The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-12
NOME HALF A CENTURY AGO.
Memorie. of Mariner Now Resin,
From the San Francisco Chronicle.)

(From the San Francisco Chronicle)
That ancient history of Nome and
its golden beaches seems as clouded
in antiquity as that of early Egypt. but
there is a man In Seattle who spent the
entire summer there exactly fifty years
ago. He did not go to Nome to hunt for
gold, and though he spent two months on
the beaches ard went to the creeks tia.
are now reported to be of phenomenal rich
ness several times he did not see a sign
of gold nor hear a word uttered by tie
Indians that would lead him to suppose
that Nome was different In that respect
from any other country.
This pioneer OF the north Is Captain
Joseph Comstock. retired mariner. who
is spending his days in this city. The fact
that he was at Nome half century ago
is known to only his intimate friends. who
frequently gather at his house TO tell skip
pers' yarns. He is an old man and now IS
spending his time in reviring memories Of
the exciting experiences he passed through
when he was famous as a whaler and later
as one OF the prominent jurists of Puget
Sound.
Captain Comstock was horn at New Lon
don. Conn. Christmas day. 1927. and when
only boy started TO sea in common tn
his playmates in the ancient shipping
town. His first experience in Alaska was
in iSi5 when he came around the Horn in
whaling ship and cruised in the North
Pacific for several months. touching at
Kodiak and other now well known ports.
He spent few years in the Oriental Il ade
and early in 1850 shipped at Honolulu as
second mate on the ship Meteor. which hal
come from New England to go into the
whaling and walrus ivory trade.
They reached the Nome coast July l and
found the entire beach for miles occupied
by Indian villages. There must have been
hundred of these settlements, SAYS the
captain. Forty or fifty Indians were in
each village. and these were scattered for
a mile or so apart. all over the southern
coast OF the Seward peninsula. The natives
spent their time In fishing and hurting
walrus and gathering furs. and were so
friendly THAT the Meteor spent two months
there to get the profits of trading with
them. Captain Cc;nstock describes the
Nome country as being the same as now
a long. barren beach. with tundra reaching
near to the edge of the water. The In
dians he says. did not have any gold. and
did not seem to know what it was when
shown pieces OF the yellow money. None
of the men aboard the ship had any idea
that gold was to be found there.
This was the last time the captain was
in Alaska. for in that fall he returned with
the ship to the east coast. and in 1861 re-
turned around the Horn with his family
to San Francisco. He spent more time on
the sea, part OF the time as mate of the
ship Adelaide Cooper. Captain Dingley, and
at other times commanded his own vessel
He finally moved to Port Gamble and Port
Kitsap County, on Puget Sound
where he served as justice of the peace.
probate judge. United States commissioner
and sheriff for twenty-seven years. He
attained considerable prominence N ju-
diciai way. but in 1890 resigned as sheriff |
and moved to Central California where he
invested in vineyard. He recently moved |
to Seattle to spend the remainder of his |
life.