Daily camera., 1900-07-12
THE "PARSON" AT NOME.

interesting letter from "Parson" Haskins
former university student, now seeking
his fortune in the Cape Nome country.
The Camera is permitted to publish the
following portions of the "Parson's"
interesting epistle:
"Nome City, Alaska, June "a, 1900.
Got here finally about p. m, une
I8, tour days and half out of Dutch
harbor. Struck considerable pack ice
but it was pretty well melted so that il
did not trouble us very much. However,
the captain of our boat took no chances
about running into large chunks.
"Well, Nome is corker and no mis-.
take. 1t ought to be seen to be fully ap-
preciated. On low. sandy beach, ex
tending for miles, is city of tents, the
home temporarily of over 10000 people.
The beach reaches back to the tundra, a
distance OF perhaps 50 feet. The tundra
is bog composed of moss and water in
equal parts. and is holy fright to travel
through. The main portion of the town,
that is the part built last year, extends
for three quarters of mile along the
edge of the tundra, the new town extends
up and down the beach from this point.
Lots 25xIoo, and even smaller in the city
proper, have sold all the way from $1,000
to $4,000 during the past week. It's a
mighty good plan for one owning any
property to sell because in the first place
again, Nome may not last longer than
this year. There are saloons by the
score, all running gambling games and
a few having dance halls In connection
and they are SO crowded that you have
to break your way into them. The main
thoroughfare, Front street, is not over
fifty feet from building to building at the
widest point, and the full width during
the busiest part Of the dav. from 9 a m.
to midnight, is one surglng throng OF
humanity, and such crowds of queer in
dividuals-every known type that ever
existed, all pushing and showing along.
occasionally making way for a painting
team hauling heavy load of machinery
or lumber through the dust. Next will
come dog team hauling small wagon
or push cart, the driver calling Cut 10
the leader the direction to be taken,
which he does with a great deal of skill.
But they work EN- to death. And there
are thousands of dogs, mostly Eskimos,
and the way they hight during the day
and howl at night is caution. The
large transportation companies have
pretty fair buildings and store houses,
but the rest are the usual type of build
lngs found in mining camps during their
boom period. Many new buildings are
going up daily and In another month |
suppose the village will look quite metro
politan. The sanitary conditions are
very bum and typhoid will reign
supreme.
"The most interesting sight though is
along the beach where the boats are un
loading. Vessels drawing fifteen feet
and over are compelled to anchor about
one-half mile off shore and in stormy
weather of course much farther. From
their anchorages the freight Is unloaded
:~L
within 200 feet of shore. From there the
scows are pulled in by surf lines, Most
of the ship companies have no landing
facilities whatever, except lighters, so
the freight by necessity is stacked right
on the shore, in some places re- ching 70
a height of fifty teet. Tnere Is no room
to move back onto the tundra because
then they would be encroaching On some
fellows lot, SO there they are right down
the tents OF the squattrrs. The
water at high tide reaches the piles of
freight and over and under these may be
seen thousands trying TO pick out their
various articles and meeting with little
success. If it were not for the exception.
ally pleasant weather we are having
present the loss that would ensue would
be enormous. 1t is very hard and dsf-
hcult even after finding ones baggage
to manage to get 1t transported any
where. Men with teams charge from
S to So per hour with push carts, where
you do two-thirds of the work yourself.
81 to 81 per piece. Lots of gents brought
10 large quantities of perishable articles
which now are being sold at great sac
riices. Staples of course command
pretty fair prices. Longshore men get
81 per hour. How they have to work!
It's worth twice that. The town is rather
overdone as regards mercantile enter,
prises All reports. however. from the
different districts are favorable, but
owing to the ground still being frozen