The Nome nugget., 1902-04-16
Indignant at the Monstrous
 TreadyOId Concession.
PROTESTS ARE MADE
The Concession Is Denounced as a Blight on the TerritOry-An Effort
 Will Be Made to Have the I'm. mense Land Grant Order Revoked.

| Dawson, Y. T., Feb. 15. Never be- fore in the history of the klondike and Yukon territory has such a wave of righteous indignation swept over the country as that which is now stirring up the souls of one might say, every man, woman and child anent the order iR-council which gives A. N. C. Tread gold and his fellow concessionaires the right to all vacant and un- occupied land on three of the richest creeks in this the richest spot on earth. Two days ago, when the order was first made public, the full significance of the gift was scarcely comprehensible. it being of such magnitude and so far reaching. By many it was still thought that the individual miner would be able to stake within the concession in open competition with the concession aires themselves, it having previously been held that they, too, in order to acquire title to any claim must stake and apply for record the same as any free miner.
 According to the gold commissioner interpretation of the order, however, the three creeks named, together with all their tributories, are closed en- tirely, and everything to which a grant was not issued prior to January l, 1902, clear from summit to summit, is turned over to Treadgold and his associates. They may, if they so choose, not spend dollar in the development of their monstrous gift for two years. during which time the public domain which has been presented to them lies idle, for they are prohibited from working any of their claims until certain con- ditions have been previously fulfilled. And what is required of them? A paltry nothing, in comparison with the vast storehousc of riches that becomes l theirs. Within three years time they are required to put ,, 1000 inches of water on Bonanza and expend q sum of not less than S25O,OOO. The Yukon territory in the past four years has suffered un- told iniquities at the hands of the federal government, but this last affair, which robs the miner. the man who has made the country what it is today, out of five of the best creeks in the ter ritory, Bonanza, Eldorado, Bear, Hunker and Last Chance, to say noth- ing of the numerous side streams of lesser value and the countless thous- ands of bench and hillside claims, is so enormous, such mOnstrOuS injustice, that if allowed to remain as it is it may well be considered in the light of territorial calamity and blight on the city of Dawson, the effect of which will be difficult to contemplate.
 Among those conversant with affairs in Ottawa the opinion is freely ven tured that money in no small amount was used, and the palm of more than one hand was lined with gold in order to accomplish the results obtained. Those responsible for the giving away of such . vast tract of territory can scarcely attribute their actions to an ignorance of the true value of that so benefcently bestowed, and the only con. clusion that can be arrived at is that bribery on the wholesale order was in- dulged in.
 About town during the past 24 hours little else has been talked of. In the clubs, saloons, theatres, and on the street corners one hears nothing except the Treadgold concession and what it's ultimate effect will be. Merchants both large and small view with alarm the wholesale closing of such an ex- tensive tract and ask themselves what will come next. If Ottawa can with impunity and at pleasure give away half the gold bearing creeks to pluto cratic favorite when will the other half be similarly bestowed? How soon will Dominion, Sulphur; Quartz and other tributaries of Indian river fall under the covetous eyes ofa syndicate wealthy enough to buy from those who have the power to sell or give the right to everything both above and beneath the surface on those creeks? What encouragement has the prospector to locate and prospect new ground. when he has no assurance that it will not be taken from him? There never in the history of the civilized world was a greater, moro malignant or more un. pardonable outrage heaped upon the heads of . long-suffering public than this same Treadgold concession and it may be safely stated that the people of Dawson and the Yukon territory are a unit in denouncing it as the blackest act of infamy that ever plotted the his tory of the country. So thoroughly aroused are the people that mass