THE SUNDAY OIIEGONTAX, PORTLAND, AUGUST 20. 19 10.
si
GOVERNOR BLACK TALKS ABOUT THE CANADIAN, .
FRONTIER AND HOW IT IS GOVERNED. BY FRANK a. CARPENTER.
Croyerri oro'iA& ZfaZcori.,
D
Copyrtght, 1916, by FTrank G. Carpenter.)
AWSON, Yukon Territory. I have)
Just had an interview with the
Governor of Northwestern Can
ada. I refer to the Hon. George Black,
the Commissioner of the Yukon Terri
tory. His -dominions beein within SO
miles of the Pacific Ocean and they ex
tend to the Arctic. They are a thousand
miles long, and in places 300 miles
wide. They comprise almost as much
land as either Germany or Prance, and
altogether are equal to one-third of
Alasl-a. The country Is separated from
Alaska by the international boundary,
which crosses the Yukon River about
100 miles from Dawson, where this let
ter ia written.
Dawson is the chief town of the ter
ritory. It is the seat of government
and the headquarters of the mounted
police. Here the Judges hold court, and
77ie Crover-sim&s2 of yitcorr . Corn rn s--s-os7 ZScJr fji Center JVLh
in the administration building that I past few years we have been growing dredsesand hydraulic machinery. Many
chatted with Governor-Black about his oats and potatoes and other vegetables of the original creeks are still un-
dominions. Yukon is so close to our all along the Yukon Valley. We have dreaged, the greater part of the Klon-
terrltory, and its resources and other grown on the islands of the Yukon dike Valley has yet to be turned over,
characteristics are so much the same two tons of oats-hay to the acre and and there are gold beds in the Indian
we have one farmer on the Stewart River basin that are still to be tested.
River who has harvested 26 tons of Dominion Creek, for instance, is SO
hay in a Summer. That hay ia worth miles Ion? and the most of it will pass
more than 50 per ton." through the dredges'. It is safe to say
that there are many millions still left
I here referred to Chicken Billyhs in tte ground. Our output of gold is
in another and a bowl of black pansles, farm on the banks of the Yukon and to now about $5,000,000 per annum, and I
each as big around as a tumbler, on the $10,000 crop of potatoes of which expect that average to keep up for
the commissioner's desk. I referred to I have written. years to come."
that it might be called Canadian
Alaska. Therefore, the most of what
Mr. Black says may be considered true
for our country as well.
There was a box of red geraniums
in one of the windows, some wild roses
these flowers and spoke of the won
derful vegetation which now covers
The commissioner said:
"How about placer mining in other
"There is no doubt but that potatoes parts of you terrltoryT
here Is the residence of the commis- tne country, saying how different it is will grow well here. If they are plant- "Color has been found in almost all
ea in tne rignt sou ana properly cui- the stream3 tnat empty into the Yu-
sloner, who lives In state on the east
bank of the Yukon. The" government
house is a large yellow frame building
with a great porch at the front, up
held by massive square columns. There
is a beautiful lawn in front of it and
wide beds of pansles line the walk
that leads to the entrance. In its rear
are gardens filled, in Summer, with the
most delicious vegetables grown in the
Yukon, and conected with them are
the hothouses that supply the tomatoes
and cucumbers on the commissioner's
table.
The government house is the socieal
court of the territory. The commission
er entertains a great deal. His wife is
an American woman, the daughter of
George M. Hunger, formerly of Chi
cago, ard now ofc Los Angeles. Mrs.
Black is well known in our social
circles. She made her debut in Wash
ington during the administration of
President Cleveland, and was often en
tertained at the White House. She is a
beautiful woman with social ability
that fits her to be the first lady of the
Yukon. She and the commissioner are
srood companions and good mixers.
They go out camping together, and
take long tours through the wilds,
where tha gun and fishing rod supply
mojt of the food.
The commissioner knows his terrl
torv. He came to the Yukon as a young
man at the time of the gold rush. He
was born In New Brunswick, and had
Just begun the practice of law there
when the stampede of the Klondike oc
curred. He came to mine gold, but after
& time left the diggings and hung out
his shingle as a lawyer in Dawson. He
did well at the law, and was soon elect
ed a member of the Yukon Legislative
Council. When the present party came
In he was chosen by the Premier to be
Commissioner of the Yukon, and has
held that office from then until now.
