The San Francisco call., 1899-10-02
MINERS ARRIVE
FROM KOTzEBUE
AND CAPE NOME
They Say the Cape Is
Very Rich.
COARSE GOLD Is ABUNDANT
SIX THOUSAND MEN AT LEAST
ARE THERE.
Still Another District Has Been Dis
covered and the People Are
Excited and Very
Restless.
COARSE GOLD Is ABUNDANT
SIX THOUSAND MEN AT LEAST
ARE THERE.

The schooner Charles Hanson arrived
yesterday from Kotzebue Sound with a
budget of interesting news about the Cape
Nome gold fields 1t brought twenty-five
passengers, all miners many of whom
have all around Alaskan mining eXpe-
riences. There were also on board four
teen persons connected with the Kotzebue
Commercial and Mining Company. There
were some pretty tall stories told by the
passengers about the great abundance of
gold al Cape Nome. They talked about
$50 and even $500 nuggets as being common
things to encounter in a days labor. None
of the passengers claimed to have brought
down large fortunes, or any very consid-
cradle sums of their own, although there
were several bottles and small sacks of
coarse gold on the vessel, running IN
value up to few thousand dollars for
the heaviest individual showing.
The discrepancy between the small
amounts held individually by the passen-
gers and the Stories OF GOLD to be found
so easily and plentifully at Cape Nome
was explained on the basis OF the short
stay OF the passengers at the Cape. Some
were sick when they sailed for home;
others We're tired OF cold weather and
wished to come home to recuperate; 9TH
ers were out of provisions to carry them
through the winter, close at hand, and
took the first chance to get away; but
they all said there is plenty of gold at the
vessel to arrive from that section will
bring down large amount Of treasure.
Among the passengers were the follow
ing: Jim Williams, Tom Grimes, Gus
Lindquist, George Forderer, Ed Andrews,
Frank Hgginbottom, Frank Spitzer, Will
lam Ames, A. NOrmandin, John Truman,
G. Salisbury, Gus Roeder, e. G. Miller,
William Walker. DR.. Gleaves and Messrs.
Moore, McCuskey, Dozier, Patterson and
Prendergast, all old miners.
Sam Price of this city, who was short
beriences. He wintered last year on the
kowak River, and from there went TO
Cape Nome on the Louisa ID. He arrived
about the middle Of July The ,rh &c claims
four good districts, lying along Glacier,
Dexter and Anvil creeks and Snow Gulch
He worked on No. 10 Anvil, which be-
longed to the Laps. He received 80 per
day and board for his work. The weather
was very bad. he said, and he could not
stand the climate. He helped every day
to clean up the SiuiceS, which were very
rich. There was no doubt that the own
ers Of the claim were making very large
amounts of money. The wages were good
but 1t was almost impossible to keep men
because every one was excited and no one
except the claim owners would stay long
in one place.
The beach was w rich and men were
washing out from SIS to $40 a day. People
were focking to Cape Nome from all the
distrcts-from Dawson largely. also from
Porcupine and Rampant. There were at
least 5000 men at Cape Nome when the
Hanson sailed. Already great deal of
business was doing. There were three
companies with large stores, and all three
were making money.
Ed Miller OF the KotZebue Company
confirmed the story told by Price. He
said the mining holes on the beach at
Cape Nome were as thick as grasshop-
pers in bayfield,. and the soil fairly
reeked with coarse gold. The owner
ship of claims was still undecided. After
the miners had been ordered from the
beach by the soldiers they were allowed to
return by order of the District Attorney,
as already previously published.
DIR. GleaVes. who has a brother in this
city, Bill Ames, Schaeffer and Billy Treat
came over the trail from Kotzebue to
Cape Nome in April across the ice and
snow, and they were forced to eat their
dogs on the way The distance was 600
miles. They met others on the trail and
were obliged to divide the dog meat to
keep the others alive. DR.. de France died
on The trail from Kotzebue to Cape Nome,
frozen to death. and was buried on the
ice. Two others, names unknown. We're
killed by natives. The disease known. as
"bIackleg'' was killing many Those who
stayed out of doors and those who kept
in the house Were equally affected.
Just before the Hanson sailed another
strike was reported and a party of fifty
banding together to protect themselves
against the Indians, bought a steamer
and started to go to the head of Reed