The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-03-04
Claimed That the British Flag Mas
Raised on American Soil.
MINERS REFUSE TO PAY DUTY
Il Is Said. nowsysr That the uaiisd States
Coysrsmsut Does Soi Claim the
Disputed Territory.

Seattle. March 3.--Fiye steamers arrived
from Alaska today-the Utopia. Hueneme'
Del Norte. Protection and Queen. The
Queen brought the latest news. having
lef 5kagway last Sunday. The mos, I'M
portant news brought down was the con
arnatIon OF the previous reports that the
Canadian officials had raised the British
flag on what Is regarded as American
soil and that there was truoble at skag-
wav with longshoremen. who objected TO
Indians unloading freight from the steam
ers. The presence OF United States troops
prevented serious trouble. A compromise
wss made with the white men TO perform
the work at 80 cents an hour. It Is feared
that serious trouble will grow out Of the
canadians. attempt to collect duty on the
summit Of White and chIlkoot passes
and A,sericans Will resist the payment OF
duties on what they consider American
ground.
Another complication viii result with
the various tramways which are being
constructed TO carry freight over the
passes. The officials Of these ,ramways
are reported 10 have declared that any
interruption with their construction work
or any attempt to exercise any right OF
ownership. will be resisted.
II is thought at Dyea and skagway that
the next movement on the part Of the
Canadian authorities viii be TO claim SOW
.reignty over those two places Last
summer the boundary line was at Lake
Bennst,. then al Llndeman. aud nov al
tbs summit OF the mountains. which Is
only about twenty miles from salt water
Two days before the Queen left skagway
general thaw set in. The changed
weather caused hundreds Of people whc
had been detained by the severe cold 'S
start over the trails from both skagway
and Dyea. and when the steamer let
general exodus from both towns was TAX
ing place.
CAPTAIN Wallace. OF the Queen, gives
the following particulars of his first ex
perience with the longshoremen Of skas
} way: When the Queen finished unload
ing at juneau the thirty-fve Indian
that had been doing the work were takei
TO Skagway. They do work for . cent
an sour and the company refuses TO pa!
80 and IS cents, as demanded by the whit
men.
AT Skagway the Indians went ashor'
and were beset by a crowd OF fifty nun
cry men. The white men were well or
ganized. They did not know, however
thar the Queen had federal troops aboard
sent north to quiet such scenes as tn
whites proposed to create.
The stevedores made rush. The In
dians fell back. and were crowded close
and closer to the edge OF the wharf. A
this juncture three shots were fired a
the Indians by one Of the attacking party
The shots did no damage, but greatly ex
cited the passengers and spectators. A
the Indians retreated along the wharf o.
their way back to the ship, one OF thei
number was crowded off. He went dow
about S feet into the cold water and
after considerable delay, he was hauIe
out. more dead than alive. Then the II
soldiers, in charge of Captain F. F. East
man. were called on by Captain wal
lace to protect the Indians. The compan
quickly formed on deck, and the men wer
driven back al the point of bayonets
After this patrol was formed and non
allowed to pass the line without creden
tials. The Indians finished unloadine
The guard was maintained until saturda
TO guard against the open threats mad
by the stevedores that they would oio'
up the ship, There was no more trouble
however,