The Opelousas courier., 1900-11-03
MONIES GOLDEN STRAND.
ITS RICH TREASURES FOUND BY A
DESPAIRING MAN.

SS1-hAa &Ac UEUWCE OI nome CIEYs After
the Great Discovery Becoming Known.
When, a little more than q year ago,
gold was discovered along the creeks
flowing into Boring sea in the vicinity
of Cape Nome there was naturally a
rush Of prospectors to this new Edo
RADIO. The gulches leading back into
the snow-crowned mountains were
thoroughly prosreetedd, and with mar-
Vicious results.
There was one late conner, how
ever, who failed to locate a paying
claim upon the creeks, and who in his
desperation began prospecting along
the beach. This man was an object Of
pity, rather than lidicule. to the sue
cesssful gold seekers, who had never
before heard Of washing gold dust
out of sea sand. He had O theory,
however, to support his erratic con-
duct, and this was that, If the creeks
washed gold dust out of the noun
tains and strewed it along their whole
course to the sea, some of the gold
must be carried into the sea and
would be scattered along it's shore.
So he patiently continued to pan the
sea sand for gold.
BY and by it was observed that he
did not 'go broke" as other unsuc-
cessful miners had done, but that he
always had enough Of the glittering
grains. which constitute the currency
Of the settlement, to pay for his meals.
Gradually other unsuccessful miners
began to follow is example, and 500
1t became noised about that the whole
beach for miles and miles was full of
shining particles Of gold that well re-
paid the labor of washing. Then there
was q rush for the beach.
The discoverer of the beach diggings
had by this time got together a small
fortune and, remarking that he had
enough to live on, he packed up his
few belongings and sailed for the
| States.
No tale of the Forty-niners in the
early days of California can surpass
In romanticinterest the sudden develop
l AACAl VI NOL1C SltJ db bAV PSAh6 "A\AV
this discovery of beach gold was made.
The boom would have been greater
even than it was If the assertions re-
garding the richness of the beach
placer mines had been less wonder
full. And yet these assertions are now
believed to have been well within the
| truth. Persons in the Klondike re-
| gions as well as those throughout this
| country, were at first inclined to re-
gard them as ~fabrications of the tran
s%portation companies made in the
hope of causing a stampede to that
bleak and distant coast. About 5000
men, however, did reach the vicinity
last summer. Now they are focking
| there by the tens of thousands.
There were only about 1900 inhabit-
| ants on July 4, 1899, when a postofice
was opened there by George N.
| Wright, who had been sent from
| Seattle with the first batch of mail
| ever dispatched to the Nome diggings.
Mr. Wright was recently a visitor in
New York City, and to a reporter OF
The Mail and Express he described
| the scene when the first distribution
of mail took place. Learning that a
| postofice was to be opened there,
| ~prOspectors had come from all the re-
| gion round about in the hope of re-
ceiving news from home. Some had
come overland a distance of 300 miles
In sledges drawn by dogs. Many had
not heard from home in a year or
more.
The city was even then laid out in
streets and building lots, and in the
center of the town MI. Wright set up
mis- tent and distributed the mali.
Business was suspended while the
work of sorting the letters went on.
The entire population was present,
open-mouthed, and there was absolute
silence. Those moments were anxious
ones to the miners waiting to learn
whether death had broken the home
| circle, for love of which they Were
risking health and life under the
northern lights.
A building lot was donated to the
| government in the center of the town
| for a postofice site, and there Mr..
Wright erected a building, the ma
| terials of which would not cost him
over 500 in New York, but which
cost him $210O, lumber selling at 500
q thousand. In the absence Of banks
the postofice site became a favorite de.
positary for the miners, and Mr..
| Wright. who had shared the general
| skepticism regarding the reports OF
| rich returns, was oon convinced OF
| their truth. 1t was during this month
| Of July that discovery was made OF
| the profits to be derived from work
| ing the beach sand. and the earth
| back of ii, called the 'tundar."
All summer the population in
| creased. There was no law, and the
only government representatives there
were the postmaster and a United
| States marshal. Saloons and gam
| hlinghouses were opened in large
numbers. and it became evident that
some sort Of municipal control would
| be necessary.
A municipal government was ies-
| fablished toward the close of the sea
SON. The preliminary steps were
| taken on Sept. 5 and an election was
held OH Sept. II for a mayor, a city
treasurer six couneilmen and a chief
If nolice. Assessments were levied
1 mon all the business houses ] u the