The daily tribune., 1908-12-31
A PAJAmA
PROTEST

"Honest? repeated the man from
try are as honest as the day Is long up
there on the 21st of June. In the rush
to the Klondike a man wasn't allowed
to cross the Canadian frontier unless
he had thousand pounds of provi-
sions. or course. he had lots Of other
stun besides. and 1t took good many
trips to carry his outfit from one point
to another. He could have his two
piles out Of sight Of one another with
out the slightest danger Of being
robbed. And it was pretty miscel-
laneous crowd, too.
If you cache your extra provisions
and supplies in Alaska, they won't be
touched by the man who happens to
find them, unless he is in actual need.
In that case he will leave a note ex-
planning the circumstances and giving
his name and address. In Valdez peo-
pie don't have locks on their homes.
When man goes away for the sum-
mer mining or prospecting, he leaves
his latchstring out. If neighhor
wants to borrow some dishes or cook
self When she finishes with them she
puts them back.
There's one dwelling In the town,
however that has Yale lock. l know
the story of that lock, because l was
partly responsible for Its being put
there.
Late one winter night there was
gang of us having good time in
dance hall. A big fellow they called
'Newburg Charley happened to say I
hear that young lawyer from Denver
sleeps in regular suit of clothes,
coat and pants. They're made of pink
flannel Now, ain't that putting on
style for you? Most of us think we're
blooming 'ristocrats If we take our
boots off when we go to bed
"'How did you hear about this?
some one asked.
Didn't / see them at my wash
womans? She says he calls them pa
ja-mas'
somebody drawled.
Well, sir, the crowd took up the
idea like shot We grabbed our
overcoats and cloaks, men and women,
the whole shooting match, and piled
out into the street whooping and yell
ing The Denver chap wasn't married
and lived with another man. Guess
maybe he was a good bit surprised
when that bowling mob of men and
women broke into his house and up
tbe stairs. We lighted lamp.
Whats the trouble?' he asked. I'll
do him the credit to say that he wasn't
a bit scared.
"'You have been accused before the
vigilantes of Valdez said Newburg
Charlie, in a solemn tone of the
crime of wearing pink pa-ja-mas See
Ing as you have been caught with the
goods on you, | reckon there amt any
doubt about your guilt. AS these
pink paja-mas are very warm propo.
sition, the sentence of the court is
that they be cooled in some honest
Alaska snow
There were yells OF applause. We
tore the covers of the man from Den
yer and carried him out into the open
air. First we tied strings around his
pants at the ankles. and then filled
them full of snow. We carted him
back into the house and started for
the dance hall again. whooping like
Comanche Indians. Did 1t hurt him?
Not bit. He didu't even catch cold.
The whole thing didn't take more than
four or Ave minutes. His side partner
filled him with hot drinks and rubbed
him until he got good. healthy re-
action. 1t helped his law business. In
fact. People liked tho way he acted
He never whimpered out in the cold
and never said boo afterward about
his visitors.
But he put Yale lock on his door,
and / guess he's been wearing pink
pajamas ever since"