The San Francisco call., 1897-12-23
Call Office, Riggs House,
Washington, Dec. %.

Captain Brainard of the Subsistence
Department of the army arrived in
Washington this morning. and al
though Secretary Alger is confined to
his home by a severe cold, he went to
his office and had a conference with
the Captain regarding the relief of the
miners in the Yukon. Responses are
coming in to the Secretary's inquiry as
to the amount of condensed food prep
arations that can be had at short no
tice. Generally they indicate that an
ample supply can be obtained at reas-
enable rates if contracts be made at
once.
Captain Brainerd left tonight for
Chicago. He has been instructed by
Secretary Alger to arrange with the
Armour Packing Company, the Nelson
Morris Company and other packers of
canned meat for provisions of this
character. He will then proceed to
Vancouver to wait for the reindeer
which will be shipped from Norway to
New York and thence overland to Van
couver. For some reason unaccount-
able, the Secretary has given orders
that the relief expedition be started
from Dyea, instead of from San Fran
cisco, Port Townsend, Seattle or Ju-
neau. Captain Brainerd, who is to head
the expedition, was formerly a SER
geant. He was with the Greely expe-
dition and the Lockwood party, and is
thoroughly familiar with the Alaskan
country. For his services on these re-
lief expeditions he was made a lieuten-
ant and then a captain.
General B. Merriam, who has been
charged by Secretary Alger with the
selection of the military guard to be
sent out with the relief expedition, has
telegraphed the Secretary that he has
! selected Major L. H. Rucker, Fourth
Cavalry, to proceed to Alaska and
make a reconnaissance of the passes
leading from the head of the Lynn
canal. The Major also reports that the
officer who has already started from
Fort Walla Walla, Wash, is expert
enced, and is also physically able to
endure the hardships ahead of him.
I Senator Lodge of Massachusetts has
brought to the attention of the War
Department officials the claims of the
Berlin Transportation Company. Their
representative, Pierre Humbert as
serts that the company is in position
to feed a large number of miners in
asmuch as it has just received news
of the delivery by it's agents at Fort
Selkirk, on the Yukon River, of 100000
pounds of food. This point is above
Dawson and the supplies can be got
down easily with the first break
ing up of the ice next spring. even if
it be not found necessary to attempt
their delivery overland.
Nothing has been heard from Mr..
Kjellman, the reindeer herder, now in
Lapland, in answer to the inquiries of
Secretary Alger respecting the selec-
tion of 600 reindeer for transportation
to Alaska, so DR.. Jackson has been
made a special agent of the War De-
partment and will be ordered to pro-
ceed with all diligence to Lapland to
buy the animals and arrange for their
shipment to the United States.
The announcement that the War
Department is by no means commit
ted to any one route in the effort to
reach the miners in the Klondike
country has caused persons interest
ed in various routes to advance the
claims of their respective sections
The Spokane Chamber of Commerce
has sent Frederick r. Marvin, an en-
ergetic newspaper man of that town,
as its representative to urge the su-
perior facilities of the overland route
northward from Spokane. This is the