Evening star., 1900-06-09
New Alaskan Gold Fields Attract
Thousands of Adventures.
PREPARED TO BUILD A CITY
Prospectors Better Equipped Than
Those Who Went to klondike.
MEN OF MEANS COIN g

geological survey. yesterday. In speaking OF
the rapid prominence of the new Alaskan
gold fields. when the Hartman scientinc
expedition explored the islands and waters
lying between Alaska and Siberia less than
a wear ago, the world knew nothing of the
placer wealth that is now attracting thou
sands of prospectors and spectators
Today the golden beaches and creeks COW
ering the Seward peninsula. in the vicinity
of Cape Nome. on the far northwestern edge
of Alaska, furnish a hope that has inaugu-
rated one of the greatest and most unusual
steamship and sailing craft emigrations
known to the history of an American port.
On the Pacific coast the Nome rush is now
at it's height. Ten thousand passengers
have embarked during fortnight. over
sixty craft have set sail-their noses turned
to the golden land-craft OF every descrlp-
tion from handsome oriental liners taken
off their regular runs to snatch up their
share of the big northward trade. to small
schooners under sail carrying only dozen
fortune hunters. Coal boats. lumber yes
sells, stock carriers, freighters. powerful
tugs. roomy barges. trim revenue cutters.
transports. modern steamships and old
timers have poured out of the Straits OF
Fuca every hour of the day within the
past two weeks.
Activity at Seattle and Tacoma.
The water front at Seattle and Tacoma
has presented a scene of activity-as full
of life and hustle as 1t was at the height Of
the Klondike rush.
Thousands have waited eight months for
the season to open. determined to try their
chance with fortune on the rich tundra Of
Nome. All craft northward bound have
been loaded to the rails with passengers
and with freight up to the very limit
of their licensed capacity. If no one else
Dement'S from the flight of the argonauts
the steamship companies will at least win
out
Mining men, prospectors and business
spectators their way to Nome.
They all have schemes for making the for
tune they go to seek. Unlike the Klondike
adventurers these explorers go prepared to
earn good living even If they fail to cap
ture fortune. They are a different class
than those who trod the weary road to
Dawson. There is marked disSmilarity In
the character of this movement compared
to the Alaska excitement of '9l-'S. The
clerk, unused to the hardshipS of the path
finder. is not venturing He cured of
his desires by the experiences of the klon-
dixie.
The men and women going into Nome are
mostly accustomed to the life of mining
camps, and in the main experienced
spectators who know how to turn money
quickly. They are prepared for business,
not seeking fortunes with the pick and
pan alone.
Complete outfits have been shipped in for
the transaction of various lines of business
| incidental to mining. Were the wire rope
that has gone north this season to be used
| in hydraulicinS stretched out behind the
steamship Senator it would disturb the
water for twenty miles. Hundreds of
sluice boxes to facilitate mining on an ex-
tensve scale nave been shipped: thousands
of head of cattle, horses, sheep and hogs
are en- route: a cargo of oil and several of
coal; millions Of feet Of lumber and nearly
| a million cedar shingles; merchandise of
every description; hotels saloons, a bank
| the outfit for the Nome Daily News and
gambling house combination are all on the
way to the golden beaches. The latter en-
terprise is represented by forty-two people
and an investment of $1OO.OOO. Lumber
scenery, green room furniture and vaude-
vile stars are included. On lot that sew
eral months ago cost $1,000 the hackers of
the Monte Carlo scheme will erect a two
story building Of large proportions, to be
used as theater. gambling den. saloon and
lodging house. Pending its completion the
Outnt Will be housed in an immense tent.
The Bank of Cape Nome.
The Bank Of Cape Nome carries a COM
plete banking outfit. including $2OO, 900 in
coin and currency 1t is officered by prom
inent bankers Of Seattle and San Francisco.
One of the heaviest interested men in
Nome speculauons is Chas. D. Lane, the
mining millionaire Of San Francisco, who
has invested largely in steamship, railroad
banking and mining business in the new
gold fields. Among the freight shipped in
by him We're the rails and equipment for
Nome City to Glacier creek and adjacent
| mining streams Of the rich district
New York capitalist sent up a big ship
ment of buggies. but as yet no record has
been made OF automobiles for Nome in the
conglomerate confusion of freight headed
| for the land of golden fleece.
Ihese men OF means who enter this new
Held of business know what they are about
! and are certain of making money. They
are unlike the hopeful but adventurous
prospector looking for gold. The gold is
there They have their claims and proper
ties and will invest big money in their de-
velopment. The people, too, are there And
| in addition to mining interests the element
OF speculation will enter. Miners say the
rich placers will not be exhausted in
twenty years.
one steamer that recently set sail was
htted up as a floating refrigerator, with
| cold storage plant in operation. She car
rleo carloads OF dressed turkeys and poul-
try, hundreds of frozen mutton, beef and
pork and quantities of fresh fruit There
Will be no danger Of scurvy this year.
NO wharves are built at Nome and steam
ers are equipped with dories for lightering
freight. They are of immense size COM
pared with the ordinary row boat. and fit-
ted with galvanized air-tight tubes like
sur1-hke boats. for the sea that breaks In
on the Cape Nome beach following a gale
Is tremendous power to battle against
and none but a stanch boat would weather
the breakers A number Of light draft
steamers and barges have been taken north
ers during the summer In lieu of wharves.
The Dolphin Rounding the "HOrn."
One steamer. the Dolphin, Is rounding
the Horn from New York on her way to
the extreme northwest. Several have put
to sea from San Francisco but the true
starting point and headquarters of the
Alaska trade are Seattle and Tacoma.
The Seward region is not the severe
kIondike either in point of accessibility
or extremes Of temperature. The voyage
from Puget sound is made through the
| Straits of Fuca and along the coast OF
Alaska in sixteen days direct. The ice
pack in Bering does not break until
the middle Of June. and there will doubt
less be a fleet Of vessels gathered a,
Dutch harbor within few days waiting
for the final dissolution of the ice which
drifts southwark the Japan current.
leaving the sea freely open to navigation
for the rest Of the summer. Many Of the
| steamers. anxious to be among the earliest
to reach Nome. set sail prematurely and
| will be held at Dutch harbor Taken at
| the proper season-from this date on--the
| trip to Nome IL one of pleasure
A great scene will be presented when the
three-score or more ships of every descrtp-
| tion attennt make lanuipU 4, -