The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-01-23
MOB At PORT YUKON.

seattle. Jan. 22-W. ~. Rank. Of San
Francisco who arrived here today from
Dawson city. which place he left De-
ccmbcr ie gives the following particulars
81 an attempt by a mob a, Fort Yukon
20 seize the warehouses OF the Alaska
Commercial Company and North Amer.
can Trading and Transportation Com
rany. The particulars were brought 20
DaWson by Fred Gosoh.
on Octo,cr = one hundred and hfty
mrn went 10 the trading companies and
demanded that they D. given years
supplies on credit Tncy said that they
would pay them with work In the mines
In e,- klondlke next season. The compa-
nlu' refused, after consulting with Cap.
tain Ray. on the following day the mob
gave u,ucc that unless iiA dcmands were
complied With the warehouses; would be
s.lIod Captain Ray. when Informed Of
mis- ho.aied the United States nag over
both warehouses and placing Lieutenant
Rloha r,hson Ia command u ono. took pos
session of The other and proclalmcd mar
aal law. captain Ray sworc In a force
ot = men to alb him in protecting the
property
Inspector ot Mln,s James McGregor.
who lrfy Sktgway some weeks ago with
evycn tons of provisions and Is horses.
has only raachrd white Horse rapids. II
will b. impossible for him to take the
horses down the Lcwes RIVER unless he
can build RATS and fioa, them down. and
this Is confessSily an ariuous underiak-
ms lie ana his party are now building
road around White Hono rapids and are
making fair progress.
Among this weeks arrivals was COM
mtIev representing the miners OF the
Klondike country. en- route to Ottawa.
where uhcy will Interview the Canadian
government concerning the mining laws
and cndcavor 90 secure their amendment.
The committee ls composed OF DR.. Wills,
formerly OF Belleville. Ontario for the
past three years Northwest Mounted Po-
lice surgeon at Dawson: Max Landre-
Vile eX.member OF the Canadian parlla-
mcn,, and y. J. Llvwnash. OF San Fran
cisco II Is understood that they have
with thcm petition bearing several
thousand names, asking for the revoca-
tlon Of tho royalty clause, alternate
claim section. and that claims be restored
90 the original size OF 500 feet.
Speaking OF the food situation Or. Wills
said
rIf We can set food into Dawson by
the fret water. the situation will be re-
lieved, II In no use to try and sled pro-
visions down the Yukon to Dawson. II
cannot be done, owing TO the fact that
the lewes river S still open and kreat
ridges OF ice block the Yukon below Big
Salmon. II the American government
wishes to send In supplies 10 It's people In
Dawson, the only feasible plan is to
freight the supplies TO the foot OF Lake
laBarge on ice and have them ready to
ship down the river as soon Us naviga ton
opens, probably about the 18th OF May.
There will be suffering In Dawson in
April-thero always is. Food will be
scarce and scurvy will break out. but the
situation viii be no more serious than
II has always been at that time OF the
year"
The question OF the right of the Cana
dian customs officials TO levy duties on
American goods at Lake Bennett has
been explicitly raised by Willis Thorpe, a
we'll known cattleman OF Washington, In
November last Thorpe drove 80 head OF
cattle from Skagway TO Lake Bennett,
where he slaughtered them, The question
OF duty was not broaohed until a few
days ago, when Thorpe received COM
munscation from Captain Il. G. Wood, In
speotor Of the Northwest Mounted Po-
lice, stating that no had been requested
by the collector of customs at Tagish to
call upon Thorpe to pay the duty, $40 per
head Thorpe was Also told that In case
Of his refusal TO pay the duty, Captain
Wood would send men to secure the beef,
u as much of It as was necessary TO
cover the duty, Thorpe called upon Cap
tain Wood, whose headquarters are tom
porarlly located here, and formally re-
fused to pay tho duty demanded on the
ground that the cattle were killed on
American territory and not In Canada as
claimed by the Canadian officials, He
also objected to q duty OF SIG per head.
claiming that II 1t were legal for the Ca
madam customs officials to collect duties
at Lake Bennett, In this case the duty
should be levied on dressed meats and
not upon live cattle,
Thorpe will lay the matter at once be-
foro the United States government and
in the meantime he has warned the Ca
madam customs officials not to seize his
beef until such time as he can receive q
reply to his communication from WASH
lng'ton City.
Thorpe claims that according to the
Continued on Third PagA)