Douglas Island news., 1908-04-15
Burdens On The Road-House

One day during the summer of 1906, started from Fairbanks to make my first visit to the creeks where the wonderful Tanana mines were in oper. ation. From the then terminus of the railroad the distance to Cleary Creek was about seven miles. The day was wonderfully bright and clear and there was something so exhilarating in the atmosphere that I determined to walk to Cleary City. was in frame of mind when the dusty stage coach with it's trappings had no allurance for me.
 After walk of four miles and a steady climb I reached an elevation from where I could see the Alaska Range across the Tanana Valley, OO miles or more to the west. The view included half dozen or more snow- clad peaks, Mt. Mckinley being farthest to the westward. There are few places in Alaska that command such a view of the magnificence and grandeur of Alaska as the summit of the Dome, from which flow most of the gold-bear- ing creeks of the Fairbanks region.
 As there was roadhouse on the trail near the summit stopped to rest and quench dusty thirst. The road house was a large log cabin, in the ! rear of which was the kitchen, where a woman was baking bread. In the front room was rude bar, and a few chairs and two or three benches where the weary might sit and partake of l their refreshments The most con- spicious things in this humble place were the Government licenses. They made a big patch on the bare walls back of the bar. l noticed first the name, Martin Danielsep; then Tread on farther, fifteen dollars for the privilege of selling tobacco and cigars; just be. low this on the wall was another | license, fifteen dollars for the privilege of conducting a restaurant; then there was another license, five hundred dol lars for the privilege of retailing liquors; and beneath all this evidence of revenue paid to the federal govern ment was the internal revenue license of twenty-five dollars, making total of S555, tribute money that this man in his log cabin, twenty miles from an incorporated town, and in country which but few years before was wilderness, was compelled to pay to the United States for the privilege of conducting wayside inn.
 To my mind there appears to be something anomalous in these revenue tags and the surroundings. Here was log cabin, rudely constructed, several miles distant from the nearest habita- ton, erected by the roadside and on an elevation commanding one of the most magnificent views to be had in Alaska; where vast eXpanse of untrodden terri tory and great reaches of unexplored hill and valley emphasized the feeling of liberty and lack of restraint which comes to every man when he first visits this country; and yet amid all these primitive conditions our great and benefcent government was eXacting a quadruple toll from citizen for the 1 privilege of conducting way-side inn. It did not seem right, it does not seem right now; for that matter any tax upon thrift, industry or enterprise does not seem right. License law may be neces- sary in order to provide revenue. The exigencies of business demand things that are not ethical; but 1 would like to see a license law which would be less burdensome to the Alaska road-house keeper.-Alaska-Y Yukon Magazine.