Life in Dawson City.

Manawatu Herald, 17 March 1898, Page 2

Life in Dawson City.

A correspondent ot a Ntw York paper writes from Dawson City at follows :— lf there is ono place in the whole world where money bat no value it is on the KJondyke. You see this exemplified in the social life — if such it may be ealled-»-of the mining camps as you lee it nowhere else. On the Rlondyke gold ii a common commodity. Much hai been written of this desolate region, but the historians have, as a rule, dwelt almost upon the mineral development of the country. It i» my intention to give you a glimpse of the people, their customs, their amusements, and their utter disregard of tha value of money. The principal diversions of Dawson City are the gambling saloons and the dance halls. The most profitable industry ia the sale of liquor, the saloons paying revenue to the Government. Boer and whisky sell for 50 cents a drink. The gambling saloons are run wide open, day and night," and the dance hall never closes until daylight. It may be remarked, incidentally, that there are two churches, one a Catholio and the other a Protestant Episcopal. I fancy it would make some of you Fifth avenue congregations stare to see the collection plates heaped up with nuggets and dust on Sundays. The gambling saloons, Jn external appearance, are very much like all tha other buildings in Dawson, except that thay are much larger. They ara built of logs hewn on three sides and soligly chinked with heavy moss. The roofs are made of poles, on which a layer of moss fully lOin thick is laid, and then a layer of dirt about 12in deep serves to keep 'out the cold. Heavy embankmenti of earth piled up against the huts on the outside serve as additional protection against the chilling blasts of the Arotio winter gales. A few saloons are built of lumber with double walls between which-sawdust and moss are tightly packed, but pld Yukoners tell me that such constructed buildings are inadequate against the letere cold weather. Last year lots sold for 1.40d0l apiece, and now they bring ai high as idol. To build the commonest kind of a log oabin, say 19 by 24 costs in the neighbourhood 4500d01. Games in* volving SOOOdol, and ll.OOOdol. art running dty and night. Professional dealers of " banking games " receive 20dol, a day. The manner of hazarding money is unique even in a mining camp. The player takes his seat at a faro table, and passes over his sack of gold dust to the dealer, who drops it into a small pigeon hole. The chances of overplaying his sack devolves upon the player's honor. He is given foil credit and can call for as many chips from the check rack as he desires. As the checks are passed out a tap is dropped on his sack. At the con* elusion of the play the chips on hand are credited to the account of the sack. The dealer bands the player a slip of paper showing the | conditions of the account, and the latter takes it and his sack of gold to , the bar. If he has lost he weighs out his gold dast, or, in the event of winning, the barkeeper floee the pay. ing- . .... -

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