The Portland daily press., 1897-12-31

| Convey the Provisions to the sur-
ferers-Detachment VIII Be Ready to
Leave skaguay Middle OF January.
Washington, December 30-The arrange
ments effected between Mr.. Slfton on be-
half Of Canada and the War Department
contemplates that the relief expedition
shall be executed jointly by the United
States army and force of mounted police
CT Canada, which constitutes the military
army Of the Dominion. The United
States force will proceed with the relief
stores to Skaguay, where they will be
Joined by the Canadian mounted police,
about forty in number, and the two forces
Will then proceed together to the point
where the relief is to be distributed. The
determination as to Skaguay is, however,
still open. The Canadian officials concede
much latitude to the American authori-
ties in the actual distribution, recogniz-
ing that the expedition is fitted out on
this side, although considerable part of
its work will be done on the Canadian
side of the border. No duties will be
imposed on the stores carried by the relief
expedition.
Mr.. Sifton also held conference with
Secretary Gage and discussed the unsatis-
factory condition of customs regulations
along the border. and at coast ports where
goods are received by one country for
transportation to the other country e 1t
was the N utual feeling that an improve
nnent of the system could be made, and
negotiations are in progress which are
hoped to effect changes advantageous to
both sides.
Mr.. Sifton left for Ottawa at p. m.
Mr.. Sifton in an Interview said that the
only practicable route to Dawson City
was the White pass, commonly called the
lake route, commencing at Skaguay, on
Lake canal. He stated that the Canadian
government had SO men in the territory.
1t had twenty tons of supplies now stored
at Skaguay Tor transportation over the
pass, TO which would be added ten tons
more within the next ten days.
Inc Canadians have post at Lake
Bennett, another at Tagish where twenty
men are stationed; another at White
horse rapids, and two posts intervening
between the latter point and Fort Selkirk
1t is the intention of the Canadian gov
ernment to have detachment of 20 men
In the territory within the next thirty
days. The detachment will be ready to
leave Skaguay on the 18th proximo, but
the minister has consented to hold the ex-
petition that it may accompany the expe-
dition of the War Department., which
will leave Skaguay on or before February
l. Ihe minister was over the pass in Oo-
tober last. He stared that his government
would be glad to grant our expedition
the use of its posts on the route and
grant all other facilities to the movement
of our expedition over Canadian territory
TRAILS INTO KLONDIKF
Washington, December 20.-Secretary
Alger has received two reports from Cap.
tain Robinson. the contract qtlartermas-
ter at Seattle, touching the respective
merits of the different trails leading
from the seaboard into the Klondike
country. He made a thorough inquiry
at the direction of the secretary and his
conclusions, reached after conferences
with Jack Dalton and other experts, is
that the Dalton trail is not we'll adapted
to the uses of the government expedition
during the winter but that the Skaguay
route is probably the best. The captain
says that he has had an interview with
one man who claims to have 100000
pounds of beef stopped at Lake Bennem,
which he is willing to sell at 81 per
pound. The same man says he has TO-
600 pounds of corn and 20 or 80 horses
at the same place with which ne pro-
poses to organize sled train into Daw-
son. Capt Robinsons opinion is that
the difficulty of reaching Dawson has
been very much exaggerated and that
good army officer could make his way in
with an expedition.