Newspapers

News from Skaguay - Last Sunday while Dwight Fowler was fording the Skaguay river with a fifty-pound pack on his back he lost his footing and fell head first into the water striking the rocks in the bed of the stream which inflicted a severe scalp wound. The swift current carried him several yards, but his body was recovered in a few minutes. Every effort of resuscitation proved of no avail. Fowler was a young man about twenty-three years of age and hails from Seattle. The body of the deceased was brought here by the steamer Lucy and was sent to Seattle for interment on the Alki.

Douglas Flashes - Mrs. A. M. Clark and six children left on the Alki for Henderson Bay.

Douglas Flashes - A. Smallwood and Homer Donaghey left Tuesday for Hoonah hot springs, where they will remain for several weeks.

Douglas Flashes - Mrs. P. Skogland left on the Alki for Portland, Oregon where she will remain all winter. Early in the spring she will join her husband at the Klondike going by the way of St. Michael.

Douglas Flashes - Frank M. James left on Tuesday for the Klondike to be absent about three months. During his absence Mr. Coates will have charge of the store.

Douglas Flashes - William Stubbins, better known as Billy the shoemaker, returned on the Queen and was welcomed by his many friends after an absence of nearly two years. Since he left he has been in New Zealand and Australia.

Douglas Flashes - A very successful surprise party was given on Thursday evening in honor of Emmett McKenna at the residence of his mother before his departure on the Queen for Victoria, B.C., where he goes to school after a vacation of three months. Singing, dancing, cards and games were the feature of the evening. Messrs. Freemont and Piper furnished the music. At 12 o'clock an excellent lunch was served to which all did ample justice. After supper dancing was again taken up and all went home at 3 o'clock after enjoying a very pleasant evening. Those present were: Misses Lizzie McKenna, Elvina Anderson, Mazy Donaghey, Mary O'Leary, Mamie King, Sadie King, Florence Crofts, Esthel Crofts, Helen Fox, Annie McDonald, Lita Swinehart, Mabel Falconer, Fannie Penglase, Maggie Fox, Mary Fox, Annie McCormick, Messrs. E. McKenna, John Egan, Chas. Fox, John McCormick, Frank Cobb, Frank Berry, Wm. Stubbins, D. Brown, Jean Bertram, J. Cristo, H. Tracy, Phil McKenna.

Local Rays - J. A. Mannheim of Duluth, Minn., was among those arriving here on the Alki Sunday night, on their way to the Yukon Gold fields.

Local Rays - Wm. Hanbury, who has been at Skaguay for several weeks, assisting his brother over the pass, returned to town Thursday looking none the worse for his trip.

Local Rays - The ice cream social given by the Ladies' relief corps at the Juneau hotel Thursday evening was well attended. Delicious ice cream was served by the ladies after which all participated in the festive dance.

Local Rays - Thomas Wall, a prospector, was drowned last Saturday while crossing the Dyea river with a pack on his back. The weight of the pack held him under water until he was drowned. The body was buried at Dyea.

Local Rays - In response to a query the following telegram was received from the treasury department: "Miners can land their effects and go to British Columbia territory from Dyea under customs supervision without payment of duty and without giving bonds."

Local Rays - The raffle for the F. B. Creese, residence on the ridge has been postponed until August 15 th , when it is announced that it will positively take place at Windsor hall. There are but a few tickets left. Don't miss a chance to secure a furnished house for a dollar. Tickets for sale at the principal stores.

Local Rays - Mr. And Mrs. F. A. Rogers, Mrs. M. K. Paul and Miss F. H. Willard of Haines mission, came down on the Alki. Mr. Rogers is the new superintendent of the mission. It is rumored that he is about to be recalled but a protest has been made by the natives that he be retained. Mr. Rogers works with the Indians himself, his method of teaching being object lessons, and this alone would naturally endear him to them.

Local Rays - The members comprising the Ukiah camp, of Ukiah, Cal., were passengers on the Willamette bound for the Gold fields. There are five in the party, Jules Kelton, ex-druggist of Mendecino Insane Asylum; Lee Taylor, also of the same institution; Mr. T. Elwell and two prominent Californians. They have two years provisions, five horses, and letters of credit for $10,000. They intend to prospect or buy claims and if necessary stay with the Yukon proposition for five years. They are able-bodied young men and made of the right material to make a success in the Yukon.

Local Rays - Emery Valintine returned from Skaguay on the Alki.

Local Rays - James P. Jorgenson returned from Skaguay on the Alki Thursday.

Local Rays - Mrs. J. G. Heid, Miss Clara Heid and Miss David returned from Skaguay on the Alki.

Local Rays - Among the tourists on the Queen we note Hon. Charles Foster, ex-secretary of the treasury.

Local Rays - Mrs. Minnick is sojourning at Skaguay with her brother, who is going to Klondike if possible this fall.

Local Rays - Dr. C. D. Rogers, clerk of the district court, is contemplating taking up his permanent residence here and practicing his profession.

Local Rays - Capt. J. C. Callbreath of Wrangel, the principal promoter of the Stickeen river trail way to the Yukon, was a passenger on the Queen.

Local Rays - A detachment of police, twenty in number, was on the Queen bound fro Skaguay and the interior. The police are under charge of inspector J. H. McIllree.

Local Rays - Benjamin J. Hall of Nevada City, Cal., is expected to arrive shortly at Treadwell and take charge of the chlorination works in order to give E. J. Ott a vacation.

Local Rays - Will Malan, Walter Fitch and William Atkinson took passage on the Queen for Skaguay Wednesday afternoon. Mr. Malan goes to look after his interest in the ferry, which plies between Skaguay and Dyea.

