The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-06-04
WANTS LAW IN ALASKA
Civil Authority Should Be Exte,
in the Yukon Countrv

Civil Authority Should Be Extenao,
in the Yukon Country.
2. B. Weare. of Chicago. has ho.-
comforting with the president and co.
retary of the interior with refaranoa
to the extension of civil authority oro.
the mining region of Alaska. 70.
away in the center of the terr;torr
where the Yukon River crosses ~
boundary between British Columhia
and the United States, are a number ne
towns. chief of which are Circle CITY
on the American side, and Fort Cudahv
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 ara
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 a recorder, who il
elected by the miners and records their
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 q
man robs or murders or commits any
+lor a,.;y, on HoI I,
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
$4,000 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 4,S0O 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. b. 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 it's fullest capacity
The miners are deserving 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 car, anybody can get
rich. This makes it the more neces-
sary that there should be some official
authority at Circle City for the protec-
tion 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 a commissioner, a
judge of the United States court, dep
uty United States marshal and dep
uty collector of customs.
Mr.. Weare says that people 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.