The Nome nugget., 1902-02-15
FISH AND OTHER STORIES.

George l.. Fish who is not unknown in Nome as
 "dcaler in Lot air and other commodities, has been at his old tricks in Oakland, Cal. his former home. By old tricks is apparent propensity, which, perhaps he help to deal in gross exaggertions In this however, he is not whit different from scores of other men who have soourned for season in the North, only to return to their former homes to tell Munchausen tales We had thought better things of Mr. Fish, for he is supposed to have busi ness interests in this section. However, he seems to have become intoxicated with the exuberance of his own yerho,ty last fall when he arrived in Oakland, and forthwith he hied himself to the Oakland Mer- chants Exchange (which, it IS 10 be hoped is a more successful institution than was the Nome affar) and let his imagination run riot. In sooth, he should have prefaced his remarks before the Merchants Exchange of Oakland, after the manner of Bret Hartes "TAuthui James," by reciting, i'm just from Nome, Alaska and my name is Fruitful George. But as to Mir Esh's most astonishing statemen ts concerning Nome with which he regaled the Oakland ehechakos Mir. Fish congratulated himself accord ing 10 an article in Oakland paper. upon having been the first president oi the Oakland Exchange and also o the first Merchants Association of Nome'' Shade of the Nome Chamber of Commerce, which was borl, and which fourished long before MT. Fish ever his foot these shores. what do you think of that Then the veracious Mr. Fish went on to state that the Nome association has " membership of 45O and an attendance of 200 at every meeting ? Mr. Fish at least. does not believe in small figures.
 He does say, and hereby receives credit for the state ment that lie ''never presided over an assembage of business men who have shown more pluck and energy in overcoming difficulties than in the lit!e City of Nome" but it might be truthfully added that Mr. Fish like other people we have known, furnished little but the wind in all matters of public concern It is to be regretted that Mr. Fish has marred the value of his statements by over exaggeraon, botl negatively and afhrmatively.
 few of Mir. Fish's gems of thought, truthful and otherwise, are here given:
 The population of Nome varies between 5000 and o 600 and at times 2j 000
 Nome is the natural center and will continue tn, of commercial Alaska It is mans country
 As health had 400 physicians there last but there business for them, and they had to work in the mines.
 found that of the 700 passengers the Queen, which came out S5 per to return
 There is soinsthng fascinating about the country bu it is suffering now from poor laws. We have no bank ruptcy laws.
 Nome has az great future as had San Francisco il ls5n We have invested capital there and capital is coming to help n development. If it had not been fC adverse laws and conditions, Nome would have rivale Klondke this time. But if makes good prospec he work for he does there will be plenty of ready go before the and that they located previously. Happily however this is thing of the past
 During the have sent S7 0O0o in gold but next season will send yeu Sl5,0 ,000.
 As fer agriculture is concerned the country is ia ahead Minnesota Dakota Wisconsin, Colorado Michigan Wyoming and Idaho
 have seen wild fruits plentiful that you could no walk ten feet without trampng down the foliage.
 There is abundant wild game and you get quantt fish almost any time by going out into the Berng and dipping them up in bucket
 There is work for every that desires it, dui ing the winter.
 The snow during the winter about fifteen feet tn