The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-09
CAPE NOME 0VERRA9ED
Hundreds Of Disappointed People
Leaving the Gold Region.
Little of the Precious
Metal Obtain ed-Exorbitant Prices
Estnte-Crime ON the Increase
Smallpox Brought Into the Camp.

NOME, Alaska, June %, via Seattle
Wash, July S.-Every steamship arriving
| from the south and from points on the
passengers and freight, while those leav-
ing 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 criticising the steamship
companies and other concerns and per-
sons who are directly responsible for the
remarkable and altogether unjustlfable
rush to this place.
Work on the placer mines has been GO
ing on for more than six weeks. although
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 small
quantity of gold dust been brought Into
the camp up to this time.
Out of every 500 in circulation here
now probably $95 has been brought in
within the last two weeks. Notwithstand-
ing this fact the highest possible prices
for everything have been established and
a
rants, which are usually one story frame
shanties. where one eats OFF the bare
boards and the quality Of food, cooking,
and service Is of the coarsest description,
the prices on the bill Of fare are as high
il not higher, than in any mining camp
in the United States within the last
twenty years, although the transportation
by water is much easier and should be
much less expensive than was the case
in mining camps in Arizona or in the
Northwest, where freighting was expen-
sive. '-"a4.-
High Restaurant Prices.
The prevailing prices in restaurants now
are 81 for three eggs, which are seldom
fresh and sometimes uneatable; 30 cents
for one cup of tea, bread and butter, and
half saucerful of canned pears; SO for
an alleged porterhouse steak and 81 for
three pieces of sausage; s150 for two
small mutton chops. One dollar and half
is also charged for the privilege of spread
ing ones blankets on the bare floor OF a
lodging house, and S. is asked and readily
paid for hauling a 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 20 by so feet, in First
T., q UdTTOW, dusty tnOTOuSNldTe, Uutu
on each side for a distance of one mile and
a half with one and two-story frame shan
ties and tents, utilized as saloons and
eating houses, restaurants, lawyers and
doctors offices, grocery shops, and a mis-
cellaneous collection of establishments
which, in q way, reminds one of the Bow
cry at Coney Island.
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 bust
ness will find that they must either pay
usual rents or go without a location.
Among the disappointed newcomers are
many New Workers. who came here with
men and machinery.
The New Workers either purchased Nome
claims outright In New York last winter or
paid large options thereon, having taken
the assurances Of the sharpers from Nome
who infested the East last winter with
mining property to sell and who declared
that the beach claims would still return
unusual profits when worked by machinery,
and that the Tundra. as the strip OF bog
four miles wide between the beach and the
foothills is termed. was no doubt filed with
gold and could also be worked with ma
chinery at great profits.
The beach claims have been worked with
hand rockers two and three times since last
summer while those who came here with
machinery expecting to work the Tundra
found that the ground is perpetually frozen