Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1895-11-22
BRITISH IN ALASKA
Statement by an Officer Of the
Mounted Police.
THEY HAVE ONLY TWENTY MEN
Statements Made by the American News.
papeis Arc Declared to BE False
and Prcposterous.

Regina, AssinniLoia. 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:
1T 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 patrolIing the whole
boundary and building 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 few politicians and
newspaper men, to blackmail England
and all pertaining to her. l will give
you a short account of our invasion of
Alaska.
lowing to representations made to
| our government that large amount of
| goods were being brought into the Yu-
| 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 were 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 Gin
charge), Inspector Strickland, DIR.
| Wills, assistant surgeon, and 16 rank
and file, were sent up to Fort Cudahy,
which, with Sergeant Brown already
there, makes total of 20 men all told.
This is the army portion of your peo-
pie are getting so excited over, and
which is building fortiications at nu-
merous commanding points along the
boundary.
eve have nothing to do with the de-
termining of the boundary line. Our
4 men have gone there to endeavor to
maintain law and order in a part of
our country, where, up to their arrival
there only existed miners law; they col
lect customs dues, which already have
amounted to a very respectable sum,
and in short, perform the multifarious
, | duties that our force are supposed to
carry out.
, 1.-THE detachment here had to build
their own quarters and according tc
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 l can assure you. Natu
e rally certain class of The population
resent the coming of the police, and al
n | ready a large number of the whisk.
e makers, saloon keepers, gamblers, etc
have emigrated to Circle City. som
hundred miles down the river in you
D territory.
Constantine reports the mining season
o as having been good, and that the min
ers, from last years experience, fin
n that they can work profitably durini
l. the winter, which will be a great ad
I vantage. The two trading firms a
: Cudahy are both American, and ]. j
;, Healy is manager of one of them.
u IF you will take map you will fin
u our post Just where Forty-Mile cree
a empties into the Yukon. 1t is bull
n right in the forks. Mr.. Ogilvie, the dc
minion surveyor, who will, think, win
: ter at Cudahy, has been employed il
'. endeavoring to find better and shorte
- overland route than the one now i
use. / may add that Mrs. Constantin
and Mrs. Strickland accompanied thel
u husbands, and that the members of tn
r. force comprising the detachment vol
unteer for two years service in that far
h off country and will be relieved b
| others