The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1900-09-06
BACK FROM NOME,
Howard Robinson and Howard KehloF
Return to Ken0sha After Three
Months at Nome City.
GOLD FIELDS A DELUsIoN
Nothing to be Found at Nome and the
Surrounding Country Except Suffer
ing and Disappointment.

Bearded like the bard, Howard ROD-
inson reached home Sunday afternoon
after a four months visit in the gold
regions of Alaska. Whatever may
have been the aims of Mr.. Robinson in
seeking the frozen north, he is certain
1y glad to be at home again and away
from the suffering of the disappointed
miners in the far north. Howard and
his companion, Howard Keh1or, were
given a royal reception by their
friends and all were glad to see them
at home again. The boys have many
an interesting story to tell IN relation
to their wanderings in Alaska.
In part the stories told Ivy the return
ing men tend to relieve the tension in
regard to the suffering at Nome City
and the adjacent territory. In an in
terview this afternoon Mr.. Robinson
stated that they had left Nome City on
August IA and that at that time the
government were loading three trans
ports with disappointed prospectors.
The population of the district is con-
gested in Nome. From all parts Of
the gold field disappointed gold hunters
have returned to the metropolis to seek
work whereby they may earn at least
a bare living. Nome now has 10000
people and fully half of them are des-
titute or will be before the winter
season sets in. Of this number four
thousand have asked the United States
to bring them back to the states and
the remainder will starve in Nome
during the winter. There is absolute
1y nothing in Nome to support the
population. Building trades are not
needed, for there is no building. Men
to work on claims are not needed be
cause the claims have either proved
worthless or the alleged owners are
connected with litigation which viii
last for many years and few OF them
will be able to hold out long enough to
await the decision of the courts. Every
day hundreds Of valuable claims are
turned over to the big companies SIM
ply because the family Of the miners
are starving and they are not able 10
contend for their rights. There is food
enough in Nome to take care of all the
inhabitants. However, it is not posi-
BILE for the people to get hold Of this
food. 1T is ali owned by the big COM
panies and they are dealing it out in
the smallest possible quantities. AS
soon as the list transport leaves Nome
for the states it seems certain that
anarchy will reign supreme. The
Under -cum OF the people are without
T IDS and when the companies raise
the .ices, bread riots are sure to fol-
low and Nome WI be the crime center
Of the gold fields. At Anvil Greek,
where 1aborers formerly received ten
dollars a day, only three dollars is now
being paid, and there are a hundred
men for every job offered. Men stand
around the works in gangs and work
for simply their board, but the COM
pany cannot provide work for them,
1t is S a7p1y death wages and there is
Absolutely no hope Of any improve
ment for several years to come.
In hopes Of getting something to1ive
on successful prospectors whose claims
are now ready for the courts to decide
have sold their outfits for mere song
and this viii not support them. They
WI be forc-d TO give TIP their claims
and return 10 he states with The aid of
the government. There is absolutely
no chance fer a prospector in the coun-
try Lfveiy claim has been taxed and
q most evc2y stakcd claim has at least
two claimants. The OH put Of the
mines on Anvil Creek and at Snow
G11ch are not meeting the eXpcCta
tons of the companies and all other
districts are practically dead. On
O2hir Cree there is lots of gold, but
it viii be years before the claims will
be ready TO be worked. Ophir Greek
has been a favor1te place for prospect
ors aud evc1J claim has been staked
several times. This has resulted in all
the valuable land about the little
stream being ted up IA almost endless
litigation. On this creek there are
constant riots and the soldiers are
called out daily to prevent bloody war
between the disappointed prospectors.
Ia oh districts the people owning
the best cans are Just beginning TO
make Little money, but in almost
every case the returns are far below
what was e-zlectcd.
Nome IS u picture OF deso1ation.
Tie g.,ded saloons and brilliant pal
aces Of vice witch did such thriving
business d1c-ing the early months of
the year have a. been closed and only
a ming shop here and there are left
of the gorgeous array chat was erected
IN Nome in Jr1y. There is absolutely
no money and even the gamblers who
rcapcd a harvest during the early
months of the simmer are all leaving
the forsaken city. Crime is steadily
on the increase. People are starving
with no hope for the future. The pro-
visions are a l held by one or two firms
and the people have no money with