilities up In this country are
not of the best. 1t is very unlike
travelling In q country gridironed
with railroads and equipped with
Pullman Palace cars. Steamers with
mail are due here every four days
from Seattle, but they are more likely
to be six days than four apart. Ar
irving at Juneau we awaited two days
to get boat.to Sitka, and it took four
days to make that port and return
despite the fact that the two points
are only 100 miles apart. The reason,
however, for the consumption of 80
much time is caused more by running
into out-of-the-way ports with mail,
loading and unloading freight, than
the number of miles traversed.
The scenery from Juneau to Sifka is
really the most fascinating of any
that we saw from Seattle up. While
there is a great deal of sameness in
the general scenery in all the trip
through the ''inside waters OF
Alaska, there are more pretty islands
and narrow channels on the route
from Juneau to Sitka than elsewhere.
The city of Juneau the largest
place in the district of Alaska. gives
many evidences of having seen better
times. 1t has population of perhaps
1850 people. made up largely of
Americans who were attracted here
by the rush of '97 and '9S. Most of
the buildings are cheaply constructed.
Many are unoccupied, and not a few
are in a thoroughly dilapidated condi-
tion.
There are few well-stocked stores
that appear to be doing a fair bust
ness, but the rush to Dawson and
Nome gave Juneau black eye that it
will not get over for little time yet.
However, we believe that it is
destined to become an important point
in the commercial advancement of
Alaska. The streets in the business
and best residence portions are plank
ed, which makes it possible to get
about with little inconvenience. Like
all points in Alaska there is little
level ground on which to build and
the residence portion is backed up
against abrupt mountains and steep
places. Thsre are several very pretty
homes here and the view over the bay
is certainly fascinating.
The business that seems to thrive
most up in. this country is the saloon.
There is not town of any size that
we have visited that is not overrun
with them. Juneau has fifteen, or one
to every one hundred and ssventy-fve
inhabitants. They pay an annual
license of 81, 500, which fact is proof
sufficient that there is great amount
of tangle- foot consumed. But it
would be hardly fair to charge that
the entire support of these dram shops
comes from the people of juneau, or
even considerable part thereof.
There are a goodly number of mining
camps within a short run from here
and they get nearly all of their liquid
supplies here. Then all of the boats
from the Sound touch here and the
sailors manage to get on pretty fair
cargo while in port We have been
here all told six days, and in that
time we have seen more DRINKS on the
streets than Mankato would turn out
IN the same number of months. But
withal the DRINKS, we have neither
seen nor heard of an arrest nor a row
of any kind. The liquor drunk seems
not of an ugly" kind, but of a yari-
ETY. that causes relaxation of the
muscles of the legs and a consequent
wabbling thereof. When all is told,
therefore, Juneau is not 80 bad as it
might be, nor yet even so tough as
one might look for away up here.
There are some very delightful people
to meet, and they manage to have a
good time despite the many drawbacks
encountered in living SO remotely from
news centers.
Sltka is really more interesting to
visit for day than is juneau. But it
is an awfully dead and down town.
A small detachment of o. s. troops is
stationed there, the governor still
maintains his headquarters there and
it is the Oldest town in the district.
1t is a hundred years old and it shows
its age. Moss is growing on the tops
and sides of some of the old log build
ings on the main street, and nearly
everything about the place gives plain
evidence of dry rot. Perhaps it would
be more in keeping with the weather
conditions of Alaska if we said "wet
rot. for during the more than three
weeks that We have been in the terri
tory we have enjoyed less than four
days of sunshine-days when it did not
rain part or all of the time The
wet weather conditions may in a
measure account for the FREQUENT
liquid drenohing INDUCED by the in
habitants.
Sitka's palmy days have no doubt
gone glimmering. There appears
nothing for her in the future but grad
ual decay The removal of the capital
to Juneau was the finishing touch,
and unless the unexpected happens the
native Indian will preponderate in the