The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-09-25
WALKING INTO DEATH
Gold Seekers Kushiaa to ! nssvpaty
Home We White rsss.
IT IS FRlCHTfuL 70 THINK D.
United states District Attornsy 1e01
nett Of Alaska Tells Of the Csn-
ditions In That Country.

Seattle, wash, September xe--Ona =
tho most distinguished passenkers = 80
rive In this city on tho steamer cueogs
from Alaska. was Burton II. Bennett, vha
was scnt north by Grover Cleveland to an
the office OF United States district attogss
uey for Alaska. Il
From what can learn" he onid.
there Is not and will not be enough food
at Dawson City this winter. With favor1
able weather the trading companies mAy9
get moro up the river than was anticle
pated; hut this is not likely. II will -
impossible under the most favorable cirs
cumstances to get sufficient food to sup.
ply all those who are there. feel sure
OF that. from careful inquiry and from
letters l have received from Dawson
City.
But, as say. II this 10 true Of Dawson
City. think OF tho men on white Past
The world may not realize It. but theirs
are men up north who arc walking right
into death. The snow Is flying on White
Pass and II not soon will be. Many pros
pose to winter at skagway. but from
what can learn, hundreds do not proposo
TO stop there, nor will they return to CIV
ilization. They have the gold fevcr al n
Every time they hear OF a. strike In the
Yukon country, they get craxicr than
ever. They VIII not stop f9r snowi they
VIII not stop FOR storms. They Will Keep
pushing over White Pass all winter,
II am satisfied that Wilde the snow h
coming down with all its fury on the pass
and the wind 10 blowing awful gales rnis
winter. you Will see snen on Whtte Pass
II ID a frightful thing TO think Of but Il
is true and thoee men should DO stopped.
would not be surprised to hcar of many
deaths up there than winter. II II the
most damna bic rush l ever heard or read
OF. These mon do not know anything
about the horrors .of White Pass In wins
the tame that winter is ut its worst. some
Of them will be caught ON white Pass.
They viii never escape,
II am satisfied that those who stay at
Skagway this winter WIN be all right.
Spring Will soon BIO with them and they
can start FOR the north. Once there they
Will all come back rich II they are willing
~ gold IN every body Of water, big or
little In our country. Why, the people Of
the states with all the newapapor talk
do not Know what the rush VIII be In tina
coming Hprtng.
From letters I have received from the
States. there will 10 10000 people In Alaska
six weeks after the spring rush has COM
menced.
II think that the reports about 80 much
crime IN tho vicinity OF Skagway havO
been exaggerated. We arc doing what we
can to see that order Is preserved and we
have been fairly successful. OF course
there are some criminals there, but crime
~ very small. We have officers at Skag-
way. They will spend the winter. and r
look for no trouble.
"One thing Is certain and that tB that
the United States government viii have to
take steps at once 70 give Alaska new
government. At present II In ono judicial
district: 4 favor three. ono for SOUTH
eastern Alaska one for Western Alaska
and one for tho Yukon. In that way tho
country would be much better governed.
II a murder 10 committed In the Yukon
country In the winter time. tho murderer
could not be brought to tho south coast
until spring. This Is not tho way to con-
duct Aiaska ! have given tho matter
there should be a commission appointed
by our government TO map out code OF
laws for rho country. At present We de-
pend upon the Revised Statutes OF the
United States. and when VIC can not md
what we want In them. we turn TO the
laws which governed Oregon UP 10 1894.
And the land laws should be extended. At
present one can not get title TO lana In
Alaska. The nodnh is very important In ad-
vancing the claim for new legislation Tor
hn