Douglas Island news., 1902-03-26

Fears are entertained at Skagway that J. J. Schmidt has met death on the Atlin trail. He is supposed to have started in alone by the Warm Pass trail via Glacier, wandered away and per ished.
 The N. A. T. & T. Co.,, in support of their assertion that the new strikes in the Forty Mile district are genuine, say they will furnish merchandise to any extent on any of the claims now being worked.
 Just as the residents of White Horse thought that spring was at hand,a cold wave came along and sent the mercury down to 57 below zero, and now March 18th will be known as the coldest day of the season.
 The government has decided upon a direct mail service between Seattle and Eagle, via Valdez The proposed ser vice calls for the delivery of mail each way every 15 days, at an estimated cost of s5O,OOO per year,
 The w. PAY. R. R. has decided to issue little tariff schedule of it's own covering traffic between Skagway and Dawson, which will be independent of the transportation companies operat- ing from Sound points.
 A Juneau dispatch to the Skagway Alaskan says that the Juneau Ferry & Navigation company is to construct 1OOx5O foot addition to the wharf at Douglas. The News published this in- formation away along last summer.
 The Alaska Packers Association has purchased three cargoes of Australian coal for use at Alaska canneries this season. With foreign coal and Chinese labor this close corporation will give little in return to the country in com parison with what it receives.
 Geo. W. Pennington, agent for the North American Trading & Transports tion company, at Forty Mile, says that country offers to investors more op- portunities than any district in the interior and that they are sure of bet ter returns on the capital invested.
 Red Hoffman of Valdez has located on the Koskolina river, tributary of the Chittyna, what is known as the Big Boulder placer claim. The property derives its name from a massive piece of pure copper in the creek bed. The weight of the metal that shows above ground is estimated at 15 tons.
 The Kodiak Newsletter says that on Friday evening, January 30th, as U. S. Commissioner Philip Gallagher was writing at his desk someone, as yet un- known, fired at him through the win dow. The Judge leaned back at the moment of firing and escaped the ball, which passed through another window.
 No Nome mail has been received this winter over the Iliamna route, owing to mild weather preventing travel. The Trans-Alaskan R. R. Go. has the con tract on this route, which calls for three round trips. Chauncey Shaw, formerly of the Sitka Alaskan, was en- gagged as one of the carriers and left Iliamna early in the season with dog team and Indian guide for St. Michael.
 Capt. Jos. Comstock, an old time mariner and the first white man to land at Cape Nome, died at Seattle on the 9th inst. He was 75 years of age and for more than 50 years has sailed in north ern seas. More than half century ago, when in charge of whaler cruis- ing in Behring Sea, his ship was blown from her course and he made landing at what is now known as Cape Nome, to replenish his water supply.
 Skookum Jim, an Indian who has served ' years for manslaughter, got drunk recently at his home near the mouth of the Skeena river and killed his wife with a canoe paddle. J. H. Hussey and J. Card, loggers, found the body of the woman, and being satisfied that Skookum Jim was the murderer, Hussey started in pursuit just as the Indian was sailing away in a sloop. Jim, discovering that he was pursued, shot and killed Hussey and seriously wounded Card.
 H.R. Mountifeld, N. A. T. & T. agent