The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-12-04
ssRORTH POLE
JOURNALISM"

ran across little newspaper the other
day, copies of which I have no doubt are
very scarce in Birmingham. 1t was 1.-THE
KIondike Nugget paper published semi
weekly in Dawson, Yukon Territory, bear
ing the date of August q. 1t was four
page, 12x18-inch sheet.
The Nugget would not prove popular
paper in Birmingham, even were the mails
regular enough and there were a news
dealer in the city with sufficient enterprise
to handle the Birmingham end of its cir
culation. For in this country of low-price
newspapers, the following subscription
rates Haunted at the head of the Nuggets
editorial columns would effectually drive
away all would-be purchasers I'm afraid,
however anxious they were to hear the
news from Americas latest Ell Dorado.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES.
Yearly in advance. ........ .$24. 90
Per month by carrier in city Gin adj
Single copies ....,., ............ so
What a world of meaning there is in this
announcement made by the business man.
agement of the paper! 1t tells better than
all else what an expensive luxury life in the
Klondike is, for if its newspapers sell for
90 cents copy, of necessity the Klondiker's
OlHer necessities ana -luAurleS must cOSI
in proportion. Then the words in adj
vance" tell most forcibly the little conf
dence which the citizens of Dawson have
in each other, when 1t comes to money
matters. Eugene c. Allen, Business Man.
ager," doesn't want any of his subscribers
to be wandering off to the gold fields owing
him any money on back subscriptions.
Out of this one issue of the Nugget more
can be learned of the character of the peo-
pie in the capital of the Yukon Territory
and of the life they lead than in a hundred
descriptive magazine articles, although
they be profusely illustrated. After all,
there are very few mediums by which the
character of a people can be better judged
than through one of their newspapers. 1t
depends for its support on the people who
read 1t, and as a rule, it voices their sem
timents and opinions very correctly
Big headlines-"scare heads"-as the pub
lie chooses to call them, are in vogue in
Klondike as well as in the United States.
On the first page of the Nugget appears in
large letters the following head: ITO Jump
Dominion-A Scheme to Take Advantage of
Fawcett's Illegal Action-The Gang Slips
and a Damning Letter Reaches the Public
Spies to Get Their Pick of the Claims and
One Tenth of AlL"-And then follows a
long story, telling how The Nugget has
long been in possession of information
which shows that a coup was intended by
schemers in town to beat certain bona fide
u anu lOcdlOTS out OIL their right
full claims
- The Nugget seems to have been making
war on the gold commissioner appointed by
the Canadian government, and tells in plain
language how John Donnelly de-
ii uded out of his claim in the commits
her's office.
'eoAnother big story tells how Jacob Meyer
Hofer, German, was held up on Bonanza
Creek. The robbers beat him severely but
they did not get any booty, for the reason
that Jacob had no dust on his person. he
had not yet struck it rich. Another story
tells of a daring burglary committed at
the Monte Carlo last Thursday morning
which exceeds in holiness anything ever
attempted in the palmest days of the IA
nous and notorious Jesse James,"
ITO show the pickngs of the fortu-
nate diggers on the claim, a collection
of nuggets, quartz and coal was being
made to attract the attention of those
Interested The place is open at all
hours of the twenty-four. Gold Weigher
Williams was at his post and Cashier
and Night Bartender William Mcdonald
was at his accustomed place. About
4:30 a. m. Mr.. Williams proceeded to
make up his receipts for the night and
taking with him the checks from the
games for their redemption in cash,
passed around to the game-keeper, MAX
ing the customary settlement. AT the
same time Mcdonald was called to the
turning shortly thereafter we'll
known habitue of the place entered and
noticed that the cabinet above alluded
to had been broken into and rif1ed
During the absence of Williams and Nc
Donald, some one, evidently well ac-
quainted with the custom of the estab-
lishment, entered and cut the isinglass
door which had been temporarily placed
there in lieu of glass, and extracted the
larger nuggets therefrom, the value of
which Is known to be about 81 800.
1.-THE police department was at once
notified of the robbery and every effort
will be made to apprehend the thieves.
A clew believed to be good one, is in
the possession of the police, and it is
hoped will lead to their speedy capture.
IAN epidemic of crime appears to
have been inaugurated in Dawson which
will require the utmost vigilance of the
police to circumvent.'
Dawson is not the only city claiming this
distinction. There are others.
The editorials of the paper are confined
almost exclusively to the discussion of the
different phases of the mining and prospect
ing questions of the territory. 1t advocates
the formation of a miners association to
secure protection from the overbearing off,
Gals and to present all their troubles to
the Canadian parliament.