The herald., 1898-02-07
MINERS BY
HUNDREDS
Seeking Passage to Yukon
GOldfields
A NIPPON KAISHA STEAMER
ENGAGED TO BRING AN ARMY OF
JAPAN ESE
Canada Dreadfully Alarmed Lest
Relief Supplies Admitted Free
Of Duty Shall Be Sold
Associated Press Special Wire

| ASsoCidteu FreSS Speclat wire
VICTORIA, B. c., Feb. 6-The steamer
Queen left this morning with over 5O(
miners for the Yukon. She will be fol.
lowed tomorrow by the Danube with
over 200 more. Over 100 miners licenses
for the Yukon district were issued yes
terday and almost as many today by the
collector of customs. He has issued over
fifty daily since the licenses have ar
rived. A party has been organized here
to carry on dredging operations on the
Hootalinqua river.
Application will be made at the next
session of the local legislature for a
charter for a railway from Observatory
| inlet to Glenora, to connect with the Tes-
| lin Lake railway. This will give route
dian territory.
The Call will say tomorrow: Japan is
going to invade the Klondike. A stand
ing army of 5000 able bodied laborers is
being got together for the gold fields, and
in month or so they will make descent
upon Dawson City. One of the Nippon
Yusen Kaisha steamers will bring them
here, but as they will not land on the sod
of the United States there will be no one
to say nay unless Great Britain takes
a hand in the matter.
One of the Japanese steamers that
has been carrying laborers will be used
to carry the men to their destination.
1t is added that the Japanese will be
brought over by syndicate and trouble
in the Klondike is predicted.
FEARS OF FAKE RELIEF
SALT LAKE. Utah, Feb. ga special
to the Tribune from Butte, Mont, says:
Information received from Lethbridge,
on the Canadian border, is to the effect
that great excitement has been caused
there by orders received by the Domin-
ion government that every man of the
mounted police hold himself in readiness
to proceed to the Yukon al a moments
notice for temporary duty. Superin-
tendent Dean has received notice to go
to Mcleod to relieve Maj. Steele, who
was ordered to the Yukon and had left
for that place before the arrival ofthc
second message. Five men were also
ordered to the Yukon and left yesterday.
The orders, which were received by
wire by the officers in command from the
division, are said to be due to the exist
ence of serious trouble between the Ca
madam and United States authorities in
Alaska relative to the attempt by Amer
leans to get provisions In to the Yukon
free of duty, ostensibly for the relief of
distress, but in reality for sale to the
highest bidders.
NOT COLD ENOUGH
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 6.-The party
of gold seekers that left here for the
Copper river by La Ninfa September %,
last, have been heard from by letter
from one of their number, John Bar
rickol. La Ninfa reached Cape Orica
October %. The letter Just received was
written New Years day. The party was
then at Snag point with about fifty
others waiting for the ground to freeze
so that they could travel on. They ex-
pected to start in a day or two, heading
for trading post and Indian settlement
called Alaganik.
Captain C. L. Hooper of the United
States revenue service now stationed
here has received a communication
from the treasury department to ad-
vertise for bids for a new revenue cut
ter which is to cost $4,000, and which is
to do service exclusively in the waters
of the Yukon river.
The craft was ordered some time ago
by the navy department, but it was not
known what kind of boat would be
built. The new cutter will be designed
for the shallow waters of the Yukon,
where she will guard American interests
with a crew of about forty men. She
will be 1870 feet long, with draught of
only two feet, and must be completed
within three months.