The times., 1899-08-30
4 new VIEW OF ALASKA
A Special Census Agent Says Re
ports Are Exaggerated.
Great Difficulty In Learning the
Truth About Anything The Cape
Nome Excitement Relieved to BE n
Honx-Doubtfui If Half n Million
Has Been Taken Out This Year.

One OF the special agents of the Census
Office in Alaska has written an Interest,"
ing letter from which the following extract
is taken: This is very difficult country
in which to learn the truth about anything.
Besides the natural tendency of travellers
to exaggerate, there are many interests
here which thrive by Misrepresentation
All sorts of lies are set afioat, one of the
common motives being to start a stampede
in order to make money out OF the stam-
peded. This is done by the steamboat
companies. 1t is now believed here at
Dawson that the Cape Nome excitement
is largely a fake OF this sort A great
many men have hoeked into that region
in the last two months. Some estimate
the number who have gone there as high
as 10000, and they say there cannot be
work for more than 2,000 even if the whole
thing is not hoax. as some OF the most
discouraging reports lead people to sus-
pect. The Dawson papers are inclined 10
take this view OF the case. Several thou
sand men rushed out of Dawson 10 Cape
Nome last spring
"A Government official tells me that he
does not believe that there are more than
10, 600 white people in all Alaska He also
a
in gold has been taken out this year on
the American side of the line; million
would be a large estimate They only
claim $500 600 at Circle City, and half that
much at Rampant City There seems to
be no question that the country does not
support Itself, as the only source of wealth
is found in the gold mines, and they say
that every dollar taken out costs two or
three. 1t is of no use for a man to come
here unless he intends fc fbar
one year, and five years IL necessary The
condition of things in Alaska is most un-
stable. Men come to Alaska, locate in
some town and build a cabin and sit
down and wait for strike Sometimes
town has a good many people in it,
Word GENES, and is quietly whispered
around. that somebody has made s45ke
on such creek. Immediately there is a
stampede. Everybody VINO can raise The
money 10 go leaves the town. and in a
, few days it is deserted. At the scene of
the strike all the ground is staked out in
claims along the creek, and along all the
other creeks near it, but the chances are
that very little of it will be worked or
even prospected 1t costs a good deal in
money or labor (which is the same thing
in country where men are paid dollar
an hour to find out whether the claim
is worth anything, and most people are
content to stake one off and then go and
look for another
The law allows a man to hold as many
claims as he pleases, provided they are
not located in the same mining district
The discoverers of the creek get together
and organize a district fixing its limits
and making such mining regulations as
suit themselves. The law allows a miner
to hold an unlimited number of powers
of attorney. In this way it is possible
for man to own a large number of claims
in one district, and the power of attorney
| privilege has been much abused in some
places, though in others the miners have
not permitted such abuse. Well after
the stampeders have staked all the ground
! in sight, they go back to the towns and
| exist as best they can, awaiting news of
new and better strike; or the more en-
| ergetic of them may go off into the wilder
ness. looking for original discoveries. The
country is being all staked off by peo-
pie who are trying to get possession of
as many claims as possible in the hope
| that one or more of them may eventually
| prove valuable. 1t is a vast lottery, in
which some men have drawn big prizes.
The majority of those here are either try
ing to get as many tickets as possible, in
! the shape of claims, or else they are en-
deavoring to get possession of the win
nings of other men. A few are actually
working TO develop the country and if
much of the land now being staked off
many immense fortunes will be made and
probably sGuandered. Nobody knows how
much gold there may be on most of this
land. Last year there was report of a
strike ON the Koyukuk, and several thou
sand people rushed there. Towns eprang
up along the river banks, steamers began
| to make regular trips, and before the sea-
| son was over nearly all the creeks were
falr off A cyoiI 1~ae fuly ont
| in some places, but it was not found in
great abundance anywhere, and the people
rushed out again, as fast as they had
| rushed in.
THE law allows a man to hold claim
by doing S100 worth of work year, which
| is the equivalent of ten days labor. One
of the common ways of earning living,
when one has no money, is by represent
ing some man on claim; that is, doing
| his $100 worth of work for him. The peo-
pie who staked claims on the KOyukuk and
its creeks for instance. will hold them as
| long as they can, or as long as they think
| they are worth holding. There were so
many prospectors up there last year that
| the Government this year established a
new land district. to be called the Peavey
Land district, with Peavey as the capital
Now that 1t has been established, the peo-
pie have nearly all left it, and, according
to common report, there are only two
white men left at Peavey, one of whom is
| the new land commissioner. The Gov
ernment established some sort of an Office
at Rampant City, and the man sent TO take
| the place was seen at Skaguay three
months ago He has never been seen at
| Rampant City 1t is said that he was seen
| to go down the river with boat load of
provisions, and the presumption is that he
has gone to Cape Nome. Very little gold
| has been found at Cape Nome The coun-
| try is little more than bleak marsh in
which travelling is most difficult the
weather is abominable, with cold, wet
rains all the time, and there is great deal
| of sickness. Those who went there are
getting disgusted, and those who can are
beginning TO come out. Many of them will
probably leave Alaska if they can, in
preference TO returning up the river to try
it again. 1t is said that many Of them are
on their last legs financially. and hoping
| that the Government viii take them out o.
; the country before winter There will be
great deal of suffering before they are
taken out; but if anything is done it will
have to be done quickly.
1T is impossible TO put any trust in any
of them. An officer of a steamboat COM
pany told me that when they get reports
| in winter which have been passed up or
| down tho river they aIWavs enquire