The San Francisco call., 1898-03-22
BOOCE WOULD DIVIDE ALASKA Form CT IOwan Circulating a Petition at Fort
 Yukon.
Asks for the Creation of a Territory to Be Called
 Lincoln.
Promoter of the Project Not Averse to Becoming Its First
 Governor.
Special Correspondence of The Call.

FORT YUKON, Jan. 2.-Judge J. B. Booze of Sioux City, Iowa, is for the time being in charge of the North American Trading CCmpany's business here because of being stranded. His destination also was Dawson. He dis placed Fred Cash in charge. Mir. Booze is circulating a petition for the division of the District of Alaska and the mak- ing of a new Territory out of the north western portion, embracing the Yukon River district, the name to be Lincoln and the capital to be located at the mouth of the Panama, the name of the city to be Weare, after the name of the president of the North American Trad ing and Transportation Company.
 It is an open secret in here that MT. Booze aspires to be the first Governor of the new Territory, and that his com ing here was a part of plan to that end laid by influential stockholders and officers of the trading company months ago in Chicago. The trading company has large influence with the admini- stration, Secretary Gage himself being one of the principal stockholders.
 The movement to divide the Terri tory comes as news to the people here. At the place designated for the capital,
 
 four logs laid crosswise in order that no mistakes as to it's whereabouts may be made.
 MT. Booge, the prospective Governor, came here at the instance of F. B. Weare of Chicago, almost with day s notice. He was free to come, as he had retired from business. His mission he says was just to look things over and see what was going on. He insists that. although stranded at this isolated place, the refuge this winter of the eS- pecially unfortunate, he is still glad he came to this country. He was 1ormerly engaged in the business Of pork pack ing at Sioux City, and at one time, he declares with some pride, killed as many as 250,000 hogs year"
 It is the purpose of both the Alaska Commercial and the North American Trading and Transportation companies to develop the Panama country this wear. Boats will be sent up that river and trading posts built, and the town or post of Weare will be established whether it be the capital of Lincoln or not.
 Without regard to the politics of the situation, Captain Ray IS convinced that the mouth of the Panama is the key to this whole lower country. There seems to be no end of confidence in the riches of the Tanana and Copper rivers and Captain Ray shares it. This is how he explained to me his plan for establishing a mail route from Cooks Inlet a line that could be depended upon for weekly service all the year round:
 From reliable prospectors who have been over a part of this trail l learn that there is a practicable route from the head of Cooks Inlet up the Shu- shitne River; that the right or west fork of that stream breaks through the Alaskan range by a new pass and that the Indians from Panama travel this route in the winter to barter with trader located at the ssAuth of the Shushitne. From Circle City to the Tanana, via the head of RicGh Creek, is. I am informed by mineIS Se1o have been over the trail frequently, not more than 125 miles. The Indians say that 1t is from fifteen to seventeen sleeps from the Panama to the store at the mouth of the Shushitne, which, at their rate of travel, would make the distance to be by trail about $40 miles, making the total distance from Cooks Inlet to Circle City 445 miles. notice that by latitude and longitude it is less than 400 miles.
 'The advantages of this route over that of Juneau and Dyea is apparent, as the distance from Circle City to Ju- neau is estimated at 1040 miles and the route impracticable for winter travel, and besides lies mostly through for eign country" SAM w. WALL.