The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-08-30
BACK FROM CAPE NOME
Ed Waterman Relates Some Ex-
periences He Had There.
ROGNON'S BOAT SUNK
BUT SALT LAKER MADE MONEY
WHILE IT FLoATED.


Cane Nome perfectly satisfied that
there is no place like Utah Edward
Waterman. Of the firm of Waterman
Brothers. reached home night before
last loaded down with plenty of expe-
rience. which seems to be the most
prolific product of the Cape Nome dig
gings.
Like every other Utahn who Joined
in the mad rush 10 the north last
spring, Mr.. Waterman characterizes
Cape Nome as being the greatest fake
that the world ever knew. He says
there is some gold in the district, but it
exists in only limited quantities.
There Just Sixty Days.
Mr. Waterman was in the camp Just
sixty days. He reached there on the
18th Of Jrne last. and on the 14th of
the present month rolled UP his
blankets and sailed for home.
During his stay on the Alaskan
shores he says he prospected the beach
as well as the tundra and creeks back
of Nome City, but with few exceptions
encOurageme
The mineral belt, he says, is not over
six miles wide anywhere, and the prob
able length is estimated at twenty-five
miles. BIT outside that radius it is
difficult to find a trace of gold
Mr.. Waterman believes some fairly
good mines will be opened I'D in the
vicinity of Nome, but there is only
room for a few hundred at the most to
find profitable employment The camp
is rapidly becoming depleted. and every
boat leaving port comes back TO the
states loaded with disappointed and
discouraged people. The government is
taking hand in relieving the crowds
of men there. who have spent all the
money they had and were left strand
ed with no funds to carry them back
to the states.
Officer Foresaw Suffering.
The officer at the head of the garrison
of troops foresaw that there would be
great suffering in the Camp this win
ter, unless relief measures were
promptly taken. The government boats
have gone out with a number of ship
loads. Those without any money were
carried free, while for those who had
funds and could pay, a fee of 80 was
asked. The officials worked quietly and
did not let it become generally known
that passage could be had free for
the reason that there might be
some who could afford to pay
their passage who would i'm
pose upon those who could not do
so. The steamship lines are not I'M
reasonable IN their return rates, so as
consequence the population of the
camp IS decreasing fast
long the beach for u,iIoc oon bo
seen almost every conceivable kind of
machinery intended for the saving of
gold.
One man counted ITO of these ma
chimes in walking down the beach for
distance of less than ten miles This
was only few days before Mr. Water
man left for home, and a large portion
of them had been abandoned.
The outfit taken in by A H Carter
and party from here was one OF the
most complete plants on the beach, and
it has not been entirely abandoned.
Nothing has been accomplished with it
yet, but some of the party are deter
mined to stay with il and will not re-
turn to the states before next year.
Rognon's Steam Launch.
E. G. Rognon took a steam launch in
with him and made considerable money
Nl4iiC lie lldu II III operation. he maze
as high as $500 per day with it. But
the boat was wrecked in the ocean
about three weeks ago. Mr.. Rognon
is also running a newspaper, a small
poster sheet printed on one side. His
sister is interested in the periodical,
and in less than three hours one day.
she secured $3.50 worth of advertising
to appear in single issue of the paper
Copies sell at so cents per number.
Dewitt B. Lowe has a good mining
property on Dexter creek which he is
developing, but so far has realized very
little out of it.
Saloons and dance houses are plenti-
full Mr. Waterman says several bars
were set up that will discount the
finest one in Salt Lake. Some of them
were very costly. Expensive mirrors
adorned many rooms, which, under the
glare of the electric lights, made per-
feet palaces of them. Some of these
will be carried away. but many owners
will not take the trouble to do that
much.
The distress experienced by men who
had spent their last dollar was simply
terrible to witness, Mr. Waterman
says. and it the greatest wonder that
more cases of suicide were not heard
Of
Mr.. Carter and J. G. DeKaIb came as
far as Seattle with Mr.. Waterman and
will reach Salt Lake in a few days.