Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-12-06
DRIVEN HONE BY FEAR.

Out Of the far north Edwin Barclay
MCGOWAN FASTENED toward civilization,
impelled by the fear Of insanity. Three
years spent on Siberian wastes, IN
Alaskan wilds and among the denizehs
Of desolate mining camps brought TO
his mind realization of It's own dam
ger. He fed from what he terms arc
tic lunacy." This strange aftliction,
which turks In lone places bred by lack
Of companionship, is aided by change
Of climate and the excess OF light ana
darkness of the northern regions, and
has begun TO seize in its grip numer-
Gus Of those seeking after wealth who
were attracted to the frozen north by
the magnetic stories Of golden treasure
In the Klondike and at Nome.
MCGOWAN, lawyer, miner, trader and
explorer passed through Chicago yes
tcrday on his way to his old home in
Lancaster, Ohio. lie explained that he
"eelt II coming and hurried back to
civilized life 10 avoid IT, He had been
warned by the fate of others who had
tarried too long, and believes he left
jut In time.
SYMPTOMS OF DISEASE
The symptoms are different to those
Of most all other forms OF mental trou-
bic. First the one affected Will con-
tract the habit Of talking to himself,
lie Will do this unconsclously. Then
he will be sure that within few days,
perhaps a few hours he win become
immensely rich. No argument, no ar
ray of facts, no condition, however dis
colrraging. In which he finds himself,
viii alter this conviction His physical
condition may remain unimpaired, but
his mind will continue to burn with
feverish hopes, and his loquacity viii
Increase until he wanders on and is
frozen to death or Is sent back to an
asylum IN the states
MCGOWAN has been travelling for re-
creation and trading with the Esqui-
maux and Choucawans. He Is inter-
ested in some mines, but AYERS he does
not yet believe he Is suddenly to become
rich beyond the dreams OF ayaflcs.
Friends told him, after he had emerged
from a lonely residence Of several
months In the Yukon valley, that he
had begun talking 10 himself That
was enough. He went at once TO Nome
and boarded the first steamer for Seat.
tie. He will return to the north, but
not until he has lived In populous com
munlties sufficient length of time TO
overcome the effects Of his arctic ex-
periences.
DEPOSITS WORKED OUT.
As the gold deposits become exhaust
ed and the chances of making money
IN any way are lessened the situation
In the mining regions grows worse. NC
Cowan says there Is at least s2,OO0,O0O
worth OF ruined machinery along the
abandoned beach at Cape Nome. the
grave OF many hope. Anvil creek and
Snow gulch are also worked out, and
while the district will produce some
gold for several years IL was these To-
callties that gave Nome Its reputation.
Now, according to MCGOWAN, dan
ger threatens the people OF this coun-
try. Desperate purchasers OF nonpay-
ins claims there and In the Klondike
have started TO organize companies
with high sounding titles for the pur-
pose of fleeing investors. From what
he learned there and In San Francisco
and Seattle he II assured that corpora
tons with a total capitalization OF $780,
900 600 win be organized this winter and
their worthless stock peddled in all
parts OF the United States. Solicitors
are 10 receive half the amount they get
from buyers.
VICTIMS or GOLD STOCK.
1.-THE business Of the legitimate COM
panies Is mining, not selling stock,
said MCGOWAN. Most Of the paying
minese are worked by their owners as
individuals. But few Of the people seem
TO understand this. Servant girls. ianl-
tors and others who receive small
wages and are not well informed will
be selected as victims by these fraudu-
lent promoters. Nuggets viii be placed
on exhibition in store windows to adj
vertise these mines and entice people
into investing.
"The Kiondlke gold fields were the
wonder Of the time and immense for
tunes were made, but the day OF big
finds Is over. The area OF gold deposits
was limited The traffic on the Yukon
was less this year than at any time
since the first KlondIke rush. Even the
Rothschilds have lost money in those
regions. They were interested in
syndicate that was TO go after gold on
4 larger scale than ever attempted be-
fore But when their prospectors start
ed 10 locate the deposits they found not
enough TO justify the expenditures that
had already been made"
In the arctic region MCGOWAN met De
Windt, the explorer He says north
western Alaska IL the healthiest place
he was ever in, and that he intends re-
turning there within a year.-Chicago
Record Herald.