Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-07-30
ALASKAN NUGGETS.
Concluded from Second Page.

questions are: Can they be used to
quell disturbances without an order
from the PRESIDENT Can the Judge
of court or marshal be clothed
with authority to dispatch the SOL
diers to the scene of trouble? Even if
this power rested with the Governor of
Alaska, he is located Mt Sitka, a great
distance from the gold region, and by
the time his authority could be OBJ
tanned the harm would be done. The
Government, Wednesday, rescinded
the order for troops to proceed to
Alaska, pending a consideration of
these questions.
1t is rather interesting to note the
number of those who will reach Alaska
within the next two weeks in search
of gold. There were about 800 by the
City of Topeka, from Seattle on the
2Sth, 400 by the Elder from Portland,
on the 30th; 200 by the Alki from Sc
attic, August 2; 425 by the Queen
from Seattle, August Z; between 400
and $500 by the Willamette, from Sc
attic a day or two later; $50 by the
Mexico, from the Sound, about Aug
ust IL. There are also the 300 already
gone by the Portland from Seattle;
800 by the Excelsior from San Fran
cisco by way of St. Michaels and $50
from Victoria this week by the
Islander, making a total in the
neighborhood of about 5000 new men.
The matter of royalty to be charged
the Klondyke miners by the Canadian
government is not yet definitely
settled, except that it will be imposed
on all alien miners. One proposition
considered on the 26th. was to make
each miner pay royalty of $50 day
if he is making twice that amount, on
the ground that the property belongs
to the Canadian people. This is ia
keeping with the English governments
action i'll Australia, although the tax
then was imposed mainly on subjects
of the crown. So unjust was the ex-
action that it led to frequent conflict
between the miners and the govern
ment police. How differently our
government treats the miner, though
he be an alien, whenever good fortune
comes our way!
1t seems that the Canadian govern
ment is determined to make sure of
its "blood money" before the miner
reaches the Klondyke. The supplies
of the passengers by the steamer
Islander, had to pay duty at Victoria.
Whether the nation which swallows
its his was fearful that the miner
might die in that horrible country and
climate before reaching bedrock, or
that it would be "Deuced sight
easier, you know" to make them
"stand and deliver" before entering
the mining district, it is difficult to
guess, but it is safe to assume that
this expense was not anticipated by
nine-tenths of the prospectors going
northward. 1t will be kindergarten
lesson in protection to some of our
Republican friends who have Joined
the gold-searching throng.
Secretary Hamilton, of the North
American Trading Co. says: AZ
think it high time to sound warning
to the people who seem bent on rush.
ing off this fall without due knowledge
of what they are to encounter, and
yet worse, not enough food to carry
them through. The two companies
now operating on the Yukon can
handle the people they take in and
provide for their safety and comfort,
but with the horde of half-provisioned
people streaming across the summit
there is bound to be a shortage. If