El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-06-03

named Emil Kiatt. who took Up a home
stead on the site OF the abandoned city He
plowed the streets and laid out his fields
among the town lots he farmed there FOR
years and became generally known as the
Mayor OF Dvea. although his only subjects
were cattle and sheep. ! do not think he
the property and Il now belongs. as I have
said. to Mrs Pullen. who is running II In
connection with her hotel
When skaEEay Doomed.
II is interesting TO hear the skaswayans
tell Of the days when their town was in the
height OF its drunken prosperity Il was,
10 use 8 slang phrase. 2 wide open com
munity. having 81 saloons. each with its
dance hall adjoining There were neither
courts nor police AT that time there was
no Law in Alaska under which a municipal
government could be organized and the only
representative Of Uncle sam was the deputy
marshal He was a rough character and
was supposed to be in league with the Grim
inal element. At least he did nothing to
who held up the tenderfoot. or. as he IS
called here. the cheechako. and even robbed
the old miners as they came from the Klon-
dixie
a little later the criminal element was
combined by one Jefferson smith who has a
traditional fame here. something like that Of
Slade OF Mark Twain's ''Roughing It." smith
went by the nickname OF Soapy. He got
the title from having peddied soap wrapped
in bank notes on the streets Of the towns
Of Colorado. He would pretend to wrap up
the soap in ten or twenty dollar bills. sell
ing fl from boxes. which contained both
blanks and prizes, auctioning of the pack
ages The game is a swindle well known
Throughout the west
Soaps Rough Riders
Soa9y smith came 10 Skagway al just
about he time OF the beginning Of the war
between our country and Spain. He got to-
gether about 400 Of the vicious element OF
the place and offered them to president Nc
fight the Spaniards. The president who had
been posted as 10 their character was
obliged 10 decline them SOapy then armed
and drilled them and used them to prey
upon the community. They robbed strangers
singly and in crowds They committed q
large number Of murders. and it was almost
sure death to oppose them
The people were afraid OF them. honest
men were intimidated and a reign OF terror
arose and lasted FOR months. The gang had
az sorts OF ways OF feecrng the miners
who passed through on their way 10 the
Klondike. and also OF getting the gold Of
those who came back
soapy's Men Lure Prospectors.
Capt Baughman Of the Humboldt the
ship in which I came 10 skagway. told me
the other day how the advance agents Of
Soapys gang would 20 20 Seattle and come
back with the crowd on his steamer. The
crowd consisted OF miners. each OF whom
had an outfit that had cost about $500 and
in addition enough money 10 get him &c
Dawson Some had more. some less.
II cost great deal TO get the freight
over the mountains and Soaps agents Wht
were pretended miners, would organize com.
panies with view 70 getting cheap freight
and they would take from each member o.
the company an order 10 the ship 10 releas'
his goods 10 the packers. Upon landing Tn
men would run the miners into Soapy
gambling saloon, where. within the space o
an hour they We're sure 20 lose al thei
money at cards They then had not en0ugl
TO pay their freight bills and az a result tn
outfits would fall into the hands OF the gang
As time went on the robbers grew bolde
and matters became worse and worse Mir
! ers coming out from Dawson had their bag
of gold stolen frcm them. and 10 finally be
came unsafe for any stranger in Skagwaz
This impression went TO the outside and
was hurting thu town. The climax va
capped by the rohbing 81 a young mine
named stewart who hal just come fror