Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-08

them are exaggerated the fact remains that
Just now Svery man in the district has a
pocket full of dust and heart full OF hope,
and there are no dead -brokes in Anvil City.
What the conditions will be a year hence
will not be known until then and cannot he
predicted,
November communication with the out.
side world will be completely shut off for
seven months at least and only few of the
people now in the Cape Nome district are
fixed with either food or shelter for the
severity OF the climate, though those who
are prepared with houses to live in and
suf'cient food and fuel cannot only pass the
winter comfortably but can do more or
less work
There are very few so well of as this,
however, fuel being scarcer than food, but
among tho beach combers" novel plan
will be adopted. Parties of four, six or
eight will organize for winter operations by
securing a large tent, spreading 1t on the
beach over the ground they propose to work
in, and there they will set up housekeeping.
The canvas will be protected on the out
side from the weather in every way possi-
BILE and stoves will be kept eoing op the in
side 50 that the tent Will not only be com
Portable to live and 10 work in, but 1t will
go on quite as satisfactorily as II oalmy
spring were the only season known in the
Cape Nome district. A great rush is eS-
pected in the spring. but, as has been stated,
there are no claims unstaked anywhere
within thirty or forty miles OF Anvil city
and what lies beyond those limits 10
practically unknown. But according to the
tales of prospectors as far beyond as Cape
Prince OF Wales. 235 miles, gold has bsen
found along the creeks In quantities that
would pay from $40 TO $50 per man per day
| If panned by an expert.
Claims are offered for sale-a claim being
| twenty acres--at prices from $4,000 to $780,
| 000 and there are, of course, at this time
| not many takers at those figures, but they
are expected in the spring with the rush.
| Thirty Square Miles stnkcd.
over ! 900 claims-coverng 10000 acres,
about thirty square miles OF territory-havo
been recorded, and it is generally believed
that each claim represents suit at law, SO
hasty and haphazard have been the methods
| OF procedure in securing claims.
| The claims of this entire section are OF
| the placer variety, and so far no quartz has
| been discovered which means that what is
a busy mining camp with millions this year
may be q deserted village twelve months
| later.
Nome gold Is much darker in color than
the gold of the Yukon country, assaying Sl9
an ounce though the current trading price
| is SIG an ounce Gold dust and nuggets con-
stitute the bulk of the currency and gold
scales are as necessary In the stores as the
ordinary grocer's scales. And gold DUST
as a circulating medium is not as popular
as it might be, for coin or paper money
,s,,,, ~ n
many localities. Such money is known as
"chechako," or newcomer" only the
new arrivals have it, and that is the Esquimo
word for new arrival.
Winter at Anvil City, that is to say In
the entire Nome district, ordinarily con-
tinues from October to June, and tenn
perature of SO to go degrees below is not
unusual. On the 21st OF December the sun
barely rises above the horizon, and on the
2lst of June 1t does not disappear entirely
from sight during the twenty-four hours.
Advice to Prospective Miners.
To the prospective miner in "the states
expecting to try his luck in the Cape Nome
! rush next spring, or rather next season, 1t
may be said that he should keep his at
tention fixed on weather reports from the
northwest, and be in San Francisco or
. Seattle in June, to catch the first boat out
, as Norton bay usually opens in June. What
the fare will be can net be told this year
: but now it is $50 and $75 according to ac-
comodations, to St. Michae1s, and $40 on tc
Nome by the small steamers crossing the
bay--1S5 miles The distance direct to Nome
from San Francisco is about $500 miles. ant
from Seattle CT Tacoma 1900 miles. ant
competition has made the fare to st
Michaels the same. What changes the rusf
of gold seekers next year will make re.
mains to be seen. 1t is merely an ordinar!
and agreeable sea trip, and the miner ar
riving at Nome is practically in the mids
of his field of labor as soon as he goe
ashore and there is little to do except to be
come millionaire as soon as convenient
At the same time 1t may be remarked will
I truth that if he is comfortable at home ant
=, is doing fairly we'll, he had better stay righ
= where he is and thank the Lord for con
tented spirit.