The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-11-09
RICH CAPE NOME.
A Returned MissOurian Gives
Good Description.
Mr.. HOIbrOOk Washed Out $40
Daily His First Week.
WITH A SIMPLE PAN.
Had Two Years Hard Luck in
the KlOndike.
In July Day LabOrers We're
Getting $40 to SIS.
WITH A SIMPLE PAN.

Paris Mo- Nov. 9-Dr. William Allen
and Reuben Holbrook reached Paris this
morning, after an absence of eighteen
months in Alaska They were members
of a local company of twenty-five bust
ness men, who spent $4,000 in a vain
search for the fabulous gold fields report
ed to exist in Alaska two years ago Mr..
HoIbrook spent all of last winter on the
Kayukuk river. beyond the arctic circle
He says that hundreds of men were lured
into that district by reports of wonderful
finds of gold, and that, after several
months of heroic prospecting, not single
strike of gold was made. DR.. Allen, with
several other members of the Paris com
pany. located nearly forty claims around
Rampant City, and worked all the winter
prospecting Inern- NOT an ounce o1 SO4u
was taken out of any of the claims
While waiting for a ship at St NichaeIs
the reports of the wonderful richness OF
and they decided to try their luck once
more They remained at Cape nome uIl-
vious reports as to the richness OF that
Il suppose the Cape Nome gold fields
are the most remarkable IN the word,
Mr.. Holbrook said. i was at st. MlehaeIs
when the first reports about the new dis
ers rfdfculed the idea Of gold being found
in the sands along the beach, and 1
of lies started BY the trading and trans
D6rtation comparies. A month later how
ever. a reliable personal friend confirmed
chance to make back the money I had
wasted in other mining camps, and lost
no time in getting to the cape. In no other
part of the world could such a mining
camp be seen as l saw at Cape Nome.
For twenty miles the beach was thlckly
dotted with tents, and every man VINO
could b9y pan vas %3Shlhg gg 3IG Ir tba
crowd and averaged $40 a day the hrst
of our crowd ana nVe OF the P5tIlS DOS
Joined me as soon as they could make the
had as good a chance as anybody. Our
best days work yielded an average OF S68
of men who have cleaned up $500 to $1,000
in one day, and in one instance three men
course are exceptional cases. but viii
serve as illustrations of the richness of
I'm other mining camps in -Alaska, it is
necessary to thaW the ground 70 Dedroek
fab0rS viii he. This is VerV eXDensive
and very laboriOus. 1t is different at Cape
FEET wide and 40 to 100 miles Ions IS rich
in gold. There is no expensive recording
of claims and no tedious and doubtful
weeks of prospecting The beach is public
no wealthy syndicate can mOnopolize the
rich sections. Every man has an equal
essary is good health and a good pan and
shovel The sand is from "A to g INCHES
deep. 1t is easy to handle. and the Beh-
ring sea, a few feet away, furnishes an
ing the gold. The fact that any man with
good money along the Shore mas mace II
claims TurUhGT DaCk TO nlEe men 10 WOTk
them. When I started home day labOrers
We're in good demand at SO day and
board, and mechanics at SIS day and
board Fresh meat was selling at 81 per
pound, bacon at 4Oc, and everything else
zone drawback to mining on the beach
is the fact that it is impossible to work
sea, as the waves dash so high upon the
shore the gold hunters are forced to quit
work and move up to higher ground
'Only about 5000 men viii winter at
Cape Nome as it is impossible to work
at ar . m \ a.
Venber IT is an unhealthy Mace too
When I left an epidemic of typhoid fever
was raging and many deaths had already
ANVIL City. the capital of the district,
is mere shanty town. It is built Of such
a fire once starts the whole town will be
destroyed, and everybody predicts such
an occurrence before spring.
ious problem that cOnfrOnts the camp
that vicinity and the people depend al
most entirely on fuel imported from the
worth $50 a ton and not enough was in
stormy voyage of nineteen day to Seattle.
On the way we met the steamer Laurada,
but have since learned that she foundered
at sea. Her cargo would have made its
send to the people at Cape Nome.
I expect to go back as soon as naviga-
into that district viii Eclipse anything in
the history of Alaska and predict that
that will work along the beach. up. there
will exhaust the supply of gold in the
sands.
Eight to fifteen miles back from the
beach, however, good paying claims have
been located and mining is carried on as
it is in the Dawson City district. I know
of one claim that sold for 100000 and sew
eral others are held at 81. 900 600 or more.
In September I was robbed of 81. 100 had
washed from the sand, but before I start
ed home was lucky enough to sell one
of my three undevelOped claims for 5000
SO that in spite of my bad luck, am one
of the few NiSSOurianS who have come
out of Alaska with more money than they
took in.
The stampede to Cape Nome has almost
depOpulated Dawson City, Rampant City
and other districts the Yukon. The
freight and passenger traffic up that river
are practically thing of the past. Our
company has an SIS. 600 steamboat tied up
at St MichaeTs. She was built a Z Seat
tie for the Yukon trade, but has never
got beyond St. Mfchael's. She could not
be sold at any price up there and our
only hope of ever getting a dollar out of
her is to have her towed back to Seattle
and put her the market for what she
viii bring. Besides our boat there are a
score or more equally as good and equally
as useless at St Michael's-"
FOR LEE AND WHEELER.