The National tribune., 1901-01-03
CAPE NOME.
Industrial Editor of Gold Region Paper onAf-
fairs in Alaska.

Industrial 6dltor OF Cold Region Paper on Al.
fairs in Alaska.
| Three years ago there was no more .des-
olate place in the world than the treeless
northern shore of Boring Sea north lati-
| tude ia degrees 81 minutes, and west
longitude 100 degrees 30 minutes). Asked
| to name the checrless beach near the
| mouth of Snake River, the passing Indian
replied: mo me-" or II do not know"
! The $4,000 people who spent the past
| Summer there called it Nome" Some re-
| turning Adventures have affirmed that all
| the tales of golden sands and prospective
great fortunes at Nome We're either eXag-
gefatiOns or utter falsehoods, and that only
bitter disappointment, hardship and mis-
| fortune would be the fate of the creduious
souls who should travel the long distance
to the region of Arctic cold and darkness.
To tell the exact truth about the place
| is the declared purpose of special or IN
tiustlial'' edition. of the Nome News"
From this publication it is learned that the
town occupies strip of shore three miles
long, though during the past Summer tents
We're pitched over n stretch five times as
long. 1t was stated that at the close of
navigation Nome would be confined to
three square miles, with Winter popuia-
ton of 5000. There are not less than 400
business houses, built with double floors
and ceilings and storm doors; three
churches episcopal, Congregational and
Presbyterian, with weekly meetings of
Theosophists); n schoolhouse and post Of
ice, and Il courthouse in process of cree
ton. There is n telephone system, pipe
line from mountain to supply pure water,
and the wild Goose" Railroad to mines
five miles distant Three hundred Regular
troops serve as n police force and keep or
der. The deaths from June / to Oct. /,
1900, numbered 62, of which % were due
| to pneumonia, II were accidental, . were
/ sl,,l
etc. The amount of gold produced this
year was $5,00O,OO0.
The climate of Nome is reported to be
far more agreeable than anybody antici-
pated, the temperature ranging from 40
degrees below zero in Winter to 30 above
in Summer. From a detailed statement of
the temperature at noon it appears that
there are some sudden great changes. For
example, on June / the thermometer reg
lstered Us dgrees, on the Sd 49, and on the
18th % degrees; on the 9th it fell to GS, and
| ON the 18th to 81 degrees. On July / the
| temperature was 40 degrees, and on the I'd
81 degrees; on the 23d it was go, and the
next day so degrees. In June and July
there were 10 cloudy and rainy days. May
was not SO warm, but the weather was
fine. From June until August Nome
might be a seaside resort; the waves idly
lap the shore, and the women year white
shirt waists and screen their faces from
the sun with parasols. The hills back of
town are delightful place for a ramble, if
one loves pretty flowers. In a space of 10
feet square 20 varieties of wild flowers
have been gathered" In Winter the days
are short and the nights long, but the
great white robe of the cold earth prevents
the darkness that otherwise would make
the nights dreary. Men with dog teams
travel over the country, and the ordinary
affairs of life are transacted as in New
England or Canada. Some days are very
cold, but frequently and for days the tenn
perature is above zero"
The discovery and development of large
deposits of coal on the shores of the Arctic
Ocean will, it is believed, solve the most
serious problem of life at Nome. The sup
ply of this fuel is ineXhaustible. 1.-The $50
tons brought down by the Bessie X. was
mined and loaded in four days by mex
perienced men in stormy weather." 1t is
expected that q railroad from Port Clar-
, ence, with branch to Nome, will be con-
structed chiefly to transport Arctic coal.
An advertisement in the "NOme News"
says: During the year 1901 we will be
prepared to furnish native coal, of superior
quality, in any quantity for less than the
present freight rates on Washington or
British Columbia coal" The price of i'm
ported coal has been as high as $40 ton.
Besides gold and coal, there are large de-
posits of copper, as well as some graphite
and platinum, and an old silver mine which
was once worked by Russians; good timber
in Southern Alaska, good agricultural land
and game and fish in plenty. The country,
according to the News" has been only
partially prospected. The remote unex-
plored territory is extensive, and the I'M
prospected claims are in the ratio of 100 to
l. The paper from which we have quoted
sums up with the assertion that there is
field here for men of good health,
strength and industry; opportunities for
capital and investments that will enrich
the owner"