It was in the commissioner's office
from what I had expected to find In
the cold lands of the Arctic. The com
missioner said:
"Our Summers are as warm and
pleasant as those of Southern Canada.
The only difference is in length of the
season and that does not affect growth
so much as many suppose. Plants live
upon light, and we have about one
third more light than you have in the
Bame length of Summer. By the mid
dle of May darkness practically leaves
us and we have 100 or more days when
we can read our newspapers out in the
open at midnight. Your dawn in the
States begins about 4 o'clock in the
morning and the light lasts until 8
o'clock in the evening. The sun works
for you only 16 hours of the day. He
works for us almost 24. In the Summer
we have light all day and all night.
Growth begins in April, when the cro
cuses come up through the snow. We
plant our gardens by the middle of
May and by the latter part of June
have vegetables to eat. Our chief
Summer month is July, although the
frosts do not come until the middle of
September. After that we have
Indian Summer and the hills are
ablaze with gold."
"Is there much of your country
adapted to farming?" I asked.
"Yes, as far as the markets of the
Far North are concerned. The country
is virgin land covered with trees. The
tivated they are equal to any potatoes
brought in from outside. Here about
Dawson we grow as much as 200 tons
in a season. The yield is large. On
one of the islands 175 pounds of pota
toes planted in May yielded more than
8000 pounds in September. It is esti
mated that we use something like
$200,000 worth of potatoes each year,
the most of which crop is grown right
here on the Yukon. also raise
beets, carrots, parsnips, turnips, peas
and beans. There is a great deal of
hothouse farming. The larger min
ing operators have their own gardens
and greenhouses and thus greatly re
duce the expense of feeding their men.
kon. Mining has been profitably done
on the Stewart River, 150 miles from
the Klondike, and also on the tribu
taries of the Big Salmon half way be
tween Dawson and our southern boun
dary. In fact, there seems to be gold
bearing territory all the way from here
to California, and a great part of it
has not been prospected."
"I there any quartz gold in this
vicinity V
"That question is yet to be an
swered," replied the commissioner.
"siutrtz mining is a rich man's propo
sition. Placer mining can be done with-
ls$. ' v - ''I- -ra Sit ;JJ
A , N'v
We have so much light hat we can ou capital and our people have been
raise vegetables under glass. Practi- busy taking out the placer s;old,
cally all of our tomatoes and cucum- which was easy to get, that they have
bers are grown that way." paid little attention to quartz. Large
1 capital may yet develop great quartz
"Will the country ever become an r.iines Lere. Bat so far no rich ones
agricultural one?" have been discovered. Nevertheless,
"Not in the sense that people will there must have been mountains of
come here to farm in order to ship gold quartz here in the past, in order
their crops to other parts of the world, to hav filled the rich gold-bearing
The most of the farming will be done
for the local community, and that
means for the miners."
"But will not the mines soon play
out?"
"I think not," replied Commissioner
Black. "The country, as a whole, is
practically unprospected. and the im
proved methods of mining are enabling
trees are stunted except in the river -s to work more and more territory.
creeks and the Klondike Valley with
the almost two hundred millioBdollara'
worth of gold we have gotten out of
it. The gold-bearing creeks all seem to
flow from the Dome, a mountain about
3000 f?et above Dawson. Many think
that mountain ought to be underlaid
with gold quartz but so far none of
much value has been found.
"In the last two years they have been
77i & TbmJ?rfySisv0n&s'&
J?&s-cjrencr3. - -
run into values of $1000 and upward a
ton."
"Is there much of such ore?"
"No one can tell yet the exact extent
of the deposits. They are finding con
siderable float, and no one can predict
the discoveries of the future. That is
true of the most of this territory. The
country has hardly been scratched. I
suppose the same Is true of Alaska."
I asked the commissioner to say
sm.thing as to the big game of his
territory. He replied:
"This is one of the best big game
regions of the North American conti-
nent All shooting is licensed and re
stricted, and. so far,' there is no- indi
cation of the game playing out. We
have an abundance of moose, caribou,
mountain sheep and mountain goats.
Ten thousand caribou may sometimes
be seen moving along over the coun
try. Such a drove will not, turn aside
for anything. You can drive with a
motor car through it while it is cross
ing a mountain wagon road.
