Douglas Island news., 1908-10-28


 There passed through Skagway the other day Falcon Joslyn, captain of pioneers, known to all Alaskans as an energetic, level headed man of this north land, one who has done more than the average for it's development and one who keeps at work along the same lines, hoping aud expecting to accomplish much more. It was Falcon Joslyn who carried up the long stretch of ocean and over the mountains and down the rivers and up the rivers and again over the hill of the far interior those engines and rails and supplies that now constitute the Tanana Mines railroad; who brought that railroad into being in the heart of the wilderness in an amazingly short space of time and so carried relief to the miners at work in that difficult country. To have heard this practical business man talk of the conditions that em barass that wonderful Tanana country, hold it's development in check, to have seen his throat swell with feeling and heard bis voice tremble with vibrant indig- nation as he cried, "Yes, quote me, quote me if you wish-it is thing that should be known and must be known and how else save through the freest publicity. I say only what l know quote me by all means. There never was a condition that could compare with it out of Russia and 1 question if greater injustice has been done there. The whole country has been tied up with litigation, men waiting upon the 1 judgment of the courts while the courts are not in session, or delay month after month with their decisions until these months run away with the seasons lrto years and that for which these men have struggled and starved and frozen, and through these sufferings and volun- tary privations GAINED, are lost to them. I have been witness of so much miscarriage of justice for the with holding of judgment and delay in com 1 ing to trial is to be classed under this head-that my wonder at what men do In their struggle for their own, against powerful outlaws, has changed to amazement rather at their seIf.restraint
 You remember that the court at San Francisco, in rendering judgment in the Nome cases was so impressed at this self.restraint of the victimiZed miners that it went out of it's way to
 remark upon it. Surely If the condi' tions obtaining in the Tanana were equally we'll known it would draw forth 1 like eucomium. The Dome creek cases are only samples of condition that Is general. After waiting for whole sea son for the peaceful adjudication of cases which they went into court to se- cure Judge Reid came in there and opened a session, announcing that he intended to "clean up the docket" The whole country was rejoiced to hear 1t. He began holding continuous session day and night. Every man was ex- pected to be ready when called. Law yers explained that in the long interval of waiting their witnesses had scattered some were up at the Salchaket, others at Kantishna, Hot Springs, etc.-it would take time to summon them. The reply was lit makes no difference; you must be ready-I am going to clean up this docket" And so he did. There are two things to be considered in the administration of justice; one is to give both sides fair opportunity to present their case; the other is that both sides shall feel, when it is over, that they have been fairly heard. As result of