The Saber and Scroll
over the edge of the precipitous cliffs into the depths of the dark canyons beneath . 25
An excursion on the White Pass & Yukon Railroad could end at the United States — Canadian border , or the traveler could continue “ on to Caribou , a town of the Yukon Territory , and only 69 miles distant from Skagway , where you may board the steamer “ Gleaner ” for the Atlin Gold Fields .” 26 The booklet concludes with brief one page descriptions of Skagway accommodations , trips to Denver Glacier , and a listing of community and civic organizations and schools , and a two page article on renting or taking a motorboat trip along with the locations available to visit including Haines . 27 The photography of H . H . Draper , who also spent a season photographing the Klondike Gold Rush and stampeders , highlights the main articles in the booklet . Indeed , Skagway is well represented between the articles and the photography . It is a neatly designed booklet to showcase the positive attributes of the location and the town .
By 1911 , the promotion of Skagway as a tourist destination by the Club had begun to lag with the publication of the promotional booklet in the previous year . However , the Commercial Club encouraged Skagway residents to purchase subscriptions to the Alaska- Yukon Magazine in July after a visit from A . F . Holloway , a representative of the magazine . In exchange , “ the magazine offers to give a six-page illustrated write-up of Skagway , and afterward one page per month throughout the year .” 28 The Club cited that the
Ketchikan Commercial Club was able to raise 125 subscriptions , purchased by Ketchikan residents , in a few days . While the promotion of the town was not the only concern of the Club , 29 the efforts at promotion did languish , or at least there were fewer articles in the newspaper . By July , an unsigned editorial , possibly written by paper publisher Dr . L . S . Keller ( he operated Keller Drug Store with his brother ) 30 or picked up from other shared editorials in other newspapers , wondered why there were not efforts to promoting Skagway with tourism season in full swing . The editorial stated , in part , that “ The Commercial Club at the present has its organization , its officers , and its meeting place , why doesn ’ t it get busy ? The members of the Club should hold a meeting and devise some way of distributing the remaining booklets … July , August , and September are the months of the year for tourist travel .” 31 The balance of the year mentions the Commercial Club only in an advertisement to stock up on the Club ’ s stationary .
Between 1912 – 1914 , few references to the Skagway Commercial Club appeared in The Daily Alaskan . As the only daily newspaper in Skagway since 1909 , it was the perfect vehicle to inform the town of the efforts to promote business or take up the cause of the lack of mail service on the Upper Lynn Canal run from Juneau . One unsigned editorial referenced the Club , commenting on the visiting Association of Funeral Directors by stating that “ it will be up to Skagway to furnish a subject ( cadaver ) upon which they may show us the latest wrinkles in embalming ( sic ) and
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