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Show IN A MINING TOWN. THE CONDITION AND POPULATION POPULA-TION OF SKAOUAY. rtsm Chaos In Urban MMsr Eleelrlrltj TsVts the riser of T.ltow lllps ami rsvsil ami Clrsilsil streets Itsiilave Maitdr W.W. (Special Letter.) J -Jl OUIt month nf ft- American cntor-aS' cntor-aS' prlio haa placed at LVp the head walcri nt Tul) tho Lynn canal n lr$?t'AVfv'l7 c"r "n pop'iln.-TOvM pop'iln.-TOvM Hon ot nearly 4,000 zl MC$k souls, and scarcely TrWTf'fv j) n s; passe ((tt.rSft) sllhout adding VfsJrCS from 100 to joo more argnnauta, all bent on the samo puroe - the accu-I accu-I mutation of pold. Rome will enitaco I In btulnes here, while tho vast majority ma-jority will push onward nt the llrst fall ot snow lo a country the greater pari of which li unknown, nnd mnny id tlisif poor ndvonturera will never annln behold tho light ot civilisation. Few appreciate the hardships confronting I them, and less nro prepared to meet them. Same will attempt to get over the pass and forced tn abandon the attempt will return to Skncuny to en- Kkq In business here. It makes hut little dlffcrenco what tho business Is. far the professional man ot yesterday may be the bartender ot to-day. It I j any wiy to make money In this most cosmopolitan city, nnd many n man who prided himself on hi rentlllly nnd neatness at homo may be handing I drinks over n bar whllo hti friends In the states suppose ho la washing out 1 Kold by the pound. To those whu base never been fortunate enough lo witness 1 the growth of n mining ramp It Is well nigh Impossible to portray the rapidity I with which a thriving city will be I erected on ground which would havo I been deemed useless. Hkauuay to-day I and Rkaguay four months ago are two different place. On the 11th day of latt August thero wai nothing but a few lent erected on the beach, with no Indications ot street! and alleys. I dullness blocks nnd romfortablo homes. To-day nearly all classes ot I mercantile goods aro offered fur sale In stores that would do credit to any ' ct'y of ten times the population; streets j awl alleys are properly laid out and I In tinny eases graded, comfortable I honrs liac been built and a church creel! by Ihe cllliem. When I llrst law fkaguay It was Trom tho deik of tho it-omer Queen on the morning of Aug. U. Then, by actual count there wcro hut twclvo imall tcnti pitched on tho beach Just above hlgh-watrr mark. About one-half mile ot tide land, ai lovel ns a floor and strewn with driftwood, met the era until tb ylsw wss Interrupted by a denss forest of pine and spruco ranging from ono mountain lo tho oilier. Front base lo base It li about three-quarters ot a mile, tho two walls of solid granite converging Inward each other until, wllhln time mile from the water, they nearly mrct, and form a canyon through which tho waters of tho Ska guay rltr pour with unceasing roar. People then had no Idea ot itopplng here any lunger than absolutely necessary, neces-sary, but wllhln tho week many arrived ar-rived Intent on obtaining tome ot the cash brought In by tha countless horde. Tho Inevitable saloon and gambling den opened for bualneas, first In larte tents, with bars roughly constructed from boxes and logs, and tin cups mads to answer Ihe purpose of glasses. Much slum ai "The llonansa." "Tho Klondike," Klon-dike," "Th I'ack Train" wero prominently promi-nently displayed nnd numerous "grnfl-crs" "grnfl-crs" wtro constantly circulating among tho crouds ot newcomers, soliciting their patronage. Many wero the various vari-ous devices employed to reach the Yin u A BI.H'I'UIIV WALK. pockets' ot the underfed, and moit prominent of all was th "shell man," who conducted hla business on top of a barrel. An enterprising Juneau party brought In a large stock nf general merchandise and the success with which ho met Induced olhsrs lo follow tho tamo legitimate lines of business. Tho first manufacturing plant to be established was a sawmill and as toon at lumber rould be produced frame buildings sprang up In every direction direc-tion and tho tenu fast disappeared. A civil engineer hung out bis shlnglo and, styling himself "city engineer," wa besought on all stdsa by people nxloui to secure a town lot. This necessitated the proper platting of the town and lots were taken up for two miles In tho Umber, when then It waa deemed so far In th wilderness that they would be ussiest, but now those earns lots ara selling at 573 or flOO. Uotti and restaurants war next In order and all did a thriving huitnet. It Is a point, to remark that no una has embarked In business ot any nature lifeo who has not made a success. Ihrto wharves nearly n mite In length each have been constructed on the iralerfront and passengers may now alight from steamers and walk In comfort to the business part ot the town quite n contrast to the method ot disembarking passenger with their outfits on tho rocks where they wr compelled to uso every effort lo r-cape r-cape tho tide,. which wss In or,ue only one month ngo. The nearest postofurc) was nt Drcn, some five miles distant by water, and ns It wai rather Inconvenient Incon-venient to go there for mall and prr-hnpi prr-hnpi hi disappointed an enterprising Yankr established a postnlnce ot hli own. where ho handed you your letter and pspra nt n cost of s cents each. This armo Individual, wishing to cvads the Jrws concerning speculation In poit.itti stamps, refused to tell them at nil, but charged you 10 cents to malt a letter If ho furnished the stamp and G crnla It you furnished It. AI though we have been In dire nerd ot a government poslofflce here tor turps months Undo 8am has only Just sent us a paitmsstor, who bains his duties Jsn. 1 This delay on the part nf the Wash'ngton omcials haa been tha cause ot no end of ridicule on tho part nf Ihe many Canadians passing through here. A night In Kkaxuay Is n night never to bo forgotten and ns ono Malls Ihe many dance homes and gambling rooms he will sea men of every nationality nnd every walk In life. The slums of our largest ellle em tn havo opened tho gate and deposited hero tha vary lowest types of moral depravity. Ulrctrlc lights now take tho place of ell In most of tho Horn and larger buildings, and preparations nro nnw under way to light tho streets by the samo agency. Seven councllnien have been elected by Ihe people to exercise their Judgment Judg-ment for tho welfare ot Ihe city and steps haro been taken to open n public pub-lic school. Ordinary business Is conducted hero on everyday buslnesi principles, and It Is safe to predict a buiiuuuan ur.ainr.Nni:. tbst by the lst,at August, 1191, thus, will bo at least 10,000 residents )n Bkiguay. |