The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-10-15
RICHES OF CAPE NOME
Described by DR.. j. J. Lesser of
Helena.
AMERICAN GOLD FIELDS
Sons Interesting Information Relative
to the New Campfire American
Hog Has Got In His Work
Already.

In the most recent number to arrive
here of the Sunday Cleaner, a Dawson
City publication, there appears a let
ter from a well known Montanan who
formerly resided at Helena. Dr. J. j.
Lesser, brother of exMayor DR.. Oliver
Lesser of Anaconda, in which the
writer tells of the riches of the
newly discovered American gold
left Montana to go to the Klondike.
When the Cape Nome excitement start
ed he left Dawson City and went to the
new diggings on the American side His
letter is written to the Cleaner for the
benefit of his Dawson City friends. Be
ing an American he is somewhat severe
on his countrymen, but his letter con-
tains some interesting informa ton con-
corning the new camp. 1t is dated July
29. 1899, and reads:
Cape Nome is a great country. 1t
will take more or less trouble of course
to prove it. The American hog has got
in his work and it takes Il great deal of
gold to fatten score or two latter day
Americans. but there are immense gold
fields here. The district is % by %
miles and is 1875 miles in straight line
about north of st. Michaels. The chief
mining camp is Anvil City (postoffice
Cape Nome) on the coast.
Nome City is on the Nome river, which
is about 40 miles long. Anvil creek has
a number of claims which pan out from
500 to $500 to the man per day. No
mistake about this. I saw at No. 7
after the clean up from two days slu:c-
in o. in hpy 60 al oh M nj al
as good. Nos. 10 and II may be as good
when prospected. Discovery and No.
l below and one above are still better:
and are as good; a. and are not
yet proven up to see. One thousand
three hundred and twenty foot claims
only gives 10 or IL men a chance on
this stream. The best pay gulch is
Snow, where $500 per man is the daily
clean up. Only three claims on this
gulch. Dexter creek pays nearly as
well as Snow, and is twice tho Size.
Many of the other gulches have good
pay, but not enough work has been
done to tell if they will be as big as the
above gulches. You know work has not
been going on over a week and the
prospecting was very crude and imper-
feet. I would not be surprised to hear
of dozen creeks with immense pay.
You have no mining to do here. You
only put down your box and shovel in
right along. Pay from the top, with
bed rock at from two to six feet and
pay streak as it usually varies n placer
diggings. A poor devil of a doctor who
was here last winter staked a score of
claims, sits in town while No Z Anvil
creek cleans up for him $1,000 day.
He would laugh AT a million dollars
for his interests About everything is
staked far and near but when l left
there was coming into market bench
nd l,;, ,,,, hi al,
not prospected. When l left yesterday
the beach for two miles north from
Anvil City and also south for some dis
lance was lined with men panning and
rocking, and ! saw pans of 81, and any
man can pan out wages of 500 to $50.
The government reserves 20 feet from
high tide mark back on the beach and
on the strip from high water mark to
the high beach or bank is a strip of 10
to 20 feet pay, which is left opsn to the
public, and they are working it lively.
The gold on the beach is very light and
hard to save. DR.. Green tells me he
saw nugget on Anvil creek Weighing
$3.50. There are 500 tents in Anvil
City and a couple dozen log and frame
houses. In all from 1000 to $500 people
in town and diggings. The boats have
to stop out at sea and make landings
with small boats, a very troublesome
procedure. Town lots are from $500 to
$4,000 each on the main street already.
The town is fast closing up to a boom,
and l am sure next year will howl"
Another writer from Cape Nome
says:
First, there are three or four creeks
that are very rich. viz: Anvil, Snow,
Dexter and Glacier, the latter being the
latest worked, yet the owner of No. 4
above was offered $50. 900 for his claim
Anvil, Dexter and Snow have PROVED
very rich. l know of three c. four
clean ups of three days work that ran
from. $4,000 to $4,000. On The
beach north of town there are at least
800 lrtn to my knowledge who are -ock-
iiig cut big pay, generally 1t Is estl-
mated there is being taken ont 5000
to $4,000 daily. I have been on the
ground and seen them taking it cut
The A. c. Co., N. A. T. & r.
Co.. A. E. Co. and two or three lesser
stores doing business here, several sa-
looms and gambling houses doing
moderate business Everything that is
known to be good is staked and most of
it in litigation, but there is plenty of
UNEMPLOYED country, SO that next year
/ think this will be the best mining
camp in the world. Everything
is pretty cheap here--$1 is the price of
meals, with very little fresh meat. but
everything else you want. Lumber Is
from 500 to $3.50 per thousand. Plenty
of coal at $40 per ton. They are put
ting UP some good buildings.
I would not advise anyone to come here
this year, but l would advise everyone
to come early next season."