St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-05-12
THE ALASKA FEVER.
It Is Taking Hold Of Congressmen
and Government Clerks.
Carried Away By Tales Of the Gold
Discoveries At Cape Nome,
They Think Of Emigratln8
to the Frozen North.
Especial washington Letter.l

Especial Washington Letter.1
J" OLD, gold, gold! Its quest per-
= vades the minds of individuals,
corporations and nations. All
men are striving to lay up treasures
on earth, rather than in heaven; and
gold is the condensation and syncopa-
ton of earthly treasure.
Mythology has perpetuated the story
of the golden fleece; and the history OF
that voyage embodies the first great or
ganized expedition in search of the yell
low metal. The full story discloses the
fact that there were vast placer min
ings, and that the argonauts found the
precious stones in river beds, just as
the modern gold seekers find it in the
beds of the creeks and along the coasts
of Alaska.
The Bible tells us that "Jehoshapha.
made ships of Tarshish to 60 to Ophir
for gold;" also that 1.-The navy of Hiram
that brought gold from Ophir, brought
in from Ophir great plenty Of algum
trees and precious stones;" also that
..they came from Ophir and fetched
from thence gold, four hundred and
twenty talents, and brought it to King
Solomon" also it records that King
David set apart for the palace and
house Of God, for his son Solomon.
"three thousand talents of gold, of the
gold of Ophir, and seven thousand tai
ents of refined silver, to overlap the
walls of the houses" also, ''the weight
of the gold that came to King Solomon
in one year was six hundred and three
score talents of gold, besides that
which the chapmen and merchants
brought; and all of the governors of
the country, and the kings of Arabia.
brought gold and silver to Solomon,
and Solomon made two hundred tar
gets of beaten gold, six hundred shekels
of gold went into one target. Moreover.
the king made a great throne OF ivory
and overlaid it With pure gold. and all
of the drinking vessels of King Solomon
were of gold, and all the vessels of the
house Of the forest of Lebanon were of
pure gold; none were of silver; it was
not anything accounted of in the days
of Solomon"
But where was Ophir, whence came
all of this supply of gold? Nobody
can tell. The fact that it was brought
by 1.-The navy" indicates that it came
from afar, over the seas. People have
conjectured that it came from Califor-
mia, although there is no record of the
circumnavigation of the globe prior
to that of the adventures of the six
tenth century. 1t has been con-
iecturcd that it came from the rich
mines of South Africa, where thou
sands Of lives have recently been sacri-
feed on account of gold. But, no mat
ter where it came from, the Bible story
shows that in the ancient times gold
was regarded as the basis of wealth,
the condensation of work and wages,
and that adventurous spirits sought
and delved for it, to please their kings,
their lords and masters, and to enrich
themselves.
For several weeks past the room of
the house committee on public lands
has been thronged with gold seekers
from Alaska. They seek amendments
to the mining laws which will enable
them to lawfully carry on their search
for gold. They are particularly anxious
to have certain rights granted them
along the coast line. where it is claimed
that unlimited quantities of gold are to
be found in the sands. One of their
number, ]. H. Osgood, says:
"Forages and ages the rain, snow, heat
and cold have assailed the mountains