The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1895-11-21
BRITISH IN ALASKA
Statement by an Officer Of the
Mounted Police.
Statements Made b the Am ,rican News
pape Are Declared TO BE False
and preposterous.

Regina, Assinniboia, N. w. T., Nov.
17.-This is headquarters for the North
west mounted police, and a great deal
of interest is taken here in reports in
American papers about the operations
of the mounted police in Alaska. High
officials of the service ridicule these re-
ports. In conversation today with a
representative of The Spokesman-Re-
view one of the officials said:
TT is certainly most absurd the way
the papers are going on about the hand
full of men we have in Alaska. 1t was
capped by an article said to have been
published in a Port Townsend paper
that we were patrolling the whole
boundary and building a lot of fortified
posts. How sensible people can write
or believe such stuff passes comprehen-
sion. 1t appears to be the rule at
present for part of your foreign popu-
lation, backed by a few politicians and
newspaper men, to blackmail England
and all pertaining to her. 1 will give
you a short account of our invasion of
Alaska.
owing to representations made to
our government that large amount of
kon country upon which no duty was
paid, and that the Indians were becom-
ing demoralized through whisky trad
ing. Inspector Constantine and Ser
geant Brown We're sent into the country
in the season Of 1894. Inspector Con-
stantine came back the same year and
Sergeant Brown remained at Fort Cud-
ahy during the winter of 1S94-5 alone
This season Inspector Constantine Gn
charge), Inspector Strickland, DR.
Wills, assistant surgeon, and 16 rank
and file, were sent up to Fort Cudahy
which, with Sergeant Brown already
there, makes a total of 20 men all told
This is the army a portion of your peo-
pie are getting so excited over, ano
which is building fortifications at nu
merous commanding points along tn,
boundary.
1--WE have nothing to do with the de
termining of the boundary line. Ou
men have gone there to endeavor t,
maintain law and order in a part o
our country, where, up to their arriva
there only existed miners law; they col
lect customs dues, which already hav
amounted to a very respectable sum
and, in short, perform the multifariou
duties that our force are supposed t
carry out.
1.-THE detachment here had to bull,
their own quarters, and according t
advices received a few days ago, ex
pected to be housed so far as circum
stances would allow by the end of las
September. There is no picnic abou
this business 1 can assure you. Natu
rally a certain class of the populatio
resent the coming of the police. and a
ready a large number of the whisk
makers, saloon keepers, gamblers, etc
have emigrated to Circle City, som
hundred miles down the river in yot
territory.
Constantine reports the mining seaso
as having been good, and that the mil
ers, from last years experience, fir
that they can work profitably durin
the winter, which will be a great az
vantage. The two trading firms
Cudahy are both American, and ].
Healy is manager of one of them.
"If you will take map you Will FIR
our post just where Forty-Mile cre'
empties into the Yukon 1t is bui
right in the forks. Mr.. Ogilvie, the d
minion surveyor, who will, I think, wi
ter at Cudahy, has been employed
endeavoring to find a better and short
overland route than the one now
use. l may add that Mrs. CONSTANT
and Mrs. Strickland accompanied tho
husbands, and that the members of t
force comprising the detachment "
unteer for two years service in that IL
off country and will be relieved
others.