Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-30
CANADA MAY RESENT
Collector Of Customs at skaguay Collect,
Duty on Horses.
Improving the Sknguny Trafl-Do-
mfnfon Surveyor Points Out Diff
ficulttes of Mining I'm Alaska.

ncultteS OF Mining In Alaska.
SEATTLE, Wash August 3O-The steam
er King City has arrived from Dyea and
Skaguay, bringing the following letter from
the Associated Press correspondents:
The new deputy collector Of customs at
Skaguay andDyea has imposed duty of $50
head on Canadian horses unloaded at this
port from Canadian territory to be used in
packing owners outfits over the summit.
Since the new British collector, a few
days ago, announced that his government
would waive all duty ON miners clothes
and outfits intended for personal use for
the next six months, 1t is feared this ac-
ton on the part of the United States col
lector will react on American miners. The
duty was paid under protest. The collector
also assumed the right to appraise at their
value here. One man paid $40 for what
cost MIN $500 at Victoria.
An effort is being made to improve the
Skaguay trail. There are not less than
1900 miners between the landing and the
summit and all travel is suspended Trees
have been felled across the trail and no
one will be allowed to proceed until the
entire trail is finished.
Character of the Trail
There are only five bad hills where much
blasting will be needed; the remainder can
be done with pick axes and shovels Chas
King of Tacoma, an experienced railroad
contractor is superintendent of construc-
tion. There are several civil engineers here
with instruments who will proceed at once
TO make the survey. Work will be COM
pleted and the trail thrown open to travel
In from ten to fifteen days, and 1t is
thought that it can be kept open for all
winter.
There are four ships in the harbor un-
loading, the Parallon of San Francisco
having just anchored with 80 passengers
and $50 horses on board; the Elder with
132 passengers and the same number of
horses. and the City of Kingston, with 115
passengers and 80 horses, dropped anchor
just twenty-four hours ago. and is about
to unload, making the quickest dispatch
of any vessel in the haFbor.
The Bristol of VictoEh has been here
five days and has hardly begun unloading
as the charterers refused to furnish lighters
to land the stock ard supplies and also re-
fused to furnish meals to the passengers
after the boat dropped anchor. The pas
sengerS appealed to the vigilance commit
tee this morning, and the chairman went
aboard tC interview the captain and purser
After stormy interview the captain and
purser engaged the Bach, a lighter brought
up by the steam tug Pioneer of Seattle and
the passengers are helping to load the shin
The price of whisky has jumped in the
last ten days from s. and IS per gallon to
$2O, on account of the many seizures made
by the new revenue officer, who has cap
tured about twenty barrels in that time.
Surveyor Ogilvie Discourages Pros
pectOrs.
In speaking of the Klondike gold fields
Wm Ogilvie, dominion surveyor for the
Northwest Territory, discourages all stran-
gers from going into that bleak country.
He denies that any difference regarding
the boundary line exists between Canada
and the United States.
He says:
Gold has been found in a certain zone
in British Columbia running through the
Cariboo and Cassiar districts. Project the
axis of this zone northwesterly and we
touch the Teslin lake, Hootalinqua river,
Steward river. Indian Troandike. Sixty
Mile and Birch creeks Now ii is highly
improbable that gold being found at all
these points, the intervening spaces are
barren. and 1 will do no more than say
generally that we have a zone of up
ward of 500 miles in length, some of 1t in
Alaska, more of it in the Northwest Ter
rltCry, and much of it in British Column
bia, which will yet be the scene OF nu-
merous mining enterprises. both OH the
quartz and the placer the former prac-
tically inexhaustibIe The conditions how
ever are most unfavorable. There is a
nine months winter. barrenness is almost
tctal' SO far as vegetation and food is
copcerned, the earth is bound in eternal
drcst and the thermometer often reaches
W and 20 degrees below zero"
Claims Skaguay Town Site.
SAN FRANCISCO, Cal. August 3o.-A
Chronicle special from Victoria contains
a signed statement from Bernard Moore,
VINO claims the town site of Skaguay. He
says that ten years ago he made applica-
non FOR l6o acres of land in accordance
with the United States laws as applied
10 Alaska, had legal survey made and
paid in the requisite 500 to the proper
officials.
He had just begun to stock the place for
DAIRY when the gold rush began, and now
thousands Of citizens of Skaguay are claim
ing the land he paid the government for.