The Nome nugget., 1902-05-03
Where They Are and What
 What They Are Doing.
PLAYING Oil. WELLS
Many of the Men Who Made Fortunes in the k!Ontiike Are in Califor 1ia !, Among Them Being Bill McPhee. Who Is Going Back to Dawson.

Dawson, March 8.-Dicl Lowe-he of rthe great fraction fame returned last night from a tour of California, having left the land of flowers just three weeks ago. Dick says the contrast of Pasa- sdena country and the Klondike. the 'tNnsition being made in three weeks, is painful, to say the least. Three weeks ago he was suffering with the fheat. ard was rejoiced to find moderate weather on striking the northern trail. The present cold snap, he says. is with out consideration at all.
 Dick saw everyone while outside. Charley Anderson is still on the anx ious seat over the suit for defamation of character, commenced by d California belle. Charley has a handsome saloon opposite the Baldwin. which is visited iby every Klondiker in the country in Lurn. Charley is suspected of having said more than was wise while in some crowd of ''joshing" friends, and up to the time of Dick leaving the California metropolis he had not been able to  square the matter.
 Bill McPhee was seen in the land of fruit, and is declared to have assumed .aldermanic proportions. Bill says he is going to visit the Klondike this year.
 w. II. Legget of 13 El'lorado. is now a partner of SOurdough smith of Gold Bun, and is coming in to look after his interests in the spring. Legget's car riage factory in San Francisco > said to be in a most ilOurishing condition.
 The gossip of the klondikers in Cali fOrnia just now is the probable fate of Charley Meadows who has not yet re- turned from the adventurous trip in search of an island. The prevalent be- lief among the boys down there is that Charley has more than enough by this time, and will be rustling another stake when he again appears in civilization. Fearful reports of the atrocities of the natives have reached California, and the silence of Charley is taken as the opposite of reassurng.
 Dick saw H. H. Hart down in the land of sun. Hart, it will be rembered, is the Klondiker who lost $35. 600 in the wreck of the Islander. Hart had just returned from trip through New Mexico.
 Jack McQuesten was also seen, and reported his shelter in New Mexico to be doing better than the most sanguine expectations of the old man led hlm to look fur. His shelter is on his own quartz property. and the old man is quite busy and happy.
 Clarence Berry did not think he would be in this summer at all
 Charles Lamb is preparing right now to make his reappearance in Dawson.
 Frank Phiscator said he was coming in right after Dick. He was in Vie toria and was buying horses and machinery. No. 3 is to be worked as never worked before.
 Skookum Jim was seen in Skagway. His spouse has developed a face trouble very much like cancer, and Jim has to go back to civilization with her, instead of coming in here just now.
 Jim Morrison's place in Seattle is quite u rendezvous for the boys, and many were seen there paying their re- .spects in passing.
 Dick says that many of the boys are "playing the oil wells" in California; and thinks if the present squeeze" does not catch them there is every probability of them making money out of it. Oil is down just at present. probably with the intention of mak ing the small holders part with their stocks.
 Peter Dow. one of the original dis .coverers of Hammond river, koyukuk, is in Dawson en route from Seattle to -COldfoot, the metropolis of the koyukuk region. Dow has received q letter from George l.. Rice, the well-known saloon and gambling man, who is operating in the Koyukuk country. Rice says, in part:
 "Fl iend Pete: drop you few lines to let you know how things are going in the koyukuk. l will tell you, to start off with. that all claims located ,on Hammond river by power of attor- ney have been jumped. Hammond river is located for 40 miles from the mouth. There has not been blank on the river up to date. Every hole that has been put down has struck pay. They have pay located up as far as the canyon. I understand they are taking out good pay from discovery, also on Vermont creek. l hear that Jack Fow- Ter jumped q claim you located for q man by the name of Chance.
 Hammond river is bound WSe big producer, and looks very much like q second Eldorado. There are about 75 men now prospecting on Hammond"
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