U. S. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Office Marine-Hospital Service, Juneau, Alaska, August 2, 1897. Sealed proposals will be received at this office until noon of August 30, 1897, to furnish office quarters and fuel for use of the Marine-Hospital Service at Juneau, Alaska, during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1898. Schedules and further information may be obtained upon application to the undersigned. The right is reserved to waive informalities, and to reject any or all proposals. SAMUEL C. LEONHARDT, A. A. Surgeon - M. H. S., in charge.

News from Skaguay - Judging from the latest reports received from Skaguay camp, it would seem that the "city of tents: if fast assuming the garb of a town. About 300 persons have decided to spend the winter there. Hundreds of lots have been staked off. At present there are bout ten buildings of various dimensions under construction, ranging from 8x8 to 30x20 feet. Building is not progressing as it would if lumber could be had. The Kerry Lumber company shipped 25,000 feet on the steamer Willamette which will supply the immediate demand. There is a restaurant, a dance house, three blacksmith shops, and one store and three saloons.

News from Skaguay - It is estimated that there are at present about 1300 miners all told on the trail at Skaguay. Of this number about 400 have past the wagon road, which is about four and a half miles from the beach, and are on their way to the summit; the remaining 900 have crossed the river and are camped on the wagon road. There are between 500 and 600 pack animals comprising horses, donkeys, mules, steers and dogs. There are no Indian packers. Twenty-five cents per pound is the prevailing price for packing. About forty tons of freight are on the summit at present and ten tons beyond. Miners who have horses and do their own packing make short trips - say for or five miles - and return. This system does not fatigue the pack animals and the packer need pitch camp only at one end of the line. Three or four of these stations and he is on the summit. There is no confusion as reported a few days ago, but everything is moving smoothly and it is expected within the next two weeks 800 men will cross the White pass.

News from Skaguay - Numerous meeting have been held by the miners at Skaguay to settle many questions. One of these resulted in the expulsion of F. A. Cleveland from the camp, another in the construction of a foot bridge about one mile and a quarter from the beach, which does away with all danger in crossing the river; while another meeting resulted in sending out a cruising party under the guidance of Mr. Monahan, late civil engineer of the Northern Pacific railway, to look into the question of marking a trail that would follow the river clear to the summit. This would save climbing three hills and shorten the distance greatly, but Mr. Monahan reported that this could not be done before the winter. Harmony prevails among the miners, and after receiving Mr. Monahan's report it was decided that those possessing horses should send out a man for every horse to improve the old trail. Possibly the false reports in regards to the new trail owe their existence to the latter instance. The men were not sent out to cut a trail. The trail upon which they were working has been traveled for the past three weeks by hundreds of horses and men daily and this has resulted in wearing out and loosening the corduroy roads that the pioneers have only laid hastily. The road is now being more satisfactorily fixed and will result in a very fair mountain trail clear to the summit. From here on the trail is level, running almost in a straight line, then branching a short distance from the summit to the right toward Tagish lake and to the left to Lake Bennett. The swampy ground has in the past been safely traveled by pack animals but corduroy roads are being constructed across them to make them doubly safe. The trail to Tagish lake has been cut through by the miners and they are maintaining and daily improving it.

News from Skaguay - Will Plow Up Gold - The most stupendous undertaking in connection with the ravishing of the virgin gold from the icy hills and bleak water courses of Alaska and the Northwest territory that has yet bee proposed, and beside which all other attempts appear puerile and insignificant, is that which has been taken by a group of well known Seattle capitalists, at the head of which is Edward F. Sweeney. The other members of what will be a powerful company do not for the present wish to have their names made public. Any thing in connection with the operations to the north must now bear the tamp of originality or size, and the matter which is herein made public eclipses anything that has yet been proposed regarding mining of any kind at any time, or in any part of the world.

There arrived in Seattle Samuel H. Saleno of San Francisco, the foreign representative of Alphonzo B. Bowers, inventor and owner of the Bowers dredging patents and of the Bowers system of hydraulic dredging, to which the patents are applied. Mr. Saleno has recently returned from Japan, and it was on the trip back from the Orient that he met Mr. Sweeney and to him communicated his plans for the application of the dredger to hydraulic mining. The wonderful finds of the upper Yukon had not been made known to the world and nothing like the discoveries had ever been heard of nor expected. The conversation was simply along lines of the possibilities of the Bowers machines and their powerful centrifugal pumps.

When the Klondike fever struck the country, Mr. Sweeney properly equipped and grubstaked several men, and then he wired Mr. Saleno to come to Seattle. In the meantime the interests of those who will make up the balance of the company --- been aroused, but all suggestions of their intentions had been kept a profound secret. Upon Mr. Saleno's arrival the meetings were commenced and for three days they continued at b--- intervals each gathering canvassing the subject and each adding to the enthusiasm of those who were admitted to the confidential conference.

The project has now taken definite shape. The intention of the company is to build one of the great earth and mud-eating machines that are converting the tide lands of the upper bay en--- into blocks of redeemed land that have marked one of the under takings that will provide Seattle manufacturing sites, and sent it to the mouth of the Yukon river, where it will be put together. One of the differences that will make the proposed dredger seem unique will be its power of self propulsion and its extremelylight draught. The power will be supplied to a stern wheel, the same as to the light draught river steamers.

After the completion of the building of the dredger at the mouth of the Yukon, it will start on its tour of investigation up the river, putting its long black beam into the sand and gravel.

ALASKA JUNEAU REPORT - The following reported as the cleanup of the Alaska Juneau Gold Mining company operating in Silver Bow basin for the month ending July 15, 1897: Days elapsed since last report. 30; Running time, 35 stamps, days. 27; Ore milled, tons. 3,808; Total bullion. $24,772.31; Expenses for the month. $11,500.00; Average yield per ton of ore. $6.37.