The herald., 1897-11-04
Confined Exclusively to
Letters
VESSELS BACK FROM ALASKA
BRING NO COIN, BUT MANY
COMPLAINTS
Miners Who Can Return Do So, De-
TERED by Hardship and Fear
Of Famine
Associated Press Special Wire.

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. g. The
postoff1ce department has issued notice
to the public stating that newspaper
mail cannot be sent to the Klondike be-
fore next spring, even when it is en-
closed in envelopes and letter postage
paid on it. The recent large increase
in the quantity of letter mail has made
the order excluding newspapers impera-
tive. Two new Canadian postoffices on
the other side of the Chilkoot pass have
Just been established. One is located
at Tagish lake and the other at Lake
Labarge and bear those names. Both
are in the Northwest territory.
The steamer President arrived to-
night from st. Michaels, Alaska, but
brought no news of Importance, having
left the nothern port before the steamer
Portland, which reached Seattle last
Friday. She has no treasure and no
miners from the Klondike are among
her passengers. Twenty members OF
the North Fork expedition returned on
the President, having failed to secure
transportation up the Yukon. They
are loud in their complaints against the
promoters of the expedition, which they
were induced to join by assurances,
they allege, that they would be able to
get to Dawson City this season. Three
men who went up on the President also
came back, none of them caring to face
the rigors of an Arctic winter. The off,
GERS of the steamer confirm the stories
of a probable famine on the Klondike
before spring.
CANADIAN CUSTOMS
VICTORIA. B. c., Nov. Sat meet
ing of the board of trade today Hon
Clifford Sifton, minister of the interior,
tntimated that the government would
open up all Canadian routes to the Yukon
and that everything possible would be
done to turn trade into Canadian chan
nels, but declined entirely to advocate
law to prevent aliens from holding
claims. After January 1st miners will
not be allowed exemption from duty on
100 pounds of their baggage. Customs
officers are to be established on all
routes.
BACK FROM SKAGUAY
PORT TOWNSEND, Nov. 3.-Thc
Trading company's steamer Al-Ki ar
rived at midnight from Alaskan ports
with ninety passengers, three-fourths
of whom We're from Skaguay. Among
the passengers were two surveying par
ties which have been operating along
the Stickeen river for the past ten weeks |
One party in the interests Of the Cana |
dian Pacific Railway, the other in the |
interests of the Dominion government |
The Al-Ki brought but one passenger,
Fred Compton of Seattle, from Dawson |
City. Owing to the lateness Of the hour
Compton could not be seen, but from |
one of the passengers it was learned |
that he left Dawson September Goth, |
out by Dyea.
Sheriff Dyke of Clallam County, Wash,
was also on board He had in custody |
John w. Troy, ex-auditor of Clallam |
county, who, it is alleged, embezzled |
$4,000 during his two terms of office. |
The Sheriff found Troy at Skaguay. |
Troy willingly accompanied the Shcr- |
if, and says he will have no trouble in |
clearing himself.
The Al-Ki brought down large cargo |
of salmon from the Katchkan cannery.
The Juneau Mining Record, in it's last |
issue, says: 1.-The North American
and Trading Company
will send stamp mill to Dawson on the
first steamer going up next summer"
GOOD WEATHER
SKAGUAY, Alaska, Oct. 27.-The |
weather at Lakes Bennet and Linder-
man lately has been exceedingly fine |
Following the cold snap at the beginning
If this month, when the mercury fel! |
below freezing point, came a milder
term and the coldest weather recorded
since has been eight degrees above zero.
rhe lakes were still open on Saturday
asst and few people are still leaving
'or Dawson City, although it is probable
hat those leaving Lake Bennett after
his date will not get further down than
Lake Tagish. All the old-timers and the
Indians here say that the weather has
oeen more open than for years past 1t |
has proved an unmixed blessing to those
Who at one time bade fair to either win
-er on the trails or cache their outfits
and turn back. The Skaguay trail is
clear, although consider
ihle packing is still being done between
Skaguay and Summit. A good many
of the argonauts are still making their
way over the Chilcoot Pass, packing
their own outfits, as the Indians have
retired from the business for
his season.