"Indeed, I know of places here where
you can. go moose hunting in an auto
mobile, and that within 25 miles of
Da-vson. Our moose are among the
largest of the world. Their home have
often a spread of five or six feet, and
ants and ptarmigan. The latter changes
its brown coat of the Summer to rosy
white in the Winter. According to law
there is no limit to the Fhooting of
bear, wolves and small game. As to
other big game, we issue licenses that
give the holder the right to shoot two
moose, six caribou and six sheep in a
season."
Scrmm es in
government, which gives us an appro
priation each year for the purpose.
The money is placed at the disposal of
the commissioner and the Council and
it is expended by the commissioner on
the vote of the Council."
"How much road have you?"
"We have the Overland Trail, run
ning from White Horse to Dawson,
which is 350 miles long, and we have
also roads from Dawson to the princi
pal mining centers. We have another
road from Dawson Xo the Mayo mining
district, which is 200 miles loag. and.
altogether, we have wagon roads to
the length of 1300 miles. All of these
roads have a right of way 60 feet in
width. Most of them are ballasted
and all are kept In good repair. We
are now making an automobile road
from here to White Horse and we spent
more than $50,000 on it last year. You
can go by automobile for hundreds of
miles up the Klondike Valley and
along the creeks where the dredges
are working and you can even climb
in a motor car to the top of the Dome,
which Is more than a half mile higher
than Dawson and 27 miles away. One
can take an auto ride of several days
along the Klondike Auto Belt Line and
find eating houses at which he can
be served on the way."
"Will you ever have & railroad con
necting this country with other parts
of Canada and Alaska?"
"Several such roads have been pro-
The conversation here turned to the
government of the Yukon, when, in
response to my questions, the commis
sioner said:
"The Yukon Territory has federal
and local officials, the constitution de
fining their powers. The federal of- posed and it Is not impossible tlM-t one
ficials are appointed by the federal may be built in the future. At pres
government. They are the commis- ent we need wagon roads more than
sioner who governs the territory, the anything else. We aim to build roads
controller who handles all federal and trails to all the new mining camps
moneys and the postmaster and col- to aid the miners in getting supplies
lector of customs. We have also a sur- and to take their gold out. Our present
veyor, an inspector of fisheries, a tim- traffic is transient and will hardly
ber and land agent and a number of stand the building of railways."
mining recorders. All of these men
have their clerks and assistants. "What do you think of the future of
"As to the local officials, they are your territory?"
appointed by the commissioner. They "I expect to see it grow steadily In
ace the superintendents of road and population and wealth. We have large
bridge construction, the territorial sec- areas of low-grade gold properties
retary and. treasurer, the medical which will employ many men for yeara
health officials and others. In addition to come. This mming will be done
it is B.t uncommon to kill caribou there is the Legislative Council of the V.tl dsHs of
bottoms, where they are larger. We where In the past the gold output was finding veins of galena, silver and lead whose antlers will average over 30 territory. This is el
have meadows In the south and south- so low that it did not pay. Up to the in the Stewart River district." the com- pointa. pie and it correspond
west and also great areas that can be present the most of the gold that has
used for grazing. Dr. Dawson, who
made a survey of the territory, said
that we have 38,000,000 acres which
can be utilized either for crops or for
grazing. He compared the Yukon with
some of the inland provinces of Rus
sia where they successfully raise oats,
rye. barley, flax and hemp. During the
come out of this region has been from
placer deposits. We have already mined
more than $185,000,000 from the Klon
dike district alone, and we are still
taking out millions each year. The first
of the gold was won by the individual
miner, but within the past ten years a
grat deal has been gotten out by
"What other game have you?"
"We have mountain sheep whose
flesh is more delicious than that of any
other game animal. -We have plenty of
bear, both bl adV and grizzly. We have
wild birds of many varieties, including
duck, geese, snipe and crane. We have
probable that the ore in the future will five varieties of grouse. We have pheas
missloner continued. "That ore is much
the same as that which made the
Kootenay famous. They shipped 1100
tons of it last year to the San Fran
cisco smelters, and I understand, that
its value averaged $300 per ton. The
character of that ore is improving and
they are now finding rubies there. It is
lected by the peo- nj now constructing
ids to your Legts- trails to the corrjer camps. The. White
latures. It votes the moneys for River district, for instance, needs only
taxes and makes the laws, subject to transportation to make it a populous
the veto of the commissioner." anl productive copper minins center.
