The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-12

whole matter has been much aggravated
by the drunkenness and inefficiency of the
master mariner of the Weare.
Great injlry will result to the CONNER
cial interests along this great highway IL
some radical steps are not taken 10 pro-
tect al per sons from such interference with
their legitimate business. At the same time
there should be some power to force com
mon carriers to transport goods for any per-
son offering. At the present time neither
of the transportation companies viii trans
port pound of freight for other traders
or private parties, forcing all people COM
ing into the territory to be wholly depend
ent on their stores for their supplies, at
their prices. A large majority of the people
now here are peaceable and lawabiding, but
IN the absence of any person in authority
to appeal to for the settlement of the many
| differences that are constantly arising they
are compelled TO act outside of the law and
when Influenced by passion, prejudice or
| liquor, will commit acts that jeopardizc
| great financial interests and from which
| there can be no appeal.
while here / am constantly being APP
| pealed to to act where have no authority
/ can only act as an arbitrator or mediator
| in the cause of peace. The appeal continues
| to come to me to know when. if ever the
government is going to send in officials; to
enforce the law. Miners complain that they
cannot perfect any title to their mines,
| owing to the absence of any land Office.
| sions to commissioners, receivers and regis
terS who cannot qualify for obvious rea-
| sons; the principal one is that there is not
an official qualified to administer an oath
within thousand miles of this place. A
/ commissioner is powerless as he has no pow
| er to enforce his decisions.
| SURPRISED MATTERS ARE NO WORSE
II am only surprised that matters are
| not worse, We are facing a fact, not a
theory, as / believe it is the first time in
the history of our government that it has
been called upon to govern an outlying
province where the issues are vital and inn
portant, both national and financial For,
4 tat
/ given protection along this river they will
be driven from the field and a route opened
/ up through British North America TO sup
! ply our own people in our own country.
/ Captain Ray, under date of Circle CITY,
| Oct, z, says that the transportation COM
| panes utterly failed to keep promises made
| to passengers, that of S46 people landed at
| st. Michael destined for Circle City and
| above. forty-two reached their destinations,
the balance being stranded between Circle
| City and st. Michael, or having returned
to the States. There has BEEN" he. adds,
| less than two thousand tons of freight
| all told delivered above Fort Yukon and
| there is now lying at that point five hun
| dred tons of provisions and liquor, cached
| by the steamers that could not get over
| the flats. This failure on the part of the
/ transportation companies TO put into the
| mining districts a sufficient supply of food
has not only given serious check to the
! mining interests and caused great suffering,
/ but has destroyed all confidence among the
people here in their ability to supply the
demand by this route. The people here are
now afraid that the failure of the river
| route for freight will cause the construction
of a railroad through British North America
/ to the Yukon river above the boundary. and
| that the mining districts of Alaska will be
dependent FOR supplies ,e on a roure re-, through
| in way of discrimination in favor of the
| British merchants.
/ II am also well satisfied that much more
/ could be accomplished if the employees OF
| the transportation companies devoted less
| time TO personal traffic. From what I have
| / am fully satified that the greater part OF
the gold belt lies III our territory along the
range known as the Upper Ramparts That
| along Tanana, Manok creek, Birch creek
and the head of Forty-mle. there are dig
gings that will pay from $40 to 500 per day
| per man now lying idle as they will not pay
expenses at the present prices of food. / an
| satisfied that, with adequate means of trans.
portation and cheaper food, this will develoE
| into one of the greatest gold-producin2
| regions in the world
A RAILROAD NEEDED.
"A railroad from the head of Cooks inlet
| or Prince William sound, to the mouth of
the Tsnana. from which point supplies
| could be delivered by light draught steamers
| along all the navigable tributaries of the
| Yukon, will secure to our people the COM
| merce of this whole country. 1t would give
| a route to the open sea that could be oper-
/ ated all winter and act as check to the
/ Canadian route. At the request of the citi-
| zens here / most respectfully recommend
that the government make a preliminary
| survey of the route named
/ A report, dated Fort Yukon, Oct. rs, deals
| with Captain Rays trip from Circle City TO
Fort Yukon, he having Jeff the +. former me
| ter after perious trip. At Fort Yukon
| about $50 people were found gathered and
there had been some threats of taking sup
| plies by force. The report adds: Lieut..
/ Richardson, we found by prompt and de-
cided action. had checked all turbulence and
! by cooperating with the agents of both
! companies had arranged that all destitutes
should be fed. Those who are willing to
work were to be allowed to cut wood for the
companies at s. per cord, ara when they
! had earned sufficient money they should
| pay for their supplies. The sick and INDECENT
| should be fed without charge and the bills
/ for such issues to come to to be sub
rnitted for the action of Congress. Thls ar.
| rangement is now being carried out. OK
4 all orders for which the government is to
| become responsible and will submit the total
amounts when the work is finished. Both
| agents have verbally asked me to take
| charge of the caches, which have refused
| to do for cogent rea sons. | shall not force
| an issue, but shall defend the caches from
| all violence and pillage., as they contain the
/ only provisions this side of Dawson, upon
/ which many hundred people are dependent
/ for existence for the next seven months.
/ Should Ii come to fixing the amount each
| shall receive, / may then be- compelled to
/ take charge, as | find there are many law
| less and turbulent characters here. | have
| gone over the stock and manlfeStS or DO.n
companies and find that both have eXagger-
| ated the amount on hand here. The people
| arriving here all agree in stating that the
| managers of both companies urged people TO
/ come here, stating, as an inducement. that
| there was over one thousand tons of pro-
! visions at this place, when, in fact. there IS
/ less than three hundred tons, and that badly
ass Orted for issue. With a ration of three
pounds per day there can be fed at this
place nine hundred people until the LIST CT
/ June without tea or coffee. may be placed
| in a position where / may be compelled TO
/ take possession of the caches to save them
e.v1d fr a n
tribution. Whatever course L may be COM
| PEELED to pursue, | trust that the President
/ and Congress will sustain me In what
i deem to be the only right course, situated
! as | am. in using my best endeavors TO save
American citizens from starvation and
| DEATH.
| Captain Ray. in commenting on letter
| to him from President Weare regarding the
| unloading of supplies at Circle City, says
| he is not prepared now to discuss the dit
ferences between the citizens and the trans
] portation companies of his own knowledge.
| 10 any one place means nothing, as he saw
stores consigned to Dawson and Circle City
| landed at ManOOk. and knows that If the
| stores taken from the Weare and Bella had
| not been taken the people would have Suf-
| fered from want of food.
| TROUBLE WITH ARMED MEN.
Apparently Captain Ray left Fort Yukon
for a time, as under date of that place,
Nov. l. he says that since his return mat
| tiers have assumed a very serious aspect.
The Alaska Commercial Company had a
cache of two hundred tons four miles above
Fort Yukon and the A. L. and L. Company
! a chache at Fort Yukon. The Alaska Com