This Day in Yukon History

Let them stake their claims!

July 4, 1898 – “An article in the Winnipeg Tribune on government officials in Yukon and mining  claims which is calculated to mislead, is being copied by the Conservative press in the east who are endeavoring to make out that there is something wrong in government officials staking out claims. There is not the slightest ground for the insinuation. The only officials charged with the administration of the mining laws are Gold Commissioner Faweett and his staff and they are prohibited from mining. There is no reason why Mr. Wade or other government officials, having nothing to do with the administration of the mining laws, should not stake out a claim. It would be an outrageous priciple to lay down that men from the slums of San Francisco and foreigners from every nation are at liberty to stake out claims but that Canadians on the spot, because they happen to be government officials, should be the only ones to get no share of this Canadian gold. If it was wrong Fawcett, who is a permanent official of the department appointed by Conservatives, would be responsible and would not allow it. Mr. Wade’s duties as clerk of the peace and crown attorney are in no way affected by his holding a mining claim at Monte Cristo. William Ogilvie is authority for the statement that as a government official when in Yukon he was not restrained by that fact from staking out a mining claim, and he was perfectly aware that he was at full liberty to do to.”

(Manitoba Morning Free Press – Winnipeg, Manitoba)

Murray Lundberg

Travelling, writing, and photographing for articles and blog posts at ExploreNorth.

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