The San Francisco call., 1899-02-10
CLAIMS SEIZED
BY CANADIANS
Trouble Ahead in the
Atlin District.
RESULT OF EXCLUSION ACT
AMERICANS LOSE EVEN THEIR
IMPROVEMENTS.
RESULT OF EXCLUSION ACT
Situation Has Almost Reached the
Point Where Not Even the
Mounted Police Can Pre-
serve Peace.
BY HAL HOFFMAN.
Special Correspondence of The Call.

JUNEAU, Alaska, Feb. Cby steamer
Rosalie to Victoria, Feb. 9).-The po-
lice in Atlin may have something to do
any day now besides sitting before the
fire. Feeling runs high since the news
OF the exclusion act reached there;
trouble is brewing, and defiance of the
authority of the police may be shown
any day
This is the latest news brought down
this morning by the steamer Wolcott,
plying between Juneau and Lynn Canal
points. Anticipation of some trouble of
this nature is in all probability what
took Stipendiary Magistrate Rant to
Atltn recently. He left Skaguay for
Atlin City six days ago. A report, un-
corroborated, has come over White
Pass that Gold Commissioner Graham,
who has been hibernating at Bennett
this winter. has recommended the in
crease of the police force not so much
at Atlin City as at Discovery City, on
Pine Creek
Recently men have been f1ocl1ing into
Atlin at the rate of from thirty to fifty
day. Last comers to the coast over
the trails estimate the number at about
those figures. Most of these are Cana
dians. They are proceeding without
hesitation to take possession of the
ground staked by American miners,
and that is Where the trouble is. They
go along the creeks and drive their
stakes right over the first locations
made by the "early birds,' who were
quick to follow Fritz Miller, the locator
of Discovery claim. Naturally there is
a good deal of friction, and it is feared
blood will be shed
This is considered more imminent
from the fact that all the information
is in possession of the Canadian Jump
ers, so-called who came from the Ca
madam towns on the last ships and
from coast towns of Alaska, fortified
with all the facts and full knowledge
of the legislation at Victoria. On the
other hand, the American claim hold
ers have meager information and are
at considerable disadvantage in not
knowing just what to do. Thus very
valuable claims, possibly worth large
fortunes, or at least an INDEPENDENCE
through life to most men, are being
taken away-usurped and appropriated
before the very eyes of their first To-
Gators and owners, men who acquired
them last summer at considerable ex-
penditure of both money and labor 1t
is understood that even improvements
need not be. paid for unless the Cana
dian locator is so magnanimous as to
reimburse the first locator.
1t now transpires that certain men
who left Atlin last November for Vic
toria and Vancouver went south with
the purpose of promoting legislation
aimed at the exclusion of aliens and,
being familiar with the lay of the land,
so to speak, at Atlin, will be able to
prom greatly a Of Ffoi
Building operations are yet>suspended
at Atlin City and Discovery CITY.
These town sites are to be surveyed.
Owners Of buildings do not, therefore.
know whether their buildings will be-
In the street or not 1t must necessar-
lily be several weeks before this sur
Vey is completed. and there is the add
ed possibility that the survey may have
to be sent down to. Victoria for APP
proval. That would cause more deiay.
Merchants at Skaguay are still com
planning of no business. Up in the
Porcupine country there is about
twelve feet of snow, and it is almost
impossible to get around even on snow
shoes, as the snow on top is very
light and soft. 1t is no thicker in some
places than soap suds, and snowshoes
sink down almost knee deep in places.
The creeks were frozen during a re-
cent cold snap and travelling is easier.
Men in search of gold seem to prefer
camping in twelve feet of snow. the
hardest kind of work, discomfort and
even hardship, if they may be near the
spot-though they can do no prospect
ing till the snow goes off-to remaining
in towns where they may be comforta,
bic and at no more expense Conse
quently they are struggling up to Por-
cupine on the ice
The exclusion act is expected to send
a big rush into this country in the
spring. The stakes on claims in MANY
creeks in the Porcupine, Salmon River
and other districts in that section will
be found piled UP three stories high
when the snow goes. Nobody oues-
tions that owing to the snow which
hides the stakes some creeks have been
located and relocated several times.
Several men are spending the winter
In Juneau on dust and nuggets thew
panned out of the Porcupine district
as late as last September. WiIliam m
MIX the discoverer of Porcupine is
now somewhere in California eniovinp
himself us