The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-12-17
LIFE IN DAWSON CITY.
4 MODERN ToWN OF 5000 IA-
 HABITANTS

hhEch Gan De AccCmpIisheu hy Mhk-
 ing Hole in the GrOund-Nlany In-
 terestIng Things Regarding the PeO- pie end Their Mode of Living. From a summer Indian fishing camp Dawson has grown to a modern city, with ware houses, churches, banks, wholesale and retail stores, electric lights and two up to date newspapers which sell for 25 cents a copy
 Dawsons population varies, but during the present summer 1t has about 1000 inhabitants, most of whom, according to Leslie's Weekly, are still citizens of the United States.
 The dwellings are either frame or logs; the latter predomlnating, Many of these were built in the days of 1897 and 1898, when carpenters re- ceived $20 day for their work The average size of a log cabin is sixteen by fourteen feet, and while they are comfortable little provision is made for light the windows being very small. There were no shingles at that time so the roofs were covered with earth, on which grass is made to grow thus preventing the water from soaking through
 The roof poles project and form an overshoot above the door The pantry, known as a cache, IS built on the outside and propped up on four poles. Cold storage can easily be obtained by digging a hole three or four feet deep and putting in a wooden box. The ground is perpetually frozen, and at this depth one finds solid ice Twenty-Five cents is the smallest piece of money in circulation, and there are children who never saw anything smaller. Last year. when a man from the "outside' lost at cards in a gambling house and paid his debt in dimes the winner threw them in the street where they lay undis- i turbed,
 Canned goods are universally used i Evaporated potatoes are eaten until midsummer, when the Yukon boats bring in a fresh supply and even these sell at 15 cents a pound
 CrystallZed eggs are usad for cook ing purposes and fresh @ ones are cheap in midsummer at $1 a dozen Three eggs to order In restaurant will cost the diner from 75 cents to $i, and in winter perhaps $1.5O,
 Fowls do not thrive here and chick en rarely appears on the menu card Caribou steak is common and may be had for $1 A light lunch, consist 1 ing of a piece of pie and small glass of milk, costs the business man 5t cents.
 Cans of condensed milk baarlng the l highly colored picture of Jersey COW are found on all restaurant tables. A small hole Is punched in the top and from this milk is poured into the coffee or tea.
 Table d'hote meals are served fo1 $1. easily within the reach of all While almost everything eaten at this meal is of the timed variety, the food is very palatable. The dinner consists of soup, fish, roast of some sort potatoes Casually the evaporatet kind), a vegetable, pie or pudding anG tea or coffee.
 Dawson boasts of several hot houses and during the early summer for 5t cents extra a few leaves of lettuce ol half dozen frall looking spring on ions will be added. l am told that ve' getables mature here by the latter part of the summer.
 The fish are delicious and people often refuse the roast and take z large portion of fish Instead. This ac. counts for the waiter asking, "Wil you have starter or order of fish?'
 Beer costs $1. bottle and cham pagne Is SIP quart. As a specIa with dinner pint of inferior white wine may be had for $1,5O.
 Clothing is likewise expensive. { tailor made gown which sells In tn, States for $40 will bring $S0 In Daw son. The inexpensive lingerie wsis costs its weerer In Dawson from $l to $15; and s5 hats are eagerly pur chased for five time that amount.
 Reading matter is on par witt everything else In price. Ten cent ma gazines sell for twenty-five and il winter readily bring fifty The twenty five cent variety cost the reade their regular price in summer ant four time in winter
 The cause of this is not the rapaclt! of the merchant but the cost of trans portation. All goods are sent to Ska way by boat from either Seattle or Vancouver-nearly a thousand miles after which they are loaded on car of the White Pass Railroad and an other 112 miles to White Horse Is GOV cred
 When one takes into consideration that the construction of the frs twenty miles of this railroad cos $2, ,OOO, ,OOO, it is not surprising tha freight rates are high. At Whit Horse the merchandise is loaded ol boats or scows and brought 45O mile further north, down the Yukon Rive to Dawson. In winter the freight 1 sent in from White Horse over tn ice, and from that point alone tn rate is from 20 to 30 cents pound according to the kind of goods ship ped
 The family which is fortunat enough to possess a cook pays well fo her services-$6O to $7O month. Thi includes board and lodging.
 A woman who comes in to prepar dinner and set the house in order re ceives $35 a month. while the ordinar scrubwoman commands S. a day L-. 70 ...., IL, ...ir,tn.. ir nr,ntl,n