Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1882-04-15

Last Monday night, according 20 the
Post-Intelligencer, cutting scrape oc-
cured at Snohomish, in which "a siwash
by the name Of Pat, "gave up the ghost"
1t seems that sometime previous Pat killed
an Indian called One Eyed Charley, and
the friends of the murdered man sought
revenge, and on the occasion of the pot
latch, Monday night, the long looked for
opportunity presented itself. Two In
dians after getting full of bad whiskey,
succeeded in getting Pat to take walk.
When getting short distance, they
jumped upon him and with their knives
soon laid him out, then threw him in the
river. No arrests had been made up to
Wednesday. This is the second cutting
scrape that has happened there in the
last two weeks.
Capt. Williamson informs US, on
the authority of Capt. Britain, that the
new contract between the latter and the
post office department for carrying the
mails on the inside postal route, No.
43O9S, from Seattle to Laconner on FRI
days hitherto, calls for the extension of
that route to Ship Harbor, where cons
nections will be made with the outside
steamer serving route 43097. This will
be welcome news, if confirmed, to every
body in Whatcom and San Juan counties
as it will furnish semi-weekly mail be-
tween the southern. or Skaget river Sec
ton of Whatcom county and the county
seat, and close connection with the archi-
pelago and Port Townsend. 1t is Brit>
tain's intention, we are informed, to run
to Ship Harbor, and in that event the
mail will come too.
-Messrs Hastings & Morgan, captain
and engineer Of the steamer Virginia, and
contractors for carrying the mails from
Townsend to Neah Bay, are reported to
be negotiating for the purchase of half
interest and control of the steamer Dis
patch. The value of the Dispatch is
about $4,000. Both the gentlemen named
are we'll known in Whatcem and San
Juan counties and are deserving of every
possible success in their wider field. AS
for the Dispatch, her gentlemanly officers,
seaworthy qualities and graceful form
have made her in her regular weekly
rounds from the shores of .Whatcom
through the archipelago de Haro and
Fuca Strait to Cape Fattery, IA welcome
sight, like that of an Oil friend with
whom one is loath to part. There is
more to do on the above two routes, now
served by the Dispatch, including the
new route elsewhere referred to, than two
such boats as the Hope AID Dispatch can
properly attend to.
Sheep steering has begun and will
continue until the end OF May. From
this time on as the weather grows warmer
the wool loosens and shows tendancy to
drop off. Sheep infested with vermin
should be shorn. On the other hand,
from this time to June LIST, all sheep
fatten rapidly and their wool in impreg-
mated with fatty matter. In growth and
weight one-third is added to the fleece in
in about six weeks time. Shearers get
$3.50 to $500 per day, shearing from 80
to 40 sheep in day. Driving up sheep
IS one of the special arts among the is
lands. The old man or shepherd, other
wise indolent the year round, comes to
the front; and the young and 1.-THE Of
limb, half breeds of both sexes, take to
the hills. Two men and dog, if we'll
trained together, make tolerably go cd
team for driving sheep; but the proper
force for majority of situations is four
men. The tactics of sheep driving COM
monty end in running the sheep down
until they are tired, when they surrender
at discretion. Occasionally they take to
the water; but they cannot swim more
than 900 feet before the fleece becomes
soaked and they drown. Tie wise old
sheep soon starts for the corral willingly
enough to escape from the harassing dogs
and men. Ten to twenty per cent. isolate
themselves and hide, shedding their own
wool.