The Ketchikan miner., 1908-05-02
(From Saturdays Dail.y)

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 Wesley Sornberger of the Unuk River is at the Cornell.
 Fred Hecknan, J. F. Baronovich and wife registered at the Cornell last night.
 Chas P. Mercer, of the Guard Island light, came in yesterday and returned to his post this morning.
 The North Star today brought in 500 fish from Pt. Stewart for J. P. Rudd.
 The Bonita brought in 10 tierces of mild-cure salmon tor the Wiess Co. this morning. also about 1000 pounds of fresh salmon.
 Mrs. Rounsefell was, this afternoon, hostess for party of twenty of her friends. The time was spent with whist, and delightful refreshments were served.
 The Hon. Dave Swenson, Duke of Kayak and general manager of the l Associated Press for Alaska, appeared at his office in his automobile this morning, after his slight indisposition of yesterday.
 The Alert succeeded in getting the scow load of coal from Hadley to Nib- lack yesterday, but had no more than arrived at that place before an acci- dent to her machinery partially disabled her. She managed to get home at 80 this morning under her own power and today is recovering rapidly under the care of Dr. Schlo- than.
 H. A. Pryde, who has been in Ketchikan for several days, will re- turn soon to his fox ranch near Rake Island Three years ago he leased an island of about 800 acres at safe dis tance from other islands, and stocked it with twenty pair of blue fox which have been we'll fed and cared for, and have now increased many fold. The business of raising blue fox for the market is a curious one, and has sev- eral times been written up in the magazines but few have any idea of the extent of the ''industry." There are five of such ranches in southeast ern Alaska, and fully 100 in all, in- cludng those to the westward, and yet the price of the fur has risen steadily, being about 125 per cent higher now than in 1906. The ap- maIs multiply rapidly and require little care, but are exceedingly shy and hard to trap when wanted. The skins are prime for only about one month in the year and if killed at any other time do not bring the full price ; and as the animals are craftiness it. self, the ranchers find their greatest problem in catching them just at the proper time. A first class skin brings about $30 % in New York, and S45. % | in the London market. Geo. T. Scove. who will be remembered as leasing the Patterson Islands near Kasaan some years ago is now operating q ranch on Brother Island in Frederick Sound, and is said to be making commercial success of it. The Patter son Islands were abandoned as unsuit- able but a considerable colony of blue fox is located there today, descended from those that Scove left.
 The "picnic" given last night by the Ladies Basket Ball club, for the benefit of the Athletic Association, was pronounced success and those who did not go will know bstter next time. The hall was attractively trim med with evergreens, swings hung in various corners, and the general idea of a rustic garden carried out. The ladies brought regulation picnic lunches with them, packed in boxes, and these were sold at auction, the lucky buyers finding the name of the owner after untying the package. It is reported that Dr. Bauer paid a fancy price for an attractive package that contained nothing but ripe and significant lemon. J. K. Heckman acted as auctioneer and realized the limit of $l. 100 on nearly all the pack ages. One particularly gay creation was judged to be too elaborate for the limit and brought S3. % after spirited hidding. Every one had good time, the ladies were much complimented on the working out of their plans, and the Athletic Association realized nearly $7O.Oo.
 The Miner has received circular letter from Local 240 of the Western Federation of Miners, situated at Nome. which it would he glad to print in full if space permitted. It is we'll known fact to all old time l Ala-kans that every year new crop Of "new and wonderful finds stories arc sprung, short time before navi- gat ion opens to the westward; tbus inducing many who can ill afford it to take the long journey. It is also a fact that many inducements are an- nualiy made to get men to the far north, for various ulterior purposes. The circular letter above mentioned