Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-09-05
John T. Emerson Win Investigate
Further In Alaska.
MUCH GOLD IS REPORTED THERE.
An Interesting Letter Received From
Mr. Emerson by Relatives Here
A Former Member of the
Walsh-starbuck Party.

John Emerson. former member OF
the Walsh-Starbuck party to Alaska,
who has been working at ST. Michaels
for several months past, has decided
to go to Cape Nome to investigate for
himself the reported success of many
argonauts in that part of the Alaskan
gold fields. The following letter was
received from Mr.. Emerson by his rela-
tives in this city recently:
"St. Michaels, Alaska, Aug s, 1890.
: Dear Mother and Brother have
wosked here day and night and have
made enough money to take me over
to Cape Nome and then to the Pacific
coast. it that is what l think is the
best thing to do. Reports from there
say that there are one thousand men
rocking along the strip OF beach in
front of Nome. and that they make
from SIS to $S0sa day-generally one to
two ounces. The last advices are to
the effect that the authorities have
Fstopped them from rocking In 9TH
er words a dispute has arisen over the
location of high water mark. Parties
have located claims along the beach
and claim to within sixty feet of the
water, while the people who are rock
ing claim that high water mark ends
with the drift wood thrown up by the
sea. Tie pay streak is found at the
drift wood line. This gold bearing sand
was found by miners out of work with
no means of procuring food or trans
portation home. The pay streak is a
red sand-truby,' thew call it. 1t is
from quarter OF an inch to five inches
thick. You have to locate a layer of
this sand before you get paying dirt.
There undoubtedly have been many
thousands of dollars taken out of AM
vii Creek and Snow Gulf and some from
Dexter and Glacier creeks. The gold
is dark and stained, and nothing larger
than $35 nugget has been found. as
far as l know. The gold on the beach
is fine, and quick silver3is required to
catch the finest particles. The matter
stands like this. and am where have
been working to get for the last seven
weeks. j have made enough money
to go to Nome and then to the Pacific
coast. Now | am going over and il
there is anything there this year, or
will be next spring, | must know it.
To really know anything in this coun-
try. one must see it.
Il am well and hearty and if people
wonder why | do not write. tell them
I have all can do and. no time at pres
ent TO write. but should like to hear
from them. XII.
August Don sRutlege has just
come in and is going home, My adj
dress had better be-, simply, Nome,
Alaska. 81. .,.s@'
The. government is feeding and talk
ing out many miners. Some are sick
and suffering from the effect of scurpy
and frozen hands and feet. All one
has to do here when he has. no food
or money or place to lay his head is
TO apply at the barracks. This spring
the companies here were selling -four
to the hungry fellows who had sleddea
it over there in the winter (35o niiles)
at SIS per sack. The U. S. S. Bear
anchored at Nome and sold her supply
OF flour at $1.50 per SACK Flour is
now $3.50 per sack; milk, 25 cents per
can; butter. so to rs cents; canned
meats. 20 cents sugar, Is cents per
pound: cake of Grandpa's Wonder
soap, % cents; hip: rubber boots, $40;
ordinary soft felt hats. 81; mercury
$3.50 a pound. Yours. truly,
"John, I. Emerson"