The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-05
PLAY WITH GOLD ON SPADES
~ NoME PEOPLE HAVE 1T, OUT
SIDE OF POKER GAMES,
TOO

For when They Use the Term shade
In This Connection They Mean
the Humble Implement with
Which the Dust Is Dug.
Grant McMicken SAYS that pold g. 90
plentiful at Cape Nome that aentIanoa,
snovel 1t around with spades on the
oeach' where it IS most plentiful. and are
In the habit of 1okingly buying out
saloons for $4,000 when the 'ebarkeen" 4,
ruoe. What he says is based ON actiial
experience, as he has recently returned
from the famous fields and has spent CON
siderable time prospecting in the new dis
| trict
MT. McMicken formerly resided in ST!
Paul' though for some years he has been
connected with the North America n
Trading and Transportation connanv.
He Is now connected in a responsible ca
oacfty with the Pacific Clipper line. own
ing ana operating line of steamers from
Seattle to Cape Nome He arrived in St.
Paul yesterday from the coast and spent
the afternoon with old railroad friends
explaining the new country ana re-
sources. He brought with MIN the finest
photographs Of the dfggfngs which bsye
yet been made, and the only reliable and
accurate maps Of Cape Nome and tho
surrounding country in existence .Speak k
ing Of the gold fields and what he saw
there, Mr.. McMicken said:
klond1ke isn't in it with Cane Nome.
You will think me gold crazy. but there
mas never been a time when gold was so
easily obtained and newly discovered
hetoS were so rich as those at Nome and
in the back country There are several
| thousand men operating there now, and
even with that number, there are vast
stretches of goId-bearing beach which
are not occupied. In the back country.
where there are probably greater d;scov-
cries to be made. there is no one at all.
Everyone in Nome has money. A
friend of mine named Lindenberg went
into Doc Richardson's saloon while 1
was there. and got snubbed by the bar
tender. The owner came in little while
later and Lindenberg waddled around to
him.
" What is 1t worth, this placer he
| asked
Z" Twenty-Five thousand dollars
Well said Lindenberg, TIL buy 1t
| right away
''He pulled out a sack of dust as big as
| hat and laid it on the bar and then
from other pockets produced about $40, 000
worth more. Then he Endorsed draft In
| his favor for. the balance and took pos
session.
"Gold2 There Is gold everywhere. A
man knew there pulled out $12 500 worth
of dust on the beach in twelve hours one
| day. and a porter who deserted one Of our
steamers spent few weeks north of
Nome and went back to work with 81, 500
in dust slowed In his jeans. Every one
has money.
"a Seattle boy, who wasn't much &C
count either, got notice to rustic from
his father, bought ten horses and some
wagons and, with SIS left, started from
Seattle for Nome. He got there early
last summer and remained until the last
boat, when he disposed Of his outfit and
returned. Every day he spent there he
averaged $500 from the use of his horses
and wagons. They were the only ones
in the field.
'"The rush in the spring will be some
thing immense. The excitement on the
coast Is intense. All the room on our
first boat is taken and we have hundreds
of reservations applied for. Cape Nome
viii! rival California in 49, and will dis
lance Klondike without an effort"