Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1900-08-24
The Nome Gold Digger Thinks there is
Plenty Of it Along the Beach
Sands.
Some Eight Thousand Eager Gold Hunt
crs Rocking the Sands for
the Dust.
Details and Facts with Regard to the
Famous Cape, as a Local Paper
Sees 1t.

paper published at Cape Nome, Alaska,
IL cop of which, dated July - is sent
the Tribune by w. r. Perkins, contains
some interesting facts regarding the
gold region. The Gold Digger is pub
lished every Wednesday, subscription
price SD a year, - cents a single copy.
The first page OF the paper contains a
description of the scenes along the
beach where it is estimated that 5000
men are rocking the sands for gold and
averaging 81 to SIG a day. Some 300
" 400 different kinds of devices are in
use among the miners for rocking the
sand and separating the gold. No
great clean ups are reported along the
beach, and miners are paid in some
cases 81 a day and board, and are eX-
pected to return 81 to SD worth of
gold to the owners of claims and ma
chinery who employ them.
a meeting Of the chamber of COM
merce is reported, in an endeavor to
get the United States government to
take the poor who are out Of employ
ment back to the United States. The
situation is described as frightful, hun
dreds of men being out of money sick
and helpless.
The steamer Oregon arrived, making
tho tpi,, Y.,n, Co,f-1n u, to,, l,,. Nv,
record for the season. and the captain
says he can make the trip in eight
days. The Senator left carrying 400
persons back to the states.
Editorially, the Gold Digger dis
cusses the question of Incorporation,
which is said to be in favor with the
great majority. Attention is called to
the fact that in August. 1880, the resi-
dents Of the place. then known as Anvil
City, to the number of about 5000, met
in mass convention. and settled on a
local form Of government. which was
successfully carried on until it gave
way to the military government. The
camp was governed in an orderly man.
ner. and only one homicide occurred.
Speaking Of the legal difficulties in
connection with the Anvil Creek
claims. for which Alexander Mckenzie
was appointed receiver by Judge
Moves, the Gold Digger says:
This series of legal difficulties came
about in this way: In the months of
September and October of 1898 certain
parties. not then citizens OF the United
States, discovered gold on Anvil Creek.
They proceeded at once to acquire the
same by location and otherwise.
Later on other persons came up from
Goldovin Bay and, for reasons that
will appear below, relocated most of
the properties. The relocators allege
% that the original l%ocators. three in
number. were at the time aliens; GU
that they did not stake the properties
as required by the statutes, but merely
set up a notice setting forth their
claims; CD that q majority of the
claims We're located on alleged powers
of-attorney in behalf of persons
neither there and in instances, not in
the country.
After locating the properties many of
the original locators left the country
and it was after that the others an
Deared on the scene. In the following
spring certain representations were
made to Court Commissioner Shepard,
and accompanied by a detachment of
military he came from St. Michaels
and instituted court at Council City to
try cases Of alleged %trespass set up
against the relocators. The commits
sioner gave judgment against the de-
PENDANTS. and two of them. Melsing
and Watterson, were arrested, taken to
st. Michae!s and held there for some
time. Later on Lieut.. Spaulding,
with a detachment Of soldiers. was
sent here and a number of other men
were elected from the involved claims.
N"AiAS thS SuIilllttl IL Dc-
came known that Judge Johnson of the
United States court was to visit Nome,
and his coming was awaited with
much impatience. He finally arrived
in August, but would give no imme-
date relief. However, complaints
were filed against the occupants OF the
several claims, and the matter then
held in allegiance until the arrival OF
Judge Noyes. The appointment of g
receiver for the different properties is
a result of the latter's late arrival, ant
a hearing of the several cases will
probably occur at an early date"
The nineteenth case Of smallpox i!
reported in the pest house, the diseas.
being traced to a miner from Dawson
The interesting fact develops in con
nection with the smallpox patient!
that not one Of the nineteen sufferins
from the disease was ever vaccinated
OF the climate of Nome, the Golt