The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1900-11-08
NOME BEFORE THE FREHZE-Ur
A Yakima Citizen Writes Of His Experience
He Still Has Faith ca the Richness Of the
Country

NOME, Alaska, Oct. 81, 1900.-Editor
Misunderstanding you might like to
hear from this frozen country, l will
write YOU Winter has come in earnest,
snow on the mountains within six miles
of town. Snake river is frozen up so
that we cross on the ice, and one feels
the cutting wind at every turn. The
last steamers are in and discharging
freight and will all be gone by the last
OF next week. l am comfortably settled
in cabin that myself and three other
men have built. We dug down three
feet and banked to the caves with sand
house 12x16 and feet to the plates.
w have plenty of grub stored in it and
are ready to "hole up if necessary. l
saw George ker last week. He is going
out soon, but will return in the spring.
John Dempsy has cabin next to ours.
Saw Ben Snipes last week. He tells me
he is going out on one of the boats.
Many of the other Yakima people have
gone out. l think they made mistake,
for although the summer was a dead
failure to me, since fall has set in and
people are going home l have been en-
abled to pick up some pretty good things
for another year; or at least they look
that way now. This country is a much
better one than most people think. The
latter part of the summer some favor
able ground was struck northwest OF
Council City in the section | wanted
"Doc" Britain and John Fletcher to 90
to, and there are many good creeks all
over the district, or, rather, good prop
critics on creeks, for one property may
be good and the next one to it not worth
exploiting. Late in the season the Blue
stone section was discovered near Port
the deer station is located, and still later
| the kugrock. some so miles north of
| there. In the latter district | am inter-
ested i'll a claim as leasor There is
no doubt OF the richness of this district.
have seen considerable gold that has
come out OF it. The country is pre-
eminentlv poor mans country" for
bedrock is reached at depth OF not
over four to six feet, and the pay is on
bedrock
The great curse of this country is our
mining laws, which are defective, and
/ in their operation disastrous. There is
! a species Of animal here known as the
claim jumper that if operating in any
OF the eastern states would be called a
blackmailer He takes advantage OF
every weak point to cloud the title to
promising properties. | had men out
this summer who We're after property by
purchase; found some that suited, made
the examination and were ready to pay
over the money, when a man came
along who claimed to have located
the property, had survey made, and
that put stop to the sale. Again the
"poor but honest prospector" (?) is here.
have had properties sailed on me this
summer, but in each case was fortunate
enough to discover the methods en-
ployed. have no doubt that some who
read this letter will say that l am mis-
taken, have the alaska fever" or am
too enthusiastic. Now don't think il
for minute. | have made some very
long tramps and at first did the same
kind Of prospecting that ninety-nine out
Of every hundred did this summer, and
was almost ready to say it was no good
but when began to go down, dip water
and go still deeper, began to see quite
differently. | examined a property
about ten DAYS ago where the owner haf