The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-02-02
OPENING OF SPRING.
The Situation i'm Alaska as to
Weather.
NEW TRANSPORTATION LINES,
Reports of Rich Prospects-Two More
Indians Killed Because OF
Wftchcraft.

! DSeU TuQEn Zee Der on LEe DtfftA-S anu Az
( canyons and foothills than the year before.
leading many miners 10 fear a delay 10
early spring operations by the long con-
tinuation Of the winter season Last year
the snowfall came a month earlier ana
! had a tendency to rain in the lower lati-
tudes, making the snow in the foothills
much less than this year, though the depth
/ on the mountain ridges was greater. Peri
( DDS OF clear weather alternating with cold
north winds. have been interspersed dur
/ ing this seasons fall of snow. and the prob
ability is that the spring work can be be-
/ gun much earlier than last year.
Another Transportation Company.
The Yukon Commercial & Transporta-
! ton Company, an organization with head
quarters in Alaska, and which has m
corporated under the laws of Oregon with
/ capital stock Of $4,000. will run trans
/ portation system from the head Of salt
( water navigation at the head of Skagway
bay over the White pass TO the head OF
navigation on the Yukon river. Their hrst
/ object is TO span the intervening distance
over the pass by a trail On this trail
( pack trains will be run. and If the bust
/ ness outlook justifies. a wagon road or
railroad will be constructed and steamers
| put on the run up and down the Yukon
! river A wharf will be put in at the
/ head of Skagway for ocean steamers. The
| route selected over the White pass Is at
least I009 feet lower than the Chilkoot
| pass, with the same intervening distance
| between navigabie waters. Work Will be
( begun at the earliest possible moment
The officers OF the new company, which
/ must not be COMPOUNDED with the Yukon
/ TRANSPORTATION Company. are follows:
| President j. NJ Davis vice president, J.
! T Field; treasurer, j, n. Harrison, and
secretary, K. a. kalenborn.
More Indian Murders.
The Indians of Hoonah village and yicin-
ity have committed two more murders in
| the name OF their religion During the
! early part Of December the medicine man
| Of the Crow Indians accused another ma
| tive of being witch This would subject
| the victim 10 a social ostracism that would
be unbearable. ard the condemned Indian,
who is named Wolf. shot the medicine man.
| Tho murderer was shot by the other mem
| hers of the tribe in an effort to mete out
! justice.
! Albert Peterson, a storekeeper Mrs.
| Mcfarland who has charge of the mission
} school and her sister. Mrs. Howse, are
! the only white people residing at Hoonah,
| and are fearful of some violence on the
! part of the natives, for one of the ladies
was an involuntary witness of the shoot
] ing The United States revenue cutter
| Wolcott will proceed al once TO the scene
and investigate the affair.
Reports of Rich Prospects.
J Inc Alaska News OF january % says.
Reports of rich prospects and the find
/ ings of auriferous gravel on the shores of
| the creeks. rivers. and in the canyons OF
| the mainland coast of southeastern Alaska
I have been of almost monthly occurrence,
some OF which turn out disappointing and
| others very satisfactorily.
| Upon the islands. from Douglas and Adj
miralty to Queen Charlotte sound almost
| every known mineral has been found in
greater or lesser quantities. more partlcu-
| larry the precious metals, but gold alone
! has commanded the attention Of the ad-
| venturous prospectors. While silver and
copper appear in the ascendency, they are
! accompanied by many of the baser metals.
and the low prices quoted in the market
/ make their possession undesirable, though
/ many claims, Astounding in these metals,
| are staked off and compulsory annual as
sessment work actually done, that the own
| ers may take advantage of any change
/ i'm the status Of silver, should IL occur in
/ the future The yellow metal is. there
! fore. most eagerly sought after, and much
| hardship toll and privauon is undergone
| every year in prospecting.
| at is well known fact that the Indian
| artificers living upon the islands Of SOUTH
/ eastern Alaska manufacture bracelets and
! other trinkets of a crude fashion. but OF
| no mean order. and that they procured the
/ gold somewhere upon these islands or
{ upon the creeks and rivers Of the mainland.
and also tnat II was 10 ne nal WITHIN the
territory described. It has always been
| theory with old timers that even the In
{ dams themselves had lost the treasure
/ snot and every year witnesses renewed
| endeavors 10 find 1t.
/ Last fall two men. who had spent the
/ summer at Cook inlet were late I'm getting
! out OF that country and left there IN an
I open boat with Seattle for their destina-
/ ton A scanty supply Of provisions We're
put aboard, for neither Of the men had
any money. but through the provcrbial
J generosity of the miners in camp. supply
sufficient to last several weeks was sub
scribed. Contrary winds and bad weather
prolonged the trip. and IL was only by
dint of shere tenacity 10 purpose that they
/ reached habitatons and slept under a shelf
ering roof once more. Broke but not dis
couraged, the confidence Of Il storekeeper
was gained. and later in the season the
men procured a grub stake and stepped
aboard the staunch little craft that so
safely bore them through the long. peril
Gus Journey and once more essayed 10
tempt Dame Fortune With no particular
point Of the compass as course TO steer.
thu little vessel poked its nose here and
there. now in a creek. again on the open
water. About the time snow began 10 dy
tho adventures returned one night after
dark and the results OF the trip as graph
iCally told by the men, and the practical
evidence Ia the shape Of dust more than
vanced a winters supply Of provisions.
blankets and panphernllia belonging 10
prespcctor's outfit. Thus literally sup
piled. the couple returned TO the scene Of
their find and are spending the winter
upon their claims.
1T has been ascertaned beyond a doubt
that This discovery is at the head of Port
land canal The country surrounding is
kindly for mineral. though IL is claimed
that the ere IS extremely low grade and
thu gold difficult 10 extract. However that
may be. 1t has been conceded that gold.
and in PAVING quantities. too. would be
found IN that vicinity al no very distant
aay. Should the news Of this strike be
. confirmed We look for a genuine stampede
% that section. for the salmon river
ctnp'ies into the canal lumber is pleutv
TIRE place can be reached by large steam
erss = or tide water. the country Is nor
very rough the season is not a short one
and. altogether. may be the making Of a
second fassisr ~ IL dnes not turn out 20
be The Lest Rocker itself Placer or ledge
mining. reasonable distance from the
shore epGsd DE carried on with Httle ~
peuse. Portland canal is within The ts-~5-
tory of tse alleged disputed boundary
Nnkou Tran~portatiou
The pra ticah.Iity Of furnishing r~a-s-
3ortatiou of freight and passengers fro,,
juneau to The settlements along the Yukon
by Hay - The pyea ana the lakes ras
brought forth many plans The A}astr,
/ SearchNgat ot January - ia surauar5-sr,-
these. S8ys.
The one most likely 20 succeed is I'll. -l-..e
by Victoria capital ani Is being e,r-naa~s9
by capt William Moore. nha has sr,s~,. a
lifetime building Jrails ana ~.5rrine. s,e,,,,
boatS he olf much toward opening the