The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-01
Transportation Companies and
Seattle Are Mainly Response
bic for the Big Stampede.
TOWN PROPERTY VERY HIGH.
Practically No City Government,
and Many Beach Claims Are
Held by Squatters-Mar
tial Law in Prospect.
sEPIBIIC SPECIAL.

EEFl' BrIC SPECIAL
Nome Alaska, June IS. via Portland. ore.
June 30--Nome is no doubt land of gold.
but UP. to the prese nj the gold has gone al
most entirely into the pockets of the trans
portation companies. who have stopped at
nothing in causing a stampede 70 this
place. Seattle has also done everything in
It's power To assist in creating the impress
sion that gold nuggets can be picked up in
the streets Of Nome. The result of this has
been that fortunes have been made By the
steamship companies running vessels 10
Nome. while several million dollars has
been expended in Seattle rs a result of the
Nome rush.
Nome Overrated-
Truth compels the assertion that Nome's
wealth has been overrated. Although there
is an immense amount Of gold in the creeks
near here. the tundra. or bog. which lies
between the beach and the hills a distance
of four or five miles. is virtually unknown
proposition, and whether il has gold in
quantities which will pay for working has
not been demonstrated. With the ground
frozen continually TO a depth of many feet.
only machinery can be employed TO prove
whether the Tundra can be worked at a
profit.
The beach for distance OF twenty miles
east and west of Nome has been worked by
hand rockers. In some cases three and four
times over, and while several men are at
work with rockers and other small devices.
they are said not to average more than 81
or s. day. Machinery can be employed to
advantage and will be utilized.
The street is filled during the entire twen-
ty-four hours each day with a restless,
rowing throng Of newcomers. hundreds of
whom have no place to sleep. The saloons
houses are doing little There is scarcely anv
gold dust in circulation as yet. An Immense
number of claims have been Jumped dur
ing the winter by men who have returned
here. and when those who purchased prom
erty in the East come here they'll find 1t
squatted upon Possession is nine points of
the law TO certainty in Nome. and the
jumpers can only be dispossessed by the
United States court, which has not yet con-
vened. for Judge Brown. recently appointed
has not arrived. When court does meet
only fraction of the cases can be heard
before the short working season will be
over.
Town Property High.
Town property is held at a ri5fculously
high figure. One man asks S23.0t0 for lot
25xl"o feet In the main street: $1,000. slo.lOe
and $500 are asked for many lots, and
ESQ for small lot in the Svanzey tundra,
half mile from town. il not uncommon.
Thousands OF persons persons J., have come here with
TO luck to meet with success In some man
ner which they cannot as yet foresee. Many
which TO return. This. added TO the illness
which is bound to result this summer.
makes the situation most serious. for the
sanitary condition of the town even in this
first week Of the arrival of the gold hunters
is simply indescribable. Typhoid fever and
pneumonia will no doubt claim hundreds OF
1t is said the town will be placed under
martial law as soon as the transport In
from Seattle. At present there is practically
no city government.
City Official Arrested.
One Of the mos. prominent city officials
was placed in jail few nights ago for
No new gold strikes Of importance have
been recorded near Nome SO far this sea-
son. but IT is reported that at Telkum. On
dtggirgs we're recently found One man Is
said to have cleared up $4,000. but stories of
immensely rich finds in this country must
be accepted with a large grain Of salt until
fully verified.
Fully 25.oOO persons are here now. with |
twenty steamers In the harbor. More than |
one-hah of those here have gone ashore |
without their tents and other articles |
shipped as freight and necessary for the |
preservation of health.
The consequence Is that hundreds OF per- |
sons. including many women, are without |
shelter from the elements and will be until |
the steamers see fit to discharge freight.
: Several ships from Seattle and San Fran |
cisco have gone to St. Michael, go miles |
distant for passengers. forcing Seattle and |
San Francisco passengers to await their re-
turn before being able TO get their effects. |
Passengers on many of the ships complain |
of the treatment to which they have been |
subjected by the steamship companies. Per-
sons who paid for first-class accommoda- !
lions were forced to sleep in the vessels |
holds. six persons being in room which 1t |
was stated would only contain four. |
Much Illness was caused by the bad &C.
and worse food Hundreds |
OF tons Of freight. on which charges were |
paid In advance. were left in Seattle by the |
companies to follow on later ships. causing |
great loss to passengers. who needed the |
freight Immediately upon landing. but who /
have been compelled to remain idle while |
their machinery and other effects We're in |
Seattle awaiting shipment.
The steamer Tacoma. in addition 10 other /
was run aground near the |
mouth of Yukon en- June II and remained |
I'm peril OF ice foes for fifty-three hours. |
when she foated of. and arrived here June !
IA. The narrow beach in front of Nome is /
lined with several million pounds of freight, !
which the steamers discharge by lighters. |
the ships remaining of shore more than a |
mile. Much of this freight is OF character |
Of no immediate use 20 the passengers. while |
the needed freight remains In the ships |
holds There Is m means of moving the 4
freight. except by half dozen teams or \
by hand. and the congestion may be imag-
ined. What is practically the only street /
IN the place is lined with gambling hous-s.
saloons. small shops and warehouses OF the
large commercial companies.
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