New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-16
THE YUKON RAILROAD.
PLANS OF THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT
TO OPEN THE GOLD COUNTRY.
A COMPANY To Raw. THE NEW LINE OPEN IN
SEPTEMBER y DISPUTE OVER TIE
LAND-GRANT PAYMENT

LAND GRANT PAYMENT.
Ottawa. Feb Il (Sro,laO.-The Canadian Par
lament is now struggling with she Yukon uans-
portat,on problem II is proving a difficult question.
and will no doubt he The principal issue u the
sess Oh The Government has serious problem
TO solve. and I'm the solution proposed 81 Is meet
ing with the Aorcest opposition Of the Conservative
party The main features Of the question are
easily understood On all hands it T. admitted 'ha'
Ct is the imperative duty OF The Government TO
provide early possible the safest ana eas' 81
route TO the eod fields Of the north This Is
necessary not only as q means Of opening the
mining country. but a. a provision OF saielE lo'
the thousands who have or will overcome all Oh
stecles and tempt fortune IN those WhoSpl'ame
region The rush has alreadr begun ana VIII
continue 10 has heon estimated that IL the ehd
Of ,he present year one hundred thousand people
Will be- IN he Canadian portion Of tho Yukon
basin. This means lot only large trade. nut
vdc DRY over which law and order must p'
maintained About every pound Of fooc ronsuIhto
ny har population must be- brought In, ana here
there must be mistake. for should he supply
run short he results would be appalling The
weight OF these and other considerations has lee
the Government 70 act At once and secure cana
dian route 10 TIA CANADIAN Yukon.
Ills proposed route. in brief is follows BY
ooes q passage the mouth OF the ik'en RIVER
rear Fort WraugeL in Alaska, up t1o Sukeen
River By steamer to Glenor6 or TclerrapA Creek.
therce by railway 10 the head Of Ieshn Lake and
from there by water 10 Dawson CITY. for Icslin
Lake discharges itself by Tho Hootalnlua River
snd the latter flows mto the Yukon. il is tnere-
fore 2 water route. with one Ink Of railway. hom
Telegraph Greek 10 Teshn Like. distanc" OF
abou- one hundred and fifty mile. For distance
OF about twert ~ miles the S'iteou River flows
through tha- narrow coast strip o. disputed ter
ritorv over which the United States exercises iurls
diCtion: hut IL is river those navga ~ IL Tree
TO British ships. according 70 the Treaty ~ Wash
lfa
8 point well within Canadian territory. That point
IL 10 he The eastward terminus Of The railway
line From the inland terminus on TesAn Lake
steamboats, will northward 20 Dawson city.
This route az well the ChilkOot and White
passes has been examined by ". r. Jennings. an
engineer II ne Canadian Department Of Railways
He nnds .he S'ikeen River nsvigtble for one hum
6red and atty miles from the seq with TWO rather
difficult and dangerous points. However. q DOW
erful steamer could m Ike he trip up 90 Telegraph
Creek IN two days. The ergir ser estimates that "A
line OF railway from thai point 20 Tesiin Lake
would cost slcD ro He thinks that electric
reilvsv le inies i'm length could bc built and
equipped for s. 5000 including power-stations and
cars. Calculating upon a basis OF 200 passengers
for the season and three-quarters Of a ton Of
freight per passenger no concludes an annual
revenue OF $500. which. less $1,000 the cost OF
operating would yield Not profit Of $1,000 a
year Mr.. Jennings estimates thar wagon road
could be constructed for 81 40 per mile md trail
for go per mile.
A. rerards the lake Mr. Jennings found it open
May 49, and that It froze over on October r.
Teslin Lake Is siXty-One miles long with "a depth
Of eleven feot at low water. There IS plenty OF
game in the district. but the fur trade there IS
principally in the hands Of Americans.
The opening up Of this route has been contracted
for. and this contract is now before Parliament
for ratification The work has been assigned to
Messrs. Mann and Mackenzie. two Of The largest
and richest contractors n Canada Even the most
severe critics Of the scheme do not doubt the
ability Of the men TO perform wha. hey heye
undertaken These men agree 20 build mis- Tes.in
by September next Along the route o. tho rail-
way they are 10 have a sled road ready for use
Of the best seasons for travellers on foot TO rea h
rnsSv FOR ne inWarj rlsb In '"5lion 70 b11d
ing the railway the contractors arc 20 place on
Lewis and Yukon rivers steamboats,. these TO be
IunIAng as soon ss ths railway IS In operation.
Such IN general terms are the obligations Of the
The consideration paid by the Government IS
and grant Is 10 be $3.50 aces for each NILE Of
Yukon land. This land cannot be in one block,
but is 70 he taken IN sections Of eighteen square
miles. alternate sections being reserved part OF
the public domain. Nor can the selection by the !
company interfere with acquired rights Of placer
/ IS in connection with this land grant that the
scheme IS meeting with opposition The critics Of
tie Government say that II is 100 laree; that in |
faC[ u amounts 20 giving away oue-h.lf Of the |
god lands OF the Canadian Yukon practically |
turning Canadas richest gold fields into the hands
OF a company. on the Other hand. the scheme is /
looked upon as a speculative one These lands !
may yield fortune or hey may never return The |
contractors The money invested in the transporta-
u2n route; y f. therefore a huge gamble.
IL should b added That the tolls % he charged |
UPON the railway and the steamboats, are to he |
fxed by the Government and 20 remain IN force !
four years. when hey arc TO De reduced by one |
iourth- AT The cnd Of seven years they are to be /
reduced another fourth making total cut Of 20 |
per cent.
Another point raised by the opposition Is this:
River IL free 70 Canadian navigation. still by its |
nature the river is not uayGahle TO ocean shIps. /
therefore Canadian carcOes would have 10 be |
uanssh ipped. and by doing come within The !
scope OF Amer an Gus 1ms regulations The GOV |
ernmert has not yet fully answered that pn,ut |
but Ia. animated that The matter will be ARRANGED !
with the American authorities.
However. latest reports from the coast indicate |
another souf ion Of the difficulty. Tie contractors
arc said 10 hay" found island south of Port
Wrangel wholly within Canadian territory II |
possesses good harbor, whore the trarsshlr,Inent
from the Ocesn steamship could bs made 10 fbe |
river steamer. lsudlocked channel also exfenTs |
northward 10 the mouth If the Stkeen River - |
this be true II VIII be fortunate for the project
The contractors are finding great dlffeuitv I'm |
oOts ming passage from Vancouver for fbe' Eve
thousand wOrkWen they wish 20 take uor-h for
construction work AL available space on Inc nut.
gong shiIs has been secured by minors rushing
into the Yukon