a OF son NEW
/ PUf "THE Nismr
The following comment on the new
play, "The Alaskan." taken from the
Denver Post will be of interest to all
Alaskans The play has been running
in the cast over a nnnth now and is
meeting with crowded houses every
where. In fact, it is reported in theat
rical circles to be one of the b?st pay
ing pieces Mr. Cort has ever had on the
stage:
There is a real plot and a well worked
out story of absorbing interest to "The
Alaskan," according to newspaper re
|x>rts in other cities, which in itself is
a boon for comic opera lovers. The
plot deals with the fortunes of Richard
Atwater. a poor New York boy, "grub
staked" bv a rich man named Eastman.
His mine is seen in the mild Alaska
summer in full operation, and the com
plete paraphernalia for mining and
"sluice box," with real running water
are shown.
Atwater receives a letter Irom Mr.
Eastman's daughter, Arlee, who was a
very small girl when he left New Ycrk,
telling him of the death of her father.
While Miss Eastman was only old
enough to remember Atwater but
slightly, she was so impressed with the
liking her fathep had for the young
man that she organized an Alaskan
touring party, which arrive* at the
"Atwater mine" just as the mine
proved to be a failure.
Siuallbury Strander, a theatrical
manager, who has taken "Florodora"
to Alaska acd has lost everything but
the sextet, heariug that gold has been
found in profusion at the A' water mine,
I rings the show girls there in a final
effort to retrieve bis fortune. The
Florodora "wink" secures a much need
ed meal for the survivots of Sm J1 j
bury's enterprise, but they have to
work for their victuals and are forced
intominiug togs. When Miss Eastman
anlves S'rander is taken for Atwater
because he facet'ously pronounces him
self boss of the mine. With
her ide?l thus put asunder the young
girl introduces herchaperon, Mrs. Good
Better Be9t, as herself and assumes the
chaperon's name. She meets Atwater
and before he has a good chance to in
troduce himself he discovers that some
one has impersonated him. She be
lieves him the prospector who discov
ed the claim and expresses regret that
her father didn't "grubstake" him.
Atwatur's foreman, knowD as Totem
Pole Pete, has an unworked claim that
promises much, but is useless without
water, and when Aiwater's mine is
proved a failure ho forms a partnership
with Atwater, who has the engineering
skill, to build the neces^ry water ditch.
Miss Past man and her party, including
a grotesque type of a museum fossil
collector, who is her uncle, leave for
Nome, where she has a bungalow, and
Atwater promises to visit her there at
a house party on New Year's eve.
A "magnetic soubrette," be nt on
marrying the theatrical manager, pro
vides much of the comedy, and a pony
ballet in Eskimo costume Is introduced
with striking local color.
The second act sho*s the interior of
Miss Eastman's bungalow at Nome in
the dead of winter. The new claim
discovered by Totem Pole Pete pro
duced ?|uantities of "pay dirt," and the
u earthing of the mastodon skeleton
found by the museum man at Atwater's
old mice has revea'ed a valuable vein of
gold, Atwater accepts a check of $1,
000,000 for his mining interests in Alas
ka, and when his real identity is re
vealel to Miss Eastman through the
necessity of dividing the proceeds of
the "gi ubstak' ," iu which she has in
herited a half interest from her father,
tbey become engaged, and th? piece
closes wiih a jolly New Year's celebra
tion, in which engagement rings a> d
congratulations are the order of the
day. There are many tuneful songs
and choruses which have receivtd en
core after encore, especially the totem
pale number, "Ark-e," and "The
Naughty Little Lady O."
William H. Michael, United States 1
consul general at Calcutta, la a letter
to the \Va>hiugtou Star tells some
queer thlugs about tlie shark till busi
ness of India. He says:
The Industry Is carried ou by a class
of natives designated as Mugbs, a very
low sort of uatives, but who are Indus
trious and. iu their way, adventure
some. This is shown bj their d)?rUig
to live ou a low. marshy Island off the
Suuderbans facing the bay of Bengal.
These Islands are really floating
patches of sea weed and moss, n kind
of turf and Jungle. ' Even the violent
action of the waters of the buy causes
the surface of the Island to vibrate.
