Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-02-12
TIE SITUATION N ALASKA.
Report Of Captain ?. 4. R~y Made
Public Yesterday.

Public Yesterday.
lie is the War Departments Spa
cial Commissioner, Sent to the
Klondike RegiOn to Secure Cor
rect and Conservative Informa-
ton, and His Discoveries and Re
port Are to Be Credited as Au-
tllentic Urges That the Govern
ment Establish It's Authority and
That Unprepared God Seekers
be Barred Out.
Washington, D. c., February H.
The War Department to-day made
public the adyices received from Cap
tain P. II. 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 October to November 3, and
are dated from Circle City and Fort
Yukon. They show a very serious
state of affairs, that trouble is threat
ened at various places and that there
is serious da1ser at some points Of
lack of food. owing in a large measure
to the failure OF the transportation
companies to get in sufficient supplies.
In report dated Circle City, October
3, Captain Ray recommends, should
I the department decide to establish a
post on the upper river, that the
mouth of Nilsson or American creek
! be chosen as the site with sub-post
! if necessary at Circle City.
"The question of food here is very
serious one, and the action of the N.
| A. T. & 7. Co. is causing much fric-
ton | use my best endeavors to
reconcile all differences peaceably and
get all people who are without provis
| ions down to Fort Yukon as soon as
possible. where there is an abundance
Of food learn that While foods
SCARCE IN DAWSON CITY,
| the miners in the outlaying camps are
! fairly well supplied. The two stores
are selling very conseryatively. The
| eating houses are all closed save one.
| While consider the situation critical
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 rash
! ness and ignorance Of the people un-
/ accustomed to this climate, no well in
formed person here will deny, but
| there is nothing that should cause I'M
/ due anxiety or alarm among people in
the States who have friends in this
country.
IA large majority of the people now
i here are peaceable and law-abiding,
| but in absence Of any person in au-
/ thority to appeal to for the the set
Element of the many differences that
are constantly arising they are COM
! pelled to act outside of the law and
when Influenced by passion, prejudice
or liduor, will commit acts that jeop-
ardize great financial interests and
| from which there can be no appeal.
| The anpeal continues to come to me
| Ia know when, if ever. the government
is going to send in officials to enforce
! the law. Miners complain that they
cannot perfect any title to their mines
| owing to the absence Of any land office.
4 am only surprised that matters
are not worse. We are facing a fact,
not a theory, as l believe it is the first
! time in the history of our government
that it has been called upon to gov
! ern
AN OUTLYING PROVINCE
where the issues are vital and import
ant, both national and financial For,
| if the transportation companies can
not be given protection along this river
they will be driven from the field and
a route opened up through British
Moth america TO supply cur own peo-
pie in our own country.
From what / have learned from
mine owners and prospectors, | am full
| ly satisfied that the greater part OF
the gold belt lies in our territory
I along the range known as the Upper
Ramparts..'
Under date Of November 2, Captain
Ray recommends that the government
"take steps to check immigration TO
this region of all people who do not
come prepared with sufficient provis-
ions to last them for two years.
| o -4-