Dawson City - A History of Growing Pains 1896 - 1906
As prepared by Dawson Historian, John Gould.
GOLD DUST SWINDLERS
New conditions develop new species of fraud how valueless base material are
passed for fine precious metal. The use of gold as legal tender opens up a
brand new field to the ineptest swindler of which he is not known to avail
himself. Just now there appears to be an epidemic of what might be called "false
tender." The would be swindler fills his sack partly
full shot and
enters one of the many play houses throws the sack on the table
and call for a "stack of whites" or "blues" according to
his ambition. The dealer dropped the sack into his drawer. If he won his sack
was returned to him and gold to the amount of his winnings was weighed out
to him at the scale and of course he did not put in the sack of shot. The shot
sack is liable to detection. (Klondike Nugget Aug 20, 1898)
AN AIRSHIP FLIGHT
The first balloon ascension in the history of the Yukon Territory, took place on August 29th 1899 at 8 o'clock in the evening from West Dawson. The whole town was out to watch as the airship got under way about 5:45 PM, rising slowly heading up river. Leonard was performing an acrobatic feat on the trapeze. When the balloon reached a height of about 500 feet over the river over the west bank opposite Princess street, Leonard unhitched the parachute and dropped into the river. The parachute collapsed and floated on the surface. Leonard disappeared and then popped up in a few moments. There not being a boat near he swam for the shore. The balloon continued to rise up river and finally disappeared over the hill opposite Church street. As the gas escaped it came to earth, was recovered and brought back to West Dawson. So went the story in the August 30, 1899 issue of the Dawson Daily News.
DEAD IN A HOLLOW LOG
The digging of the foundation for the new fire hall at the south end of the
Front street bridge next to the barracks, was the occasion of the uncovering
of two unknown bodies, a child and a grown person, on Thursday. The child was
probably an Indian Papoose, since the site is known to have been an Indian
burial ground. It was encased in a thin board box, coffin shaped and fastened
together with wrought iron cut nails, showing its
modern origin.
The larger coffin was an oddity. It consisted of a hollowed out log with part of which should have been a lid removed. The body had been introduced into the coffin through this opening and then the opening had been covered up with short small poles and the whole and the whole with a moose hide. The unfrozen sandy soil on the banks of the slough had permitted the fleshy covering of the body to disappear from the coffin, but the skeleton remained and was pronounced Indian by experts.
The bodies will be interned without ceremony in the public burying grounds. (Klondike Nugget Oct. 7,1898)
DAWSON ON FIRE
One of the worst fires in Dawson happened on October 14, 1898, forty buildings burnt to the ground. Half million dollar blaze subdued without regular fire department. Citizens, Police and Yukon field force fought the blaze. Fire apparatus was still in crates it had to be put together. Once the steamer was assembled and started the fire fighters had a better chance. The following are a few of the buildings that were lost in the fire. The Warden, total loss, Pattison and McGrath's New England Saloon, the Post Office building, owned by Alex McDonald, Green Tree Saloon and Hotel, F.A. Sutter Jeweller building (Klondike Nugget Oct. 15,1898)
TENDERLOIN IS REMOVED
The prostitutes of Paradise Alley are told to move, or as the newspaper put
it.- " The thread which has so long held the official axe over
the famous" tenderloin" district, has snapped asunder. The inexorable
demands of progress have won the day. No longer may the women in "Scarlet" occupy
the choice lots of the city and flaunt the crimson colors on Dawsons
crowded streets; no longer may the seductive window tap beguile the innocent
prospector or the hurrying man of business. The reign of the scarlet letter
is on the wane, and one of the institutions most cherished and nourished in
the halcyon days of yore is about to be degraded."
The three hundred or so representatives of the demi-monde have been notified that they will no longer be tolerated on the prominent business streets and in the alleys after May the first, they must occupy quarters less conspicuous and convenient.
It was the desire of the authorities to continue the sisterhood in that section of the city between Fourth Ave. and the base of the hill east of town and an effort in that direction will be made. New building will have to be erected as none now exist. A lot of large dog kennels were being built on Fourth avenue for the benefit of the demi-monde. (Klondike Nugget May 24,1899) By November airme brazen signs of Paradise Alley were down, the change for the better was appreciated by the business houses. (Klondike Nugget Nov. 9,1899). By February 1901 some of the ladies of the demi-monde still had not moved, they were directed to move across me bridge to Klondike City.
They were told that they would have to move. No longer tolerated on the prominent
business street.They moved to between 4th ave and the base of the hill. From
there across the river in West Dawson. Cottages were built for them
there , Me DeLion owner of a hotel over there. From there they were moved to
Klondike City, they were there for a considerabletime until Ottawa shut the
business down compete. The red light district was again in business in the
1930 until 1954.
©John Gould
(This is copyrighted material and under no circumstances is allowed to be copied or used without the express permission of the author)