Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-04-06


Hunger-Bettsr Protection to Life
and Property Needed in the Ter
ritory-The Mail Service Practi-
cally of No Use.
WASH NGTON, April 5.-Secretary Az
ger has received some interesting reports
from Capt. Il. H. Ray, of the Eighth i'm
tantry, who was sent to Alaska to keep
the War Department informed as to the
conditions OF affairs there resulting from
he large immigration into that territory
as q result Of the gold excitement These
reports are dated Fort Yukon, December
~. In one of its communicate ons the
captain calls attention to the deplorable
condition of the mail service in Alaska.
The regular contractor brought but one
mail October 12) as far as Circle City
this year, and has sent none out There
is no provision. he says for Forwarding,
mail west Of Circle City in the winter
The postmaster for Circle City is some
where in the States, his assistant has been
put out of the Office for drunkenness, the
postoffice department has failed to pro-
vide the postofiice with any postage
stamps and the mail that comes in by
steamer via. st. Michaels is without any
proper supervision. There are no route
agents and the officers Of the companies
handling the mail pay little or no atten-
ton to it. The present mail contractor
is froZe min somewhere about the mouth
of the Tanannah, and it is to be regret
ted, the captain says, that contracts are
awarded to men who do not understand
the conditions existing in the territory.
They seem ITO be financially and mentally
incapable of fulfilling their obligations
In another report the captain says that
the migration of people from northwest
territory has about ceased. From parties
direct from Dawson he learns that those
who are without provisions to last them
until the opening of navigation are going
out by the way of Juneau. From his
knowledge of the conditions existing at
Fort Yukon and erliable information from
Dawson City, he does not believe there
will be any loss or starvation among the
whites.
The Indians along the Porcupine and
Juan de Leur are starving. Advance cou-
riers have come in begging that food be
sent out as the women and children are
dying along the trail. The captain had
sent out food and said he would do all he
could to keep them from perishing. There
report that the Caribou migration did not
coma their way, and that the fish catch
hast fan was almost mn entire failure.
Nearly all their dogs have persisted from
the want of food leaving them hNlpless.
The captain says the civil authorities
are not furnishing any protection to life
and property from the boundary to the
sea, and are powerless to do so with the
meagre machinery at their command
There is a dangerous element gathered at
Fort Yukon that was forced out of Daw-
son. who show some disposition to be
hopes to be able to keep them under con-
troll. Should the army be given any
power to act next spring, he suggests that
a small detachment of troops undera dis
creeS officer, be sent up the river by the
first boat. 1t can be used to guard the
treasure, and will have an excellent moral
effect, ard, the captain adds, it is possible
that he may be in need of assistance.
Parties coming up the river report three
steamers wintering in the mouth OF the
Tanannah with over 100 people on board
and about 400 people at Rampant City
(Manook). There had not been any new
discoveries of gold reported either in
Alaska or the Northwest Territory. The
captain says that he has rot received any
communication from the War Department
since he left the United States.