DESERT THEIR SHIPS IN ALASKAN PORTS TO DIG FOR FORTUNES.

The gold fever has struck the hardy mariner at last, and desertions are numerous from ships up north.

Shippers expect soon to hear of craft being tied up in Alaskan ports just as they were in San Francisco harbor in '49, when crews deserted wholesale to dig gold in the rich placers.

When the steamship Pueblo arrived, Capt. Debney reported that the mates of the Al-ki and the Topeka had both left their ships in Juneau. Other steamer captains before they left recently said they would be lucky if they managed to keep enough men to work ship after they reached the northern ports.

Capt. Debney says that when the Portland reached St. Michael's on her last trip up one of the firemen, who had made friends with some of the miners aboard, handed in his resignation and asked for a ticket up the Yukon.

It was refused him on the ground that he was a deserter. He twice offered money without avail. The miners held the ship for twelve hours.

At the expiration of that time the company put up a notice that the Portland would start on her return trip at a certain hour. The miners held a meeting and appointed a committee of twelve to wait on the company's agent. The committee filed into the agent's office, where each man drew a revolver and laid it on the agent's table. They demanded that a ticket be given the fireman at once, and the agent complied. The fireman went with the party up the Yukon.

Capt. Debney reports that the Queen, which sailed from Puget Sound several days ago, passed the American port officials all right, but when the vessel reached Victoria the customs officials decided that she was overloaded and took fifteen of the miners ashore. They are now stopping at the Victoria Hotel at the expense of the Pacific Steamship Company, and will be sent north on a later vessel.

Capt. Debney has received a letter from his son, who is agent for the Alaska Commercial Company at Dawson. He reports that there are now at Dawson thirty-five saloons, one theatre, eight dance houses, three general stores, five bakeries, five restaurants, two barber shops, one candy maker and three laundries.