Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1897-04-23
ALASKA.
The Want of Civil Authority,
Conditions at Circle City Canadian
Officials and Military,

nltional capital for the purpose Of
comforting with the president and
secretary of the interior with refer
ence to extension of civil authority
over the mining region of Alaska,
says the Washington correspondent of
the Chicago Record. Far away in
the center of the territory, where tile
Yukon river crosses the boundary be-
tween British Columbia and the
United States, are number of towns
chief of which is Circle City, on the
American side, and Fort Cudahy, on
the British side. At the latter point
the Canadian government has officials
and military garrison. They coll
lect customs dues on all goods that
are imported from the United States,
and most of the supplies from the
mining towns are brought up the
Yukon river. They also have mining
inspectors who collect tax Of SIS on
every claim that is filed. This fur
nishes sufficient revenue to defray all
the expenses of the police and the
courts.
But on the other side of the line,at
Circle City, there is no law or order.
The only official is recorder, who is
elected by the miners and records
their claims. Mining law and lynch
law are the only codes that are recog-
nized, and the toughs and despera-
does of both nations reside on the
American side of the boundary for
that reason. If man robs, or MUIR
ders or commits any other crime at
Fort Cudahy all he has to do is to
cross the boundary at Circle City to
escape punishment. Hence the latter
place is not a model of order or re-
spectability.
There are already about $500
miDers in Circle City and in the |
nelghborhood, with the same sort Of |
followers that are usually found in
mining camps. Scattered along the
river also are some $4,000 natives,
who naturally are inoffensive and |
honest, but are being corrupted by
contact with the whites. The near
est court, and the nearest official, the
nearest place where the laws of the
United States are enforced, in Juneau
which is LOO miles distant in a
straight line, and 4,9OO miles by boat
down the Yukon river, which are the
only means of transportation.
Mr.. Weare represents the North |
American Trading and Transporta-
tion Company of Chicago, which,
with the Alaska Commercial Company, |
does most of the business up that way. |
The company is composed of Michael
and John Cudany, Charles A. and P.
b. Weare of Chicago; e. e. Weare of
Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Charles H. Ham,
ilton of st. Paul and Captain John j.
Healy, an old miner and mountaineer
from Montana, who is now at Circle |
City in charge of the interests of the |
company there. E. e. Weare is at
Fort Cudahy. Mr.. Weare says there
is regular stampede into the Yukon
country this spring Every means of
transportation is utilized to its full
lest capacity. The miners are deser-
ting the Silver states to dig for gold |
among the rivers of Alaska, because,
as he says, with long-handled shovel,
a pair of gum boots and tin can, any
body can get rich. This makes it the
more necessary that there should be
some official authority at Circle City |
for protection of life and property, and
for the collection of revenues. He will
recommend to the secretary of the in
terror, who has charge of the Alaskan
territory, to send to Circle City
commissioner, judge of the United
States court, deputy United States
marshal and deputy collector of Gus
toms.
Mr.. Weare says that people have
very little conception of the extent
and richness of the Alaska territory.
They do not realize that it is bigger
than the section OF the United States
that lies east OF the Mississippi, big