New-York tribune., 1903-04-05

Our attempts to secure fair treatment in the
matter Of the Alaska-Canada boundary although
extremely persistent. have been snguiarly unsUc-
cessful. says F. C. Wade. in The Empire Review"
The discovery Of the famous placers OF Bonanza
Creek in the Klondike precpitated the rush Of
1875 The first reached Forty Mile. Circle
City and Fort Yukon in the interior and Juneau.
Wransel and Sitka the coast. Next IL was
flashed to Seattle. Tacoma. Portland and San
Francisco All except Forty Mile United
States cities towns. and even II had been
ganzed Alaskan settlement. Many thou
sands of United States citizens essayed the crags
and passes at Skagway ana Dyea. In September
1897. over three thousand horses and pack animals
lay dead the White Pass. and I'm the spring
following this number had increased TO seven thou
sand-almost a sufficient number. lying head and
tail TO stretch from SkaEway to Bennett. The
trail from Dyea to the Scales at the foot Of the
Chilkoot Pass strewn with similar evidences
OF brutality-dealt out IN the rush for gold The
White Pass had somewhat the appearance OF
Waterloo after the battle as described by Victor
Hugo.
The feet Of boats and scows hastily made from
whipsawed spruce. packed Bennett. Mares. Tagish.
Marsh and lie Barge with the continuity of
pontoou bridge The sails of myriads OF craft. OF
every shape and design almost numerous
the white crests of the waves. Bennett. near the
coast. and Dawson. the gate to the gold fields. be-
came great United States towns Canadian soil.
vast settlements of aliens I'm British territory. to
be subjected to the requirements Of British law
l.
some Of which might belong 20 the United States
matter Of fact and all Of which would belong
10 Alaska If the wishes OF the governed could have
availed anything at the time. The difficulties OF
customs collection of police control Of administer
ing the criminal law. Of legislative action. OF a
thousand things of the practical side Of inter
national boundary dispute under the most exciting
and dangerous conditions. at once became evident.
and have been emphasized every year since.
Soapy" Smith and his gang Of bandits could
rfzo5 +ou-rq oFe al rnf.rz and
people had Skagway been within Canadian juris-
diction, nor could they have carried on their in
famous work successfully in the United States
had it not been for the close proximity Of foreign
soil The tearing of the British flag from the Ca
madam Custom House at skagway with the year.
and the occurrences Of last winter when futile
attempt was made to organize a conspiracy. the
formation OF The Order OF the Midnight sun"
to obtain possession by force OF the Yukon terri
tory. should be sufficient To show both sides 70
the dispute that in postponing its settlement the
danger point has already been than once
reached
II it were important that this question should
have been settled before It is douby important
to-day We are no longer concerned with
evanescent placer camp. a vanishing industry that
viii soon abandon a territory the solitude
from which it was awakened only yesterday. II
the Yukon were nothing than this there
would be few practical Inconvenience IN a boun-
dary dispute. But the territory IS 19S 90 square
miles IN extent-70G0 square miles larger than
England, Ireland Scotland and Wales. II is
watered by 700 miles Of streams. many Of which
are gold bearing. and all may contain gold in their
sands and gravels. II IS crammed with natural re-
sources-at White Horse and the White River
with copper. the Pelly ar Five Fingers at Rock
Greek, at Cliff Greek, at White Horse and else
where with coal.
There were only small boats the Upper Yukon
In 1897. but feet Of steamships valued 81 90 90
is there to-day The combined fleets Of the upper
and lower river worth 50 10000. Steamers ply
on the Stewart. Pelly. Salmon and Tahkeena rivers
well as the Lewis The White Pass Rail-
way has been constructed from Skagway White
Horse. 10 take the place Of the mountain trails.
the canyons and the rapids. The Creeks Railway
is in of construction from Dawson
City over the Dominion Dome eighty miles % the
Indian River mining country. Thirty-six thousand
Of freight carried into the Territory last
year. against 100 tons for 1s94. Dawson City.
collection of tents in 1894 assessed in 1901
s1164sob0. and White Horse. Grand Forks and other
mining towns have shown equal progress. Cities
with regular streets. great warehouses. immense
department stores extensive government build
ings. pavements. good roads. telegraph. telephone
and messenger services ele. tric lighting power.
magnificent shops and hotels. churches and hos
pitals theatres and newspapers. banks and clubs.