The Topeka state journal., 1899-12-07
CAPE NONE GOLD STORIES.
TFrom the Chicago Record.l

At the waters edge along the beach
and back to the tundra, averaging about
$50 feet in width, there has been taken
out S2,OO0,000 worth of gold with rocker
washing in the crudest way, many
without copper plates and quicksilver,
and with anything they could make in
the shape of a rocker. The taiHngs OF
these men are now in places being
worked over and pay good wages. These
diggings, which changed a camp OF
broken, ragged, discouraged men IN q
few days to one in which every man
had money and 3many making S100
day, while some who struck rich spots
took out thousands in a short time,
extend from about eight miles below
Smoke river to about thirty-seVen
miles up stream. There is a barren
streak extending about twenty miles
farther up. and above that the digglngS
are said to extend UP to Cape Prince Of
Wales. At the mouth of Smoke river,
for about three miles, the beach is eX-
ceptiOnalIy rich.
one newspaper man who was fat
broke staked out a piece of ground 80
by "A feet. and in eight days with one
he hired when he found he had it rich
took $500 one man who struck
rich spot rocked out 81, 700 in day
Missouri Bi1l' and another Well-knOWn
DawsOnite took advantage of a very
low tide and went away out. carrying
the dirt on a hand barrow up to the
higher beach to rock it. Their days
work gave them-tWO men-S2,200 and
proved that the deposit runs out under
the ocean. W hen TINS snail be worked
in quantities by dredSes, pumps ana
machinery the yield should be tremen-
dOus. Right in, the town, at the lower
end, in the grass roots of the tundra
next the beach, the dirt goes a dollar
to the pan. Water in Hmitless quanti-
ties is close by and any mining man
knows what this means when properly
worked. This year some men rocked
all along the beach in defiance of those
who had staked the ground, but next
year, when the court comes in, 1t IS
likely that they may be compelled to
remain below high-water mark The
tundra next the beach is said to pros
pect in many places and is likely to be
a tremendous gold producer. Wlth
rockers the cost of producing on the
average is less than 20 per cent on
beach. With machinery it will prObabI
not be more than per cent. On the
creeks little has been done owing to
the beach claims, which gave ready
and rich returns to labor, drawing men
from the hills.
The creeks are from five to twenty
five miles from Nome. Some of the best
are within seven miles. Anvil Creek
has had clean-ups as high as $4,000 for
sixty hours shOVeliBg for two men one
is said to have cleaned up 900 for
the seasons work. Snow Gulch, trib-
utary of Anvil Greek, is even richer.
DeX Creek is good On No. they clean
ed up $4,000 with rockers in short
time Although there was not water
enough to sluice-the expense of get
ting out supplies was high this year
the cost of taking it out was only $1,000,
or per cent. on Anvil Greek the cost
was but per cent.
These creeks in most places are about
three feet deep and everything is pay.
There are other rich creeks and tribu-
tary guIches, but not much has been
done on them. Almost nothing can be
done in the winter Absence of wood
prevents prospecting. and little more
can be definitely known until next
summer.
Cape Nome is built straggIingIy along
the beach for a mile. and is now half
as large as Dawson. This, despite the
fact that building has been seriously
retarded by the scarcity of lumber,
which is 5000 per 1000 feet, and little to
be had at that high price. Town lots
are held on the front street at from 81
600 to $4,000, according to location. AS
the ground is rich in gold the tenure of
title is likely to be uncertain, as it is
staked for placer There has been some
jumping, but as a rule rights are re-
spected. A good many are building
now on the beach just above high wa
ter claiming that the government re
serves 60 feet which cannot be located
and so on this claim squatters' rights.
y court is badly needed here, and it is
hoped an additional judge will be ap-
appointed for this district. The dis
puteS to be decided affect the owner
ship of property worth millions. A land
Office is also badly needed to settle
matters regarding claims and to give
claimants opportunity o protect
their ground and thus secure title be-
fore eXpending the large sums on ma
chnery that will be needed on many
claims.
Coal is now selling as high as $40 a
ton, and hard to get at that price. Pro-
visions are higher than in Dawson
though there is enough to last unless
fire should break out in which case the
suffering will be awful Fire is the one
thing people fear here Provisions were
cheap, but as soon as the news of the
loss of the Lonado came and shortage
was threatened the companies raised
their prices, without exception. This
was also done with lumber, despite the
fact that the cost of ocean freight is
comparatively low. There were about
5000 people here, but they have been
steadily leaving by every steamer, and
only about 1000 will remain during the
winter. Many of these are from DaW-
son, and they will stay in order to Sc
cure a chance to get claims, being will
ling to endure the discOmfOrts Of the
winter for the sake of getting into
some good ground Many of those who
We're here this summer have left in
tending to return next spring.
The heavy surf which comes tearing
in with every wind off the sea has pre-
vented the unloading of freight and
embarking of passengers. Only one
company has adequate facilities, and
they are useless in bad weather Yes
terday. during a blow, a scow loaded
with whisky, champagne, lumber and
supplies, came ashore and broke up.
Some of the men made 81, 000 on salvage
Of the goods washed up on the beach.
Fitzhugh Lees Arrow Wound.
IF'rom the Boston Evening Transcript ]
1t has often been noticed that when
ever General Fitzhugh Lee visits the
White House he stops to have a chat
with Captain LOef1er. who stands guard
a I the presidents private Office and the
cabinet room This is generally at
tributed to Lees pleasant way of treat /
ing every one, but it has another ORR
gin.
Before the Civil war Lee was lieu
tenant in the old Second cavalry, after
wards reorganized as the Fifth. Loef-