Stikeen River journal., 1899-07-29
Mir. Mcdonald Puts a Damper
 on Cape Nome.
The Result of His Investigation of the District Does Not War.
 rat Miners Going There.

Mir. s. Mcdonald, returned passen- ger on the ss. Garonne is not an en- thusiastic Cape Nome boomer; neither is he disappointed gold seeker, retur- ming to the States to misrepresent the conditions in Alaska and the North west Territory. Mir. McDonam im- presses one as being an intelligent, we'll balanced, impartial man who is suffic- iently intelligent to tell in an uncolored comprehensive way what he saw dur ing his investigations for this reason The Times gives to the public an &C., curate verbatim statement of Mr. Nc Donald's conclusions.
 Mir. Mcdonald went into the Cape Nome District from Dawson City, after spending eighteen months in that camp and arrived at Cape Nome on Jnne F, via g. s. Portland. He describes the topography of the country in much the same way as it has been described heretofore, as bleak, desolate and barren spot, with low range of foot hills running back from the coast in all directions. Arrivingat the place he begius his description as follows:
 "The beach on the ocean front is staked for miles. Creeks generally are staked, so much so that no vacant ground in the vicinity of the alleged gold bearing claims is to he had. The stalking is largly done by power of att torney, which method, am told. has been approved by the United States Commissioner. The best prospects that have been found are on Anvil and Snow creeks. Very little work has been done on any Of the claims, but what has been done, shows clearly to practicle miner that the Cape Nome strikes are notwhat tn transportation companies would have the public be- leive. One man in our party banned for several hours on one of the best prospects on the Snow creek claims; the result of the first pan showed $l.5O. In his subsequent pannings of several hours he did not get color. This con- vinced the owners of the claim what has been charged over and over again that the claim had been salted Claim owners throughout the district are of fering claims on the best creeks for steamboat fare to Seattle.
 Az, oe &l country, will state that party at St. Michael, who took no stock in the re- puted discoveries, offered in my pres ence in the Healy Hotel, $40 per ounce for all the gold brought him from Cape Nome. Up to the time our party left St. Michael not an ounce was offered him Aside from the $10,OOO exhibited at St. Michael by the N. A. T. & T. Co which l understand is now being shown in Seattle, as coming from the district, not color of gold was visible, and no man had the hardihood to claim that he possessed any.
 ''There is no gravel on the rocks in ohO uAoOt 1SU3 OiO piOopOCoo dlA UCe tweed 8 sort of muck and glacial forma- tion. There are two owners who are satisfied that they have good ground, and hold claims as high ;.s $lOO,O Aside from these two men. who seem to honestly believe that they have good ground, we could not see anything to. warrant 2 stampede, or warrant men enduring the hardships necessary to 8 trip to the Cape Nome country"
 Mir. Mcdonald says he went into the country with the express purpose of purchasing claims for himself and oth- CTS whom he represented. He speaks in glowing terms of the gold producing creeks on the Klondike, Forty-mile and other districts, but does not think we'll of the MinOok country.