The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-11-15

steamers would reduce lighterage charges
to figures less ruinous than. the
ones that prevailed last summer. The
scheme Of widening The mouth stso OF Sna axe
construction of a jetty or breakwater
might be necessary.
Another plan that has been suggested
in this same connection Is the construc-
tiop of an iron pier out to deep water.
similar 30 those that have existed for
years on the Atlantic coast at all the
watering places especially Expect srd at oonsy the he
New England coast. The storms on the
Atlantic ocean are known to be more
frequent and even more severe than any
these piers can be maintained in deep
water on the Atlantic coast why could
they not be so at Nome. The question
Is vii! the winter ice: either forming or
ing, because a more safe mode OF landing
freight and passengers must be devised
before Nome can be considered safe
Life-saving station.
The dangers OF landing freight and
passengers brought Mr.. Murphy to dis
GUESSING the needs of a life-saving, sta
ton at Nome. This he was going to urge
ton. In support Of this necessity he would
point to the long list OF wrecks and loss
of lives and property during the last two
years on the Nome coast alone; In
Nome next summer Mr.. Murphy felt that
the government would be derelict in ITS
duty II II failed to erect a life-saving sta
ton on that coast before another year.
A conservative estimate made by Mr..
Murphy places the winter population at
Nome and that Of the surrounding country
at about 1000. These people should not
be left without mail matter for seven or
eight months at q stretch, and he was
going to endeavor to secure from the
postmaster general a semi-monthly serv-
Ice during the winter months.
THE Nome country is all right" said
Mr.. Murphy when asked as TO Its future.
but don't want to encourage any one
to go there unless he has health. strength
! would not advise any one doing well
here or any where else to think OF going
TO Alaska; but should he make up his
mind to do so he can rest assured of find
Ing greater opportunities there than In
any other part OF the world. Mining up
there, Of course, II dimcult 1t requires
more endurance and more privations than
In any other place know OF. but II he
of material he Is bound to succeed.
The Nome country has been greatly
malgned. and the exaggerated reports OF
failures, sent out by correspondents and
disappointed individuals. did much to keep
away legitimate enterprises. Everything
was exaggerated; the failure of mining
districts. the smallpox scare IN which we
had only one death, reports OF Wholesale
robberics and holdups, general suffering
and starvation, all gruesome stories by
penny-a-liners that had slight founda-
ton In fact. Nome II probably the health
lest camp in existence. There have. so
far. been only sixty-fve deaths since the
town started. and fifteen OF those were
from accidents, mostly drowning. In fact.
last summer the hospital had to close for
lack of patronage.
THE real work Of developing mining
properties Will begin with next summer.
The shiftless element II gone and the
sturdy, hard listed hard headed miner is
in there this winter preparing for next
summers work. and the results next year
VIII be fully as surprising as have been
any cmanating from the now world-fa-
nous Klondike."
Mr.. Murphy was not prepared TO ex-
press q decided opinion on the question OF
dividing Alaska The northeastern por-
tion OF IL. he said. was an immense terri
tory OF itself and too far removed from
the southeastern portion for the whole TO
be property governed as one territory.
II should. however, be divided into two
congressional districts and one deiegas e
from each district elected by the people
TO represent them In congress.