Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-02
LIFE IN THE GOLD FIELDS
Three Men Who Have Made Lots of Money
in Different Ways.
Running Theatcr at Dawson
boating on the Yukon
Horses at Cape Nome.
sperial Correspondence of The Evening Star.

kHgaiIl Correspondence Of The Evening star
SEATTLE. October %. 1899.
Well yes, l have done fairly We'll in
Dawson remarked Mr.. Frank Simons,
proprietor Of the Dawson Opera House
Theater. which. by the way. is rather a
v0luminous title. I have had two seasons
there. Of twelve weeks each. the last one
just closed. and have cleaned up $4,000 in
coin dust. currency and certified checks
and am now on my way to my old home in
MissouIa, Mon. where I am going to in
vest part Of my money in the Wholesale
drug business. though / am not going to
give up tie thea tricaI business. I own Il
Steamboat on the Yukon. and as soon as
the river opens in the spring I am going to
take vaudeville company out that way to
catch the rush at Cape Nome, which will
lie the greatest on earth. ] shall take lIIm-
Der enough along with ME To build thea
ter. ami am bound to make a good thing
cut Of IL Better than at Dawson? Well /
don't know about that Dawson wasn't
slow. In rs l took in d company, al cost
OF $3.50 for transportation; but business
was good. and l didn't mind the expense.
For instance. beer was $40 pint upstairs
in my place. and champagne $40 a pint
Those figures may seem large. but cham
payne cost so a bottle to get il in. ! gave
regular high-class vaudeville perform
anCe. running all night every night except
Sunday. The English won't have any sun
day business. and We shut up sharp at II
Saturday night. and sta'd 50 until O'Clock
Monday morning.
Big Prices for Everything
My salary list this year was ST. 400 a
week. or 400 ounces gold dust measurement.
and 1 always paid my people in dust, as it
was more plentiful than coin or currency.
1 employed fifty-four people. paving two
bookkeepers and gold weighers $50 a day
z1hs = EI.4V-
day barkeepcrs, and $40 q day to nv porter
Artists received from SO to $3.50 per week
according 10 their ability. We had TO take
in 50 .ODp day or lose MONEY and our re-
ceIptS were generally from -, 500 to 81 800
for the twenty-fOur hours. Cigars wpra
from % cents to So 30 each-that kind were
like those You buy outside at three for 81
Soda water and all mineral waters were
also % cents glass During the busy time
! sold $4,000 worth Of beer in thirty-two
days. the same costing 100000 delivered 1
sold 400 dozen whisky glasses this year at
:; a dozen that cost me 90 cents a dozen.
Also to,rb cigars at 500 a thousand that
cost me SO "A thousand
Mr. Simans had with him as souvenirs
and pocket pieces 81. 500 worth Of nuggets
one Of them half as large as a mans fist
He also Wore about - 800 worth 90 hard
some diamonds. notably q 3. and P O. e
badge as watch charm, which fairly
blaZei with It's g.ittering ornaments
Cape Nome Money-Maker.
gold digg.ngs Of the Cape Nome DISTRICT
IN Alaska" said a returned traveller to me
YESTERDAY. lis & young Kentuckian named
sam Herring. from Danvllle. Herring had
10 money himself. but ne married a daugh-
ter OF Capt. Healy. who is credited with
4 million made in mines and trading com
HoAles All over northern Alaska. and last
Angus. tho Kencuckiau started ont for
himself. with s0rne horses and a debt OF
5000 - his fathcr-ir-IRw. He went
strHlSE' 20 tho Nome District with his stock
AID found that he had tho only horses
th"fe- and that there was a great dg1,pr,5
i2r hauling OF Nil kinds Of rninc-s' supplies
lie charged Gsyth'ng he pleased for his
services and paid h!s help anything they
asSei for their labor, He went 10 work
august =, ard by s-ptcrrhcr u he had
rH-4 on Lis 5000 dci,t. wus square on al
EXPENSES and since that time no has Locr
cl"aFiTg I'D 500 81 day On hls horses he
has q number Of good ciairns on the side
snI hy this time mex. year he will have