The Alaskan Mines 259 



shall wish to know yet that the motor delivers the 

 calculable amount of force, less friction, before it 

 can be a demonstrated success. 



Major Clarke and I received invitations to a party 

 of four, from Mrs. Dr. Mulhollan. As we sat 

 around the smoke-stack of the Excelsior, not infre- 

 quently memories of strawberries and cream broke 

 into the routine of ship's fare. There was a great 

 tureen of them on the lady's table that evening — 

 about a peck — and a water-pitcher full of real cream, 

 and angel-food cake, light and white enough to buoy 

 one up to the skies like a balloon. Now I am not 

 going to give Major Clarke away, I am not going 

 to tell what he did to those beautiful berries and to 

 that pitcher of molten gold. The Major was on 

 Winfield Hancock's staff during the war, and in 

 consideration of his patriotic services my lips are 

 sealed — his weren't, and there's the difference. 



Juneau is a wedge driven in between two moun- 

 tains, the liveliest little city in Alaska. There are, 

 as I have said, no taxes — no law by which they can 

 be levied, no fund for supporting anything, and yet 

 the streets are well planked, well kept, and the 

 community is as orderly and safe and tidy as if 

 there were a mayor and all the municipal machin- 

 ery. The funds needed are scheduled and appor- 

 tioned to the property-holders, who pay voluntarily 

 to a committee appointed by the town meeting. 

 There can be no suspicion about Juneau's water 

 supply. There it is. Every citizen can see for 



