y Gurdies (Meier 1990). Due to the employment of a largely Indian staff, Pinnell named his operation, Illahee or Home Place in the local Indian vernacular. Thus, Seattle became and open town and soon the bordello was profitable enough to warrant the introduction of white prostitutes, which he had shipped up from another of his bordellos in San Francisco (Meier 1990). Others soon joined the industry of sin, amongst them were respectable citizens such as Asa Mercer and his Mercer Belles and even woman began to realize their share of financial success in the industry. Mary Anne Conklin, soon to be known as Madame Damnable, quickly established herself as one of the foremost brothel owners in the city. Conklins clapboard Felker House was erected on land purchased from Doc Maynard just down from the Sag and was billed as a boarding house, though Madame Damnable soon added the brothel to the second floor. The location was perfect and the availability of both lodging and other services proved to be a stroke of genius and the results were lucrative. As was a sign of the times, the sex industry thrived and Madame Damnables hotel even became instant competition for the likes of Henry Yesler and his non-servicing hotel (Meier 1990). Just as the sex industry thrived, the gaming industry took on its own share of regulars, as did the local saloons and watering holes. Since Mayor Hiram Gill based his office on a permissive attitude towards such vice industries, Seattle began to share its boarding houses with men from the Klondike Gold Rush (Binns 1941). V. Seattle gets gold fever:The easy port access made Seattle a prime port of call for the miners of the Klondike gold rush. Stories of riches soon flowed like the whiskey in the saloons of Seattle. Tales of the steamer Portland and its payload of 2 tons of gold took the city by storm and Seattleites caught gold fever. The gold rush rocketed already thriving city to unimaginable prosperity. ...
