The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-01
FROM THE NONE REGION
How Seattle Watches for the Yes
sells From the Gold Fields.
Questions and Answers Shouted
From Dock to Deck-yery Few
PROJECTORS Return on the First
Boat to Arrive In Eight Months
Scenes ut the Steamship Wharf.

SEATTLE, Wash, June 23.-Wher a
boat comes in with dust from Cape Nome
the purser doubles the treasure OF each
argonaut for the reporter The reporter
adds a cipher. This Is why Seattle is the
first coast city north OF Frisco, and why
a fleet of half hundred ships and 10, GOO
men have left her for the ruby sea beach
and strange trundra by the Arctic Circle.
But this is story Of some Tacoma man;
and since the Great Northern Railway
lifted itself over the Sierras, and the
boom broke down the sound. the men of
Seattle hear their neighbors romance and
smile. Last Monday the first steamship
for eight months from the ice-bound cape
hove to off the city. She was the veanie
OF the Pacific Steam Whaling Company,
and. though she brought but three pas
sengers from the north and not an ounce
OF dust, 40 news for the world Except
that the corner in eggs was broken
Seattle had gathered by 10 O'Clock at night
to watch her slip to dock across the smooth
Levels Of the harbor, still yellowed by the
SUM- Seattle watched and cheered. On
shore they questioned. naming thousands
in gold. asking the price OF meal, the
death list in scurvy and typhoid among
the 1.S00 souls of Nome City, the most
western in the world: and first and loud
est. of course. for news Of strikes.
''Workin' the Topkuk Beach for some
better wages. that's all. No work all win
ter in the camp" The chunky dechhand
spoke with unconcern, and made a better
union between his baggy trousers and cor
duroy shirt. Seattle took the lack Of great
news uneasily. But practically no one was
returning, and that eased Ter conscience,
for she had jugglee bit with the figures
of last years cleanup and made too vivid
promises for the poor man. Voices in the
crowd ELECTED such facts as these from
the darkness all along the deck:
we beat the Alpha going up. and she'd
five days start of US. She followed US
through the ice. We lay off mile and
hit the foes full speed: found the channel
clear round Sledgs Island" And
the Britishers landed her cargo free of
duty on the beach. Judge Kempner let her
in against the kick of every trading outfit
There'H be a racket when they hear from
Washington" Senator sprung n
leak and put back to UnaIaska Said she
Man died d. t's.-no one knsw his
rame-on the way up. and the Russians
buried him at Unga." "Chechako
(tenderfoot) coming ou, suicided OF Dutch
Harbor.''
The prognosis for malignant gold fever
is uncertain. Today the steamship Queen
came in from Skaguay with only $50. 600
Of Dawson gold. Such an arrival is an old
story here now. Among a hundred ex-
from Glacier Bay. mingled. per-
haps, three from the gold fields. Drowned
and grizzled with faded blue shirts and
bright checked ties They stood grimly
complacent among the tourists little SAD.
perhaps, that the hardship Of 1t all was
over: and they stroked their yellow boards.
Why has the successful prospector invari-
ably sandy hair? But below. scores Of
men, once his comrades. looked out from
the matches, and their faces were not pleas
ant
These walked haltingly down the gang
plank. their clothes weathered to rags.
Each shouldered his dunnage bag like q
big brown sausage. carried a rifle in one
hand, or a rawhide bundle cased In a
spread OF mountain cariboo horns. They
stepped between tourists In patent leath-
ers. who carried beaded Aleut baskets, or
the red nose of a totem pole. child
ashore shouted to the fat factor OF a
trading company: Pepper. d'you bring
me that woolly dog?" And the hat-headed
English hand aboard the frsighter Wilt
mette, who had seen fortunes in oil and
gold shipped from every port between
and Yakutat. produced the last
relic from his disinheritance-a silver
shaving mug-and stropped his razor on
leck.
Winter and spring Seattle lives under
umbrellas. Sometimes the weather for
gets itself, the rain holds up a moment.
md the sun comes out a moment to prove
10 still exists. But Seattle is first and
asst the gateway to Alaska: the port OF
to land 1000 miles away, over
which hovers all the romance and mys-
cry Of the north. Of the last earthly will
lerness yet untamed by man.