We have a great deal of land that ia
The roads of the Territory of Yukon wel1 adapted to farming. Dr. Dawson
ni j , . . , , estimated that the territory would sus-
are said to be better than those of . . . . . . AAA AArt
... , tain a population of at least 1,000,000
Alaska. I asked the commissioner farmers and we have other posslbilies
how they are handled. He replied: in the way of fur-farming that may
"Our roads are built by the federal add to our territorial wealth."
"
WHY BOBBIE WOULDN'T BATHE
BEFORE the family went to the
beach for the Summer, little Bob
bie talked about nothing but go
ing in bathing. He'd put on his suit a
most alarming pattern with orange and
black stripes stand on a chair, put his
hands together in front of him and
cry out:
"Watch me! Look at me, sister! This
Is the way I'm going to dive when I
get down, to the beach! Whew!" And
then Bobbie would Jump down from
the chair, throw himself on the floor
and go through the motions of swim
ming, puffing and blowing all the while
like a porpoise..
And yet mind you the very first
day after papa and mamma and Bob
ble and big sister (as he called her),
bad arrived at the beach, Bobbie dis
played no enthusiasm at all over going
in bathing! In fact, he seemed to be
"scared to death" to even bo much as
put his foot in the water. Suddenly he
developed a strange enthusiasm about
Ih'h fins Swimmer, Yos Are!"
merely playing in the sand and piling
it up around him.
Big sister presently found hm on
the beach. "Why. what Is the matter.
Bobbie? Why don't you come into the
water?"
Bobbie made no reply; he continued
to pile sand up around his chubby
knees.'
"It Isn't cold really It Isn't. Bobble."
said big sister.
He wiggled his big toe out of the
sand with which he had covered It
vastly interested in that big toe!
"Why, Bobble," Big Sister persisted,
"I thought you were going to dive
right into the water and swim all
around you showed us all at home
how you would do it, you know. What
is the matter? Are you afraid?"
Bobbie grunted; it sounded some
thing like "No," but not very much
"You're afraid! You're afraid!
You're a little 'fraidy-cat'.!" teased big
sister. "Come on come on in with
me!" And she grabbed Bobbie by the
hand and pulled him to his feet.
"Stop! Stop! Go way!" yelled Bob
bie. Jerking his band loose and dou
bling up his tiny fist in a threatening
fashion that was quite funny consider
ing his size.
Big sister who was an awful tease,
as you have seen already leaned over
and laughed at him. "'Fraidy-cat!
Fraidy-cat!" she hissed. "You're a fine
swimmer, you are on dry land!"
"G'on! G'on!" cried Bobbie. '
Big sister laughed at bim again.
"What are you afraid of?" she asked
scornfully.
"Humph 1" Bobble was mad all
through. "I guess you aren't afraid, are
you?"
"Afraid? Why, of course not!" ex
claimed big sister. "What in the world
would'I be afraid of?"
Bobbie looked around quickly and
then stepped uo very close to her.
"Sharks!" ne whispered. "Big sharks
that'll bite your leg off!"
Sister stared at bim in amazement.
"Sharks?" she echoed. '
Bobbie nodded his bead. - "And majrb
they won't Just bite your leg off
sometimes they eat you all up!"
Big sister sat on the sand and pulled
him down upon her lap. "Now, see here,
Bobbie," she said in serious tones,
"Where did you ever get such a foolish
idea? There aren't any sharks around
here."
It was Bobble's turn to smile at her
ecornlully now. "Oh, yes, there arl"
he said. "Didn't I hear papa and mam
ma reading in the paper this morning
about sharks biting people's legs off
and killing them when they went in
bathing. Of course I did!"
Big sister threw herself back on the
sand and began to laugh and laugh.
and laugh!
Which, of course, made Bobbie very
angry.'
But sister stopped presently. "Now,
Bobbie,- sne explained, "you did hear
papa reading about the sharks biting
people; and it is true. too. But you
must realize that those sharks and
those people were in the Atlantic
Ocean in salt water, mind you. And
you seem to have forgotten that Lake
Michigan isn't the Atlantic Ocean and
is fresh water. Why, Bobbie, there
never are sharks in fresh water; and
here in Lake Michigan we are perfect
ly safe. And "
"You can't fool me!" insisted Bobbie.
