Evening star., 1900-10-05
Report on the Conditions and Pros
poets at Nome.
DIR. CABELL WHITEHEAD'S VIEWS
Beach Cannot Be Counted On as a
Producer in Future.
THE NEW DISCOVER RE 8

George E. Roberts. director of the mint.
has received a preliminary report from DR..
Cabell Whitehead as to the conditions and
prospects at Cape Nome, Alaska. DIR.
Whitehead was sent to Nome early in June
as the special representative of the treas
ury to report upon the outlook. He is con-
sidered an expert in mining matters. DIR.
Whiteheads report shows that the cele-
brated beach at Cape Nome is no longer 10
be counted upon, but that the surrounding
country is rich in gold and may produce
heavily for many years to come. The gold
output for this season is estimated at from
81. 500. 600 to 100000. The mint bureau
has received figures showing that the as
say offices at Seattle and San Francisco
have received $1,000, 900 thus far from Nome.
Dr. Whitehead explains that a great deal
of the gold in circulation at Nome was
Nome by miners who went there in search
of better prospects. 1t is therefore thought
that much of the gold received at Seattle
and San Francisco from Nome was Klon-
dixie gold.
The report of DR.. Whitehead Is as follows:
Beach Cannot BE Counted On.
NOME CITY, September 3, 1900.
Il have deferred reporting to you since
my arrival In Nome, as the conditions here
were uncertain that nothing reliable
could be said either as to the future pro-
duction or that UP to the time of my arri
val
"At this time it is definitely known that
| the beach cannot be counted upon, even as
a small producer, in the future When
arrived this summer the beach had already
been worked over for the second time, and
the many sluicing plants which were
erected had to content themselves with the
tailings and an occasional rich spot of
ground which had been overlooked by pre-
viouS miners. This condition, combined
with the fact that from a thousand to IF
teen hundred rockers continued at work.
made it impossible for these plants to more
than make wages, and in many cases they
were complete failures.
In one case l recall sluicing plant was
taking out about $500 per day, at ex-
pense Of possibly so When this leaked out
settled around this plant. and the owner
of the plant had no claim to the ground
which was recognized by the rocker men 1t
became impossible for him to hold an area
sufficient to continue operations for a single
week. In spite of all these difficulties, /
estimate that the beach has produced dur
ing the present season between $3.50. 900 and
100000. The exact amount is difficult to
arrive at, since the beach dust comes into
the banks mixed with the dust from the
creeks, well as from foreign sources.
"At the time Of our arrival | estimate
that fully one-half Of all the dust in circu-
lation in Nome was produced in Dawson.
This can be easily shown by an examina-
ton of the fineness of the bars shipped
from this locality during July and August.
The average fineness of Dawson gold is
$50, while the average fineness of Nome
gold is $50. The bars shipped to the assay
office at Seattle during the period referred
to above were from $40 to $40 fine, which
would represent equal parts of Dawson and
Nome gold This is the only method that /
know Of to arrive at these figures.