The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-03

for any such article of furniture | was
soon relieved by hearing the Captains
CHEEKY voice calling from out the shadow
Here's the prophets chamber; It's not
what we would wish, but you will find
the bed not so bad Nor did l. A great
| pile of soft furs made a bed ht for
| King. There was no symptom of insom-
mia that night I'll assure you.
In this visit TO the creek diggings We
| had seen enough to make it evident ttlaf
| this is to be a very rich district, but our
visit the next day to the beach diggings
revealed the peculiar feature of this mar
| Velous camp-a feature which must soon
| command wide attention.
| Three weeks before my visit to Anvil
| city, 1t was discovered that the very sand
Of the beach containe gold in large guam
| titles. As the United States government
! reserves sixty feet above tide on all shores
| the local United States commissioner held
that the beach could not be controlled by
| private parties This kept off claim loca-
/ tors but permitted any one to mine the
! beach anywhere at iis free will. The re-
| suit of this ruling is that every man who
mas not been fortunate enough to get a
creek claim, may provide himself with a
| rocker and so to work rocking the ruby
| sand on the beach. Seldom in the history
! of mining has there been a camp where
| everybody could turn his labor to gold,
| but here every man who is not doing bet
/
| rocking out from $40 10 800 per day The
average is not far from $50. We found
about 800 men thus employed. There arc
! probably 1000 people In the district. with
| Anvil as a trading center.
| Although this sentiment is nearly a
year Old, my sermon was the first ever
! heard In the place IL Is estimated that
| dOw people will winter here. There are
twenty-five physicians on the ground. but
there was no minister until my coming.
II was greatly surprised to have a large
portion OF the people urge me, with rough
| but unmistakable sincerity. TO remain with
| them.
I They pointed out the need of a church.
| a hospital and public reading room They
| urged that the rigors of an arctic winter
would soon be upon them aud that UNI
less | stood by to help them 10 these
| things, their lot would be almost unendu-
rable. Many of these men have spent one
or more winters in Alaska, ana know by
| bitter experience what II means to be shut
| up by scurvy and darkness for six months
with the thermometer 40 ~ and 60 degrees
below zero.
"A subscription was started among the
miners and 5000 was soon obtained.
About this time ] learned that in the in
corporation of the town few weeks be-
fore hospital committee had been ap-
pointed. one lot in each block was to be
reserved and sold for hospital funds A
| pubic square was also set apart for build
| lnBs OF THIS nature. So at once the city
decided to me, In trust six beautiful lots.
| each 80 by l4O feet. upon which to build
! a hospital church, public library. or other
| building for benevolent or charitable pur-
poses. There was need for haste, for nav
| isation closes with the freezing of Behring
sea, some time in October There was
little building material in Anvil Citv. and
| nothing by way of furniture
The fame of Anvil city has gone our,
ana people viii flock here from the ends
OF the earth In the spring. Typhoid pneu-
mohla mas appeared and there will be
| more sickness as the winter progresses
Bullding material cannot be obtained near
er than Seattle and but one or two steam
ers can be expected to make the round
| trlp' steamer soon left for Seattle and
TOOK passage on this. She would re-
main there about ten days and then re-
! turn to Cape Nome on her last trim This
| would give me time to purchase Nwhat
desired and then the miners could nut M
the buildings before the severest weather
set in"
Another letter, written in the latter part
! or october says: ut is with feelings Of
| sadness that ! write that "A barge filed
! with our material sank at the ships side
| whlle being loaded. Some few things were
| saved from the wreck but of course we
cannot build now. | hope however. that
| our work can go on. have rented q large
| two-story building for 500 per month. and
| this we are fitting up to care for The sick
| during the winter. As nearly all of our
| books were saved, we have lso obtained A
| large room, for 800 per month for our :
| brary and, best of all, hall originally de-
| signed for saloon has been found In
which to hold religious services
| Il said you could see how we are living.
| one corner of large warehouse Is cur
| tanned off with big tarpaulin, and that
| we cali home. At night / fix cot beds AMI
two sleeping bags and cover the floor TIE
weather is warm and cold by turns, with
snow on the ground and the streams froz-
| en-. There Is a great deal OF sickness
/ Scores If not hundreds are down with ty-
/ phoid fever.
I Goal here is out of the market bought
! ten tons al $40 per ton. Flour is $40 re.
hundredweight: sugar. $25 per pound; but
J ter. 81 per pound all candles, 81 per tox:
: coal oil. 81 per gallon; meals, SO each; la
| Dor, 81 per hour.
, There are plenty of thieves and hard
| characters in the camp. The water is d adj
! W, aud there is no attempted whatever at
/ sanitation. The tents are three and four
deep on the beach for miles We are only
"A little way back from the beach, and the
men are rocking gold in our front yard
Many Of the poor fellows work long hours
with poor shelter and improper food Ire
situation is desperate, Indeed. and / tremble
little for The women and children a we
face the winter"
Later communications say that quite a
amount of building ma terals were receiv-'
ed from the sunken barge, and the situa-
| ton i'm that respect is found to be a little
more encouraging. Some building can be
! carried on after all. The last boat leav-
ing in November reported that 1000 peo-
! pie were to winter there, many in tents.