The Nome nugget., 1901-12-07
THE PASSING OF THE CLOUDS:


 
 It must be apparent to every resident of North western Alaska that thHre has been a wonderful ehange in the atmosphere of litigation that has en veloped this section from the very moment that the federal court was established at Nome From thai tnle-uDsil early in October last that atmosphere was always of muriy lfue. It is not too much to sa, that men, especially mining men, were almost panic stricken There absolutely security for miner Or prospector. Riot filled the air and there was i'm bending anarchy. The change is most welcome be cause it is wholesoms.
 , sam Dunhani. Alaskas own poet, tells in one oi His poems, how hard.working Swede prevented his claim from being jumped. He "yump9d it himself every day" And there is struth in the poetry All last summer and the year before if miner found that his claim was rich promising he dare not whisper the fact For he reasoned truthfally to do was to invite the attention of a horde of un- principled jumpers and harpies who would involve him in litigation, and little could be expected from the diatriot court then sttated bstause it had lost the confidence of the people.
 Last spring and summer dozens of men with money to invest in the mines of this section came hithcr for that purpose. What was the result? With < very few exceptions all returned to their homes disappointed and disgustsd at the chaotic condition n which they found mining and judicial affairs. Those. r'aa' hsRw. what every thinking man in Alaska' kney- that so issssa money ip 2. mining claim was to buy law suit. And they were not looking for law suits Thus hundreds of thousands of dollars, which would have been invested in the gold, lands of Northwestern Alaska, were turned away to find safer investments elsewhere.
 With the advent of Judge James Wickersham hope began to rise. The change was welcomed by nj If tbo 1@bo bis coming aroused have not been of 8 disappointing kind. Steadily the atmosphere has cleared; gloom has given way to- light and the few remaining clouds are rapidly disappearing.
 We have for year past made fight for an honest and competent judiciary. The fight made had not string of any kind attached to it.; it was in the open always That success has been achieved is matter of profound congratulation. The peop. of Alaska are most patient and long suffering people But even patience in time ceases to- become a virtue and if judicial relief had not come in the nick of time the consequences undoubtedly would have been most disastrous No free people will submit to fragrant acts of injustice indefinitely.
 These conditions have been changed in two short months. Confidence in the judiciary of this judicial division has been re-established Relief has come An honest fearless and competent judge is on the bench and the people satisfied. There of title when once established, and the law and mandates of the court will be respected until the title to- mining and other property is made clear The days of the baoknaailer and jumper fast drawing to a close When. man strikes it rich on his claim he need no longer exhaust his inventive faculties to keep the fact hldden Litigation diminishing; the trial of causes IS being expedited miners no longer hold their prop erty in fear and trembling. Hereafter there will be some degree Qt security to the investor of capital. Money that seeks our shores for investment in the land of gold will not be compelled to seek other places because of weak inefficient and incompetent judiciary, and resultant maladministration of laws
 The outlook is brighter. more hopeful then it hes been since the early days of 1899. We believe this section is on, the eve off wonderful era of develop ment and the days of our trbulatiop are nearly if ppt quite over.
 One need not go to the centera ok civilization to ind mbeciles who think they hold the world between thsir two hands In their ignorance, thsz believe thsmsslxes wissat of,the universe AL oshavs a.e 3pt simplstanas
 Panty in,pe&itias ia A good thing;. but ppaity in V'he acqqiaition, ,sf,rioAss is bsstsrs Eeiear aHd Manager Stevens of the Gold Diresr. ipsles to thu aid of Councilman Stevens, .of the a1th because of the alleged queer dealing in refer ,sre to the ballots used in the election Since no