"You want a shark to bite off my leg,
you dol"
"Bobble! Aren't you ashamed of
yourself! Do you suppose I'd go In
bathing if I thought there were any
sharks around? Now, if you don't be
lieve me you go right and ask papa!"
Bobbie did and you can imagine
bow much better he felt when papa
assured him that there weren't any
sharks in Lake Michigan. But Japa
laughed at bim, too. And perhaps you
have, also?
The Persistent Pig
m fin
& a
the head. Attach a thread about nine
"inches long to a button or buttonhole
near your chest and fix the other end
of the string to the hook on the mouse.
Now you can make this imitation mouse
have the appearance of running up your
coat.
Place the animal upon the back of
your right hand as low as possible.
Now move the hand away from your
body and the mouse appears to glide
over the back of your hand, and Just
as it is about to fall, on reaching the
thumb, the left hand is passed beneath
and placed in the Bame position the
right hand previously occupied. Re
peat the movement and mystify your
friends by making the creature run a
long time.
MISJ OUR PUZZLE CORNER MM
RAILROAD Pl'ZZLK.
Get out of here, you big old brute.
And find some other place to root!
I vow the next time I catch
You huntin' in the garden patch, '
I'll ask Pop to give us a treat
And make you into sausage meat.
It keeps me busy all the day
A tryin' to drive you away.
With all the farm for feedin' ground.
Why will you come here rootln' round?
I guess, though, you ain't much to
blame.
For human folks are just the same
'We do the things we shouldn't do
And go where we're forbidden, too.
And wouldn't that give you a pain?
I'm blest if he ain't back again!
ALWAYS OBEY MOTHER,
I think it very wise of you
To-do what mother says to do;
If mother tells you not to swim
With Tom and Bob and Joe and Jim;
Then speak up bravely like a knight
And say, "I won't! It isn't right!"
And if they call you "Fradie-cat."
And "Scaredie-crow" and "Silly-rat!"
And say you're Just a baby yet.
You smile at them and don't forget
That boys who mind their mother's
may
Be Presidents some future day!
And. boys who fib and run away.
And boys who never can obey.
Are quite unworthy even when
They grow to be the size of men
So Just remember what I say:
It's always noble to obey!
These lines represent the tracks and the dots are way stations. The
train must pass every station on the road without once backing its engine or
going over any part of the route twice.
See if you can follow with a pencil the course It must take.
The best way to try this puzzle is to lay a piece of tissue paper over the
picture and trace the route on it.
Just for Fun
Solutloa to Railroad Pnulcv
WHAT child does not like to fashion
his own toy? Here is a lovely mouse
that is not only a pleasure to make,
but is lots of fun after you have it.
You can give him the appearance of
the real animal and" he will run and
jump for you if you follow these in
structions. Secure a large cork and
cut It into the shape of a mouse's body,
adding ears of cardboard and a string
tail. Paint the mouse black and place
- a small hook on - the underside near
MY KITE.
Fly. fly. fly. my kite!
High. high. high, my kite!
Bold1 winds of the deep blue sky.
Toss my swelling bird-kite hlghl
Glide, glide, glide, my kite!
Wide. wide. wide, my kite!
Into misty clouds of white.
For my trusty string holds tight!
Go, go, go. my kite!
Slow, slow, slow, my kite!
Back again to earth so green.
Tell me. kite, what you have seen!
CHANGE OK LETTER,
I am a word of three letters, and I
am a male child.
Change my first letter and I am a
great pleasure.
Change again, and I am what chil
dren, play with.
Change again, and I am shy.
DIAGONAL P17.ZLE.
If the following are written one be
low another, their diagonal, letters, be
ginning at the upper left hand corner,
and ending at the lower right hand
corner, will spell the name of an in
strument used in mowing grass.
1. Grief or sadness.
2. A pendant piece of Ice.
3. Weeping.
4. A reedlike stem.
6. Distance from a point belcw.
6. A girl's name.
ARITHMETICAL PL'ZLE.
Take 1 from 9 and make 10.
Answer: IX; take I away and
leave X.
AnMWer.
Answer Boy, Joy. Toy. Coy.
Diagonal Scythe. 1. Sorrow. 9.
Icicle. 3. Crying. 4. Rattan. 6a
Height. S. Nellie,