The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-15

over 81, 900 an hour CSC, 900 in twentyfour
hours, one nugget recently found being
worth 1912 Another claim, owned by Dr.
Kettlesen, in one day cleared up $4,000,
and so the stories 60 One may hear al
most any kind of fairy tale, and while
some CT them are exaggerated the fact
remains that just now every man in the
district has a pocket full of dust and
heart full of hope, and there are no dead
brokes in Anvil City. What the condi-
lions will be year hence will not be
known until then, and cannot be pre-
dicted.
Nov 1 communication with the outside
world will be completely shut off for sew
Ell months at least, and only few of
the people now in the Cape Nome district
are fixed with either food or shelter for
the severity of the climate, though those
who are prepared with houses to live in
and sufficient food and fuel can rot only
pass the winter comfortably, but can do
more or less work.
There are very few SO we'll eff as this
however, fuel being sCsTcer than food,
| tut among the beach combers'' a novel
plan will be adopted. Parties of four,
SIX or eight will organize for winter OPP
erations By securing a large tent, spread
ing il over the ground they propose to
work In, and there they will set up house
keeping. The canvas will be protected on
way possible, and stoves will be kept 60
ing on the inside, so that the tent will not
only be comfortable to live and to work
H. but it will never freeze in there and
the mining can go on quite as satisfac-
torily as if the balmy spring were the
only season known in the Cane Nome dis
/ tr1ct great rush Is expected in the
| spring, but, as has been stated, there ara
no claims unstaked anywhere within
/ irtI ,ooiIo TS:4-.
what lies beyond those limits is prac ical-
~ unknown. But, according to the tales
| of Drospectors, as far beyond as Cape
! Prince Of Wales, 225 miles, gold has been
, found along the creeks in quantities that
| would pay from SO to $50 per man per
| day if PANIED by an expert
! Claims are offered for sale-a claim be-
| ing twenty acres-at prices from $50, 900
| to Sl50,G00 and there are of course at
this time not many takers at those fig
ures, but they are expected in the spring
| with the rush.
! Over LOCO claimS-covering 10000 acres,
! about thirty square miles of territory
! have been recorded, and it is generally
| believed that each claim represents a
suit at law so hasty and haphazard have
been the methods of procedure in secur-
ing claims.
The claims of this entire section are of
the placer variety, and SC far no quartz
has been discovered, which means that
what is busy mining camp with millions
| this year may be a deserted village twelve
months later.
Nome gold is much darker in color than
the gold of the Yukon river country, as
! saying Sl9 an ounce, though the current
trading price is SIS an ounce. Gold dust
and nuggets constitute the bulk of the
currency, and gold scales are as neces-
Sary in the stores as the ordinary gro
| GERS scales. And gold dust as a circulat-
ing medium Is not as popular as it might
be, for coin or paper money commands
a premium of per cent in many local
tiles. Such money is known as ''checha-
| ko,' or ''newcomber." as only the new
arrivals have it, and that is the Eskimo
word for new arrivals
Winter at Anvil City-that is to say, In
the entire Nome district-ordinaril con-
tinues from October to June, and a tenn
perature of 50 10 60 degrees below is not
unusual. On Dec q the sun barely rises
above the horizon, and on June 81 it does
not disappear entirely from sight during
the twenty-four hours
To the prospective miner In the states''
expecting to try his luck in the Cape
Nome rush next spring, or rather next
season, 1t may be said. that he should
keep his attention fixed on weather re-
ports from the Northwest and be in San
FRANCISCO, OF seattle. IN June, to catch
the first boat out. as Norton bay usually
opens in June. What the fare will be
cannot be told this year, but now it Is
$50 and SIS, according to accommodations,
to st. Michaels and 500 on to Nome by
the small steamers crossing the bay-l35
miles. The distance direct to Nome from
San Francisco is about $500 miles and
from Seattle or Tacoma 1900 miles, and
competition has made the fare to st.
Michaels the same. What changes the
rush Of gold seekers next year will make
remains to be seen. It is merely an or
binary agreeable sea Trip, and the miner
arriving at Nome Is practically in the
midst OF his field of labor as soon as he
} goes ashore, and there Is little to do ex-
cept become millionaire as soon as con-
; venient. AT the same time it may be re-
marked with truth that if he is comforta-
BILE at home and is doing fairly well, he
had better stay right where he is and
thank the Lord for a contented spirit.
J w. ]. Hampton.