Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1895-11-23
Statement by an Officer OF the
Mounted Police.
THEY HAVE ONLY TWENTY MEN
Statements Made by the American News.
papers Are Declared to Be False
and Prcposterous.

Regina, Assinniboia. N. w. T., Nov.
H.-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 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 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.
yVyl.s- tax tir1n I'm
charged, 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 portion Of your peo-
pie are getting SO excited over, and
which is building Notifications at nu-
merous commanding points along the
boundary.
1--WE have nothing to do with the de-
termining of the boundary line. our
men have gone there to endeaVor to
maintain law and order in part or
our country, where, up to their ARRIVAL
there only existed miners law; they col
lect customs dues, which already nave
amounted to a very respectable sum-
and, in short, perform the mult1tarlous
duties that our force are supposed 10
carry out.
1.-THE detachment here had to build
their own quarters, and according to
adyices received a few days ago, ex-
nected to be housed so far as circum-
stances would allow, by the end of last
September. There is no picnic ABOUT
this business I can assure you Natu-
rally a certain class of the population
resent the coming Of the police ana al
readv a large number of the whisky
makers, saloon keepers, gamblers, etc.,
have emigrated to Circle City, some
hundred miles down the river IN your
territory.
Constantine reports the mining season
as having been good, and that the MIN
ers, from last years experience ma
that thew can work proftably during
the winter, which will be a great al
vantage. The two trading firms at
Cudahy are both American, and j. ).
Healy is manager of one OF them
eff Won will take map you Will ma
our post Just where Forty-Mlle creek
empties into the Yukon. 1t Is pulit
right in the forks. Mr.. Ogilvie' the 40
minion surveyor, who will, think, WIN
ter at Cudahy, has been employed IN
endeavOring to find better and Shorter
overland route than the one now IN
use. I may add that Mrs Constantine
and Mrs. Strickland accompanied their
husbands. and that the members OF the
force comprising the detachment vol
unteer for two years service in that far-
off country and will be relieved by
others.