The Washington weekly post., 1900-09-18

yers had to say. Al the end the court de-
nied the motion. and the claims SIN con-
tInue to b. worked under charge % the
receiver The sentiment OF the country
j. with the Swedish pioneer discoysrers
Of the Nome gold fields. The final test
win come when the matter Is AIKEN TO
trial
The sentiment OF the business men Of
Nome Is that II has been a good thing
that Nome has received a black eye n the
States. IL viii keep out the mob next
year competition will be narrowed. men
will be able 70 get work at good
wages. and everything Will have
settled down 10 good, suostdn-
tial basis This Klondyke rush and
the history o. Dawson il commonly
referred 20. Dawson IS now recognized
as good town with good opportunities,
bat IN the year following it. founding II
was slandesed and blackened without
heSitaHcy by many who met with disa3-
polntment- This. IL is prophesied. 1ili be
the history OF Nome. Every one realizes
the facts OF the conditions here. The
boom, started last winter. reached pro-
portions not even anticipated by the most
sanguine. The result was too large a
crowd Of gole-seekers and mining camp
adventures. But that IS over nov. and
Nome, except for the oyerdOne APPEAR
snce and condition. Is now where she
should have been in the first place.
We -inmpedes from Nome.
One remarkable feature OF Nome as
mining camp. has been the lack of
stampedes 10 reported new finds. Every
once in a while a report goes around
town about a rich strike OF several hun
dred miles, or nearer. but II fails 10 start
anybody except the owners and agents
Of small steamers, who want 70 reap big
gains by carrying passengers al big
rates There IS a suspicion that the
stories are the result of systematic ef-
fort on the part OF the ticket agent The
Topkok stampede was too small 10 al
tract attention, and when the report
proved true. everything had been taken.
Then the Fish River and Council city
country was exploited, but the crowd still
stuck to Nome. And now come stories
OF good color that the Council City coun-
try is a good one. with plenty of gold.
The worst yarn to reach Nome was
about the KougarOok River The story
first out was that men were taking cut
shOvels full OF dust Still. the Nome
about the streets. Yet at Cape York it
was believed, and the result Is that the
men who stampeded from York % the
Kougarook have struck il rich. Men are
coming in every day with long ''pokes'
OF dust. buying supplies for the winter
and lumber for Sluicing They laugh at
the Nome crowd. and call them "col1-
footed" This KougaroOk country is
a oF
OF that name runs into Sinrock Lake.
which is a continuation of Port Clar-
ence. The small creeks and gulches are
reported very rich. and the stories must
be true. judging by the gold that comes
from there. 1t is good country TO winter
in, having plenty Of timber and good
water. Light draft sailing vessels have
tried TO stir up a stampede TO the Bristol
bay country. which is about 100 miles
south of Nome Recently a ship returned
from there with a crowd of men who an
nounced il mo good"
WreekRsr in the Harbor.
Nome City is situated at an exposed
point with no harbor or shelter of any
kind for ships. The bottom is sandy. 50
that good anchorage is impossible Conse-
quently during every severe blow, which
happens about twice month, there are
numerous wrecks, and considerable dam
age is done TO shipping and TO freight piled
up on the beach. During a recent blow. a
"sOu-wester," a large schooner. the Lizzie
ID, three tug-boats many launches and
small boats. and a large Yukon River
steamer were wrecked. Some broke their
anchor chains and were cast upon the
shore, others dragged anchor and could
net get away, but eventually grounded
on the beach. The Yukon River boat was
the Merwin. She had been lying of Nome
for several days discharging a cargo.
Drawing but few feet of water. she was
an easy victim 10 the wrath of winds anG.
waves. Her crew numbering eleven men,
were anxious about her as evening came
on, and began 10 cast longing glances
toward the shore II was impossible TO
reach there, however and so they endeav-
ored 10 make the best of the night Along
toward ! O'Clock several big waves broke
over the Merwin, filling her. SHE al once
began to sink. The crew raised an alarm,
and il was by the most heroic and desper-
ate work that the crews on neighboring
ships were able TO save the imperiled
men. The big boat was at the bottom
with nothing but her jack-staff showing
inside of five minutes. Yesterday her bot
tom framework was washed ashore, the
upper works having been broken up by
the waves.
The papers Of the States arrive about
ten days old. During the days when il
was thought that Minister Conger might
be dead there was an intense feeling
among the people of Nome. and men who
were ordinarily of cool judgment became
IN, hEfr eric fnv.
Chinese. An effort was made TO organize
a regiment. 10 be offered 10 Gov Brady Of
Alaska, in case OF a call for volunteers.
The regiment was filed with over 1900
names on the rolls inside of three days.
The officers were 10 be taken from veter-
ans OF the Spanish-Ameriean war who
were in Nome.
Beach Mining in Dispute.
Beach miners who have struck a good
pay streak are not telling anybody about
IT, but always give a discouraging reply
10 questions about the cleanup They are
afraid that some one will come along ana
want 10 share their pay streak This is
the reason why one hears but little about
the beach. Yet one big thing got out re.
Gently through the greediness of the min
ers. A party Of six had struck d streak
lIdl ran DaCh INTO the tQuQFd. MllnOlf
learning II that particular section OF
ground had been staked. they began 10
work H. But the owner happened along
ana al once ordered them of. They re-
fused 10 go and he had them arrested
The case came up before the United States
Commissioners. and resulted In a decision
which has stirred up the miners TO boiling
point.
The miners set up in defense of their
actions that they were inside the sixty
foot strip set aside by the government.
and further. inside the limits OF the high
tide. the government having heelared the
beach open between high and low tide
But Mr.. stevens. the commissioner. de-
cided that the siXty-foot strip did not ex-
ist along the entire beach. only where
towns or cities should be founded. Fur
ther. that the government meant the daily
tides in speaking Of high and low tides.
II was this latter decision that stirred I'd
the miners. As the daily tide leaves A