The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-06-19
Miners Bound for Nome Tell of
Discoveries They Have Made.
FINDS ON SIBERIAN SIDE.
s..s~ Il a Party Of American Miners
nat Found Rich sand in Russian
pessessions, bnt Were Driven
Avsy by wild ana Vicious Ma
ssx,s. ResembIing the Eskimo-
ps~rtns Cold Through Nome fee.

.-.r,ei Correspondence Post-Intelligencer
y poard Steamship Senator, North Pa
r,ec ocean. Latitude 81 Degrees MIN
stes North, Longitude f39 Degrees "A
Wanutes West Distance From Seattle,
= Niles, May %. 1850.
ne half about the Nome country and
~ Golden northland has not been told.
w,rers aboard the steamship Senator, who
NAVE been spending the winter In Seattle
"a san Francisco, had not been two
a.vs al sea out OF Seattle before they
hesan 10 whisper Of secrets that had been
vsIi guarded all winter long. +. II. Booker.
vho has been wintering In San Fran
e4aco. and who owns a good claim on
bonita creek. was passenger on the
steam schooner Aloha from Nome last
October On the same vessel was a man
named J. p. Baggs. who was at one time
1 captain In the British navy.
gngrs owned a small schooner which
Ne called Hongkong. He and crew OF
two men sailed from Nome last August
10 DO some prospecting on the coast of
UDefia. On the return trip the schooner
vas wrecked about three miles north OF
Care Nome. but all hands succeeded IN
getting shore. though their escape from
death was narrow one. Booker took care
Of the party several days in his tent un-
III they had regained enough strength to
bach near where the Hongkong was lost.
On the trip from Nome on the Aloha
BAgEs told Booker story Of adventure
that he had concealed from him up TO
that time. He said they anchored or the
Siberian coast went ashore In n small
boat and began 10 dig for gold on the
beach. They had got down into the sand
about three feet when they were at
tackled by a band OF natives. who used
Nm nvsA
rows Jew thick around them. and not be-
ing able to make a stand against 80 large
. hostile party. they were compelled to
retreat. not. however, before they had
Filed n gunny sack with the sand. The
natives followed them down TO the wa
ter and thcy had TO lie down in the
bottom Of the boat to escape from the
arrows. Bagss told Booker aboard the
Aloha that out OF the sack of sand he
had washed out aboard the schooner -
In nne gold. He said the gold was ex.
actly like that found In tho Nome beach.
want Concessions From Russia.
Bags went TO London. England, and
Booker says he thinks he IL trying TO
set capital Interested there 10 get a con
eession from the Russian government and
work the sand on the siberian coast on
q large scale. Bags said a large marty
could successfully protect themselves from
tho natives In appearance they resem-
bic tho Eskimo seen about Nome though
wilder and more savage.
BOOKER would not give out for publlca-
ton tho exact location OF the discovery
He says, however. that II IL his belief that
the beach sands Of the Siberian coast nre
rs rich In gold as the beach at Nome
ono OF tho crew Of the wrecked schooner
Hongkong was an Engiishman named
Watty, who wintered at Nome and Is still
there. watty said last fall before Booker
LETT Nome. that he intended to get up
o large party and 30 over 20 the 81
berian coast agnin next summer In sui.
ncsent force TO take n few Eskimo scalps.
" necessary, and teach the natives a
lesson they would not soon forget. But
Wetty Kept the secret well also He
said nothing about the discovery that
Faggs reported He simply proposed to
get up prospecting party TO explore ths
siberian beach. and being the only one o.
me party who knew OF the previous dis
eovery. felt his own interests secure.
j, II. Hart, OF Milton ~ n 4. tha
rossessor of another important secret
which In now secret no longer. From
~ almost discoufaginw beginning Mr..
hart has become ono OF the largest mine
owners and operators In the Nome dia
tfet While spending the winter at home
10 received letter from Nome irving
Wv results or mining on tho bottom OF
me sea through a hole In the ice. The
ssNsr was orought out TO Seattle by one
o. the c. u. Dam party which arrived
rom sitkh on the steamahln Co,taw.
.uy early tn April last The Dam Marty
nnusnt cut the general news of tho oamn
w 10 January rs, hut nothing was re.
parted OF the attempt 20 mine through
ne ice on tho beach, II II considered
aoun'fnl that any OF the Dam PARTY knew
v, the very successful outcome.
IN conversation In my stateroom yester.