Stikeen River journal., 1898-06-18
The P..I. Coming Into Camp.


condeming the position taken by the
Seattle L. |. toward Fort Wrangel,
are beginning to bear fruit rs the fol-
lowing editorial. from that paper dated
June ID will show. 1t says:
"Thc Chamber of Commerce of Fort
Wranycl has adopted II series of rcso-
buttons in which it declares that the
acknowledgement has "libcled" that
town and has refused to publish the
facts.
I'm reply, the Post-lntelligencer de-
clares the statement AS to its refusal to
publish any facts in which its atten-
ton has been drawn to he Il falsehood.
"Thc truth is that the Post-lntel-
liuencer has published impartially such
news concerning the town and the route
as has come to it from trustworthy
sources. Last winter this paper was in
directly made the means of deluding
many poor prospectors by accepting as
reliable the assurances of men who
professcd to be familiar with the Sti-
keen route that it was Il perfectly
practicable means of reaching the
klondike. The reports spread so wide
ly through this and other newspapers
resulted in Il great rush to Fort Wrau-
gel, much to the benefit of the business
men there Later in the season when
men who had attempted the journey
came back disappointed having spent
their money unwisely and holding the
Post igcncer responsible to some
extent for having unintentionally mis-
led them. this paper yava them an OPP
portunitv to tell their side Of the story.
THE rush to Wranyel took with II a
number of gamblers and crooks. just as
the rush to Seattle brought them here.
The Post-lnteligenccr related these
things as Il matter of news, just As ii
rel orts daily the doings of crooks and
confidence men in this city.
IF the otlense of the Post-lntelli-
gencer is that it has faithfully enron
iclcd the dongs on the Stikeen route
and at Wrangel. it is likely to continue
to be an offender.
The article to which exception is
taken does not say one word of an UNI
complimentary character concerning
the merchants or residents of Y. rangel.
1t merely relates the dongs of the
"surc-thiny' visitors to that place
The { hambcr of Commerce of Fort
Wrangcl would have done much more
wisely. if instead of wasting Il lot of
printing on Il long string of denuncia-
tory resolutions. they had taken the
news articles. whose truthfunc-s they
impuyn. and had pointed out the par
ticulars in which they We're wrong.
Does the Chamber of Commerce regard
It's libelous the statements that the
better class of Wrangel, citizens got
together on Monday last and are de-
icrmincd to put the town on an honest
footing, if it can be done,
The Post-lntclligeneer intends to
publish the truth about the Stikcen
river route and all other routes. 1t has
/, duty to perform To the general pub
lie, no less than that to the residents of
the towns to be benefited by the re-
spective routes.
lit intends to publish the news re-
garding the doing- and whereabouts
of thieves of all kinds. in oracr that the
public may he put on its guard. 1t Is
and will continue to be its policy to cor
rect any erroneous statements it may
have made. 1t asks only that it
be given the facts and they will be
printed fully and chcerfully.
The i'o-t-Intellyenccr desires the
goodwill of the people of Alaska, and
will further their legitimate interests
in every honorable way: but it doe, not
propose to be bulldozed 10y threats, any
more than it can be bought by any
promises of favor to say that which is
not true, or to suppress the truth when
the suppression will mislcad men to
their loss.
1t seems a little late for the u. |. to
attempt TO smooth matters over in this
way. That paper reads the handwrit-
ing on the wall. 1t knows that Wran
gel is the only town in Alaska which
has Il promising future, and, is now
trying to court its friendship. But UNI
til the F. |. shows its fricndlness to-
ward Wranycl in Il more substantial
way. it will not be trusted.
J. r. McKcand Returns.
Mr. J. l., AIckeanl of InnnhtOn