Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-18


OF Denver.
81 dii not ascertain the names Of the
killed. From my location, about fifteen
miles north OF the Porcupine river, heard
that a squad OF Canadian Northwest
mounted police had left Lake Tagish for
the Porcupne, the news Of the fight having
reached them. The Americans are deter
mined, and ! fear there will be an ther
conflict, There is no doubt in my mind
that the new district is in American terri
tory"
slummerfers story is unconRrmed, but
reports received here about two weeks ago
from the district predicted a clash il the
Canadians did not leave the territory.
WASHINGTON, March 17.-With in
finite difficulty the joint commissions
ers had succeeded in reaching an agree
meut to which all could subscribe, looking
to the settlement OF this boundary question
and Of the conflicting mining interests gen
orally. Within a week the British Colum-
bia legislature had passed an act nullifying
completely all of the interests which Amer
lean miners had 50 painfully and eXpen-
sively acquired in the new Atln district.
This caused great irritation and was the
subject of considerable discussion before the
commission. 1t was believed, however,
that with the ratification of the treaty
which was expected to be negotiated car
rying with 1t the provision for the settle
ment Of the mining controversies, the OBJ
noxious law would be vacated by the SUI
perior force of the treaty. Appreheusive
of trouble in the event of the failure of
that instrument the two governments-the
United States and Great Britain-reached
an agreement in the nature of a modus vi
vendi roughly defining by certain land
,,lt.. tl,, hot, n,yti i,h
and American possessions from the Klon-
dixie section down to British Columbia
boundaries Have Been Moved.
The officials here cannot tell from the
vague report brought by the Vancouver
| dispatch where the collision took place be-
| tween the American and Canadian miners,
| so it is impossible to tell who is at fault.
| 1t is said however, that the Canadians
| have been particularly aggressive in this
| boundary matter right along; that they
| have several times advanced the lines of
the boundary claimed by them and that in
| each case this extension Coincided or fol-
| lowed very closely the discovery of new
| gold fields in the vicinity.
The indications are that the United States
government will be obliged to take some
| steps to police its side of the border In
| Alaska in a method corresponding to the
| Canadian system. There will be nothing
threatening in the adoption of such a
| course. for In the official belief there is
| much less risk of conflict between the reg
ularly appointed and responsible bodies like
| the Canadian mounted police on the one
| side and the United States military forces
| on the other than between bands of miners
| as opposed to the Canadian police. Conse-
] quently it is probable that as soon as Col
| onel Ray arrives here from Porto Rico, on
| perhaps even before, the War department
will take steps to organize a suitable force
! for this purpose The reports sent by the
| United States army officials in Alaska refer
| to the Porcupine river locality where this
| conflict is reported. Lieutenant Richardson
reported that eighteen prospectors had gone
up the Porcupine and Salmon rivers. He
| gave in detail the geography of the Porcu-
| pine and it's sudden and dangerous floods
| in the spring, but he did not indicate that
| any question existed as between the Amer
| lean and Canadian interests.