The Topeka state journal., 1897-11-09
SHORT ROUTE
TO KLONDIKE.
Premier of Canada Will Ask
the United States
To Cooperate in Opening Up a
New Line.
HEAVY IMMIGRATION
Is Expected in the Spring From
Australia.
1900 is the Number Already
Promised.

Washington. Nov. 9-The authorities
here have been advised that the arrival
of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, premier of Can
ada; Sir Louis Davies, minister OF ma
rine in the Laurier cabinet, and other
officials of the Dominion, is to have an
an important bearing, not only on the
the Bering sea settlement but on all
the pending questions which have been
sources of international complication
between the United States and Canada,
namely the passage of alien laborers to
and from Canada, the North Atlantic
fisheries question; the presence or
many Americans in the Klondike terri
tory belonging to Canada and in the
mining regulations of British Colum-
bia; the fisheries trouble along the
great lakes, the bonding privilege
granted Canadian railroads; the con-
trOversy over the rights of the Frazier
river, British COlum bia and in Puget
Sound, and also the question of a reci-
procity arrangement between the Unit
ed States and Canada.
There is direct and definite infOrma-
tiOn that Sir Wilfrid comes prepared to
take up all these questions, and if pos
tlement, whereby the constant friction
they have engendered may be over
come. On some of these subjects he
will confer with President Mckinley
and on at least one of them, that re-
lating to the alien laborers crossing
the border, he will suggest such mutual
in his opinion will be of material ad-
vantage to the thousands of Americans
now in the KlOndike and British Co
lumbia mining country and at the
same time will be of advantage to
Canada along the eastern border The
essential features of Sir Wilfrid's
mission were communicated to the Of
ficialS and are given out by persons
fully advised of the presidents plans,
and it can be said that the suggestion
that the decks be cleared of existing
disputes between Canada and the
United States met with the favor of
the administration. While the Bering
sea settlement occasioned the visit of
the Canadian premier, the Canadian
authorities attach much less import
ance to it than they do to the other
questions. They say that the Cana
dian sealing is confined almost entirely
to the far west territory, where the
sealers fit out, and that even there a
considerable percentage of the sO-called
Canadian sealers sail from Seattle. San
Francisco and other ports and fit out
in Canadian ports under the British
flag.
Sir Wilfrid Laurier and his associates
will urge strongly that the border inn
migration question be settled.
Also the cooperation of the United
States is desired in plans of the Cana
dian authorities to make an easy route
to the Klondike. The proposed route
is by boat from FIT. Wrangle to the
Stickeen river, which is in territory be-
longing to the United States, and up
the Stickeen via Tasken lake to the
Yukon river, and thence to the gold
fields AS the Stickeen river is on
American soil, it is desired to overcome
any possible controversy, although the
treaty of Washington is said to make
the navigation of the river free to the
Canadians and Americans alike The
need of this short route, under the
patronage of the Dominion, is felt by
the Canadian premier to be impera-
tive in view of information reaching
him that 600 Australians will come
to the Klondike in the spring. A total
of $4,000 colonists is expected to head
that way.