Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-11-08
CAPE NOME
Is Now the Place for the
Gold Seekers.
Adelbert Wood of WaterviIIe Has Re-
turned from Cook Inlet.
Says That Best Place for Making a Fortune is
Cape Nome.

cape Nome is the place to which
the gold seekers in Alaska will flock,
next year" was the opinion given by
Adelbert Wood, Il returned seeker for
gold in the Klondike regions, yesterday
morning. during an interview by al
Journal reporter.
Mr.. Wood is one of the Waterville
party. who, a year ago last April, had
the gold fever and started for the
klondike regions. In the party We're
.. O. Cross, Simeon Estes, p. r. Ken
dali. James Taylor, Thomas Fields.
Thomas Breck, Hugh Wyer, Lewis
ROwden and Mr.. Wood, all with the
exception of one being from Water
Vile. While nearly all have returned
yet not one of them came back with
more money in his pocket than when
he started out.
Mr.. Wood, in speaking of the matter,
said he is confident that if Il person
goes to Cape Nome he can find wealth.
He himself went TO Cook Inlet. When
he started it was with the intention of
going to klondike. but on the way he
fell in with the other members of the
party and they changed his mind so
that he departed from his original pur-
pose.
While the outlay was greater than
what | received, he said. yesterday. II
am not sorry that l went. l have seen
the country and am confident that if
person goes to Cape Nome he will
find wealth. Cook Inlet is no place for
poor man. The only way to work
that territory for gold is by forming a
large corporation. The mining there
is all placer mining. The rivers and
streams are frozen all but two months
in the year AS soon as single person
gets there he goes to work erecting his
mechanism for mining. By the time
he mas that done the two months dur
ing which he can work, on account of
the fields being frozen up the rest of
the time. have elapsed and he must
stop. The ground freezes only to the
depth of two or three feet but as the
mining is done in the valleys and near
the streams. there is no opportunity
for him to carry on the work.
The work can be carried on success
fully only by large companies. That
is why it is no place for poor man.
The place for a man to go is to
Cape Nome 500 miles north of Sitka.
There all the gold is washed out with
cradles The gold fields there are on
the sea shore. on account of the tide
the men can wash out the gold only
when the tide is out. but while man
is able to work he washes out Il dollar
an hour from the sands
When asked about there being a rush
for claims there Mr.. Wood said that
for hn CT
that the gold is all taken out on the
shores washed by the tide 1t is simply
the case of the man getting there first
during the day.
He believes that man, even though
he works alone there, can make his
pile. At any rate that is where the
men are striking for at the present
time. The prospects are that there will
be a great rush for that country in the
spring. Already every steamer is
chartered for that place in the spring.
Each man is required to pay down S25
for a passage. the whole expense for
which will be 500 for first class and
$50 for second class passage.
The men in the Klondike are even
rushing for that point and of the $1,000
men there some time ago. only 5000
of all who are in that section but few.
are coming out wealthy. in fact the
greater part have put in more than
they have taken out.
When asked if the rush to Cape
Nome would not cause more or less
trouble. he said that the majority of
the men are there to earn money. are
earnest and industrious. and as the
Low,
ness. For that reason he did not an
ticipate any trouble.
He himself came out of the expert
ence in perfect health and his looks
showed that he was never in better
condition than at the present time.
There is. however, a great deal of sick
ness among the men in Cape Nome.
Scurvy has broken out and there is al
so more or less typhoid. At the time
he started for home it looked as though
some of the men would have to be
taken in charge by the government.
Regarding the expense of living in
Cook Inlet he said that a person could
| live very cheaply there. The wages
paid are 81 day. Each man when
| aking a passage is allowed to take so
many pounds of whatever he wishes.
| \ great llldIy VI tiit iliCh tahS WIN
| them provisions enough to last for a
long time. Many on arriving in the
country stay a short time and then.
becoming Disguised. at once start back
| for home. They do not care to take
their provisions with them and 50 sell
them. The men are, as the result. by
, watching for these chances, are able to
| buy provisions at about the same
price that they can be bought in Sitka.
Flour can be bought for S. per bar
| rel. and dried fruit for less than 20
rents a pound. In Cape Nome there is
I scarcity of fuel. Coal costs 500 a
ton. There are no forests and the only
| wood that can be obtained is that
picked up on the sea short. So many
have been to the sea shore that it is
now almost an impossibility to get
| that.
| Regarding the temperature, he said