The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-05
YUKON JUSTICE.
A Young Girl Secures Her Rights
Through Miners Court.

From the Juneau Record.
c. II. Hamilton is a trader at Fort Cud-
ahy, on the Yukon river. Last year, while
in San Francisco, and when about to re-
turn to his post in that far-off country,
he secured through an intelligence bu-
resu tho services of a young Swede girl
to act as a domestic in his household at
the post. agreeing to pay her $50 a. month
and board, lodging and transportation.
her wages to commence from the time
she stepped aboard the boat at San Fran
cisco on her long journey TO the north.
The young and unsophisticated little
Swede girl had no idea of the long and
tireSOme journey she was about to en-
bark upon. thinking when she entered
into her agreement with Hamilton that
she was accepting position somewhere
out in the country. But she made no COM
plant, and as there was no turning back
when once started, she reConciled herself
to he situation.
Upon arriving at Fort Cudahy Hamilton
laid down to her code Of rather strict
household laws one clause of which COM
PEELED her to be in bed at 10 o'clock. At
Fort Cudahy the only lady resident of the
place was Mrs. Ned Ayleward, and being
the only two females of the place, they
naturally sought each others company,
and after the days household work was
done, the little Swede domestic was In the
habit of running over and spending the
evening with Mrs. AylcWard. 1t happened
one evening, through social chat, that she
stopped there after 10 o'clock or after her
allotted time, and upon returning 10
Hamilton's house she found herself locked
out She knocked and pounded at the door
for half an hour, but no one would let her
in, and so. finding herself locked out,
with the thermometer shivering at AZ de-
grees below zero she returned 10 Mrs.
Afterwards. where she received shelter
and a bed for the night. The next morning
upon returning to resume her duties again
Hamilton met her at the door and curtlY
Informed her of her dismissal from his
service and his house, and that he was
ready to settle with her but would allow
her wages only from the time they started
llp the river from st. Michaels to the then
present time, which amount, when SUNNI
Cd M and deducting a small bill she had
run in the store, would not pay her pass
age back to San Francisco. The forlorn
girl was thunderstruck az TINS lhtelngehce
there she was without a home or even a
bed in the middle of a Yukon winter, and
no one but Mrs. Ayleward to whom she
could apply for, shelter, and no law to
which she could appeal for her rights.
Mrs Ayleward took the poor girl IN ana
charitably cared for her.
The whole affair soon leaked out, and
reaching the ears of the miners, their IN
dignation ran so high that they called a
public meeting and resolved themselves
into a court of justice, and invited both
the girl and Mr.. Hamilton to attend their
court The girl came and gave her teStt-
money, but Hamilton sent word that he
ignored entirely all frontier courts OF JUS
tfce or mob gatherings, and would not ap-
pear. The trial. however, proceeded with
out him: a verdict was rendered and
eighty odd voices declared that the de-
cision of the court would be upheld, and,
too by right of might If 1t became neces-
sary to use such extreme measures.
The verdict as rendered gave the girl
the full amount of her contract with Ham
iIton her wages commencing from the
time she left San Francisco up to the
date of her discharge, a bed and lodging
and $50 to pay her fare back to san
Francisco again, in case she should make
up her mind to return, otherwise the $3.50
fare not TO be paid, and a committee
was appointed to wait upon Hamilton
for a settlement Of the same. The com
mittee went in force to the store and In
formed Mr.. Hamilton of the verdict or
the court. Looking into the determined
faces of the committeeman, Mr. Hamilton
realized at once that their call upon him
was a strictly business one, and know
ing that II would be most unwise for him
to attempt any denial of the business Of
the verdict or repudiate their right to sit
upon such cases, very gracefully came
to the front and settled in full in all de-
mands, but, however. with the remark
that they could have the whole id store
If they wanted It. The jury in this ca Sc
didn't want the store, but they did want
to see justice done to that lonely girl who
had been turned out homeless in a min
ing camp upon desolate frontier