Iron County register., 1899-11-16
WONDERFUL CAPE NOME.
elis.ourians Had Hard Luck I'm the
hiondile, but Found Success
Mt the Cane.

d1tGE an absence
OF 10 ponths in Alaska. They were
memoe of local company of rs
pusinesimen, who spent $500 in a
vain seam Tor the fabulous gold fields
reportedp exist in Alaska two years
ago. MI. Holbrook spent all of last
winter pthe Kayukuk river, beyond
the areqc fircle. He says that hum
nreds ormA were lured into that dis
tr1ct oyFePrts of wonderful finds of
golo, aY hat, after several months
OF her9c prospecting, not single
STRIKE q gsld was made. DIR. Allen,
with seera other members of the
Par1s cPpAny, located nearly forty
claims Pound Rampant City, and
worked I'll the winter prospecting
them. t an ounce of gold was tak33
en- out oAny of the claims.
Last Jly they started back to Mis-
souri,. Vile waiting for ship at
ST. MlchAl's the reports of the won
derful RID ness of the Cape Nome dis
trict AGED them, and they decided
to try thf luck once more. They re-
mained aEape Nome until October 6.
Both gentemen confirm previous re-
ports as Z the richness of that dis
trict.
Il suposl the Cape Nome gold fields
are the mt remarkable in the world"
Mr.. Holbr4k said: 81 was at ST. Mi
chaels whh the first reports about
the new itrict were received. Old,
experienced 1miners ridiculed the idea
of gold beif found in the sands along
the beach, nd I thought the reports
were anotb8 batch OF lies started by
the trading and transportation COM
paries. A lpnth later, however, re-
liable persokal friend confirmed the
reports / l4l heard. Here was a
chance to lEk be back the money I had
wasted in dI Ier mining camps, and I
lost no timet bin getting to the cape.
In no other BART of the world could
such minins camp be seen as I saw
at Cape Nona For twenty miles the
beach was tbfkly dotted with tents,
and every mad who could buy a pan
was washingI gold from the sands
along the sha e. I joined the crowd,
and averaged 20 day the first week.
| wrote to ST. @ichael's for the rest of
our crowd, and five of the Paris boys
Joined me as SON as they could make
the trip. The beach was free to all,
and we had as hood a chance as any
body. Our besthay's work yielded an
average of Sos il gold to each man. I
know of a number of men who have
cleaned up $50Gf $1,000 in one day,
and in one instSce three men in one
day took out $1S!D0. These, of course,
are exceptional ases, but will serve
as illustrations d the richness of the
district.
I'm other minAg camps in Alaska
it is necessary tothaw the ground to
bed rock-a dista ce of Is to 800 feet
before the protector knows what
the results of his lbors will be. This
is very expensive Ind very laborious.
1t is different at Cape Nome. There a
strip of beach 60 fet to 100 feet wide
and 40 to 100 miles bng is rich in gold.
There is no eXpeSive recording of
claims, and no tedious and doubtful
weeks of prospecting. The beach is
public property. " claims can be
staked, and no wealthy syndicate can
monopoliZe the rich sections. Every
man has an equal Glance, and all the
capital that is necess 'ry is good health
and a good pan and hovel. The sand
is from "a to SO inches deep. It is easy
to handle, and the Bhring sea, a few
feet away, furnishes In inexhaustible
supply of water for W lshing the gold.
The fact that any man with reason
able amount of energy can make good
money along the shoe has made 1t
next to impossible forlt the owners Of
claims further back IL hire men to
work them. When l started home
day laborers were in q dod demand at
SO a day and board, dnd mechanics
at SIS day and board Fresh meat
was selling at 81 per pohnd, bacon at
40 cents, and everything else in pro-
portion.
"One drawback to mining on the
beach is the fact that it Is impossible
to work when a high wind is blowing
from the sea, as the wates dash so
high upon the shore the gold hunters
are forced to quit work and move up
to higher ground.
"Only about 5000 men will winter
at Cape Nome, as it is impossible to
work after the winter sets in. The ice
makes it impossible for ships to get
in after November. 1t is an unhealthy
place, too. When left an epidemic Of
typhoid fever was raging. and many
deaths had already occurred.
''Anvil City, the capital Of the dis
trict, is a mere shanty town. It is
built of such light and inHammable
material that If a fire once starts the
whole town will be destroyed, and
everybody predicts such an occur
renee before spring.
'sThe scarcity of fuel is the most Sc
rious problem that confronts the camp
this winter. There is none to be had
In that vicinity, and the people depend
almost entirely on fuel imported from
the states. When I left Cape Nome
coal was worth $50 ton, and not
enough was in sight to last until JAM
uary.
''I expect to go back as soon as navi-
CATION opens in the spring. The stam-
pede into that district will eclipse any
thing in the history of Alaska, and I
predict that by the end Of next season
the thousands that will work along the
beach up there viii exhaust the sup
ply Of gold in the sands.
Eight to 1s miles back from the
beach, however, good paying claims
have been located. and mining is car.
ried On as 1t is In the Dawson City dis
trict. know Of one claim that sold
for S50o,000, and several others are
held at S1,o00. 900 or more