The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-25
WEDNESDAY EVENING. JUNE 25 1902.
NAIL FROM NOME
Winters Silence of Far North's
Residents Broken.
ALASKA HAS A FEW COMPLAINTS
One of Them Is OF Her Mail Service
Claim Jumping One OF Win -
{ ter's Diversions.

Letters are just beginning to arrive
from Nome after the winter blockade and
in the first lot one comes from Charles A.
Mitchell, OF Minneapolis. Mr.. Mitchell
writes most encouragingly of his pros
poets and reports himself in prime. phys
ical condition. He mentions the alarm
felt in Nome over the catching of the
steamer Portland in the ice and says he
had friends on board. Regarding gen
eral conditions at Nome, Mr.. Mitchell
writes.
Nome. June T. 1902.-With the arrival of
the steamer City OF Nome at IL 80 p m. the
great white silence" which has enveloped
this country since the departure of the steam
ship Arctic and the gasolene schooner Barba-
"a Munster. Oct 20 last. has been broken.
The ice came in to stay Nov Is, and then we
realized that winter was really upon US
Alaska has indeed been neglected child Of
the great union Of states, and, to borrow
phrase used by old time miner who
is reformed lawyer, ALASKA Is the step
child OF Uncle Sam
It is taxed outrageously by congress, moth
ing is done to encourage or foster commercial
interests, and for it all we get neither repre-
sentation in congress nor anything else. In
fact, we are overlooked. like the proverbial
white chip. Our main comforts in winter are
the letters and newspaper clippings we re-
ceive through the mail, but when the govern
mont contractors show an utter disregard for
their agreement with the postal department.
year in and year out, the people of Alaska
must appeal for help to the great power for
good or evil. the public press, to assist in
their trouble. The winter just passed has
seen US with not more than three mails that
can be called such. and such restrictions are
put the senders that only t1rst-c1ass mail
can be passed through. How long, oh, how
mug
of venal postal authorities and careless, in
competent and irresponsible mail contractors?
Any newspaper that reaches us in winter
is most greedily devoured, and the price paid
for few papers brought in by private carri-
ers Is from 81 to 81 each.
Sea and Whale Catch.
The reports from points north OF US indicate
that the seal and whale catch this season is
unprecedented in the history of Alaska. The
| natives and in fact number OF our local
Nimrods, have killed large numter OF seal
near the edge of the ice close to town.
The toothsome 'tomcod" which abounds in
these waters has been with us more than ever
this winter. This little fish furnishes food
for hundreds of dogs in fact, 1t is their
main sustenance in winter
The natives as we'll as the white residents
of this part Of Alaska fish for them through
holes in the ice in Boring sea: All that is
a piece OF red flannel for bait. Large catches
have been reported, and the Eskimo's face is
wreathed in smiles in consequence thereon.
Claim Jumping.
We have had considerable excitement over
mine jumping in the closed season. the most
notable being the eviction from claim No. 10
on Ophir creek In the Council City mining
district by two attorneys in the employment
of the C.. D. Lane company, known as the
Wild Goose Mining company who, with the
| assistance of an armed force. threw on a
coored woman named Lena Walton ana Two
miners who were working for her The claim
was in litigation in the United States district
court The woman was in 2eaceable posses
sion Of the claim, the Wild Goose company
attempting to secure possession OF 1T through
tho court The eviction aroused great ex-
citement among, the miners in the vicinity.
Many in Want.
That poverty has not been greater In our
camp is remarkable in view Of the fact that
many were lured to this country by the cry
of gold who were entirely untitled to race the
riEors of an Arctic winter IN this sec1on OF
Alaska We have no almshouses. no govern
ment hospitals: nothing but the grim, saunt
federal Jail and an emergency nosoltai kept
| up by the people of Nome
| AS long as mining camps are created on
the coast of Rering sea, just so long should
| a. paternal government provide some means
! for sending cut to more hosoltaoie clla1e
some Of the scores of unfortunates VINO oeat
their way into this country or who come ut
terly and entirely unprepared for such an eS-
istence or these unfortunates there were
about $50 in this camp the winter just passed,
COMPELLED to remain here, as they has not
the necessary funds to purchase tlcke lor
the "outside" Many OF them were worthy
people whose condition was due to no fault
Of their own. With a city treasury depleteo
by band of extravagant and Incompetent
counc,lmcn what to do with these unfortu-
mates became a serious problem. Coal selling
at $40 a. ton, the thermometer averaging ~
degrees below zero no WooG to be oDtalneo
within less than thirty miles, no timber grow
ing near Nome, you can readily see no"
these poor people were comDelleo 10 SEEN
shelter all night in the saloons emo gamoilng-
houses. where they slept on chairs anc the
+o,,,ae and floors or wherever they could find
q ,,,ace This indisc-iminate crowding to-
| esther of all sorts and conditions of men was
| frishttul and bado fair to bring on an cpl
! de1lic OF disease
1hese conditions caused number OF citizens
to call a public meeting to consider what 10
do in the matter. pr. b. IL, Hlll was eiecteu
| chairman of an organization to provide TOT
! the needy the other members teing the Rev
| G n. II. Bloor of the Episcopal mission, Rev
| n G. Fowler of the Congre gational church,
| Rev. FIR Van de Pol Of the Catholic church.
| CAPTAIN J. E. Hansen. resident manager OF
| the Northern Commercial company, W. >.
| Horean manager Of the Ames Commercial
company. who were ably assisted by num-
Der of prominent ladies and gentlemen gave
| rel,ef to worthy persons who were in destl-
tute circumstances. A bunkhouse was start
ed and soup kitchen established, the FUNDS
| for which were provided by private suoscrlp-
ton and a grand charity ball held at the
| Standard theater, which netted several thou
sand dollars BY this means the severest part
Of the winter was bridged over and many a
worthy and INDECENT person made happy by
having his immediate wants relieved.