Volume 2 - ElectricCanadian.com

192 HISTORY OF THE BANKThe hall was jammed and the favourablewar with Spain."news the paper contained was read out to a wildly enthusiasticaudience.As a rule the river freezes completely over about the firstweek in November and the ice does not break up until aboutthe second week in May. It is not difficult, therefore, to formsome idea of the great boon, as well as the commercial advantages,conferred on the people of Dawson during this longwinter-locked period by the improvement in transportationfacilities and means of communication. From that time on,travelling to and from Dawson was a pleasant and comfortablematter in summer; in winter, unless the weather was extreme,the 332 miles between Dawson and Whitehorse were coveredin reasonable comfort absolute luxury, according to the old"sourdoughs" of the trail for the stages travelled quickly,with relays of horses.It is rather disappointing to have to record that Canadianbusiness men did not prove as alert as their brethren hi theUnited States in securing their share of the trade of thisnorthern country. During 1902 two trade commissionersvisited Dawson, one sent by the Canadian Government andthe other by the Canadian Manufacturers' Association, toenquire into conditions and to learn why Canada was notsecuring a larger percentage of trade from this territory.These steps might well have been taken three or four yearsearlier. The Mounted Police reports indicate that in 1901only about thirty-five per cent, of the business was in Canadianhands, but in 1902 the proportion increased to about sixtyfourper cent, and the outlook was for an improvement infuture years. Ignorance of the requirements of the country,and tardiness in sending trustworthy representatives fromCanada to examine into conditions and to open up avenues oftrade, were mainly responsible for the lost opportunities ofthe earlier years.From 1902 on, the Yukon Territory was ruled by a localadministration with greatly enlarged powers, while Dawson