The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-08-14
EIGHT NILES WEST.
The Alaska Boundary Said TO
Have Been Moved.
RICH COLO PlAcERs LOST.
A shifting OF Territorial Border Lines
Ia the Vicinity OF Fortv- Nile
Creek On tho Yukon.

coa3S<Ty line between the Northwest
territory. Canada. and As4SaSa Frcsa sAree
70 esgat sasses to The westward. ard new
thai STRIP Of territory embracing
some Of ire richest 60 placer mines
in The wcraa. and whleh heretofore was
considered 20 be wttasa ~se Jattsd States
Boundary. - under She jurisdiction OF
her EsAtestys government. With xhe
transfer 81 the dag 10 British possessions
wen. over 30 miners. who are no~ pay
;ns gold min1ng tax. 80 % the govern
nasat o. the Northwest territory. Though
this news il OF apparently a sensational
Character. and would probably be ccasi3-
efesf, AZ nrst thought. as an gDwArraa;ed
conclusion. yet Il ~as ted in the pTas-
ence o. dozen passengers this 1orRing
GA the steamer Resale. bound TO Veto
ia. BY Capt William Moors. q veteran
OF British Columbia. who has the contract
from the Ottawa authorities 70 carry the
British mails between Victoria and Fort
Csdahy. Northwest territory. Under
specific questioning the statements were
reiterated 10 the poss-Inteiligercer cor
respondent. Capt. Moore said.
The boundary line, that Is to say. the
boundary line heretofore partly estah-
lisned between the two territories by tho
surveyors OF each country, has been
shifted in the vicinity OF Forty Nile
creek and the upper tributaries OF the
Yukon TO line CT from three 10 eight
mites to the westward. All OF Miller aad
Glacier creeks. beside parts Of many other
streams. are now within Brstfsh territory.
Prof. CEgilyie. one OF the most eminent
practical scientists in North America. de-
tected the error. rectined tho mistake.
compiled and sent his field notes TO Otta-
VA, and Ia now waiting for the United
States TO send IN q party Of engineers 10
check up the work Jointly with his own
party. The chief Of the mounted police
established patrol service over the ter
rstory. and has been collecting a miners
tax OF 80 from every claim holder. Some
OF the American miners at ;irst were In
cined to be dissatisfied with the change.
but when they realised the immense BEN
etits derived from the police and govern
mental protection they gladly accepted
the situation. In this manner at least
q" men had their aag transferred over
their heads. There is no doubt that Prof
Ogilvie Is correct in his calculations. Tho
change takes from Alaska two exception
aly rich placer streams. Glacier and Mli-
Ter creeks On the latter stream a man
by the name or Miller who came out with
me, after eighteen months work, went
down the Yukon river and TO San Fran
cisco with sS pounds OF gold dust. val
ued al Ss.7T2. In the same party the COM
bined weight of gold dust was about a.5ao
pounds, worth at least 100000 Nearly
Miller. Glacier and other creeks now in
Canadian territory
Capt Moore said that the Yukon was
destined 10 become one OF the richest
mining centers I'm the world. b. occupa-
ton he 10 miner and VAS among the
pioneers who worked tho rocker and era
die on the American and Feather rivers
IN California. and Afterwards, IN the late
srs, he went 10 the sisckeen river mines
tai Ia taf Sxrsta
On the upper waters OF the yukon river
there are exactly forty tributaries. ard
every stream bears gold. some. OF course.
much richer than others. Heretofore the
great obstacle 10 overcome was the short
working season. scarcely three months In
duration. The miners have discovered
method OF extracting the gold from tho
river bottoms. rich In gll,iering nuggets.
When the ground l. frozen ard the
streams are solidined with ice. the miners
scrape away the thick NOES and tee ex-
posing the gravel beds. IN which big Ares
are built. As the earth Is thawed. Il Is
dug cut. and fepositea in a safe place TO
be washed when the freshets come. In this
way tons of rich gravel arc taken from The
beds % the streams. which otherwise
would be impossible 10 work II Was from
the bed OF Miller creek during the winter
season that Miller cleaned ap nearly ssa,eo.
The miners seem to think that better re-
than during the summer. when the
streams are greatly swvgies from the
freshets coming down from the vas de-
posit OF snow on the mountain tops"
How about transportation 10 the
mines7" was asked
AT present the freight rate r. 10 cents q
pound from Puget sound 10 the Yukon
mines. But do YOU know that the con-
struction OF thirty miles OF narrow gauge
railroad from the head Of Lynn canal 10
the lakes. through White pass. which is
2.e00 feet above sea level. and i.1o feet
lower than Chilcst pass. would enable
freight 10 be shipped 10 Forty Mile creek
from Puget sound by continuous water
and rail- TRANSPORTATION. at cost OF kbout
cent a pound7 In addition 20 the rail-
road. two light draft river and lake steam
ers would be required. II that service
should be established roand comn19ntca-
ton with the mines could be had every
thirty days. Then. too. all OF the tranio
would emanate from Puget sound and
British Columbia. Instead OF the Yukon
river and down 20 Ban Francisco. Tbs
party numbering over loo. OF which ! was
q member that vert down the Yukon riv-
or 20 California. had 500. 90 in geld. and II
n safe 70 say that II found the circulation
channels Of Gan Francisco II we had IL
rect overland communication 70 the mines
as I suggested. Puget sound and British
bfH@sttt4f&EEs
stead OF San Francisco"
Capt Moore left Victoria early in May
with sixty pounds OF mail for Fort sudafy.
The dangers OF his trio across the suow
covered mountains. over lakes OF ice and
for 100 miles down the Yukon river. which
was damned with ice. was fun OF excite
mAnt. Tred 70 Arctic travel. careful ard
cautious, the old mai carrier. row drift
ing down the shady side 81 three scoFs and
ten years hraved tire dangers which cost
no less than ten lives last year. and safely
reached hts destination. taking - ihs min
ers the first news from the outside wor1
that they had received In seven months.
Provisions we're very low az the mines
last xgnfrr he sad There gas an album
dance OF -four. but 10 bacon. canned geods
or ether edibleS. Taeon vas worth ~
cents pound. ard other goods tn proper
ten.
Mr.. Ogflvie. g son OF the Canadian en-
stneer. cauns out with Capt Moore. bear
ing important dispatches 20 The Ottawa
government relative 20 the boundary HUr-
yey. He declined to discuss ;ne situation.
ans SAID that hts government vas the
rrgper place 20 Apply for Information In
a Few DAYS Capt Moore wfll leave for Fort
ruaahy again with TIE mail The reason
he came oat by the way 81 ta@ Yukon
river was that Il was Impossible 70 as
read the river 20 rnfies against floating
Zee and rorses Of ice and other debris. Hss
son william Moore. L. nov on tne way 20
Fort cudahy with mall. and viii probably
return hy the way OF White pass and
LYNN canal the way he went Ia.
oueen Victoria Thanks Her Subjects.
LONDON. Aug i7--Qpssn Victoria nas Is
sues q rn4sssSe 20 ths nation. fnanksng
them Tor their expressions Of loyalty An1
nrecsfon as she period approaches ~ ae
ts..--z. .f vxS~frA her reign viii have NH-
csesgss mat Of any other EnEsiza monarch.
-. -. 49, ar-E $4,000 neln-ar-.-L-.,