, 1900-11-08
OFFICIAL REPORT
ABOUT CAPE NOME

Washington. Nov. 5.-Brigad!cr Gen
eral George NJ. Randall. commanding
the Department of Alska, has sub
mitted his annual report. Much space
is devoted TO conditions at Nome,
which he found upon his arrival at n
critical stage. 1t was difficult to OBJ
tain convictions by jury trial in the
United States commissioners offices,
which emboldened the lawless. Labor
organizations prevented men from
working for less than 81 au hour and
were the cause Of much dest.tutlon and
destruction of property.
Fully $1,000 people arrived Mt Nome
in June. Claim Jumping was the order
of the day. Many property owners
were disposed to defend their rights by
taking the law into their W hands.
The arrival of troops prevented serious
disorder. The military took charge.
thoroughly examined into all COM
plants and where the rights of proper
~ could be determined, placed it in
he possession of lawful owners. Cap
tain w. A. Bethel. who acted as judge
advocate in these courts. is highly
praised by General Randall.
There were about 800 men working
on the beach nj Nome with machinery
HA bAiN lAAAN anu AilalAiN W SiN'
answer concerning the prospects for
gold, while others admitted they We're
taking out only from 81 to ST a day.
The beach was practically worked out
last year. The tundra is believed to
be rich. but it would require large cap
ital to produce results. There is Il
large are of country which has not
been ~prospected, where gold can yet be
found. but it requires men OF expert
ence to develop such Il country.
General Randall says it has been de-
cided TO establish Il permanent mill
tary station on the island of st. Mi
chael. He recommends the purchase of
two stern-wheel river steamers for Op-
erations on the Yukon and that all
coal. forage and building material in
tended for Alaskan posts be started
from Seattle not later than June 18th
II shipped in sailing vessels, for econ
Omy. Also, that IL cable be laid from
Seattle, via Juneau and Skagway, TO
Valdez, connecting with the telegraph
line now building Over the all-Ameri-
can route from Valdez to Port Egbert,
and down the Yukon river to Fort Mi
chael. When this line is complete,
General Randall says. military head
quarters should be in southern Alaska,
or at Seattle.
He recommends a l~ife-saving station
in the vicinity of Nome. He also rec
Ommends hat lighthouses with fog
whistles he, established in southeast
Alaska at Cape Cox, Cape Cimmanna
and Five Fingers; also n fog signal ut
Unimak pass. He also recommends n
military reservation at Dutch Harbor,
and II coaling station, and thinks the
need may arise at some future time
for erecting fOrti1icatiOns ut this place.
He further says: Il recommend that
the government afford some relief to
the natives until such time as they can
take care of themselves
81 am of opinion that it would be n
mistake for the government to give
any aid in future to the venturesome
classes of white men who come to
Alaska. About 300 have beer sent out
on transports and other vessels this
year and many more will be sent be
fore the close of navigation. The con
ditions are now generally known
throughout the state and the eXpec-
tation of government aid in returning
TO their homes in case of failure has
without doubt been the most hopeful
prospect in view TO n considerable num-
Der who have come Ia the country since
1897, and especially in the recent rush
10 Nome"