The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1918-01-31

pbA AiNlA fb3 UP An AiaAhA out y
the newspapers 10 which descriptiv
| letter was sent was the Reporter a
Whitney's Point, N. Y. A fellow pas
senger on the steamer was Frank II
Smith, Of Los Angeles, Cal, AM
whose former home was in the New
York town. Mr.. Smith wrote a let
ter TO the paper and the publisher sen
him a copy in which was also my let
ter, when the Los Angeles man wrot,
tothe publisher for my address and
received an interesting letter from
him. This big world is small after all
Talking with n waiter in a restau
rant one night ! discovered he was
from the east and conversation driftet
TO New York state, and could hardly
name a city or town that he was not
fully familiar with. In the talk | men.
toned a county seat town, Little Val.
ley, south Of Buffalo.
Little Valley! He'll, | have beer
in Jail there" and he told story OF
some minor trouble years ago, and
where he had to serve 30-day SEN
tence. That he told the truth | am
convinced, for he said that he remem-
/ bcred the name of the sheriff was the
same as his own, Hughes; and w. b.
Hughes was sheriff of Cattaraugus
county about 20 years ago.
| became acquainted with a mis-
sionary in town through the fact
that some one had tipped him off that
was a newspaper man. Then he
camped on my trail, stalked me, way
laid me. could not go for walk
that he did not join me and he told
me so much and so many times about
the natives, and the great need of the
missionaries that l could almost sing
it.
And one day cut loose on him by
asking why his denomination did not
give the natives a rest and devote a
little time to the saving of the white
women of Alaska, and when he ex-
pressed ignorance of my drift, told
him of the DRINKS, the hell holes in
almost every town in Alaska, joints
run by women, so vicious, so aban-
doned that by comparison they would
make the old "Barbary Coast" of San
Francisco appear like Sunday
school.
The indignant uplift disciple pro-
tested there could not be the condi-
tons | had described in Alaska or
anywhere else, and he said one should
not make such statements or connect
them with neglected missionary work
unless fully prepared to substantiate
them.
| told him to get his hat and !
would show him, right in his own
town, show him joints Of drunken
ness, robbery and debauchery that
would shame a Market street drive in
San Francisco.
He didn't care to be shown. He was
a missionary, not policeman, he
said, and it was not in his province
to stop such conditions, if they ex-
listed.
The "red light" places in Alaskan
towns are the limit Of pollution. They
are hell holes Of drunkenness and |
Drunken men are robbed
of their money night after night.
They are all, or nearly all, conducted |
by women-p prostitutes run out of the
States and who have found Alaska a
rich field.
These places are operated outside
he towns, usually hidden in the brush
md so far as ! could determine if
hey kept their government licenses in
good standing, they were not molest-
ID. The towns where marshals and
ails were located were not so bad,
,ut on the whole Alaska is splendid
ield for slum missionaries, not with
he Eskimos and Indians, but with the
White women and negroes.
However, Alaska goes dry January
!, and this will have a great influence
n reducing these conditions, for booze
md debauchery seldom travel alone.
Don't talk war in this place. II
'ou want to fight, join the army and
ret paid for it," was big display
ard on the wall of saloon restaur-
mt. The bartender told me that the
minute a man started war talk he
,as started for the door. "There is
lmost every nationality in the world
n these river towns and the most Of
hem are roughnecks. Once let man
tart war and he is liable to start
he can't stop. So we just
ont let him start"
And from my observation conclud-
he was a sagacious bartender. A
iver tout is ever looking for an argu-
lent when he gets down afew drinks
{ the fighting" booze, and war fur
ishes one too soon. :