The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1900-05-24
THE NOME FEVER WELL ON.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, April 30,
1900. Verify, the days of the early
Klondike have come again to Seattle,
and the building of vessels of all sorts
goes merrily on all along the waterfront
and even into the neighboring town of
Ballard shipyards thicker than single
| mills! Steamers schooners, scows, till
the bebolder stands amazed and won
ders if the people have all secured pas
sage for Cape Nome The Nome fever
is well on, and every preparation is be-
ing made for the first sailings, now ad-
vertised for the first two weeks in May.
One or two crafts have already departed
on the long trip north, with the hope
of being the first to arrive ON the golden
shores of the Cape. AS Behring Sea is
filled with ice for several weeks yet, it
is not considered judicious to set sail
for those inhospitable shores until near
the last of the month Of May To
keep up the interest, occasionally some
wanderer appears in Seattle from the
Cape Nome country having walked,
.smushed' and sailed the long distance
during the past three months, as the
winter trip requires about that length
of time. and the journey is said to be a
terror
There are tales of more and more rich
'.strikes' in the new fields, and whether
they be true or no, prOSpectOrs are rush
ing to get in with the push" and all
are bent on getting there among the
first
1t is being stated by some Eastern
papers that the Seattle papers claim
that 60, coo people are en- route for the
gold tiel Is and that it will cost them
thirty millions to get there! This is a
sample of the ridiculous reports gener
ally emanating from rival and older
mining districts. Seattle papers do not
claim that more than one-quarter of
that number will go to Nome, for the
simple reason that there are not yet
provided accommodations for more than
fifteen thousand passengers to be taken
there in comforter in any other man
ner as for that. A Colorado paper
says it will cost an average of $500 for
prospectors to go from Seattle to Nome,
for passage and outfits. First class
tickets are now selling for 1925, and
i when one has his passage paid, there is
| little else required for the Nome trip
He may need rocker and some extra
clothing, and possibly a portable house
or tent, and the tent is ample, unless it
| is intended to pass the winter there
| The beauty of the Nome business lies
i'll the fact that one may go there, land
ing directly on the beach, and after a
few months, return to the States in the
fall. There are no fatiguing journeys,
no need of expensive Quitting such as
prevailed in the early klondike days,
and none of the early terrors to face.
A man may leave Seattle with his ordi-
nary home clothes only. and sufficient
| for change-and even these may be OBJ
| tanned at Nome for everything neceS-
sary may be obtained there. These
conditions may be somewhat strained
with the summer rush, and it may be
well to take along many handy and
necessary things which must be pur-
chased sooner OF later. But there is no
must about it. With $500 a man may
go to Nome, spend some time there and
return to Seattle, having spent $50 for
passage leaving the balance for spend
ing-money at Nome. even if he does not
! lift shovel full of the glittering sand.
Eight big mortar guns have arrived in
Seattle, destined for the Sound defences
located near Port Townsend or where
the Straits diverge into the Sound prop
er, 1t is an admirable position for de
fence, the three forts forming triangle
through which the vessel of an enemy
must pass before intimidating the cities
of the Sound. There are several ten
and twelve-inch guns already mounted
i'll these forts and a sense of security
may now be considered as prevailing
within these waters. When war with
Spain was declared there was not a
gun i'll position anywhere on the Sound
with which to repel an attack, and
had any of the flying rumors of those
days proven true, the doughty Dons
might have paraded the streets OF
Seattle almost with impunity. Now
| it is far different and it would puzzle
the strongest navy extant to run the
gauntlet of formidable guns, advantage
| ously located at the entrance to Puget
Sound. Respectfully,
! O. NJ. MOORE.