The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-07-25
CAPE NOME NO KL0NDLKE
Hundreds Are Leaving the Region,
Reeretting Their Experiences
MANY MURDERS AND SUICIDES.

ment OF Observation-Disclosures Prices
Are Asked For Bad Food and Also
For Real Estate - Crime Is Increasing
and Disease Is Spreading.
Nome, Alaska, via Seattle, Wash.
(SpeciaD.-Every steamship arriving
from the south and from points on the
Yukon comes loaded to it's utmost with
passengers and freight, while those
leaving for Seattle, San Francisco and
other ports carry away hundreds of
persons who have little or nothing to
say in favor Of Nome, and who can
find no language too severe when criti-
cizing the steamship companies and
other concerns and persons who are
directly responsible for the remarkable
and altogether unjustifable rush to
this place.
Work on the placer mines has been
going on for more than six weeks, al
though at first in a desultory way,
owing to the fact that the frost was
not well out of the ground, but no new
strikes have yet been made, nor has
more than q small quantity OF gold
dust been brought into the camp up to
this time.
The highest possible prices for every
thing has been established and are
maintained. In the so-called restau-
rants, which are usually one-story
frame shanties, where one eats off the
bare boards, the quality Of food, cook
ing and service are Of the coarsest &C.
scription. The prevailing prices III
restaurants now are 81 for three eggs,
which are seldom fresh and sometimes
uneatable: fifty cents for one cup OF
tea. bread and butter and half sau-
cerful of canned pears; So for an al
legged porterhouse steak and 81 Tor
three pieces Of sausages; $1.50 for two
small mutton chops. One dollar and
half Is also charged for the privilege
of spreading ones blankets on tbe bare
floor of O lodging house, and 80 IS
asked and readily paid for hauling
trunk one mile by dog train.
In real estate prices also remain at
the top notch Twenty-three thousand
dollars is asked for one lot, 70 by oO
feet, in First street, narrow. dusty
thoroughfare. lined on each side FOR q
distance Of one mile and 4 half with
one and two-story frame shanties ana
tents, utilized as saloons and eating
houses, restaurants, lawyers and doc
tors offices, grocery shops and mis-
cellaneous collection Of establishments.
There is no present indication that the
price of real estate will be lowered,
and persons arriving here who want
locations for the establishment of some
kind of business will find that they
must either pay unusual rents or go
without q location,
Tn to this time no serious illness has
deyeloped in the camp. The steamship
Ohio and the steamship Fananda,
from Seattle, which arrived here with
smallpox on board, are still In quaran-
tine at Egg Island, near st. Michaels.
Several deaths have occurred from ty-
phoid fever and pneumonia.
According to letter written by +.
E. Graves. of San Francisco, pros
pector at Cape Nome, there is an aT-
erage Of three or four suicides n day.
and murder is an everyday occur
renee. Thousands. he says, are clean
ing up fortunes in the camp, but many
of those who went poorly provided
with money and supplies will find
graves in the north. He says:
They are paying stevedores 81 per
hour, and everybody cah get Job, but
of course all are not able to stand that
kind of work. Still everything IS not
prosperity here. by any means. Sui
ckles are occurring at the rate of three
or four a day and murders are almost
a daily occurrence. There seem to ne
about $4,000 people here, and Main
street is densely crowded. They are
panning out gold right along Main
street. I am going to return to San
Francisco, as 1 prefer that place"