The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-12-23
FOR THE RELIEF OF MINERS
SECRETARY ALGER, ALTHOUGH
 SICK, DISCUSSES THE PLANS.

Responses Arriving to the Inquiry as to
 the Amount of Condensed Food Prepara-
 tions That Can be Had at Short Notice
 Dr. Jackson Sent to Lapland to Buy 600
 Reindeer-Routes.
 Washington, Dec. 22.-Captain Brain- ard of the subsistence department of the army arrived in Washington this morning, and although Secretary Alger is confined to his home by a cold, he sent immediately for the officer and had conference with him respecting the execution of his plans for the relief of the miners in the Yukon country. Responses are coming in to the secre- tary's inquiry as to the amount Of con- densed food preparations that can be had at short notice. Generally they in- dicate that an ample supply can be had at reasonable rates if contracts are made at once.
 General Merriam, commanding the ASPCtl tlliCLC VI SOlulifDid, WIO IdS pGGu charged by Secretary Alger with the selection of the military guard to be sent out with the relief expeditions, has telegraphed the secretary that he has selected Major L. H. Rucker of the Fourth cavalry to proceed to Alaska and make a reconnaissance of the pass es leading from the head of the Lynn EJo tho+ ha 1,n has already started from Fort Walla Walla, Washington, by his experience as a quartermaster and cevalryman, is well fitted for the duty and also is phy- sically able to endure the hard service ahead of him.
 Senator Lodge of Massachusetts has brought to the attention of the war de- pertinent officials the claims of the Bos- ton Transportation company. Their representative Pierre Humbert, asserts that the company is in position to feed large number of the miners, inas- much as it has just received news of the delivery by its agents at Fort Sel- kirk, on the Yukon river of two hum dred thousand pounds of food. This point Is above Dawson and the sup plies. it is said, can be gotten down easily with the first breaking up of the ice next spring, even if it be not found necessary to attempt their delivery overland.
 Nothing has been heard from MT. Kjellmann, the reindeer herder, now in Lapland, in answer to the direction of Secretary Alger respecting the selection of six hundred reindeer for transporta- tion to Alaska, so Dr. Jackson has been made special agent of the war depart ment and ordered to proceed with all diligence to Lapland to buy the animals and arrange for their shipment to the United States.
 The announcement that the war de- partment is by no means committed to any one route in the effort to reach the miners in the Klondike has caused per- sons interested in various routes to ad- vance the claims of their respective sec tions. The Spokane chamber of com- merce has sent here Frederick B. Mar win, an energetic newspaper man of that town, as its representative to urge the superior facilities of the overland route northward from Spokane. This is the old telegraph route laid down by the agents of the Western Union Tele- graph company yee~s ago. when they sought to run telegraph line to Behr- ing Straits. MT. Marvin has stated to the war department that the route is still clear: that through the dense northern forests there is a trail 150 feet broad, affording easy passage for draft animals, and that the feasibility of the route in winter is shown by the fact that for many years it has been trav- ersed by numerous trappers and pro- spectors, while the absence of heavy grades ensures the capacity of animals to carry large loads.