His Honor Lieut.-Governor Forget is in receipt of a letter from Insp. Fitz Horrigan, N.W.M.P., White Horse, Yukon Territory, formerly of Regina, from which he very kindly permits THE LEADER to make extracts as follows :-
"MY DEAR SIR, - Very often have I thought of writing to you and giving a
short description of the trip and the country since coming to the Yukon.
"After a very enjoyable trip on the C.P.R. to Vancouver, I boarded the
steamer 'Amur' bound for Skagway. The trip from Vancouver to Skagway is made in about three days, a run of about 1,000 miles, and it is through the waters of the inland sea. Sailing northward, one beholds the beauty of the myriad islands on the one hand and the mighty grandeur of the glaciers and the mountains of perpetual snow on the other. Through the whole course of this thousand mile trip the traveller is never out of sight of land. Arriving at Skagway, connections are made with the railway from White Horse, a railway across the Alaskan range of the Rocky Mountains, through the White Pass and connecting with the waters of the great Yukon River at White Horse with its outlet in the North Pacific ocean. This railroad is one of the most noble achievements of the closing years
of the late century. The railway trip to White Horse is the most interesting part of the whole journey. An elevation of three hundred feet is attained in the first few miles, passing numerous falls, canyons, overhanging cliffs, and
all the various scenes for which the road is noted.
"White Horse is becoming a great commercial centre and may in time
outrival Dawson. On the desert waste of two years ago, overgrown with scrub and timber, to-day stands a town of severai hundred inhabitants who are almost without exception contented, happy and prosperous. The voices of merry, laughing, rosy-cheeked children greet one on every hand and the soft-toned bells of church and school ring out their notes to welcome eagerly listening ears.
"The location of the town of White Horse, situated as it is on a broad flat in a bend of the Fifty Mile River, is most sightly, the low hills which surround it rising gently until in the dim distance they lose their identity in the embrace of lofty mountain ranges that almost compass the town. The climate is pure, bracing and invigorating. The winter months are very cold at times but the dry atmosphere and the almost total absence of wind render them more enjoyable than would naturally be expected. The summer is ideal and moderately warm days are always succeeded by cool and refreshing nights.
"We boast of having three fine churches. Mr. Fisher, late of Regina, is in charge of the school here. There are also a fine athletic club, large theatre and dance hall, four good hotels and a number of fine business houses, also splendid court house and post office. White Horse had seven tennis courts last summer, rather ahead of Regina, I guess. We had a tennis tournament which lasted six days. The evenings in summer are so long that we played until half-past eleven. We also have the champion baseball club of the Upper Yukon. The team played an International match with Skagway in September. I am delighted to tell you that we defeated them by a score of 10 to 9 and captured over $3,000 of their money. The Police hockey team propose going to Dawson in February to play the Dawson team. We also boast of a splendid hospital, a first-class electric system, and lately have had an automatic telephone system installed. * * *
"The duties of the Police officers here are very different from Regina.
Here we perform all the magisterial work outside of White Horse. Until recently we also performed the work in White Horse. We do all Coroners' work which takes considerable time as there are so many drowning accidents in the river. No person can go out of the town down the river in a boat or scow without registering at the Town Station, giving name, address and number of the boat. All the boats are numbered. We do this so as to keep track of the tough characters of whom a considerable number come through. Still so far we have had very little trouble with them as they are in dread of the woodpile. By taking names of
parties going down in the boats and numbers of the boats we furnished the first clue to the famous Fournier and Labelle murderers as they started from here. The Police act as postmasters between here and Dawson, also assist Customs and act as Customs officers at various points. Our district extends down the river as far as Five Fingers, 250 miles. * * *
"The new wagon road to Dawson is now complete at cost of $200,000. The
men working on the road received $5 per day. The new road shortens the winter trail to Dawson by about 100 miles, and escapes the ice parts of the old river trail which were difficult and dangerous in spring and fall. * * *
"Gov. Ross's administration in this country has been a great success. He
is idolised by the people." * * *
