New-York tribune., 1900-05-13

necessary hardships which the ''greenhorns" will
invite by reason of their "greenness" would be
materially lessened if before setting out they
would take time study a pamphlet just issued
by the Department of the Interior.
This pamphlet contains preliminary report on
the Cape Nome gold region by Frank c. Schrader
and Alfred H. Brooks. assistant geologists on
the staff Of the United States Geological Survey
Its value is enhanced by maps and illustrations,
the whole being based upon personal observa-
tions made by these geologists in a brief visit to
that region last October. It answers many of
the puzzling questions which almost every in
tending prospector asks before he sets out and
many which he might not be wise enough to ask
before 1t was too late for the answers TO do him
any good.
THE CHANCES FOR NEWCOMERS.
One of the first queries likely TO crop up in the
mind OF man eager TO dig his fortune out of
the Cape Nome earth is. "WiI there be any
claims left by the time 1 get there. will 1 find
all the gold bearing lands already taken up?"
To such the report says that nearly all the gold
so far taken out at Cape Nome has been found
in placers on gulches, bars, benches and on the
beach, from point about a mile east Of the
town westward for some ten or fifteen miles
No claims We're allowed TO be stal1ed out last
year within a strip Of ground running along the
high tide limit. Within this reserved area all
had an equal right to dig and wash gravel
About two thousand men worked in this strip
last summer, and took out about 81 600 900 in
gold. large number Of men Will find room
for their activities this strip of beach this
summer if il continues TO be withheld from pri-
vate ownership; but even then il should be re-
membered that beach placers are not mex
haustible and the gold bearing gravel does not
occur in paying quantities in continuous
streak along this fifteen miles of beach. The
line is broken and erratic; rich here, moderate
there and worthless in another spot close by.
Just back Of this unstaked strip of sea beach
the newcomer will find all the known gold bear
ing land-the gulch, river Creek, bar and
beach placers-clamed; but while the stalking of
new placer claims in the Nome beach region is
probably nearly thing of the past those hav-
ing capital to invest Will doubt find plenty Of
claims for sale. Those who lack knowledge of
mining matters" says the report should in
vest their money very cautiously, for there is a
vast army of spectators at Nome. who endured
the rigors OF the Arctic winter there just on pur-
pose to be ready to unload when the first
steamer load of 'tenderfeet' arrives 1t would
be very wise for all inexperienced newcomers to
put by enough money for the return passage"
HOPE FOR QUARTZ MINING.
This statement Of the case would seem rather
ciscouraging, especially TO those who have no
capital 10 invest but want 10 stake out new,
claims for themselves. The report however
gives these people some ground for hope when
II comes to speak of the region lying further in
land from the beach. The beach rises gradually
10 a sharply cut bench a hundred or two hum
dred yards from the surf. From the edge of
this terrace which is about twenty feet high a
moss covered tundra extends inland rising
about two hundred feet in four or five miles.
when IT merges into the highland belt II is
the opinion that gold underes this tundra, but
whether in commercial quantity or not can
only be ascertained by sinking shafts: these of
course, must be deeper than the little ones
which suffice TO bare the gold hearing e,re,,a1
under the sandy beach.
Again the experts declare this gold ,-b,ob 3,
found on the beach has not been washed I'm
from the sea, has often been declared bu,
has most certainly come from the rocky bms
In the interior On this point the report saws:
No bed rock mining has yet been done Our
theorles lead US TO believe that the higher
bencnes and territories are worthy of investiga-
tloh by prospectors There is at least a possi
bility that workable mineral veins will eventr
ally be found. Should subsequent developments
show that the gold said 10 be discovered in Co.,
eraI other districts of the Seward Penirsn,to % t
derived from the same series Of rocks This goid
mining region will embrace an area of at , eoiu
nVe thousand or six thousand square miles
Surely there would be room enougb and 20
spare In that area for all the miners who might
care 10 try their luck. for luck would still he a
large factor because il would not by any means
follow that the entire peninsula of which Cane
Nome is small part, would contain workable
deposits OF gold, but gold might rather he av-
pected 10 be confined 20 certain zones exterdt,,,,
throughout that area
HOW To REACH CAPE NOME
IL the intending miner. after reading this ra
port on the gold bearing area and the extent 10
which il has already been pre-empted bv tb.
pioneers Of last summer Is still willing To taL.