Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-08-20
TRANSPORTATION TO KLoNolKE.


TRANSPORTATION TO KLoNOIKE.
The discovery of gold in the Klondike
region, Just over the Alaskan frontier in
Canada, has brought the problem of
transportation wildly before the public.
Crowded steamers have already left from
our Profile ports for st. Michae's, at the
mouth of the Yukon whence passengers
are transferred to boats of light draught
for the river passage of nearly 1000
miles, and to Juneau and Dyea, for the
shorter but harder journey across
country. The Canadians have shown
much energy in their plans for trans
portation, both by boat and overland.
The Ottawa officials telegraphed to
Washington, requesting that Dyea, at
the head of the Lynn canal, in the dis
puted territory between Alaska and
goods gong into the Yukon country.
Dyea is about fifty miles north of
Juneau. Secretary Gage Immediately
complied with this request, and also
agreed to send a man with the goods
over the mountain SUBMITS where the
fees could be collected at the first post
in what we acknowledge to be Canadian
territory, 1t is possible that the Canadi-
an customs department will place its
officer at Dyea so that fees may be paid
there. Two Canadian officers will be
sent up from Victoria, one for each of
the passes utilized by those sending
goods to the Yukon. Canadians are
well pleased with our speedy reply to
their request. a reply which will do
much to prevent any possible exclusion
of Americans from British Yukon re-
gions. Canadian officials say that there
is nothing in the treaty between Great
Britain and the United States to prevent
such action, but that, as matter of
policy. the action would be extremely
unlucky.
The most ambitious Canadian plan for
reaching the klondike is that of rail
way extending northward from Sault
Ste. Marie. crossing The Canadian
Pacific at Missanabie, and reaching
James Bay (the southern extension of
| Hudson Bay at the mouth of Moose
river, the distance being about four
| hundred miles. From this point there
| is a stretch of thirteen hundred miles of
open water to Chesterfield inlet; thence
l7j miles OF railway would connect
with Great Slave Lake That lake and
/ the Mackenzie river give a stretch OF
navigable water fourteen hundred miles
in length. The Mackenzie delta could
be connected by fifty miles of railway
with the Porcupne river. an important
tributary of the Yukon. Our own plans
of increased transportation are still in
an inchoate condition, but they cAn'
template increased steamer service and
the building of a railway. The most
proposed in the renewed suggestion OF
DR.. Sheldon Jackson, the well-knowr
Alaskan missionary and recent moderator
of the general assembly. For years DR.
jackson has urged an adequate govern
ment Appropriation with which to stock
Alaska with reindeer. He declares that
there are about four hundred Thousand
square miles of territory in Alaska moi
suited to agriculture or grazing anC
without sufficient supply of food fol
the Eskimo inhabitants. This region i;
covered in large part with long tibrou:
moss, the natural food of the reindeer
DR.. Jackson's humane scheme would
save theSEskimOs from determination by
giving them a continual supply of meat
fur clothing, and means of transporta
ton. This latter end is now a more de
sirable one than ever, since temporarily
at least, the problem of overland trans
portation might be solved by the pro
posed use of reindeer.-The Outlook.