The Saint Paul globe., 1900-05-06

ed too lightly by reason Of the failures Of
thousands of reckless stampeders to the
h1ondike during the years 1897 and 1898.
While the Klondike district is rtoh in
gold, as has been clearly proved, this Sec
tfon Is just as rich. far more vast in ex-
tent, easier mined, while the rich gold
bearing quartz that has been discovered
i here must give to the country q per-
manency the Klondike never possessed.
The Cape Nome mining district has
grown up during the last few months by
reason OF discoveries that have been made
by some three thousand prospectors. This
great and continuous gold belt Is now
known to extend from Cape Prince of
Wales In a southeasterly direction to the
watershed of Norton bay, distance OF
800 miles in width, and the end Is not yet
reached. reports OF reliable nature be-
ing brought in daily OF still further rich
strikes.
There are various theories as to the
source and origin Of all this gold That
most generally accepted and seemingly
plausible is that the gold Is washed up
by the action of the waves. The idea
that Behring sea is receding and that the
land back from the beach was once inun-
dated seems, in a measure, to explain
the rich strike on the creeks emptying
into the sea, as we'll as the rich ruby
sand found under the grass roots for
some distance back. The idea seems to
be substantiated by the fact that the rich
est sand ever found was taken from a
sanbar extending for some distance out
into the water. The immense richness Of
this particular sand seems too fabulous a
story to repeat.
CLIMATE IS NOT SEVERE.
The climate conditions Of this country
have been greatly exaggerated. Even
here where we are subject to coast in
fuences, the climate is good, far better
in winter than in summer, in fact. With
a few Of the home comforts one can live
quite as comfortably here as in the
states. This place has some advantages
over the Klondike, for we are some 1,50O
miles west of that place, with no somber
mountains excluding the sunlight in win
ter, and therefore have no dark period
True, the sun does not appear until II
O'Clock and goes to sleep again within
four hours-during the shortest period of
daylight-still for even these few short
hours 1t sheds such beautiful rosy
radiance over the snow-covered earth and
mountains as to gladden. the whole day
The thermometer has not registered lower
than "a degrees below this winter. Nat
urally there IS considerable wind, and
when old Boreas gets in his work one has
to exercise the utmost strength to main
tain ones equilibrium.
Alaska has great agricultural possibili-
ties, as well as many real certainties,
the extent of which Is not yet realized,
but almost at the dawn Of this new CEN
tury the country will be opened up and
inha abited in a more permanent sense
than has been believed possible. 1t IS
believed that the entire delta of the
great Yukon river will grow cereals to
perfection and with no risk of loss Of
crop from climatic changes, such as take
place in Kansas and elsewhere through
out the states. The natural growth Of
grasses and flowers over this wide ex-
panse of country is some proof of the
great agricultural possibilities in the near
future. The fact IS that the growing
season during the summer Is quite as
long here as elsewhere. for the reason
that during the months of May, June,
July and August there is no night and
the growth process is hardly checked
for one moment during the entire four
months.
ESKIMOS ARE HOSPITABLE PEOPLE.
The Eskimos met here are far more
interesting people than the ordinary Yu-
kon Indians. their Japanese features CIV
ing them a much more intelligent express
sion. l learned considerable of this in
teresting people during the late railroad
survey made by Messrs. Rutledge and
Garside. Eskimo Charlie" an import
ant parsonage among his people. being
immensely wealthy, comparatively speak
ing, was met on the journey, and enter
tanned the party in a most royal and
deferentiaI style. This gentleman, like
all of his race In these parts, has the
utmost reverence for any one connected
with the United States government. and
naturally presumes a surveying instru-
ment to be a sort OF national badge Of
distinction.
The government has returned to Eskimo
Charlie some 800 reindeer, which are val
ued at SOC apiece here. In compensation
for less than half that number loaned by
him to the government soma two years