Yet these Ignorant and partly civilized
humans dare to lfve ou such a land for
mation with their women and chil
dren and to engage lu one of the most
dangerous of occupation*? that of bat
tling with the tigers of the sea. It not
Infrequently happens that the courage
ous Mugh falls the victim to the sav
age mau eatlug shark Instead of the
shark to the persevering fisherman.
When other kinds of bult fall to at
tract the shark and business grows
slack the Mughs throw pebbles that are
marked In a certalu way with the
blood of the shark, a kind of way of
castlug lots, and this determines who
shall become bait for sharks for one
day. A strong rope made of the skin
of the porpoise is fastened about the
body of the "human bait" under the
arms. This line is made fast to a der
rick erected on a catamaran that can
be lowered and raised quickly. The
legs of the "bait" are Incased In leg
gings made of shark skin or a croco
dile skin. To the "bait's" legs are
fastened a number of shark hooks aud
lines, the books being baited with or
dinary bait.
Wheu the boat la near to the spot j
where sharks abound the derrick Is
swung out with the human bait dan
gling at the end of the line, and by a
sudden Jerk the "bait" Is allowed to
fall with a splash Into the water. Ab
quick as a flash one or more water
tigers are after the bait. The Mugh
Is quickly drawn up, when the sharks,
hungry and eager, grab at the "bait's"
legs and In the rnlxup they manage
to swallow the baited hooks and are
soon dispatched with spears. This
process is continued until the catch
Is finished for the day.
Sometimes the sea tiger manages to
fasteu his teeth In the leg of the "bait"
before he Is out of reach, but the thick
Bkln legging protects the limb, and, as
a rule, the quick and certalu spear of
a man In the boat gets the too am
bitious shark. Ther? Is no bait that
will arouse Lh? shark ?Vn he la tak
lnx a snooze, which sometimes lasts
for hours. like the liuuiau liody. The
shark seems to recognize the splash,
as uo iloubt he also detects the "smell''
of the human, especially the odor of
the Mush.
There are thousands of these semi
civilized .M ughs living in the Sunder
hans engaged in catching fish of all
r
T
THE SHARKS GRAB AT THK "BAIT'S" LEOS.
kinds, but principally porpoises, croco
diles, gars and sharks. They are a
brave ami harmless lot and make a
good livelihood for themselves and
{ families.
I Some hunters who ventured into the
Sunderbans in a launch last January
were told by Mughs that some of their
friends had ventured out on a point
trying to spear n panther, and too
many of them crowded together on a
spongy patch and all sank out of
sight never to rise again. The hunt
ers remained closely In their boats
rather than venture on to that kind
of terra tlrma.
The hunters anchored their l>oat not
far from a Sunderbau Island which
was covered with thick Jungle, aud
durlug the night a couple of large ti
mers, a male and female, swaiu out to
the boat aud made a desperate effort
to climb In. The hunters had a flash
light with them, which was turned on
the daring Intruders, and succeeded in
killing and bagging both of them.
Hunting in the more elevated Sunder
bans used to be popular with the mora
venturesome and well acclimated
uportaman, but of late years it is al
most wholly abandoned by white men
on aucount of tlie deadly climate.
GoingOutside?
If you are, take your dust and drafts to
Dexter Horton & Co., Bankers,
S EATTL E
and open a Savings Account. Von can
open an account by mail if you wish to.
Our total resources exceed
$12,000,000.00
Headquaters for Mining and Commercial Mm
STRICTLY FIRST-CLASS \(fo
fade pain |aluon
W SHEA & PATTEN, PROPS.
Broadway and 6th Avenue, Skagivay , Alaska
The
American
Tailors
Now Is the time to look after
your winter clothing. How a
bout your oven-oat or winter
suits? We can make new ones
or repair the oHl ones. We have
Just received the latest fall
goods and styles and we guar
antee to please you. You can't
tret better values.
Ital & Eherlieh Props.
OOOOOnOOOCKK 1 XhXJOOOOOOOOf
ROYAL I
Steam Laundry f
All Work Guaranteed. Short 3
Orders Promptly
Done
Messenger will call anil deliver o
Pbona 79 S
P. E KERN
Gold aod'Silversmlth.
