The weekly Alaska citizen., 1919-02-17
BARNETTES HAD
 ONE HARD TIME
 IN N0RTHLAND

TN NORTHLAND
 The following extract from the San Francisco Bulletin relates the undergone by the Barn. cites during the final days of their residence in Fairbanks:
 A thrilling story of the frozen fields of Alaska, teeming with terri flying hardship and rugged romance, thru which a lone family. in constant tear of death, battled against tre. mendous odds to save their property from the cupidity of gang of al. legged lawless pioneers, was revealed today before Superior Judge James M. Trout.
 Mrs. Isabelle Barnette who, with her husband. E. T. Barnette, founded the town of Fairbanks, Alaska. is the heroine of the remarkable narrative unfolded before Judge Trout today. The case came up on the application of those being sued by Mrs. Barnette for $52,000 damages for 8 change of jurisdiction in the suit to the Fed eral courts.
 The defendants include the Wells. Fargo.Nevada National Bank and Fred c. Moves, receiver of the de- funct Washington Alaska bank.
 LOSES PROPERTY.
 Mrs. Barnette in her complaint ayers that she was compelled to part with her property when the Wash ington-Alaska bank. of which her husband was the president and a di- rector, failed.
 To satisfy the creditors, all the property of the Barnettes was taken over by the receiver. and her own property. which she claims was not of community nature. was confis- cated and taken away from her under threats against her life. The value of this property she seeks to recover.
 Mrs. Barnette graphically told of her flight from Fairbanks in the darkness of night, bundled up on g dog sled and carried out of town as merchandise to escape her alleged prosecutors. She endured intense sui fering during the trip down the Ia. mana river to the Yukon and down that frozen stream to St. Michaers island, where she was able to secure passage for the states.
 UNDERWENT HARDSHlPS.
 She was the first white woman in Fairbanks. She was the first woman to traverse the 400 miles of wilder ness between Valdez and FairbanKs and in doing so performed a feat many men would have refused to undertake. She underwent the hard ships of true pioneer life in the wild trip in the dead of winter. Isabelle Pass. at the summit of the trail be- tween Fairbanks and Valdez is nam ed for her. She was the first woman to cross that pass. Then there was no trail. She and her husband guessed" the way and broke snow for the 400 miles. slept in the open -"siwashed," as the northern pio- neer terms 1t.
 LITIGATION BRINGS SHOOTING.
 After Barnette became prosperous he was involved in litigation over rich placer mines on Dome creek. The fight was a bitter one, the popu- lace of the then sparsely settled country dividing into factions. Liti. gation followed that set the con- munity afire with feudalism and jealousy.
 Out of 1t all came a shooting af- fray in which Jo.n Ridenour. one of the business associates of Barnette, was so badly injured that he is a cripple for life. The shooting is said by Mrs. Barnette to have been un- called for and a cowardly attack, in asmuch as Ridenour was unarmed.
 William Deetering, known in the north as Caribou Bill," was indict- ed for the shooting and promptly acquitted. and the Times. Fair. banks paper, sided entirely with the opposition to the Barnette faction. 1t Is alleged.
 THREATENED WITH DEATH.
 Barnette grew rich despite the fact that his litigation cost him nearly half a million dollars. and in 1910 he withdrew from the Washington Alaska bank $200.00O. resigned as its president. and left with his wife for California.