The Republican journal., 1900-07-19
NEWS FROM NOME.


has opened for the season by the break
ing up of The ice on the Yukon and the
opening of the ice fields in the BehIing
Sea. AS a result. scores of argonauts
who We're imprisoned behind the lev
bars through the long Arctic winter are
returning to Seattle ON every steamer
from the north. bringing almost unbe-
lieyabe stories Of the richness of placer
claims of the klond Ike and of the newly
discovered but fabulously rich Cape
Nome country. We are rot compelled
to depend for our continuation of these
stories entirely upon the unsupported
tales of the returning adventures. At
the Seattle assay office there is daily
accommodating more positive evidence in
the shape of hundreds of thousands
of dollars worth of gold dust and
nuggets. During the latter half of
the month of June, the first fortnight
OF returning boats, the daily deposits of
virgin gold have run all Che way from
$4,000, to S25o000, averaging almost
100000 a day, and the season only be-
ginning. \ conservative estimate of
the amount of Alaskan gold to be re-
celved during the month of July places
1t AT 5000, MO- worth, or 800. 600 a day.
The gold which has come thus far has
been Chiefly from the Yukon country,
although several ships have arrived from
the Belring coast. The reason for this
is that there is little clearing up done in
either district during the cold winter
months What work is done in the
winter IS IN the direction of developing
and accommodating at the surface the
gold-hearing gravel to be washed as soon
as the temperature will permit. This
IS possible several weeks earlier on the
ripper Yukon than it is in the Cane
Nome country
Last year the Seattle assay office re-
eeiyed over thirteen millions in cold.
The as>ayer F. y. Wing. places his
estimate ion this years receipts at over
twenty millions, and the plant has been
enlarged to accommodate the handling
Of that amount. This will come almost
exclusively from Alaska and the Ikon
Territory, a eold-producing country
which until th1et wears ago WAS almost
lQaasl -cted and entirely unknown to
tl- W q. Even lloW the enormous ex-
pal~e territory is but scarcely begun
to hv Spectetl and tile gold already il.
sl9l r.H Not be exhausted within twenty
ot tjr brief summers during which
mining machinery can be operated to
4dyaAtl-e
All #~t winter the prospecting CON
tlnued a."ng tire beaches OF Iehring sea.
and leW and rlche. finds were reported
with almost incredible frequency. The
reports from tht district brought out by
the first steamer from there. which ar
rived June nth. fully justify the rush
OF ten thousand men to the district from
and through Seattle during the first
open months Of this season.
he ilrst steamer to return from
Nome was the .Ieanie, which arrived
here ON June II. The Jeanie left Seat
Tie for Nome Oh May I'd and SO made
ti'e round trip, including d stop of three
Gays at Der destination to unload her
SIX hundred tons of freight. in FORTY
seven days. Much ice was encoun-
tered in large floating fields in the
open sea, out the steamer worked it's
way through the enormous beros with
iale good fortune and CELEBRITY Inl
places the Ice was packed so solid in the
open sea, and piled 50 high. that it was
Impossible to proceed, and it was neces-
SalN to Walt a few hours for it to break
mp At one time the ice drifting in ON
lheSttamer. apparently from every side.
threatened to crush her yet by careful
MANAGEMENT she succeeded in avoiding
INJURY.
According to adyices brought down
on the Jeanne Nome had already bppIn
to SHOW great activity, All winter
parties with dog-teams had been max
ing their way down the Yukon. a route
involving an ice and snow Journey of
u
5000 miles, yet made in safety by
hundreds Of hardy adventures anxious
to reach the new fields before the open-
ing OF aternavigation. Scores of others
went III by way of Sitka, I'nalaska and
Kodiak island, crossing the Yukon near
its mouth.
The city of Nome passed an unevent-
ful winter. There was no visitation
from fire whatever which was consider
ed piece of rare good fortune, as all
buildings were of wood, crowded togeth
er, and it would have been very difficult to
fight tire during the extreme cold wealth
er. the health of the community has
been excellent, and municipal govern
ment, existing by common consent and
wltho nj the sanction of law, maintain
ed excellent order and police and SANTA
ry regulations
Work on a number Of the principal
gold claims was resumed a short time
before the arrival Of the steamer. but
dlscon tlnued on account of the cold
snap. Little prospecting was done DIR