New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-25
IN THE SKAGW1Y REGION
Rejoicing OUer Decision Of alaskan
Boundary Commission.

rn fvL
boring towns have now nailed the Stars az
Stripes to the mast" They have always go
that they were Americans. and now that ,ba
Alaskan Boundary Commission has decided TIA,
this once disputed region belongs 70 the Unj,a5
States and not 20 Canada. there has been man
an irnpulsive Alaskan who has "cele5rated,. q,
the most approved Western style.
Any one who has visited the part % 6l,,,.
that has been In dispute has soon discovered
that it was characteristcaIIy American He,s
he found only another form Of the same Arner,-
canisrn which penetrated the wilderness Of the
prairie Of the United States a half century am
and built cities where the buffalo roarned
In Skagway, at the head Of the Lynn Canal
and now the metropolis Of this district. there
are even tokens OF the civilization Of far agrav
New-York There is another ErOadWay and al
though not walled up with skyscraping Office
buildings nor perforated with a subway. YET Il,
Skagway. as in Manhattan, Broadway is Broad
way
When the thick gold streaks Of the AtIin sis-
trict were discovered just over the border line
the wideawake citizens Of Skagway were tba
first to pounce down on them. They hustled
across White Pass and staked out the best
claims After a time came the Canadian off,
Gals. with the demand that the American
miners should become Canadian citizens There
was hardly a man who did not refuse
THE flag is better than gold" was a saying
which was heard on every hand So most q the
miners went back to Skagway and sought 70
make their fortunes in various lines q trade and
manufacture But soon there was another BIZ q
news which frightened the more tiraorors.
Canada is After Skagway." was the head
lire Of one weekly newspapers article, and Il,
went on 10 say that the Dominion had revived
its Old claim 70 this territory. The sister town
Of Dyea also took alarm. for il. too. was within
the disputed territory. A few ernigrated to
where the Stars and Stripes fOated without
danger Of being supplanted by the Union Jack
But the majority simply waited for "sOrnething
70 turn up"
For a time, indeed. things looked ornlnous
The rougher element said there would be fight
A squad Of mounted Canadian police moved
their headquarters TO White Pass. within
the disputed territory. and raised the British
flag AS soon as the news reached Skagway a
crowd Of men gathered as rapidly as they DO n
Kentucky when the law is too slow" and az
soon as their horses could reach White Pass the
British flag was torn down and the Stars and
Stripes foated in it's place. Then the police
hoisted another British flag. and again posse
of Skagway citizens started out 70 pull il down.
There might have been blood spilled had not
prominent Americans interfered At last the
went 70 a higher peak and u1-
furled a still larger American flag The two
embIems of empire hOated there all summer u
disturbed.
Another evidence that the disputed land must
always be American. although the point was
not brought out before the arbitration tribunal
is the rough and ready hurnOr which character
ties it's inhabitants. It has the same ring as
the jokes of the Texas cattlernan or the Mon
tana miner A Canadian would not think os
such an advertisement. for example, as that Of
the South Dough Hotel" Among some OF the
to patrons Of this hosiery are ira
following:
Crap. chuck luck. stud poker and black jack
games run By the management Special rates
Tor ministers and the gambling perfasA-'