Manufaturer of
Nugget Jewelry
Dealer in
Alaska Souvenirs
and Curios
01 all kinds
SKAGWAY, ALASKA
Having: completed reliable arrange
ments for an adequate supply of the
best
itritish Columbia Coal
for the coming winter we offer for
Skagway Coal Consumers, Coals at
following prices;?
WoHington (Departure Bay)
Run of Mine $12 per ton
Wellington (Lvlysmitta)
Selected Lumps $13 per ton
Anthracite (Banff B. C.)
Chestnut Size 820 per ton
Prices abovd aic on wharf and in bulk
or sacked and for cash. Delivery S1.00
per ton extra.
SHAW & JOHNSON
Phones 11 or 109 Skagway, Alaska
William Hoskins
??Boot and Shoe Maker __
Repairing promptly done with the best
material in the market
Ladies' and Children's Sboes Mended
Broad way Batwaan 3rd aa4 4tb Aval
REMODELED
THE
Rainier-Grand Hotel
SEATTLE
New Management Popular Prloea
Central Location , European Plan
Plnest CAPE and BARIn theCltv
Wilson & White Co.Prop.Chas Perrj Mgr,
|Y[ercaHnts anil Miners
Should keep part of their funds in
this st ton jr. up-to-date hank. We
pay 2 xx' r cent. Interest on Chock
ing balances, and you can savo the
high exchange charges l?y paying
your Sail Francisco hills by check
on this bank. We pay 4 per cent on
Savings Accounts. Send for Book
let "A'-Banklng by Mall? It will
show you how to make more money
Capital and Surplus over i3,(XX>.000
Total Assets over ?12,<KW,000
CALIFORNIA SAFE DEPOSIT AND
TRUST COMPANY
California and Montgomery Sts.
Sam Fhancisco. California.
Established 1897
Phil Abrahams
Real Estate
BROKER
Collections
NOTARY PUBLIC
52 FOURTH AVE., SKAGWAY
We have a large stock
Lomney's Gandy
Peter's Gboeolates
Also every kind of
Fresh Nuts
Dont' Forget the Number. 4284Brdw'y
Tony Dortero's
Raw Furs?..
WE PAY
High Prices for Fine furs
Write For Price List
Percy's Fur House
Osbkoah, Wisconsin
L
THE M0N0GRM
II IIIIUM III ' I mill Mill Willi II
Received u Large Shipment of Imported Wines
and Liquors Direct from Borfiled Warehouse
Duties Paid at Skagwuv Customs
BLOOM &. KORACH. PROPRIETORS
BROADWAY, BETWEEN 5th and 6th AVENUES
TELEPHONE 34 FREE DELIVERY
* ' r
HEATED AND LIGHTED FINE SAMPLE ROOM
BY ITS OWN PLANT FOR DRUMMERS
ttlbiK Pass fiotel
P. D McMillan, Manager
tamest and best appointed fiotel in the Yukon
CHO.CE BAR STOCK ft) 1)^1)0^, YX
RATES MODERATE
MOORES WHARF CO.
Terminus W. P. & Y. Route
All South Bound Steamers Arrive and Depart From This Drck
REGULATIONS J.B05
Warehouses open for delivery of merchandise from 8 a. m. to 5 p.m.
Perishables ONLY delivered on Sunday or at night.
All freight shipments destined southbound must be accompanied by a
Shipper's Manifest (papers can be obtained at the U. 8. customs
oflice) and must be delivered before 5 p.m. No freight will be re
ceived on wharf after this hour.
BAGGAGE? Tolls will be collected on Checked Baggage Only. No
charge for bags and grips when unchecked.
The wharf gate will be closed to the public when steamer is nearlng
dock and will be opened only when passengers have disembarked,
Wharfage Tariff can be had on application at office on dock.
P. O. Box 175. C. E. W YNN-J0HN80N, Gen'l Mgr
CENTRALLY LOCATED
BEST ACCOMMODATIONS
New Home Restaurant
Chos. Peterson, Manager
Best 25 Cent Meals in the City
JFIFTH AVENUE, NEAR BROADWAY
Good Clean Beds From 25 Cents Up
BATHS IN CONNECTION
REMINGTON
TYPEWRITER
(Sattty $i Trandson
Agents for Skagway
STANDARD
?F THE WORLD
am
Ok Ciabt that's Right!
Our
Reading Camps
And
Electric Signs
EDWIN BROWNE. Manager.