After leaving Wrangel the steamer anchored off Salmon Bay to lighter
eighty tons of salt for fishermen, then on to Juneau and Douglas Islands.
Here was the same general appearance of location, the gigantic background
of densely wooded mountains, the tide-washed streets, on broken slopes,
the dirty native women with their wares for sale, with prices advanced
200 per cent, since the steamer whistled, and behind them their stern
male companions, goading them on to make their sales, and stealthily
kicking them in their crouched positions if they came down on their
prices to an eager but economical tourist.
Juneau is the only town of any importance on the mainland. It has arisen
to that dignity through the quality of its mines, and it is now the
mining centre of Alaska. Here we found Edward I. Parsons, of San
Francisco, erecting an endless-rope tramway for conducting ores to a
ten-stamp mill now under construction. Mr. Parsons has had large
experience in this line, and his tales of "Tramway Life" in Mexico are
intensely thrilling and full of interest. It is to be hoped that the good
people of Juneau will see to it that he does not have to eat the native
dishes, as he did in the land of the greasers. The festive dog is all
right in his place, but rather revolting to an epicure.
The famous Treadwell gold mine lies across the bay, on Douglas Island. It
is noted, not so much for its richness per ton, but for its vast extent.
The 120-stamp mill makes such a deafening noise that there is no fear
that the curious minded will cause employés to waste any time answering
questions, for nothing can be heard but the rise and fall of the great
crushers and the crunching of the ores. The ore is so plentiful that an
addition of 120 stamps is being added to the present capacity. The hole
blasted by the miners looks like the crater of a huge volcano without the
circling top, and sloping down to an apex from which is the tunnel to the
mill. The Treadwell yields about $200,000 per month, and will double that
when the mill is completed.
There are many pleasant homes in Juneau, and some of its society people
are charming indeed. The business houses carry some large stocks of
goods, and outfitting for the interior mines in the Yukon country is all
done at this place. There are two weekly papers, one the _Mining Record_,
an eight-page, bright, newsy paper which deserves a liberal support.
One of the most novel and grotesque features of the entire trip was a
dance given by the Indians at