Digital Bob Archive

FEBRUARY 10, 1882-Postmaster Ed de Groff has received word from the Post Office Department that it has accepted the name change voted by the citizens in December, but in doing so, it lopped the new name in two. This camp is now officially ?Juneau? instead of ?Juneau City.? DeGroff has fixed up a small log cabin on Second Street, next door to the Flag of All Nations, for Post Office. On the other side of the Post Office, on the corner of Second and Seward is a big log cabin which houses the Northwest Trading Company store which is the largest in the town and is managed by de Groff.

There are several other stores. ?French Pete? Erussard has his place at the foot of Seward, and Patrick Corcoran, who moved over from Sitka and who ran a saloon there for a time, has built a place at Front and Franklin Streets and stocked it with goods. Dave Martin, the old theater man, who has been helping de Groff at the Northwest Trading Company, is looking for a place to open a business of his own and has his eye on a spot on Main Street.

Bill Hosford has finished a commodious log cabin on Front Street, between Seward and Main, and opened it as the Franklin Hotel, complete with bar. A recent meeting of the miners was in the lobby. The Flag of All Nations also continues to serve as a sort of hotel and strangers in the camp are always welcome there.

In addition to the Franklin Hotel bar, there are a couple of saloons in the camp and two or three places that are suspected of selling liquor at times. This is a matter of concern, especially since the Navy garrison was removed and there is no local enforcement of the federal law against the sale of liquor to Indians. Somehow, liquor continues to be sold to them, and it is a growing evil in our midst.

At a January 4 meeting of the citizens, held at Wheelock?s place, it was resolved that a committee of five men be appointed by the chair to draft an amendment to the town laws, covering the sale of beer, wine and spiritous liquors to Indians, the committee to report back at a later meeting. Some of those present also wished to include the importation and sale of molasses in the law, since it more often than not turns into hoochinoo. It was decided to leave this to the discretion of the committee.

Chairman Richard Dixon appointed Thomas A. Willson, H. H. Edwards, Edwards McClellan, Phillip Starr and William Hosford to the committee.