The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-08-09
A NOVEL PETITION.

A Mrs. Charlotte Smith has presented
petition to congress which is unique
in character. Mrs Smith is now Iv-
ing in Boston, and noting that the
women outnumbered the men by
many and that matrimony was not en-
couraged to the extent that she thinks
proper, petitioned congress as follows:
We appeal to a paternal government
for an appropriation from congress 10
furnish 100000 healthy, industrious
women with transportation, ammuni-
ton and rations for IL months to en-
able them to reach northern Alaska
and live there. We can then stake off
our claims and go prospecting on
shares. The mineral wealth that the
earth is yielding up in the far north
belongs as much to women as to the
men. All we want at present is the
good opportunity to get there.
Your humble petitioners. in behalf of
the women who are doomed to matri-
monial disappointments through no
fault of ours, appeal to the chivalry
of the American statesmen, the repre-
sentative men of this great and glorious
free country of ours, to protect US by
giving US women the opportunity to
get out of this land of civilization to
that of the bleak and barren wilds of
far off Alaska by making liberal ap-
preparations for transportation and ra-
tons, that we may be enabled to start
a colony exclusively of women that win
be known as No Mans Territory
The San Francisco Examiner COM
ments on the petition as follows:
1T may be feared that Mrs. Smith will
get herself disliked in Canada The
Canadians are quick to resent the
slightest imDutation on their climate,
and they don't like women of advanced
views. 1t is remembered how Rudyard
Kipling gave serious offense to our
touchy neighbors across the border by
writing poem intended to be COM
plimentary to the last degree, and
spelling the intention by emitting it
Our Lady of the Shows 1t was rep
resented that this eternal harping on
sncw and ice hurts business; and
poetry was all very fine, but it would
not sell any real estate Again, Lady
Aberdeen, the wife of the present gov
ernor general, is in acute disfavor in
the Dominion, partly because she is
suspected of being in favor of women's
rights and partly because in carrying
out an i'll considered scheme to anchor
ate the lot of the Godforgotten far
mers of the desolate northwest she
wrote to an English newspaper ap-
pealing for literature for the back
woods, Canada being mostly all
backwoods, is very sore on the sub
ject. and so Lady Aberdeen has been
snubbed and sneered at all over the
country. Besides, she is suspected of
being too familiar with her cook.
'Of course there is not any doubt that
the Yukon country is bleak and bar
rem as Mrs. Smith remarks; but in
fine, there are things it is not good form
to talk about in Canada, and besides
it is entirely possible that Mrs Smith,
like Lady Aberdeen, is over familiar
with her cook. We fear that when
Mrs. Smiths 100000 settle down in
Alaska the neighbors won't CALI
If women are worth their weight in
gold in the Klondyke country, as is
currently reported, Mrs. Smith might
secure a carload and dispose of them
to such good advantage that a gov
eminent appropriation would not be
necessary.