The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-05-21
WANTS LAW IN ALASKA.
Civil Authority Should Be Extended
in the Yukon Country.

Civil Authority Should Be Extended
in the Yukon ountry.
P. B. Weare, of Chicago, has been
comforting with the president and Sec
retary of the interior with reference
to the extension of civil authority over
the mining region of Alaska. Far
away in the center of the territory,
where the Yukon River crosses the
boundary between British Columbia
and the United States, are number of
towns, chief of which are Circle City
on the American side, and Fort Cudahy
on the British side. At the latter point
the Canadian government has officials
and a military garrison. They collect
customs dues on all the 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 furnishes sufficient rev.
enue 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 ia
elected by the miners and records theik
claims. Mining law and lynch law are
the only codes that are recognized, and
the toughs and desperadoes Of both ma
tions reside on the American side OF
the boundary for that reason. If
man robs or murders 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 and
respectability.
There are already about $500 miners
In Circle City and in the neighborhood,
with the same sort of followers that
are usually found in mining camps.
Scattered along the river also are some
81, 900 natives, who naturally are inof-
fensive and honest, but are being cor
rupted by contact with the whites. The
nearest court and the nearest official,
the nearest place where the laws of the
United States are enforced, is Juneau,
which is LOO miles distant in a
straight line, and 1880 miles by boats
down the Yukon River, which are the
only means of transportation.
Mr.. Weare represents the North
American Trading and Transportation
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 Cudahy, Charles A. and P. B.
Weare of Chicago; E. E. Weare Of Ce-
dar Rapids, Iowa; Chas. H. Hamilton
of st. Paul, and Capt. 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. 3. E. Weare is at Fort Cudahy.
Mr. Weare says there Is a regular
stampede into the Yukon country this
spring. Every means of transpOrta-
ton is utilized to its fullest capacity.
States to dig for gold among the rivers
of Alaska, because, as he says, with a
long-handled shovel, pair of gum
boots and tin car, anybody can get
rich. This makes 1t the more neces-
sary that there should be some official
authority at Circle City for the protec-
ton of life and property, and for the
collection of revenues. He will recon-
mend the Secretary of the Interior, who
has charge of the Alaskan territory, to
send to Circle City commissioner, a
judge of the United States court, dep
uty United States marshal and a dep
uty collector of customs.
Mr. Weare says thattpeople have very
little conception of the extent and rich
ness of the Alaskan territory. They
do not realize that it is bigger than the
section of the United States that lies
east of the Mississippi, bigger than
George Washington or Thomas Jeffer-
son ever expected the United States
to be and full of treasure. ..