The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1900-07-19
CAPENOME A q
SO Says viii SmithsOn, Who is
Now in Alaska, in a Letter to
Il. B. Judd, of Great Falls.

krOm Nome City, alaska, written by his
nephew, Will Smithson, who left Great
Falls this spring to seek his fortune in
the gold fields. The letter reads as fol
lows:
Nome City, Alaska, July 1, 1907
arrived here safely a few days ago and
found the biggest kind of a tizzle. Il
has been a transportation boom this
spring and everything is overdone. The
boat | was on was about two weeks be-
hind time on account of the skipper
being unable to get through the ice. He
didn't try very hard, it seemed, and we
were almost the last boat in, about rs
steamers and sailing vessels being ahead
of us. The creek claims were all staked
out last year and have been jumped
many times over. There is no gold on
the beach, that having been taken out
Last year. Town lots are selling from
$3.50 to 800 a front foot, 50 that chances
for starting in business are pretty slim.
1t is a great sight and / am glad
l came, even if [ don't make a bean.
There are about 10000 people here and
the beach is lined for several miles with
tents. Every other tent and house is a
saloon or restaurant. Meals are from 81
up. Beef is 75c a pound. Everything
Will be cheap in a short time. Wages
have already been cut 25 per cent and
thousands of men are anxious and eager
to work. The creek claims are still
frozen up and as there has been no rain
it is impossible to Go any mining, SO that
it will be at least a month before there
is any dust in the camp. Hundreds o.
people are leaving for hons on every
steamer. l am going back, too, but
don't know OF what steamer, or whether
| will land in Seattle or Frisco. The
weather has been splendid and I am
feeling very we'll. The rains are expect
ed soon and that will make everything
miserable, but il viii bring the gold, too.
I could go to work for S25 a week, but
you have to pay out a dollar a night for
a bed AMI that dosn't leave much. |
wouldn't stay this winter, anyway, so I'm
less l leave now l would have to pay out
$3.50 for fare. Ii our boat had gotten in
earlier | would have been able to Jump
a few lots and sell them, but that is off
now. There has been five murders and
four suicides this spring. There are
seven cases of smallpox and any number
of cases Of typhoid fever. There is Ger
tain to be>lots Of deaths this summer.
The sanitary conditions are frightful and
the town itself is built on a marsh.
l had no trouble in getting away from
the boat; threw a rope over the rail and
slid down into a boat beneath. Nearly
all the sailors and waters jumped and
we all wish we could jump back again.
Well, I'll get back somehow, a little
poorer, but a great deal wiser.
This has been an expensive trip for
thousands and l have no kick coming.
Everyday some one sells out his out
tit at one-half what it cost him.
/ sized up the town as soon as | saw
the gambling games. l expected to see
something big in the way of betting, in.
stead of which l saw the two and four
bit kind. That settled it with me. I
knew right away what I was up against.
Captain Downing, an old friend, is
here, captain Of the new transport Sew
ard. He has been running to Alaska for
years. AS soon as he saw me he said,
Well It's a great big fake and the sooner
you leave, the better" OF course. it
doesn't look as if there was any of it for
me. e. L. Williams, Mettler and Con
rad are here in the real estate business.
Eaton and Crum have a tent of general
merchandise, and seem to be doing a
good business. Crum surprised me by
his appearance. He is much healthier
looking than formerly. He came from
Dawson this spring. Harry Ellis, who
was on the street car line, IS also here.
He has been driving a wagon for some
one and has taken in as high as S1OO in
a day leaning. There are so many peo-
pie in the business now that he says he
is lucky to take in $40. A good tea m
weeks ago, they tell me, was worth
from $1,000 to $4,000. They are down to
1900 now. DeForest, who used to be in
The Park theater, has a little cigar stand
a fine location and is doing we'll. The
only thing that is keeping the town up
S the 'l%ongshore work, unloading the
and that will soon be played out.