The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1900-02-02
CAPE NOME GOLD FIELDS
Indications Point to a Great Rush
in the Spring.
FIRST STEAMERS SAIL MAY /
More Passengers Than Can Be Carried On
the First Trip Are Already Booked
by the Transporting Companies.
FIRST STEAMERS SAIL MAY

the Rockford lll) Gazette, and now
United States consul at Victoria, Brit
lsh Columbia, writes to the state depart
ment that there is great excitement ovel
the Cape Nome gold fields, and that
there will be a great emigration to that
new Eldorado in the spring. Mr.. Smith
says:
''The indications are that there will
be great rush to Cape Nome next
spring, something like that to the Klon-
dixie in the spring of 1898. 1t is evident
that numbers will go there from Victoria
and this province, in preference to either
AtlIn or the Northwest territories The
transportation companies here and on
the sound are all actively engaged in
preparing steamers for the long trip.
Tke distance from Victoria to Cape
Nome is 2, 500 miles, entirely by water.
But notwithstanding that fact, the
transportation companies have already
booked all the passengers that can be
carried on the first trips, on every YES
sci that can be secured. At a recent
meeting of representatives of the COM
| panies it was computed that IS, 600 per
SONS desired to go to Cape Nome as soon
as possible
''The reports that had been circu-
latlng last season in regard to the gold
discoveries at Cape Nome We're generally
disputed here, the opinion being that
the Atlin and Klondike countries were
| more promising, and also easier of ac-
cess but the last two steamers from the
north effectually dispelled all uncertain
ties, the passengers bringing with them
indisputable evidence that all along the
beach in the vicinity of Cape Nome gold
in paying quantities can be had for the
digging.
"A number of these men have called
at the consulate, exhibiting specimens
of the gold, saying they dug it on the
beach, near the waters edge; that men
with only hand shovels and the simplest
and rudest of pans cleared from $50 to
800, and even $500 per day, while some
times cleanup of from 81, 600 to 81, 800
has been reported. Nuggets worth from
$500 to $400 were found near Anvil
creek. and it is believed $500, 600 to
S400, 900 were taken out of the Snow
gulch last summer; one man, it is said,
took out $3.50, ,000, while another claims
still more.
Every one of the men who came
down expressed his resolve to return in
the spring-some even engaging return
passage on the steamers on which they
came down. According to their state
ments the gold does not extend to
great depth, five or six feet being as
low as any have found paying dirt.
complaint was made by some of the
returning miners that claims twenty
acres each-which stretched for miles
around and virtually embraced the
whole shore from Cape Nome to Cape
York, some 40 miles distant, had been
staked. This, however, has been much
changed by the decision of Commissioner
Hermann, which is understood to mean
that no land below ordinary high tide,
can be disposed of to individuals or
corporations, but is open to the public
to operate on; that the right to dig in
these tide lands is as free as the right to
fish in the adjacent waters, and that
anybody may wash gold out of the sand
between high and low water, while no
authority can give any person an ex
elusive right to do SO, SO that the land
cannot be obtained by corporations or
syndicates.
tSome apprehension is felt that there
may be clashing of interests on that
point, and it is generally desired that
the government establish regulations
and have sufficient police to enforce
them. Anxiety is expressed here re-
garding the establishment of port of
entry at Cape Nome. Captains all agree
that there is practically no anchorage
or harbor at the cape ITSELF but that at
Port Clarence, distant only few miles,
there is harbor, safe and commodious
"There are now between 5000 and
Z, 200 people at Nome City, Anvil City,
Cape York, Port Clarence and vicinity.
The buildings are, of course, of the
most temporary character. A large
number are on the beach below high
water mark, which does not tend to pro-
mote health, although the extreme cold
of six months of the year precludes epi-