The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1917-11-01

filthy bodily conditions, scurvey some
times follows; rheumatism is commo
and strong men soon break down 70
. life.
, After seven days the steamer Alic
came ip. II arrived In the night an,
} early the next morning ! paid my bill
and took my grip and went aboard
The big gang plank was not yet down
only a long, timber plank, about
foot wide. IL took some nerve TO wall
il, but ! was desperate to get aboard
and | made il safely.
The purser was just getting up.
presented my ticket. He looked ovel
his list. handed it back and remarked
Nothing doing, full up" In vain
argued | had through ticket, anc
must go on that boat or would miss
the umatilla at st. Michaels. "Can,
take you, everything is full. See the
agent"
Again negotiated the narrow
plank and found the agent" and
insisted that ! had through return
ticket and it was up to the company to
give me passage, but he said the best
he could do was "standee." This he
explained was a canvass covering
with some blankets, and the passenger
could hunt his place on the lower deck
he could sleep on the floor around
the boiler or on the wood pile. 1t
didn't do any good to protest that my
ticket was not steerage-take it or
leave it.
Then the purser came ashore and
sang a ditty Of hope to me. He said
l simply could not endure a "standee"
for four days and nights, but he said
the Sarah was due in three days; she
was an oil burner and didn't have to
stop for wood; she would go down
empty and would not have any long
stops, and she would make the Una
tilla with time to spare.
l went again to the agent and he
sang the same song. showed him
my ticket and asked him If it was
good on the Victoria, if the Umatilla
was missed, and he answered me it
was good on either line and pointed
out the printed provisions, good on
either the Alaska or Pacific Steamship
Companies from st. Michaesl to Sc
attic But he assured me there would
be no doubt about making the Una
tilla, mo doubt at ALL"
And right here l want to remark
that after a boat leaves Dawson, ev-
erything is chance. Nobody knows
anything positive. Each steamer runs
to its division point and none know
anything about what is ahead, what
time boat will get in or out, or what
connections will be made. At the same
time there is river Masonry, to
which every boat official and employee
is in good standing, and the passen-
gers are told what they want to hear
assured that everything will turn
out just as they want it to go.
So was pumped full of hope and
deci'led 10 wait-or rather it was de-
cided .or me. Several others, among
them my friend Wilson, were in tn.
same fix, so we sat on the bank and
watched the Alice depart.
Later | learned that the steamer
was packed with locals, prisoners and
court witnesses, who were going down
TO Holy Cross or some other official
town, and that through passengers
we're side tracked to give them pas
sage.
And we went back to our misery
back to serve another term.
| noted the men on the street began
% address me as Doctor" Good
morning Doctor" they would greet
ne, or how do you find business, Doc
orr" Finally | held up man and
asked what the big joke was He said
here wasn't any joke that he knew
II, but that | was Doctor Brown,
raveling dentist. Then ! discovered
here was another Brown in town, ,
Doth jerker who went from house to
Iouse, pulling and plugging. Then
Wilson dubbed me doctor Brown"
nd it stuck TO me for many days.
There is no money smaller than ,
bits in Alaska and no purchase ,
an be made for a less sum. If you
NY trifling article, for instance a 9
ackage of chewing gum, you will be 9
anded three packages and charged a !
uarter. II tourists have small =
hange in their clothes they ditch it q
ntil they get back outside. Lay down
wo dimes and a nickel and the mer-
hant will take it, but the way he will !.
ok at you plainly says, "he's pretty 7
ear all in" e