The evening times., 1900-05-04
THE NOME MINING REGION.
Heport of Secretary Hitchcock For
Harded tn the Sennfe.


warded to the Sennfe.
In response to resolution adopted Feb
ruary 3. the Secretary OF the Interior has
forwarded to the Senate report the
investigation made by the Geological Sur
yey in the Cape Nome District OF Alaska.
The report is very complete and gives
the results OF an examination made in
| October. 1893. and furnishes much valua-
bic Information ON section Cf great in
terest The document states that the
Nome mining region is am ili-deiiGei area
IN Northwestern Alaslsa. lying near the
entrance 10 Norton SoiuG. northeast arm
of Behring Sea. It is named fron an un-
important promontory IN the southern
margin of the Seward Peninsula. vii
forms the northwest extremity of our
| continent. lying between the Arctic Ocean
| and Behiing Sea. Captain Cook discovered
IL over a hundred years age, and. skirt
ing its shores west and northward. charted
mountains headlands, anl rivers. naming
number of them
Further Investigations will probably
trace connection between the Nome de-
posits and those OF Golofnin Bay. and pos-
sibly Sith these of Cape York. II such
| connection is established the name Gaze
| Nome mining region will probably include
/ tne entire southern margin of the Seward
1 fenlnsula- The width of the mineral
| bearing belt is yet 10 be determined
The gold Of this region has so far all
/ been obtained from placer deDosfts which
\ can Be conveniently grouped rs gulch pIa-
I Gers. bar placers beach piacers tundra
plaeers. and bench placers. During last
/ season only those of the gulches and Leach
I have been important gold producers No
/ facilities were available or expioit.ng the
I tundra deposits. aid the benches have not
as Yet been Investigated. The amount of
gold produced during the last season can
not be estimated definitely. While there
are, as rule. "a irly reliable data 10 the
production of tie gulches and creeks. the
/ amount taken from the beach can only be
I roughly Appropriated From the best in
| formation We could gather we believe that
\ the production of gold OF the entire belt
during the season OF 1885 will approach So
/ COG. coo.
THE coarse gold. as far as present de-
/ velopments show. is largely confined to the
/ creek and gulch diggings. ranging from the
/ size OF pin head TO nuggets weighing seV-
eral ounces. Two have been found on Al
/ vii Greek weighing twenty 10 twenty five
( ounces. worth from $500 10 $400. Much OF
/ this guich gold is about the size Of No. 3
/ shot. while nuggets from oDe-half TO one
| ounce are not uncommon. It is probable
! shat much of the fine gold is lost by the
more or less primitive method OF extrac-
/ tion now in use. The gold is usually
rounded and often smoothly polished. that
/ Il, having waterworn character Ia col
/ or il is rather dull and somewhat resem-
I eles tarnished brass. The nuggets are
round and subangular. but seldom fiat.
I Small vitreOus quartz masses are net in
1 frequently found attached 20 the nuggets.
I We have heard it often asserted that
/ the Nome beach placers are unique in &C.
/ cUrTeHces OF gold. but as a matter OF fact
simii4- deposits. though usually not 50 rich,
Z have long been known in other parts OF the
L world They have been fourd al various
/ points along the west coast OF North Amer
{ lea, notably .n California and Oregon. Ae-
/ cording 10 the State mineralogist beach
2 gold WAS first discovered at Big Lagoon
l Cal. in the early hfties. and is also found
! along the coasts Of Del NOrJe Humboldt.
( Maria. and san Francisco counties. The
( gold is however. in many cases so fine that
I the deposits have not paid FOR working.
The climate on Seward Peninsula.
though il is arctic is milder and much
more even than that in the same Iltitudes
I in the interior OF Alaska. CT the Yukon
I country. The precipitation. also. is consid-
Z erably greater The summer is not so
J
/ here traversed by a branch Of the JarSnese
( Current s-thc great moderator
The city OF Nome is OF the most cOsyuO-
/ pOlitan type and ontains representatives
OF almost every nationality OF the globe:
/ Germans, Canadians Freuchmen EgIish-
men. Russians, SWeces. N0rSegians.
1 Poles Chinese, negroes, Italians. Sp2L-
1 iards. Greeks, Jews. and Americans IRE
| dominant type is the American, through
! whose efforts with that inhsre-t talent
I OF the Anglo-SaXon race for seif-goyern-
1 ment. this isolated community at once
/ organized a city government Before tie
/ close OF the sumner Nome had a mayer.
councilmea. a police force. a deputy
| United States marshal a United states
I postoaice. a fire department with toKn
! Well a board af health. a hospital corps.
I and charitable organizations. a majority
of the people consists OF the shifting Pep
( ulation of the yukon country, which. upcu
! hearing the news of the discovery Jf god
1 poured into Nome By calling the ma
I jority Of the people were lcinerS and
/ prOspectCrs, or hoped TO become su, =. The
professions Of law, medincine. and divin-
ity are well represented, also the voca-
! tions CT surveying. real estate. insurance
and sundry mercantile branches Cf busi-
! ness The saloon. hotel and restaurant
! business is prominent and profitable
Alonls with the shifting population af the
.l / 1uhOn IIOU lfaMSou anu OlEEE camps
came also many would-be explorers ad-
I ventuTeTs. and especially gamblers. but
/ good order prevails throughout. Drunken
I ness. disorderly conduct, and theft are
/ promptly tried before the police Justice
| and punished by fine and imp isonmeut
C~-ies OF oficisl rules and regulations are
| ke pt posted before the city hall and in
| other conspicuous places, as warning 10
| all; 'Ignorance Of the law is no excuse.
| Some Of the well-knoTn 'tOughs' and
most undesirable characteristic reported to
have been rounded up by the authorities
| late in the fall and exported 20 the States
There viii be good opportunities a.
I Nome for experienced miners IA working
on shares OF for wages. Good mechanics
will also be in demand. We would warn
| the public of the danger Of typhoid fever
| and other epidemics in the crowded min
| ing camps a danger which was amply
| proved by the conditions at Nome last
! season We believe that the Nome region
| has great future. but would strongly
| advise men inexperienced in mining and
| prospecting to consider the matter care
fully before joining in the mad rush which
! will undoubtedly take place in 1900
| TWO LIVES LOST IN FTRE