The Washington weekly post., 1900-09-18
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Nome City. Ala ka. AuE. M.-six weeks
ago Nome City va al the height Of liz
great boom. u6W II mas reached the low
est depths OF a reverse condition Not
that Nome has been a failure. but II
aaa reached normal level Business has
settied down % a matter of simply mak-
Tx q living. men no longer think about
making a fortune tE.s season. Those
who have the means are determined 20
stick q out, spend the winter here. and
&c on the ground early next year when
The conditions viii warrant an Increased
business and better returns for the money
invested.
Nome has been a sad experience 10 the
dreame-s. the thoughtless and the i'm
practical. Some came here with big rolls
OF money. expensive machinery. enormous
stocks OF goods. others landed without 4
cent. expecting 10 have gold dust thrown
al them or 10 make II 50 easily tnat
work would be hardly necessary. An old
mining camp follower remarked 10 me The
other day that there were more down
right lazy men in Nome than he had ever
seen before. Not one in twenty mas done
bit of prospecting. but has loafed about
On the streets. kicking. and hearing 9TH
srs kick
Those thoughtless and Impractical men
who were here last year and conceived
the idea that there was an immense gold
bearing ledge out IN Bering Sea which
was being washed by the waves and the
gold cast upon the beach have been hit
hard. They invested their money ana
other peoples money in expensive dredg-
lng outfits which were set up on large
barges. and the sea bottom about here
dredged until hardly a foot has been left
untouched Not a single machine has TAX |
en out a cent.
saloons Losing Money.
II has been said that the saloons and
gambling dens are a barometer Of the |
general prosperity OF a mining camp. IL !
this Be true. then Nome has reached the !
bottom, for there is not saloon-keeDer |
or gambler In town who has made a |
cent. They are the worst broke men |
In camp. In another month tho majority /
viii have closed up. and this coming win |
ter Nome will support about ten saloons. |
The immense supply of provisions that |
has been brought mere has caused all |
prices 20 drop down 10 Seattle figures. /
with the freight added. Canned goods |
cost no more than IN the States; fresh |
vegetables fruits, eggs. and meats are |
but little more. Oranges, apples, and |
eggs are now 90 cents a dozen. Clothing |
less than cost. Miners outfits. horses |
wagons. tents. can be had for almost any |
price Rubber goods such as boots. coats |
ponchos. and slickers, command good |
prices owing to the heavy rains which !
have begun 10 fall. Rents are down. A |
suite OF Offices that formerly rented for
$40 a month can now be had for $40, a |
good store formerly $3.50 is now $40. A
dinner now costs but 80 cents.
This drop in all prices has spread TO
steamship rates to Seattle. Some lively
rate wars have been INDUCED in. Al
one time several weeks ago, when there
were several ships in the offing. the rate
reached SIS for d steerage passage The |
Oregon gave that rate and carried out
nearly 1909 people. to whom the rate |
was a godsend. Rates are now hover |
ing about $50 for steerage and second |
class. When a ship first arrives she |
advertises at about Si5. but at the last |
minute il generally drops to $25, and there |
is a rush. Only steerage and Second-class |
rates have been affected by these rate |
wars. First-class continues steady al so |
and 500.
Exodus from the Beach.
These low rates have taken out very |
large share of the busted" element. who |
were a positive danger 10 the community. /
According TO the figures of the compa- /
MES, over 400 people have gone out by /
way of Seattle or 81. Michaels, where |
the river boats are taken up the Yukon |
TO Dawson. With the sailing craft and /
small independent steamers IL is esGi- |
mated that 5000 people have gone cut In /
the lasJ TWO months. In addition, the /
army transports have taken OUT qrite a |
number who made affidavit that they /
had no means. All this has been Il good 1
thing for Nome. BY the time the last |
boats leave al least l0VCo more will have /
gone.
That many men still have faith In Nome |
and the surrounding country is given |
plenty Of evidence. Business men Lave |
the most unbOunded confidence in the fu- |
ture. They are erecting winter quarters |
for their stores, Offices, and home. In /
TACT. building goes on as nothing else |
does, and carpenters ind plenty 10 co |
although the wages have dropped from
$50 an hour TO ~ cents. These business |
men are laying III winter stocks or prOyi- |
slons, fuel. ard clothing, and making /
plans for amusement during The xix /
months they are cut OF from the outside /
world. The large commercial companies
and the hotels are making like prepara-
tiOns.
The reason Tor the great confidence in |
the future Is easy 10 explain. No one
who has made fair investigation Will l
deny that gold exists IN large quantities
When every Thing is favorable this s,old |
will be taken cut or the ground and spent
OF sent down 10 Seattle. On such claims
that are not tied up by litigation. and |
Where there IS no question as 10 tltle.
there are men at work now that the rains
have set IN. But these undisputed titles
are rare. Nearly every claim Of known
richness is tied up by litigation. This /
winter these matters viii be straighteued |
out before the United States District |
Court, which Will sit al winter in Nome
beginning August p The Judge IS Al
bert II Noycs. o. Minnesota H, arrived
several weeks ago. and has been hearing
matters IN chambers. One case OF vast
Importance has been gOing through Yarl-
oCs stages OF proceedings. This IS the
now famous Pioneer Mining Company
case.
Pioneer Mining Claim Litigation.
J. VIII be rems mbered that the pioneers
OF Nome sold discoveries were several
scandinavian sailors, among them lafet
i1nGeBerg and John Llndblom In ,y;.s ia I
the fai OF lSss that they found god
among the sands. These poor. Ignorant
sailors az once saw visions of great
wealth. They worked the beach that ian
ana some oi The creeks. discovering the
richness OF Anvil Greek. which bids faiy
% rival The klondyke They staked M.
n,cfOIs claims along Anvil end on neiah-
boring gulches- The following spring
number OF men jumped some of The
claims on Anvil, including the discovery
claim. Now these jumpers nave b.e,,n
proceedings 10 Dust the Swedish pioneers