Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1885-06-24
eureka Dailp 5entnlel.
TnE ALASKA BOUNDARY LINE.

on the boundary line between South
eastern Alaska and Canadian territory
are simply r~evivals of the old stories in
vented by e~nterprising individuals on
both sides of the boundary, who are on
the lookout for a fat Government billet.
The boundary on which they are trying
to make trouble, is the line which sep
arates the thirty-mile wide strip of
Southeastern Alaska from British Column
bia.
With the exception of its water front
on the channels which flow between the
mainland and the islands of the Alex
ander Archipelago and the Stickeen,
Jurac, aud Takon rivers, this strip of ter
ritory is an impenetrable wilderness of
mountains and morass. Gold deposits have
been discovered on the coast and on the
rivers, and placers have been worked at
several points with more or less success.
Prospecting parties are constantly on the
lookout for new and promising locations.
The latest OF the reported finds is on the
Jurac river, about 100 miles south of
Fort Wrangel, and some forty miles
north of the southern boundary of Alaska.
As the boundary line is just thirty
miles back from the coast there can be
no great difficulty in fixing upon the
place at which it crosses the river and
determining whether the miners are
working in Alaskan or Canadian terri
tory. Even in the absence of a certain
fixed line agreed upon by the Govern.
ments, no difficulty need arise. The
mining laws of the United States and
Canada are similar, with this trifling ex-
ception, that in Canada a miner must
take out a license, costing IS. Where a
miner is in doubt whether his claim is on
the Alaska or Canada side of the line, he
will, if he is wise, fortify his right to the
ground by taking out a Canadian license.
These are issued as freely to American
citizens as to Canadian or British sub
jects.
The report that the Wrangel Indians
are stopping miners from going into the
Jurac river without paying toll to them
is probably a canard. If it is true, the
Indians should be summarily dealt with,
as they have no claim by right of dis
covery or otherwise to the placers. I'm.
fortunately for the Wrangel Indians they
have one or two bad white advisers who
seek to gain influence among them by
pandering to their worst faults and
passions, and fomenting dissention be-
tween the Indians and the miners and
traders. The commander of the gun
boat Pinta can soon suppress the inter
ference of the Indians with the miner:
whether the latter be Alaskans or Ca
nadians.
The Takon mining country is also said
to be under the control Of the Wrange
Indians. 1t is entered from Chilcat a.
the head of Lyon Canal, the northern
terminus of the inland channels. Th,
Chilcats permit no interference witt
their rights by the Wrangel or otheI
tribes, and insist that all trading between
coast Indians and the interior indians
must pass through the Chilcat tribe
which largely outnumbers the Wrange
and other clans of Southeastern Alaska
The Chilcats formerly opposed the pas
sage of whites through their territory
but since the visits of the Wachusetti
and Adams to their waters they hav'
abandoned their opposition, and now be
have well to the whites. Two salmon
canneries have been established in thei
waters without opposition from the chic
or his followers, and many of the latte
find employment in supplying salmon t,
the canneries.
There is nothing in the attitude o
either Indians or white men neal tn
border line of Alaska and British Colum
bia which calls for the appointment of
costly international commission to locate
the exact and precise line which divides
the rough, snow-topped mountains o
Southeastern Alaska and British Co
lumbia.