The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-09-25
ARRIVES FROM FORT G|BBON
COMMANDAyT OF POST OF YUKON
RETURNS FROM NORTH.
Soldiers Experience No Dimculty I'm
Preserving Order-Construction
of the Government telegraph
Lines Now Proceeds Steadily.

Among the passengers on the Roanoke,
which reached Seattle last evening. was
MAJ. F. NJ. N. Kendrick. Of the Seventh
United States infantry, who has been In
command OF a garrison of two companies
at Fort Gibbon. on the Yukon. Maj. Ken
driek. who is at the Stevens. was seen
last evening. and spoke at length on the
work Of the members of the army now
doing duty In Alaska.
There are In ALL" said he. eight COM
panies of regulars now stationed through
out the United States possessions In the
North. OF these. two companies are at
Nome. two are at Fort Gibbon and there
are two other garrisons OF two companies
each located at convenient points.
The work OF the men has Not been so
much In the line OF preserving order as
In improvement OF government property.
We have been doing large amount Of
building at Gibbon. preparing the post
for permanent occupancy. The men have
been busily engaged in that line all sum-
mer OF course. the presence OF the reg
ulars has been great aid in preserving
order. as the moral influence OF COM
pany or two OF regulars in new COM
munity Il very marked. Their presence
Is a great encouragement TO persons of
lawless proclvities. and while there has
been practically no active work In the
direction Of suppression OF crime. the very
up anything Of the kind has made the
country far more orderly than 1t is thought
to be by many persons on the outside.
1.-THE chief work In which the men are
now engaged is the construction OF gov.
eminent telegraph line from Fort Egbert.
at Eagle City. 10 st. Michael IT is the
intention OF the government to push this
work to completion. in order that a means
Of rapid communication may exist between
the garrisons. Present indications are.
however, that II cannot be completed dur
Ing the present year. From my garrison
sent party OF fifty men. under the
command OF a commissioned ofiicer. to
engage in the work
1.-THE instructions to the officer In charge
were 10 make his way $50 miles down the
Yukon. mapping the course OF the stream
as he went. and from thence TO construct
n telegraph line back to the post by the
shortest possible route. In order to do
this II is necessary TO construct cabins ut
various points along the lire OF work.
where provisions may be stored and tho
men properly housed and looked after.
When the command left the fort they were
instructed to make all haste with the
work. in order that portion OF them
might return within thirty or forty days.
They were given four months supplies and
rations. however. and will remain out for
that time In the event that this section
VI the Work IN not coulpiettu soOneF.s
THE arrival OF government supplies is
eagerly looked for by the army as well as
by the impecunious civilians who hope
to return on the transport. At the time
I left Gibbon we were very short of some
rations We hadn't seen A potato for two
months. and the men were using molassea
with their coffee In place of sugar. which
was exhausted. The officers and men are
paying BIS q pound for butter to the
trading companies. ana other supplies are
as high and dificult to Obtain
Mai. Kendrick was asked Of the truth
OF the rumor which recently reached Be-
attic. that 1000 men had taken the pau
pers OATH" and were expecting trans
portation home on government vessels. He
stated that the number f. undoubtedly
very large, but he could not say positively
that II would reach the figure quoted.
The men at his post have almost no
communication with the outside world.
They did not know the condition OF the
Boxer uprising. and the officers and men
were much agitated lest because of their
isolated position they would miss a part
OF the great war which they believed must
be in progress. They knew nothing OF the
course OF events in this country. This
forced isolation IL the greatest objection
OF the men and officers TO service In tho
North.
Mai Kendrick. who took command OF
his post last July. had received no word
from his family since that time. and win
leave at once for the East TO rejoin them
and receive further orders as to his next
post.