The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-24

yer was in the air and in the blood It
was as Petrucio says;
Such wind as seatters young men through the
world,
To seek their fortunes farther than al home.
Where small experience grows
Large outIays were made for gambling,
furniture. theatrical outfits. liquors Of all
kinds, tobacco in every variety. Variety
performers. Indifferent. bad, and very bad,
were in evidence. Some had patent rock
ers. some had dTedges 10 work the sands,
others had pumps and pipes. and every
fellow sanguine Of success. Bankers. law
yers, doctors, preachers, merchan &, ex-
capitalists. hotel men, spectators, the hoi
pOllOi. and q few mineTs-WaS there ever
greater variety and witbai greater amount
Of ability to join in such a stampede? The
sailing date OF each steamship was like
holiday in the city whence she took her
departure The wharves and approaches
were crowded with the curious and friends
10 wave good-by. The crowding and over
cTowdiEg on most of these steamships was
shameful In one, six passengers were
confined TO 216 cubic feet, that IS by
by feet.
The voyage in some Of these ships was
remarkable. One took fire about seven
days cut and the steam hose was turned
On for ttiTty-six hours She had on for
the most part, theatrical outfit, which
means gaming tables, whistles, wines,
beers, tObaccos, fine groceries. etc After
they aad been out for quite a number Of
days some Of the smart ones came to the
conclusion that the captain was of his
course They compared their pocket in
struments with the ships compass and.
after they had made up their reckoning,
told the captain mat he was 1000 miles
cut OF position. Cargo was preached and
cigars and champagne passed freely. After
they had made the ice line. and when they
had IaborJd in II Tor days, they passed and
reached the golden strand at Nome. But
this was not the end. They were ordered
10 quarantine on account Of smallpox This
was the last straw, and fourteen days We're
given 10 philosophical reflection The thea
TIE was not erected Steam had cooked al
most eyeryt hing and the tables were use
less This was one of the extreme eases
This stampede to Nome is unique There
IS nothing in the history Of the country
like it
Speaking Of the subject of stalking claims
by power Of attorney. Governor Brady
says:
There is but one sentiment on this sub
ject among miners, namely, that it is Oct
rimentaI and wrong, for it defeats the
benefcent purpose of our liberal min
ing laws-the production OF the precious
metals. Claims staked after January 1
can be held for nearly two years without
doing dollars worth of labor upon
them. Miles of country have thus been
staked and held simply for speculation
Hundreds Of good miners who went tC
Nome this season and who went many
miles into the interior TO prospect found
stream after stream staked. and very
seldom could they find where the smallest
prospect hole had been sunk They knew
that If they should sink and find a rich
pay streak on any of this ground a
claimant-wcEld soon arrive 50 many left
IN disgust Some who have tested the
diggings enough to satisfy themselves OF
its richness in certain places viii remain
over winter, and after January l will
jump those claims upon which assess
nent work has not been performed.
Anyone can see how Alaska is SUI
fering from this unlimited right TO stake.
The injury VIII continue right along
and be multiplied many fold unless Con
gress prescribe a remedy speedily The
Committees OF both Houses on Mines and
Mining are therefore respectfully re
QUested to enquire into this matter and
to find a way to combat and overcome
il, and TO see TO it that the conclusions
are put into q law as soon as possible.
Men of long experience in the various
mining camps Of The West have faith in
Seward Peninsula as q mining region, and
that II Will yield vast sums of gold In
view OF what mas DGen SlGlGG ABOVE II
would simply be guesswork at this writ
ing to estimate the product of the camp
for this year. We have no way of find
ing out what the various claims which
are worked clean up. The assay officers
below try to keep run of the whole
product, but they cannot well separate
the amounts from the different districts"
Quartz mining is the kind" Governor
Brady says, for which Alaska viii be
pre-em eminent in the near future. and Of
the natives he says that-they have not
been standing still. These people find
the whites crowding into the country.
They locate mining claims and build
quartz mills The bears and deer are
frightened away The fish men come in
great ships. They erect immense struc-
lures which they FL with busy ChinamaT-
They start out steamboats, and tugs and
ali kinds of craft with all kinds of gear