The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-10-08
HENRY BELlEW BACK
HE SAYS HE HAS HAD ENOUGH
OF NOME, ALASKA.
PEOPLE LEAVING THERE FAST
Every Steamer That Pulls Out Of the
Place Is Loaded With Passengers
Cine Large Nugget Of Gold
Found.

Henry Bellew. who went from Butte
to Cape Nome along with numerous 9th
er stampeders about year and half
ago, is back again. having returned last
week, and expects to remain here. In
speaking of the conditions that prevail
in and about Nome. and also some of his
own experiences there. Mr.. Bellew says
that the Nome country is not altogether
what it has been cracked up to be.
There are only about % or so paying
claims in the entire district" says he,
and the time is not far off when new
discoveries must be made or the bot
tom will fall out of the works. The dig
gings are all placer. A little quartz has
been found, but it was practically bar
rem Of mineral. The largest nugget of
gold ever found in Alaska was taken
from claim on Anvil creek. near Nome
about four weeks ago. If larger one
has ever been found in the territory
have not heard of it. 1t weighed $500
and was struck about two feet from the
surface while one of the miners was dig
ging a place for sluce box post.
There are quite number OF Butte
men in Nome. Dick Watson, who man
aged the business OF the Butte Hardware
company, is city assessor there. 1t is a
marshal of Butte. is city marshal al
Nome. and is good officer. Mr.. Wat
son. former Butte man named Antoine,
a Dillon man and myself had some min
ing claims in the district, and some of
them were good but we got beat out Of
the good ones through litigation. in
which Judge Noyes played a prominent
part Tie good ella inns We're located near
Council City. We had some more prop
erty and invested $500 in an outfit to
work it. but falling to strike the pay
streak. We sold the whole layout for
SITS and are to receive that when it Is
taken out of the ground. In other words.
we sold on bedrock pay. Watson intends
to come down to Seattle on the last boat
this fall to spend the winter. but he will
not be alone in his pilgrimage to a land
in which there is more solid comfort in
five minutes during the long, cold sea-
son that there ever will be in Nome
Every boat leaving Nome at present is
loaded With passengers bound for the
states. During the open season there
We're probably 1900 persons in Nome,
but / no not believe more than 1000 viii
winter there. Many are in such financial
straits that they cannot get away. in
consequence Of which the government
will probably be called upon to loan them
helping hand.
There are no fine buildings in Nome
the best to be found are two-story
frames. The town is pretty we'll provid-
ed with sidewalks to prevent pedestri-
ans from losing themselves in the tun-
dry, which is deep enough to swamp
horse at any mark in the streets.
1T was my intention to leave Nome
last fall, but just about the time / got
ready to start reports Of rich strike
many miles inland We're started and
joined the rush that followed. l guess
Travelled 900 miles with my dog outfit
and then discovered that the thing was
another of those wild fakes started il
town for the purpose of keeping people
from returning to the states. left
Nome three weeks ago yesterday, and
before l started the customary crop Of
fake strikes inland was being turned
loose on a creduous people with the US
ual object in vieW-make them change
their minds about winterng elsewhere.
Having been caught once, however, !
was not to be nipped again, and LEFT
right on coming out.
Last winter it was very cold in the
Nome district and many persons froze to
death. While others lost hands. arms,
feet and legs. The suffering there was
intense"
The Judge Noyes to whom Mr. Bellew
refers is the man now being held in San
Francisco on a charge of contempt Of
court. He was judge in the district
court at Nome. 1t is claimed that he
made an order by which many individ-
ual mine owners We're deprived of their
property in the interest of a company.
The superior court of California ordered
him to annul his order and return the
property to the owners. but he refused
to obey the upper court. hence the con-
tempt proceedings against him.