The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-12-13


Skagway with his mind stiIi fun OF art,
but with MS interests divided between
art and the material concerns OF Alaska
He has been III the goIi country eighteen
months in business capacity.
This talk about continuing to attempt
TO exclude liquor from Alaska said Mr..
WoIn In a conversation AZ the Hotel But
Ter, where he Is registered. proceeds from
people who fail to take into account con-
ditions as they exist IN Alaska at the
present time. Things are not what they
were four years ago. The white man
and not the missionary white man. either
is predominant there now. and the white
man wants his liquor and is entitled TO
have IT
HE gets ii even now-gets all he wants.
But it's had stuff. ana IL Is obtained by
laHless means. There are sixty saloons
III Skagway, for example, and they all
sell LIQUOR which Is smuggled into the
territory. The liquor originates in Cana
da and British Columbia, passes through
bond at Victoria. crosses the Canadian
border OF Alaska and comes back into
Alaska.
United States officials eonnive at the
sms.ug e., and grow financially far OYER OYER
is sufficient answer TO Mr.. knapps cues-
ton 10 how the official wiseacres
Knew so, shat st5emps to enforce d sne law
Federal business Up there. They are there
10 steal and cheat the government and aid
steal and cheat the government and aid
the law-breakers, and they are doing Just
what they are there for. The whole
proposition is one graft. And II is
graft. as Well as the missionaries, that Is
opposing the establishment of liquor liz
Cerse.
Il am not speaking in opposition to the
missionaries. You VIII notice that ex-
Gov. Brady, who was himself a mission
AIRY. holds this same view. It is only this:
The people want the liquor they need
II in that cold country; and they ought
10 have II by lawful processes which yield
the ordinary revenue to the Federal gov
eminent and legitimate support TO city
governments.
Nor is that ALL" continued Mr.. Wolff.
Alaska is rot only increasing in popula-
ton. but her new population Is most GER
tainiy permanent. | am sure that Skag-
the productive capacity of the Attn lake
district viii give that section q perma-
nent population SO it is with other towns
and districts. The territory therefore
should have local liberty In these matters.
or at least the same liberty that is extend
ed TO other portions of the United States.
The Indians VIII get go more liquor than
they do now. because the proposed license
law does not calculate to remove the PEN
atty from the sale Of liquor 10 Indians.
Mr.. Wolff notes the great change in the
orderliness of Skagway since the. expul-
sion of the Soapy Smith gang, and states
that there is no drunkenness and there is
are almost Impossible, because Of the in
ability of criminals to escape from the
authorities. He attributes much of the
change to the personal honesty and fear
lessness of Marshal Tanner and Judge
Sehlbrede.
The immediate interest OF Mr. VOLTS
in Seattle by the Topeka on SUNDAY
mornings artistic. Notwithstanding
that he has been engaged at skagway as
manager OF the Northern Trading 4
TranSn0r. ton CpmnanN he bpen
able to keep his fingers away from his
brushes and his brushes. away from his
canvas. He has brought with him TO
the city probably the first fine oil paint
ing that has been made of the new Alas
kan country Ire painting is Of the
most sympathetic N and truthful bit Of
Alaska scenery. Although only an initial
production. IL discloses the novel possible
ties of Alaska as a field for artists, espe-
eial!y in the study of atmospheres. Mr.
Wolff contrasts the country with Switzer-
land in this respect. and his delicate little
work on the Mouth of the Skagway"
amply justlfies the comparison. Mr..
Wolff calculates to return to Skagway in
the spring and devote six months exclu-
sively 10 painting.
Another item OF interest which Mr..
Woln mentioned is the sale OF the Haines
| mission by the missionary society 10 the
Humbert-Yukon Company. The land oc-
eupied by Haines mission was given TO the
missionaries for educational uses. They
have recently sold IL. and the business
people Of the Skagway river country are
now endeavoring 10 ascertain whether
such a transfer of title is legal. Import
ant developmental interests are more or
less hampered BY the sale.
Mr.. Wolf is an artist OF considerable
reputation. His works have been ex-
hibited in the salon In Paris. and he has
| painter and as an illustrator In New York
city Some OF his illustrations in ST.
Nicholas have been very popular.
W. A. Scott. travelling representative OF
the Mining and Scientific Press, OF San
Francisco, Is in the city in the interest Of
that journal Relative to general mining
progress he says.
The results OF the year Will show
large increase over 1897, especially a.
TO gold production In Colorado Utah and
the Northwest. and copper production III
In Colorado. Cripple Creeks gold pro-
duct VIII be fully twelve million. the rest
Of the state about eight million. In the
Mercur district Of Utah are the ideal ores
for cyanide treatment The mills there
are handling l.4co tons per twenty-four
hours OF ore tina. ranges from 81 10 SIS
per ton. In that district the cost of min
| Ing and milling is reduced TO the mini
mum-as low as g per ton for both.
In the Occur d'Aienes of Idaho, the
Bunker Hill & Sullivan, Last Chance
Standard, Tiger. Helena * Frisco and
Morning are producing a greater tonnage
or SilfSE-ie2G ore imam at any time since
ISL. Their protuct is shipped in the form
OF concentrates 10 the smelters' OF Puget
sound Salt Lake and Denver.
"A visit 70 Spokane shows that II is be-
coming a mining center for large SCOPE
of country. kossland production Is
keeping up weil. and Republic camp is
certainly one OF present importance and
great promise IN the future.
As 10 the Alaskan and klondlke de-
velopment It's benefits 10 Seattle will be
indirect as well as direct, In becoming
The Quitting point for the klcnaike and
Alaska Seattle - also made something
az a headquarters for mining men This
" Il result IN aid and reinforcement for the
mining enterprises on both sides Of the
Cascades IN this state. In the gold basin
Gaiena Nethow and other districts near
here / believe developments have uncov-
cred valuable leads and judtc!0uS exploit
ing VIII make q mining country out OF k.
In the development Of sach q region
the Cascades, a good deal depends uDou
The encouragement and backing accorded
progpectors WHO are willing 20 take their
chances OF discovery.
The gold products OF Alaska. klondike
ana Lake A1lin are bound to be an IN
p1rtart factor from row on.