The Nome nugget., 1900-01-01
EXTRA
LATEST ARRIVALS FROM NOnE
Overland by Portage Bay and na- urak-The Bnies I-arty Wrecked.

c. w. Brandon and H. l.. Blake, who leiL Nome January IA, arrived at seat tie on May 4In. ineirs IS the nItn and last party to make the trip out rom NOme vIa the overianu route tnIs winter, the others coming over dIuer- ent uraII rom Bristol bay to natmaI, and Delng leu by Messrs. Worth, MOT gan, hoItcnoft ana Dam. Messrs. brandon ana Blahe were delayed Dy overnows ana open water on most oI tne streams souIn or the Yunon. Iney lOnoweu the coast to St. Micnael, meet Ing on that portion oI Ine trip nun dreds or sIampederS to and rom the NortOn pay country, and aiso a number oi IOoIsOre anu weary 'pilgrlms' rom Dawson; thence they went up the IL kOn to d point tnIrIy miles below the nussian missiOn, thence across coun- try tu ana aown the nusKoKwIm to the bay; thence overland to Nusnagak, where they were compelled to aDanuon tneIr dog team ana cross Brlstol pay III DldarhaS or native canoes. AL Ega- giK they secured anotner dog team, ascendeu the Egaglh rlyer on ice that was OvernOwlnS ana breaking up, ana crossed the dlVide over bare Lunura to rOrLage bay, about seventy-hve miles west or katmal. From Portage bay uOwn ana across SnelIkon straits to hadiak Tn bldarkas was perllous trip, made Tn twenty-five days, as severe storms delayed them.
 '1ne most dIsagreeable and difficult part or our trip was through the range or mountains between the kuskOkwlm and Nusnagak rivers, a distance of about 25O miles," sad MT. Brandon. The country is unlnhabltated and It is necessary to carry dog feed for 150 miles. Fuel is plentiful along the en- tire route except for a distance of about 150 miles at the delta of the Kuskokwim, where travellers have to depend upon drift picked up by natives during the summer. The natives are very hospitable, and willing to render all assistance in their power.
 Starting from Nome between the 1st and 18th of December, the trip can be made in thirty-five days, easy tray cling, with relays of dogs it can be made in less than thirty days. The practicability of this as a winter route to and from Nome having been demon strated, mail steamers will hereafter make regular calls at Katmai during the winter months, so I was informed by representatives of the present con tractors.
 'The Bales party was at Kadiak and report discouraging experiences. They chartered a small steamer to take them across the straits to Katmai, but the steamer broker down. Rigging up sail, they reached the beach and aban- doned the steamer. After some delay they secured a small schooner and started for the A. q. Co., $ trading post at Cooks 1niet, Intending to take the' trail across Iliamnia lake, but severe storm drove them on an island, where they were compelled to abandon this vessel also. All the party but Bales concluded they had had enough exper- fence of that kind, and they returned to Kadiak to await the mail steamer from Unalaska, from which place they will take passage for Nome. Thinking he could make the trip. Bales secured a small dory, into which he loaded his dog team and supplies, and started alone for Cooks inlet. As severe storms prevailed for several days after he left, fears are entertained that he was drowned.
 "Six new districts have been located during the winter between Nome and St. Michael, and eacn of them has been the objective point of hundreds of stampeders Little or no prospect ing was done, most of the claims being staked on the snow. New Years eve witnessed in nearly every district the most feverish stampede of the season, most of the participants being 'chee- chakos.' In the Nome district 150 claims were relocated at and near mid night with the aid of lanterns, and much litigation will result-to the benefit of lawyers. These relocatiOns were made with e erroneous suppO- sitiOn, in most instances, that the nec- essary assessment work had not been performed. AS many as six reloca- tions were made on some of the rich est Anvil creek claims. which were first located by the Lap and Scandina- vian pioneers of the district.
 "The thousands of stampeders now in Seattle and on their way to Nome will meet with many disappointments, but they will learn that the richness of the diggings has not been exagger- ated."
 MT. Brandon brought with him some samples of very high grade copper ore from discovery made on the way out. He also brought sHe photographs and most of the matter for this reprint edi- tion of The Nugget. The principal ob- ject of his trip was to negotiate the sale of some valuable claims on which he has options, and to purchase mining machinery.