Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1895-04-20
HAS AN EYE ON ALASKA.
Canada Trying to Devise Means of
Controlling the Yukon River Trade.

(dhdOa Trying TO DSP1SG means OI
Controlling the Yukon River Trade.
Canada is making vigorous efforts to
secure control of the business of the rich
gold fields along the Yukon River, and
to that end sent William Ogilvie and
party of the Canadian boundary COM
mission to Alaska to survey a wagon
road, probably along the Takou River
/ to the interior. Ogilvie and party arriy-
ed in Alaska on Dec. II, and in speak
| ing of their intentions the Alaska News
| of Dec 20, published in Juneau City,
says:
''The party is outfitting here for the
purpose of making as accurate survey
| of the Takou River as the weather will
permit The object is to acquire as COM
| plete a knowledge of the topography
| along that stream as circumstances Will
| allow. Of course the residents of this
| country will understand that the
| weather is an important factor in such
operations at this time of the year. The
whole valley of the river and adjacent
country will as far as possible be pho
| tographeG This work will be contin-
| ued to the head of canoe navigation.
Il
edge for the use of the international
boundary commission, the information
acquired. of course, being at the dispO-
sal of the joint commission. At the same
time close attention will be paid to the
practicability of the Takou River as
the route to the interior, and with this
object the survey will be carried from
the head of canoe navigation about
seventy miles to the head of Lake Tes>
lin, or probably better known here as
| Akin Lake. This will settle the prob
ability of a wagon road being built to
connect the coast with some point on the
headwaters of the Yukon. 1t is need
less to mention to the residents Of this
part of the country the advantages of
tapping the Yukon country at Teslin
Lake, as it permits an uninterrupted
navigation from the extreme head OF
probably the most southern branch of
| the Yukon, permitting free and easy
navigation for five months in the year
from the extreme head Of the river to
it's mouth, a distance of upward Of $500
miles, about two-thirds of which will
run through a mountainous country,
condition which probably obtains on
no other river in the world.
''While in the interior Mr.. Ogilvie will
pay marked attention to the topogra-
ply of the surface, also the climatic
conditions as evidenced by the timber.
1t is possible he may cross from Teslin
Lake to Akin lakes to examine that
part of the country. If possible, and in
the time at his disposal, he will also ex-
anime the White Pass from the head Of
Skagway Bay on Taiya Inlet commonly
known here as Dyea) to the Tagish
lakes This is, of course, contingent. on
the time taken in the examination of the
country between TakOu Inlet and Tes-
lin Lake. Five white men accompany
Mr. Ogilvie whom he selected from the
Canadian party of the boundary COM
mission. If an intelligent, reliable In
dian, who knows the country between
Takou and Teslin can be procured here,
he will be taken along in order to ac-
quire as much information as possible
about the country adjacent to the route
travelled over. Part of Mr.. OgiIvie's
outfit is six pairs of. Canadian snow
shoes. Nearly all the men have expert
ence in snowshoeing, several of them
having tramped thousands of miles on
just such shoes to the satisfaction of
themselves and their employers. An
other item of their outfit is six tObog
gans. Mr.. Ogilvie will depart for the
head of Takou Inlet in the course of a
few days, weather permitting. He ex-
poets to return in the first part of Feb
ruary, when he will likely devote few
| days to the examination of White Pass;
! then he will make his way to Ottawa as
speedily as possible to submit his Off
cial report and plans of the work accom-
plished, and probably be here again
about the middle of April in connection
with the closing up of the international
boundary survey work, which is expect
ed to be completed in July, 1895.
''The map resulting from the joint la
bors of the international commission
will be prepared with all speed for the
commissioners, who will discuss the po-
sition from the treaty of1S25 between
England and Russia point of view.
Whichever of the routes is most feast
bic reported upon will in all probability
be opened for travel at an early date,
making. as far as reasonable expendi-
ture will permit, an easy access to the
gold fields of the interior"
NO" he said, with resolution, Il am
not going to compose my own valentine
this year. why not?' Il did that
once. The girl thought it was comic