Douglas Island news., 1901-12-18

driving or JnlS GUuue4 1uCO SiOuh0 @A ready at least partially explored by means ofa diamond drill, leads to the belief that the owners have absolute knowledge of something worth driving Cor;
 Peter Dorr arrived in Dawson Nov. 26th from the Koyukuk, reporting that district in very prosperous condition. He says that seven paying creeks have been discovered this fall, Gold, Emma, Hammond, Kelly's Mistake, Union, No Ian and Swift, and, in fact every other creek in the camp is showing up well. Wages are S12.50 per day. Grub Is high: The prices of two necessities of life are: Whiskey, s1O per bottle; -four, s26 per sack, and other things in proportion.
 The Grande Duchess, which is to be operated on the Alaska run by the AL aska Mail s. S. Co., is we'll known coasting steamer, and has reputation about like the Victorian. She is swift packet, but expensive to eoperate. When the Spanish war broke out the United States government chartered the Ouch ess as transport, and after spending S9OoOO to fit her for service, the navy department concluded it would be cheaper to pay the charter and let her % than to operate her.
 Capt. Hanson of the Northern com pany at Nome, is planning to secure communication with the outside world in six days, by means of the cable from Nome to St. Michael, thence by govern ment telegraph to Tanana. At this point relays of the fastest dog teams will hurry the message to Eagle City where the wire is again tapped and the message is a flashed to the States via Dawson and the Dominion telegraph line.
 James Montgomery and J. Griffith Stephens, veteran prospectors from the head of White river, in Alaska, say, "The White river country is the most hospitable interior section of the entire territory, so far as the necessaries of life are concerned Said Mir. Montgom- cry: 'It abounds with game both large and small, the water is plentiful and of an excellent quality, travelling is easy, shere is plenty of timber for fuel and not enough to be an impediment to travel"
 The new Nome winter service is via Valdez, uiamna bay, on Cook Inlet, St Michael and Golvin, to Nome, 2,567 miles in all, with two round trips al month during this winter. Steamers will sail from Seattle about the 7th and 18th of each month, beginning with December. The contract compensation is s3OOO per round trip, the contractors being the Northern Commercial com pany for the ocean part and the Trans Alaska company for the overland part of the route. The weight of mail for the overland part is limited to 25o lbs. per single trip and the preference will be given first to letter mail and second to separately addressed newspapers.
 A dinner was given in the mess house of the Pioneer Mining company at Nome on September 3Otb, by Eugene Chilberg, of Seattle, and c. L. Johnson, both largely interested in the company, which is said to be the most expensive single course dinner ever given on American soil. After dinner that would have been credit to metro politan cafe, Mir. Sodenberg passed as dessert undoubtedly the most unique dish ever offered. It was platter of virgin gold, the center piece of which was the largest nugget Alaska has ever produced. The dust surrounding the nugget was the result of the last clean up in the Hot Air mine owned by the company. The platter contained over s2,1OO worth of gold dust and small nuggets, and the center piece brought the value of the dish up to S3,S00
 The Ketchikan Journal says that George Clark, of the Alaska Gold Mining Association, which is develop ing some promising properties at Wind ham Bay, came down from there few days ago bringing with him some very fine looking rock from the pay streak of a Ieige g feet in width. He reports the ledge as being we'll defined, and ex- posed by outcrop and exploration pits
 q, - ,L 1oOo e. Tnor,