The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-05-26

gold in vast quantities will also be
found about the antarctic circle. That
condition of the earth caused the great
deposits in South Africa, and also pro-
duced the deposits of Peru which
caused the greedy and bloodthirsty
Spaniards to slaughter the Ineas and
devastate Peru. But the, natives there
still guard their secret, and the world
has never yet secured possession Of the
real wealth of that country. Vast
quantities of gold must have been held
in solution along the line of the
equator and suddenly become imbedded
in the quartz before it could escape to
the poles. But the real home Of pure
gold is in the frozen regions of the far
north and the far south
This is an interesting theory, and
apparently a new one. 1t has attract
ed the attention of those who heard
the statement so earnestly made.
Several scientific men IN the National
museum and Smithsonian institution
seem inclined to give the annular the
Org sufficient credence to warrant sci
entifc investigation.
From these remarks the reader will
at once observe that these Alaskan
gOld-seekers are not ignorant, hap
hazard searchers Of gold. They are
intelligent, educated, skilled in geol.
ogy as well as ~mineralogy, and T
going about their work systematical-
ly, as well as earnestly and enthusi-
agtically.
Reverting to the fact that as yet
very little is definitely known con.
corning Alaska, one of the gentlemen
produced a manual published in 1s49,
concerning the situation in California.
At that time the publisher of this
manual wrote: 81 must confess that
I have no confidence either in the
proftableness of the mines in Cali
fornia, or in their permanency, If
California Stacks a little in its gold
productions, or the iron market inn
proves a little, the balance will turn
in favor Of iron, as to the value Of
yearly production"
Think of that. A well-educated
writer and publisher, in 1s49, assumed
that the production of iron in Cali
fornia would be more valuable than
the output of gold. The miner who
produced this publication said: every
little is known of Alaska to-day, and
there are many intelligent people who
think that the gold supply has been
overestimated or exaggerated. But
the contrary is true. There is enough
gold within the arctic circle to sup
ply the world for millions of years."
To show how little was known in
1s49, and what progress has been
made, the gentleman referred to an
other page of the book, containing
the words: 'The population Of upper
California consists Of about 5000
whites and 10000 Indians. The chief
places are San Diego, with good but
not deep harbor; Monterey, on a
large bay having a good anchorage.
and San Francisco, on a bay of that
name, which is very spacious, extend.
ing upwards of so miles from north,
east to southwest, and with an aver,
age breadth Of about 20 miles. The
latter is likely to be by far the most
important settlement"
The gold hunters from Alaska spent
several weeks here, and their state,
ments concerning the gold fields, par,
ticularly about Cape Nome, where
thousands Of miles Of coast sand
seem to be EMBEDDING untold million.
of gold, have aroused the gold-seekine
desire in the minds of many. Com
mittee clerks and congressman ar,
talking of going there, but the con
gressional elections this year vii
probably keep them at home. Beside.
the congress will not adjourn unit
the summer is almost gone. But tn,
t, congress win adjourn on March 4
! 1901, and then a number of Qua goo,
] people will rush to the golden coast
like those acventurers of the lon.
I ago, in search Of the golden fleece.
SMITH d. FRY.
p An electric trolley win be laid Ia