Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-01-24
KLoNDIKE TALK.
information Brought BY Recent Arrivals
From the North.

Skaguay, Jan. Z, via Seattle, Jan 3D.
Thirty persons have arrived here during
the past week from the Klondike mining
region. They say there is food enough at
Dawson to last until the Yukon river is
open. Supplies must be received by that
time if suffering is to be averted. In
reference to the proposed government
relief expedition, all agree that it would
be impossible to forward supplies down
the river on the ice.
In the first place the Yukon river be-
tween Dawson and Policy is so rough
that dog trains can haul but a small
amount of provisions, barely enough for
the party accompanying them, and the
route is impossible to horses. The Thir-
ty Mile river is still open, but it is with
considerable difficulty that dog trains
or men on foot can make their way
along the shores. The winter in the in
terror up to the present has been re-
markably mild, and it Is the opinion of
old timers that the river will not freeze
over this winter.
Inspector Of Mines McGregor, who
left Skaguay some weeks ago with
tons Of provisions and 10 horses, has
only reached White Horse range. 1t
will be impossible for him to take the
horses down Thirty-Mile river, unless
he can build RATS and float them down.
He and his party are now building
road around White Horse rapids and are
MATING fair progress.
Among this weeks arrivals was a
committee representing the miners of
the klondike country, en- route to Otta-
wa, where they will interview the Cana
dian government concerning the mining
laws, and endeavor to secure their
amendment. The committee is COM
posed of Dr. Wills formerly Of Belle
Hile, Ont, and for the past three years
northwest mounted police surgeon at
Dawson; Max Landreville, an ex-mem-
Der of the Canadian parliament, and
e. ]. Livernash of San Francisco.
The members of the committee declined
to make any statement for publication
Until they had conferred with the Cana
dian government. 1t is understood,
however, that they have with them a
petition bearing several thousand names
asking for a revocation of the royalty
clause, and the alternate claim sections
and that claims be restored to the origt-
nal distance, 500 feet.
Speaking of the food situation, DR..
Wills said: 'If we can get food into
Dawson by the first water, the situation
will be relieved. 1t is no use to try to
sled provisions down the Yukon to Daw
son. 1t cannot be done, owing to the fact
that the Lewes river is still open, and
the great ridges Of ice which block the
Yukon below the Big Salmon.
If the American government wishes to
send in supplies, the only feasible plan
is to freight supplies to the foot of LIE
Barge on the ice and have them ready
to ship down the river as soon as nayi-
cation opens, probably about May Is.
There will be suffering in Dawson in
April. Food will be scarce and scurvy
will break out, but the situation will be
no more serious than it has been at that
time of year.
The question of the right of Canadian
customs officials to levy duties on
American goods at Lake Bennett has
been explicitly raised by Will S. i
Thorpe, well known cattle man of
Washington. In November last Thorpet
drove 80 head of cattle from Skaguay to
Lake Bennett, where he slaughtered
them The question of duty was not
preached until few days ago when
from Capt. f. G. Wood, inspector of the
Indian mounted police, stating he had
been requested by the collector of
customs, at Tagash, to call upon Thorpe
to pay the duty of SIG head.
Thorpe was also told that in case of
refusal to pay the duty, Capt. Wood
would send men to secure the beef or
as much Of it as was necessary to cover
the duty. Thorpe called upon Capt.
Wood. whose headquarters are tenn
porarily located here, and formally rel
fused to pay the duty demanded, on the
ground that the cattle were killed In
American territory and not in the Cana |
dian Dominion, as claimed by the Cana |
dian officials.
He also objected to the duty of SIG per
head, claiming that if it was legal for
Canadian customs officials to collect |
duty at Lake Bennett in this case, the |
duty should be levied on dressed meats |
and not upon live cattle Thorpe win |
lay the matter before the United States |
government, and in the meantime he |