The age-herald., 1898-02-12
A LAND WITHOUT
 ANY FORM OF LAW Is the Nay a Captain Ray Describes the KlOndike. STORIES OF LOSS OF LIFE Are Greatly Exaggerated, But the Food
 Question Is Serious. MANY RICH CLAIMS ARE NOW IDLE Because the Price of Supplies Will Not Justify Working Them-He Recommends
 Military Government to Put
 Down the laWless.
STORIES OF LOSS OF LIFE
MANY RICH CLAIMS ARE NOW IDLE

Washington, Feb. 1.-The war depart ment today made public the advices re- ceived from Capt. P. H. Ray, of the Eighth infantry, who was sent to Alaska to report on conditions in the mining country. The reports embrace a period running from Oct. 3 to Nov. 8, and are dated from Circle City and Fort Yukon. They show a very serious state of affairs, that trouble is threatened at various places and that there is serious danger at some points of lack of food, owing in a large measure to the failure of the transportation companies to get in sufficient supplies.
 Serious Question
 On the food question he says 'The question of food is very serious one, and the action of the N. A. T. and T. company is causing much friction. use my best en- deavors to reconcile all differences peacea- bly. and get all people who are without provisions down to Fort Yukon as soon as possible, where there is an abundance of food. learn that while food is scarce in Dawson City the miners in the outlaying camps are fairly well supplied. The stores two) are selling very conservatively. The eating houses are closed save one.
 .'While l consider the situation critical I do not believe there will be any great loss of life beyond that incident to a climate so rigorous as this. That there will be much suffering along the river and the trail owing to the rashness and ignorance of people unaccustomed to this climate no well informed person here will deny, but there is nothing that should cause undue anxiety or alarm among people in the states who have friends in this country. There are fabulous stories being circulated and will be published about the prices paid for food. I have verified instances where s100 was paid for fifty pounds of flour, but such cases are rare and were outside deals and not the prevailing price,
 Alaskan Comm ercial Interests
 Captain Ray then dwens at great length on the serious injury that will result to Alaska commercial interests if some rad acal steps are not taken to protect all per sons from interference from their legiti- mate business. He says: "A large major ity of the people now here are peaceable and law-abiding, but in absence of any person in authority to appeal to for the settlement of many differences that are constantly arising, they are compelled to ask outside of the law, and when in- f1uenced by passion, prejudice or liquor will permit acts that jeopardize great f. nancial interests, and from which there can be no appeal. While here I am con stantly being appealed to to act where have no authority. I 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 officials to enforce the law. The Q6pdrtmentS are SRn01nS out COIfltIllS- sioners, receivers and registers who cannot qualify for obvious reasons The pfi1lci- pal reason is that there is no official quali- fled to administer an oath within thous- and miles of this place. A commissioner is powerless if he has no power to enforce his decisions.
 Surprised They Are Not Worse
 q am only surprised that matters are not worse. We are facing fact, not a theory, as I believe it is the first time in the history of our government that 1t has been called upon to govern an outlying province where the issues are vital and important both natural and financial. For if the transportation companies cannot be given protection along this river they Will be driven from the field and route opened up through British North America to sup ply our own people in our own country;
 Capt Ray, under date of Circle City, Oct T. says that the transportation com panies utterly failed to keep promises made to passengers; that of S46 people landed at St. Michaels, destined for Circle City and above, 42 reached their destinations, the balance being stranded between Circle City and St. Michaels or having returned to the g United States.
 ..There has been," he adds, Hess than 200 tons of freight all told delivered above Fort Yukon"
 Insufficient Food
 This failure on the part of the transpor- tation companies to put into the mining district sufficient supply of food has not only given ascheck to mining interests, but has destroyed all the 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 construc- tion of railroad through British North America to the Yukon river above the boundary, and the mining interests of Alaska will be dependent for supplies on a route through foreign country with all this means in the way of discriminations in favor of the British merchants.
 'From what I have learned from mine owners and prospectors, am satisfied that the greater part of the gold belt lies in our territory along the range known as the Upper Ramparts.
 '.Along the Tam Tannanah, Manok creek, Birch creek and the head of Fort Miles there are diggings that will pay from $10 to $2O per day per man now lying idle,