The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1899-07-20
That Cape Nome Is
Overrated.
SAYS he Examined CAREFULLY
To asssrtsin the Truth Was Gen.
ssetsd with the v. s. Gee
Iogiesi Survey.

There ~ no sold 81 any eonse'
aurnce In the Cape Nome district.
panncd on the principal claims on
Anvil ereek and snow guich and gut
hardly anything but colors 1 now
chailvnsr anyone ~ prove 10 ne that
any large amount of guld has yet
been brought out 81 tho district !
avn willing TO hack my assertion with
any rvasonabis SUN 81 money
The above statement was made 10
star reporter az the Hotel Norsh
ern today by }. W pobbluh. oae q
the uafoune's passenger. lie went
north on the LAaraaa to investigate
the Cape Some camp IN the interests
II Spokane capitalists.
Mr., Dceslns was Tor number oi
yrarp connectrd with the United
states Geological survey and he u
familiar with Alaska. lie spent tao
weeks in the Cape Nome district. and
a. a result % hls Investigations
makes tho above statement the
story Of the supposedly rich placer
tninrs In the Arctic camp ~ u great
interest jslst noN when - many cnn.
filoting reports are bctRs received.
When reached Cape Nome. he
said. 'prpbahiy one Thousand lssgpi.
we're csmped ON this beach. Most 81
them had been unable to secure a
claim without buy as the whols
country has been staked under pow
sr u attorney. ] Immediately pro-
ee~siei TO discovery claim on SaStl
ersek. which - reported TO BE- the
richest in ths district. This claim
and the one neat to u bslons to
MesHrs. HaiiESerg aai Anierson.
who were cunuectct with the rufed.
lnh mission at GSlofiu bay l var
offered either claim fcr ti.soo. OBJ
taiuing permission 20 ran on dincov.
cry. succeeded IN getting about
esnts TO she pan-noshinE more
When I asked u any quantity u sold
had been taken from the clsim.
Mcssrr. Haltsbsrg and Anderson dfi
not give ne q satisfactory reply.
''Pro-eedinE thsn 10 sne~ sulch.
which IL also reported rich. again
panned. and daring several hours Of
work Got only coiora Other claims
Were investigated with q tike result.
SIR. Lynduan. Of ths swedish mis-
SON. who Nas with me. will e1rrob-
crate my statements. Discovery on
Anvii creek Il about sls miles from
the beach went from there 10 Flsh
river. where found only Vsry me
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been sgaksd and you can buy a claim
for almost any price. ! went pre-
pared to invest, and returned with
cut making a single purchase
Mr. pobhiuH was asked 70 explain
how the n \ r. at Company had
taken ilnoo IN gold out Of the dis.
trict
They dtd take $1,000 worth Of
gold out 81 Cape Nome" ha said.
but not an ounce 81 70 came
out OF the ground. fnuuir.
ed very carefully about "a while
at Cape Nome and was informed By
most reliable people that u was gold
brought into the district BY miners
who exchanged 70 for provisions and
suppMes At the ~ A. r a r Com.
pany's store at Cape Nome. When
the merit arrivals from the district
reach hers. they will substAntiate my
story.
While At Cape Nome I carefully
studied the geological conditions u
ths country found the drainage
was very short, and the base 81 the
mountains within i've miles Of the
shore line. Glacier action has cover
81 the beach with debris and
I feel convinced that bedrock
viii not be reached excepting
at a great depth There was NJ min
sransed rock in the district could
find--another badfeature from a
miners point Of view. 10 there are
any gold deposits they must nsee.-
sarily be ~ q great depth. In that
frozen country this Simply means
that they will never be reached. To
sum ~. have no hesitation In say
Ing that the Cape Nome district IL
not a gold country. what say
now viii stand good Ave years from
nov. There is absolutely nothing
there 10 Justify a miner going into
the district"
MIR. Dobslns SAYS the report that
men At" Fsttinh tie n nay Wages ~
Anvil city IL absolutely untrue. A
few men were being employed nj 81
an hour for short periods. in pack
ing goods up from the beach A
small number were getting o. a day
and board. he says for gathering
drift wood. but nothing higher was
paid.
Mining operations were almost 40
a standHtill when I left" said Mr..
Dobbins only few holes had
been dug on Discovery claim. and the
other claims had not been develop
81 10 any great extent. This IL due
10 the fact that gold had not been
found IN sufficient quantities To JUS
tify further operations. Flour sold
at t2bo a sack, and sugar st 20 cents
a pound at Anvil. Everything In
hiEh there"
Mr. pobbins says that hardly any
Of the new arrivals In the district
viii remain there during the winter.
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