The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1918-01-10
YUKON TOWN THAT
LEFT IN A NIGHT
Toan Booming at Bedtime and Abso-
lately Abandoned Before the Break
Of Day. somcv hare In Alaska is a
Rich Mine that Starvation and Mos.
quitos Have Hidden.


usual that ever cnmc out Of Alaska
II Is an absolutely true tale, and got
IL directly from the main actor in the
silent drama -or rather tragedy-as
we sat on the bank Of the Yukon one
night, smoking and fighting mos
quitos
He WAS watch rcpaircr and kept
few clocks and little iewclry in the
little river town--a supply town for
Me mines back in the hills.
Spring was breaking, tthe spring
Of last year,, daylight had returned,
the Ice was going out and everybody
was looking forward when the first
boat would come in and new faces and
new grub could be met
at was a bright, warm Sunday"
said my friend, and then ! wondered
II the story would be as vexatious as
the mosquitoes.
(But he soon made me forget the
.nsects.)
A friend hunted him up, he said,
and told him il was his birthday and
be proposed that few of the A, B.
alaskan Brotherhood) boys gather
at a cabin and celebrate both the
birthday and return Of spring by see
ing how much booze they could drink
in a given length of time-a sort Of
a capacity and endurance contest AS
fast as a man went down they let
him lay and the victor had the privi-
lcgc, and distinction of rubbing bacon
grease over his face and then sprink
ling on ashes.
| will cut the details short. My
story teller said that at supper time
he realized he would soon be among
those "laid out" SO he slipped out,
staggered to his bachelor cabin and
went 10 bed.
During the night there was an
alarm at the outer door, and the men
called on him to get up and come out.
He answered he would in few min
utes and they went away. Then he
went back TO sleep. He had had all
he wanted Of that celebration crowd.
He awoke at daylight. His head
throbbed and his stomach was on a
strike, so he rolled over and slept
again.
At about noon he again awoke,
washed and beat il for the nearest
saloon for a cocktail But the saloon
was closed, the door locked and no
one around.
II couldn't make it out" said the
man. Certainly this was Monday and
the saloons were never closed on this
date. So then | went across to the
store postoffice TO find the reason for
this strange condition. The postofiice
was closed There was not a man in
sight
81 looked up the street--not liv-
ing thing. looked across TO where a
bunch of dogs had been tied for a
month and they were gone. Then
thought had il. A new strike had
been reported and the whole town had
stampeded.
"But on closer investigation found
the harnesses, sleds, packing outfits,
etc. had not been taken, so IL could
not have been a rush / must be
crazy or dreaming
II went to my shop. The clocks
were ticking. To be certain that
was awake | opened one and stopped
the swinging pendulum. II stopped.
When started it again, the clock re-
suned its ticking.
"Say, friend, you can't imagine the
fearful thoughts that came over me-
I was crazy. The town was there, so
were the people, but could not see or
hear them. ! had gone bugs and
would go out on the first steamer for
the crazy house at Portland. Lord,
how | was frightened. The sweat ran
down me.
81 went outside and looked around.
Not sign Of life. wen, down the
hill to the river bank Everything was
fearfully quiet The river was very !
high, but as the town was on rise
far above it, certainly no sane person
could be alarmed al the rising stream.
"Then went back OF the town,
looking for something stirring, listen
ing for some sound when-oh, the joy ,
Of it'll heard shout, and looking ,
up the hin ! saw q man waving his
arms, yelling and beckoning me TO ,
come IA
''Hc need not have bcckoned ! I
tore for him. A malamute couldn't :
have passed mo As | ncarcd him, he {
disappeared over the hill followed {
and when reached the top was 80 q
exhausted and scared that fell and
could not get up.
when got my heart action slowed
Naxav,, and y,sv pen0ee hcs,-ar so ,ssark