Business is looking very brisk on the outer creeks at present, the cleanup is on and the bill collector mushes his way from claim to claim holding out
the "big mit" and receiving - sometimes only a smile or a frown.
Merchants and hotel men are expecting a big rush of trade during the summer season and are preparing to handle it properly. Coming down Dominion creek we find the Palace hotel, 4 below upper, being remodeled by the new proprietor, Wm. Anslie, better known as Alabama Bill, the Dominion poet, and being put in shape to handle a large number of bourders as well as transient.
The Dougherty hotel just above Carribou has been remodeled and a dining
room 18x30 built. During the summer a series of social dances will, be given and judging from the past, some pleasant evenings will be passed in that popular hotel. The first dance will be given May 31.
Carribou is quite a thriving burg and is a second edition of Grand Forks
in '98. Messrs. Hobson, Rouse, McIntyre and Leinweber, and Jarvis and Grant are all conmucting general merchandise stores.
Murphy Brothers of the Bonanza Market, Mr. Rousseau and Mr. Bernard have meat markets established. There are several hotels, the Caribou, Gold Run, Driad, Dougherty, Caribou roadhouse, Pioneer and a new one just opening by Mr. Rousseau.
Two physicians have offices, Dr. Bell and Dr. Dillabough and Dr. Whitney has a dental parlor and drawing room; then there is Messrs. Randall and Graff with a blacksmith shop and boiler repairing plant, a shoemaker, two short order restaurants, branch office of the Klondike Nugget and news stand; a barber shop, two bath houses and a bakery. The demi-monde are well represented, and were it not for strict police regulations and anti-dance hall measures Carribou would be one of the "warmest of the hot towns."
Messrs. Farrell and Cox have opened a roadhouse on 34 below upper and will board the men of 33 and 34.
Joe Barrett has bought the Dominion Central hause, 36 below upper and
turned it over to his brother and nephew Steve Barrett. The men of 32 below upper, 12 above lower and 9 above lower, numbering trom 70 to 100 will be boarded here as well as the traveling public. A finely equipped bar is run in connection with the hotel.
Shropshire Brothers have put up a new store and hotel on 6 above lower,
on the hill back of their old stand, they will conduct a general merchandising and freighting business.
The Fulton house, a newly established hotel is doing business in a large tent on 5 above lower. They will appease the appetites of the men from 5 and 6 hillsides which will be largely worked this summer.
Archie Matthewson is still running the Nugget hotel and general store on
2 above lower and reports business in the village good.
The Misses Doran, McGillcudahy and Co. have two nice roadhouses and general stores, one on 4 below lower the other on 74 below, both houses being in favorable locations and doing well.
Mr. and Mrs. John Yeager have a store and roadhouse on 7 below. They have just erected a large tent with a dance floor and a number of dances will help the miners of lower Dominion to turn daylight into jolly night during the summer.
Messrs. Ackerlee and West have a large store and hotel on 17 below lower. This is the place where Louie the Dutch makes hop beer that has a reputation on Dominion creek as long as that of Mumm's Extra Dry.
Quite a city is springing up around 2 and 30 below lower. This will be
the most active part of Dominion creek this summer and already about 300 men are employed. John Euland is running the Portland hotel, a first-class house on 25 below.
Mr. Lesperance, of the Hillside house, has bought the hotel erected by Pete Bergjstrom on 32 and will run two first-class hotels.
Mr. Chase formerly of the McCarty roadhouse, has put up a large tent on 31 and will be ready for all hungry or thirsty travelers soon. Miss Ella Zimmerman will have charge of the culinary department which alone assures the public that the house will be first-class in every respect.
Messrs. Charlton and Braxton of 32 below, have been crowded out of their
old quarters by the rush of business and have just completed a large log hotel. They are old timers and well known on the creek, so no words of commendation are needed.
Ross Eckart and Mr. Marshbank are putting up a large. two-story frame hotel on hillside 33, where they are interested and will do a first-class hotel business. The bar and furnishings will be excelled by none on the creek. The hotel will be opened about June 1st.
