Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-04

Mounted Police were intrussed with much Of
this work.
I. was Inspector Starnes' custom to collect
the duty on the gold brought by the pros
pectors to the bank. This sum was put aside
for the government, and it became q substan-
tial item itself. The gold dust was then made
into ingots and these were stored until the
police were ready to take them to civilization.
INSPECTOR STARNES and three constables
on one occasion loaded i've tons Of ingots
on the river steamer. The four men were the
only guards. Through canyons of fast-moving
water, through towns where gunner were
known to live they guarded that treasure.
Through the wilderness the boat carried it,
Then they crossed over into Alaska, to Skag-
way, the stronghold Of more gamblers and bad
men than anywhere else in the Yukon TERRI
tory. And now the yellow bricks were trans
ferred to the coastal steamer which lay along
side, were transferred without the help Of
armored cars. without q squadron Of police
officials in q downtown section Of big city.
That money which had been brought this
far through wilderness and county infested
with bandits was openly changed from one
boat to the other, and only. the four con.
stables did the work Of loading and unloading,
guarding the treasure at the same time. For
what pay? SIPS day to each constable.
as they sailed down the Pacific Coast to Sc
attic. Always there was scarlet-coated man
ON guard, one OF those chaps with whom il
does not pay to quarrel.
Seattle, and another transfer this time to
Vancouver, to the banks there. And then the
inspector babe his three companions goodby,
for he took the train to Ottawa, In his care
the hundreds Of thousands of dollars in GUS
toms duty.
Nor was his an easy journey such as today.
Here and there the train would stop, the
newly laid rails perhaps having been tempered
with by roaming Indians. The train was
superseded by the lake steamer after an ever
land voyage from Winnipeg through the United
States to Lake Superior.
So he reached Ottawa, guarding treasure
of vast proportions, alone, over nearly 5000
miles of newly settled country.
IN 1910 StarneS set sail for the Hudson Bay,
his destination Churchill, . small police post
In those days, but now the terminus Of the
Hudson Bay Railway and an ocean port for
freighters which viii call there for the Cana
dian wheat In 1890.
The steamer JEANNE took him North Her
captain was Bob Bartlett, the man who sailed
with Peary the year before when Peary dis
covered the North Pole.
On the JEANNE were all the supplies thsA
would be needed to start new Northern police
posts.
The party landed safely at Churchill and
there deposited what materials were necessary.
Winter was short time away and the work
OF unloading was done as speedily as possible
to escape travelling in the extreme cold
Then Capt. Bartlett sailed away with Supt.
Starnes. The destination was Wager Bay and
the new post to be established there The
JEANNE made the trip and was returning once
more with the police officers to Churchill when
violent Arctic storm broke and the JEANNE
was stranded on the bleak shores of Wager
Bay with Winter only short time of. Seven-
teen men were in the party which managed to
come safely ashore after the storm; seven
constables, nine Of the ships crew and the
superintendent. They had been able to save
little food. They were in an unknown country
and the frost had already made its appearance.
There was left only one thing to do to make
the Ire than 500-mile trip to Churchill in
open boats.
Then something happened which changed
their fate. A whaler, late on its way out ot
the bay, hove In sight ..saa9li7
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