The herald., 1898-03-22
THAT LIFE AND PROPERTY NAY
BE PROTECTED
SOME ONE PAINTED 1T YELLOW
Late Reports Are to The Effect That
Everything Is Quiet and Every
body Orderly


from Washington stated that upon infor-
nation from Skaguay that the rowdy ele-
ment of Alaska had seized Brackets road
leading to and over the White pass and
placed the country in a state Of terror, In
structions had been telegraphed Gen. Mer-
riam at Vancouver, WASH, to order the in
fantry garrison of Skaguay to take proper
steps for the protection Of persons and
property regardless Of expense attending
movements Of troops.
The facts are that there is nothing ap-
preaching state Of terror in the Skaguay
district. The latest information which
came down on the boat arriving at Taco
ma last Saturday said nothing about any
trouble; everything was reported to be
entirely peaceable at both Skaguay and
Dyea.
The report that mob was in possession
of Brackets road, was sent out by inter-
ested parties In order to obtain government
aid in the collection Of tolls from Klondik-
ers who desired to go over this road to the
White pass.
For several weeks Bracket has been
engaged in attempting to construct dirt
road connected by bridges over numerous
small streams from Skaguay to the pass.
1t is merely wagon road for temporary
use and is not completed. The material FER
the main bridge across Box canyon. the
largest and most dangerous crossig. was
lost in the wreck Of the ship Canada last
month, and the fact that the Klondfkers
were unable to haul their supplies over this
road the entire distance caused them to re-
fuse to pay the tolls demanded This was
accomplished in perfectly peaceable
manner, however, the men simply brush
ing Brackets guards aside and passing
over the road as far as practicable. then
making their way over the summit. Brack-
ett came down from Skaguay last week
and wired the war department for protec-
ton. 1t is said that he had previously ap-
piled to Capt. Anderson, in charge OF the
troops at Skaguay, for protection, and
that 1t had been refused, on the grounds
that no permit had been granted hAn by
the government for the construction of the
road. The matter of granting rights of
way for the construction of highways
through Alaska is now before congress and
the disposition of that body, as shown so
far, is in opposition to the granting Of such
permits.
Brackett's attorney in Washington Is
Bill King, formerly of Minneapolis, and
an old friend and comrade of Gen. Alger's
He was appealed to by Bracket to obtain
prompt aid, and the result of this effort
was an order from the war department.
which was sent out last Sunday. instruct
ing Gen. Merriam and the commander of the
troops at Skaguay to give Brackett the
protection needed.
Bracket received his order on Saturday
and with 1t in his pocket, sailed away for
Skaguay on the City of Seattle. He stated
before leaving Seattle that he intended to
erect toll gate, and, backed up by govern
ment troops, he thought he would have no
difficulty in collecting tolls from everybody
who passed over his road.
Every precaution was taken to prevent
the mater from beciming public, and
Bracket got away before anybody ex-
cept the department at Washington knew
what was going on Bracket was very
careful to conceal the fact that any state
of terror existed on his road while talking
to newspaper men of Tacoma and Seat
tie, and this is the best evidence that no
such trouble really exists as had been re-
ported to the war department. The OBJ
tanning of this order from the war depart
ment demonstrates that Bracket is a
shrewd manager and that the war depart
it was caught by the scheme of the good
people who induced Alger to start the re-
lief expedition to Dawson.
The troops in Skaguay were sent there
for the express purpose Of preserving or
= ,I-.vsk t..
sary for Mr.. Bracket to come all the way
from Skaguay to the coast in order to de-
mand protection from the war department.
Capt Anderson, in charge of the troops at
Skaguay, is a highly efficient officer, and
knows his duty. If any real disorder had
existed on the White pass wagon road he
would have put it down quickly, and 1t
would not have been necessary for Bill
King to secure the special order from the
war department.
HARD LUCK STORIES
SEATTLE, Wash, March H.-The
schooner Bering Sea arrived today from
Yakutat bay, Alaska. When she left there
were about 300 people there waiting to go
over the pass into the interior.
Capt. Grotle reports that little progress
has been made at Disenchantment bay.
The bay was frozen over hard and fast las [
winter and when the Bering Sea left 1t was
just beginning to float out on the tide.
There were too many icebergs in the bay
to make navigation safe and the schooner s
passengers disembarkhd at Yakutat, a
small village on the coast.
Trouble of a serious nature was reported
on the schooner Morrill,. Before the Morrill,
arrived at Yakutat adverse winds were
encountered and she was driven some dis
tance out of her course. Then the passen-
gers, SO it was stated to Capt. Grotle, be-
came almost mutinous. During the trouble
the captain of the Morrill,, it is said,
quelled the row by a liberal display of
guns in the hands Of himself and crew. FL
nally the schooner was put about and ar
rived safely at Yakutat where the passen-
gers and freight were discharged.
The British Columbia, Seattle and Pa
cific Coast Railway company today made
application to the city council for fran
ch,se thirty feet wide over Railroad ave-
nue.. 1t is stated to the city council that It
was the purpose Of the company to con-
struct a railroad from Portland, Or, to
Seattle and thence to the British Columbia
boundary. The company was willing that