The Acme grocery store of Carribou has a branch on 34 below lower in
charge of a former employe of the S.Y.T. Co.
Gold Run is a close second to Dominion in the number of roadhouses and
stores, some of the mercantile establishments would be a credit to a town of 10,000 people and sell everything from a heedle to a haystack.
Mr. Jansen has the largest store on the creek at 38, but the other stores are close at his heels and are continually improving their places.
Palmer Brothers on 32, Cleveland & Carrol on 31; Chute & Wills on 27 and
Jack Lynch on 20 have complete stocks of general merchandise and hardware and all report good business.
Marcus Tyler has a steam laundry and bathhouse on 29 and keeps not only
himself but three assistants busy which shows that even on Gold Run "cleanliness is next to godliness."
Messrs. Oleson and Nelson have a two-story log hotel on 43 and are doing a good business boarding a large number of men from the adjoining claims.
Miss Evaline De Forrest is conducting the Eagle hotel on 41 and has made
it one of the most popular resorts on the creek.
No. 39 bosts of a bakery that runs a genuine Klondike delivery wagon all
winter and the sour dough pot was a thing of the forgotten ages.
Messrs. Wheeler and Allen are still running the Pioneer roadhouse of Gold
Run, 36, and report good trade. These gentlemen gave a number of dances during the winter that were greatly enjoyed by the families of that creek.
Mrs. Carrol, formerly of the Carroltonon Bonanza, has become associated
with Mr. Cleveland in the hotel and store on 31, and has altered and refitted the place till one would not recognize it. The Cleveland freight and pack teams make regular trips from the hotel to Dawson, Quartz, Eureka and all points of the Rocky mountains.
The Dominion Central hotel, run by Messrs. Slippern and Hume, has been
described in a previous issue. The hotel is a two-story frame building and metropolitan in furnishings as well as service. Weekly dances are given that always prove to be the social event of the creek and are looked forward to and welcomed by all the boys.
Mr. and Mrs. John McGinnity are conducting a very popular and cozy roadhouse on 29 and enjoy a large patronage of transient as well as local trade.
If there is ever a city on Gold Run, 27, the seat of Chute & Wills' camp
and base of their supply distribution, will be the location. Mrs. Sloggy and daughter are running a bakery, short-order house and hotel and have all they can attend to. Chute & Wills have a large hotel, store, market, blacksmith shop, feed stables, etc. A first-class barber shop is run in connection with the hotel and business is so brisk that they are putting up a large hotel, two-story bathhouse and office building. The old hotel will be used as a merchandise store and wholesale liquor store.
The Rob Roy is a popular hotel on 27 hillside and has a good trade, it is
here you meet the canny Scot and quote Bobby Burns till morning.
Mr. Jack Lynch has been building up a hotel and mercantile business on
20 for some time and his business too has outgrown its infant clothes and he is building a two-story hotel and large salesroom and warehouse. Mr. Geo. Hoyt has charge of the store and keeps several assistants busy throwing out goods.
A newly erected hotel and undoubtedly the finest furnished and appointed on the creek is the Park hotel on 14. The building is two stories of logs and presents an imposing appearance. It is located high and dry on the wagon road and, under the management of Proprietor Simmonds a well known Gold Run host, should do a large business.
Miss Anna Golden has just opened a bathhouse and roadhouse, the Savoy, on 14.
Across the creek from these buildings Miss Mary Nolan hsa a roadhouse that is very popular with the miners, and when the rush of water is over will do a bigger business than ever.
No. 12b roadhouse has just changed hands. McDonald Brothers, of Dominion, have bought out Eric Nelson and are continuing to hold the large business worked up by the former proprietor.
Last but not least is 11 roadhouse, an imposing structure, two stories high and well furnished. Messrs. Craig and Murdock, the proprietors, are well known on the creek and the house will undoubtedly be a popular one. Mrs. Murdock is the culinary artist and her reputation as a cook has not the least diminished since the hotel was opened.
