The Nome nugget., 1903-08-05
THE FIRST
 STAMPEDE: To the Cinema Section Was Disappointing. USUALLY TINE CASE
The Nuggets Special Correspond ent Thinks Good Strikes
 Will Yet Be Made.
{ Special Correspondence. !

NopCtlui NOiItS pOliutllCt.
 Cinema, July 5.-I have been some what tardy in writing, but there were so many conflicting reports in circula- tion that l decided not to write until was satisfied as to the conditions exist ing here. l suppose you have heard that none of the people who left Nome got in here over the ice. Tom Dono- hue, NJ. F. Atkinson, Fay Delzene, myself and eight others from Nome were caught at Baker creek, 40 miles below Cinema pronounced Che-no-a Other parties were caught closer to Cinema, but most of them came in on the first boat, while some remained at Weare. The Tanana river was open in several places when we arrived making travelling impossible.
 The mining outlook here is not very promising. That gold has been found here is not to be denied, but there is quite q body of gravel mixed in with il.
 1 have been out on the creeks and seen all there is to be seen. There are no claims being opened up; a few claims are being prospected by their owners, and altogether the creeks are very dull and there is general air of disappointment and dullness every where. Italian Jacks famous claim, No. ? above Pedro, is not what has been claimed for it. They have sluiced one-hali of the dump and cleaned up 50 ounces. Small dumps have been taken out on Goldstream. Some of them have been rocked out, and others are lying there untouched. They will average wages for rocker if you don t include the cost of getting them out The ground runs from 12 to 20 feet in depth, mostly muck, at the bottom of which they find two or three feet of gravel, carrying from three to six cents. Sometimes you hear of a 25- cent pan off bedrock; that is the very best ground that has been discovered so far. Some claims have larger bodies of gravel, carrying less gold, and it is doubtful if they can be worked at a profit.
 The only redeeming feature about the country is that there has not been much prospecting done, and there is a possible chance of 1t showing up better. The principal creeks so far discovered carrying gold are Goldstream, Clarey, Pedro, Fairbanks.
 There are three townsites-Grail, Fairbanks and Cinema. The two last named have applied for incorporation. Fairbanks has over 300 buildings erect ed, and has the advantage at present, but, being ten miles up the Cinema river, more difficulty is encountered in delivering freight than at Cinema. which is on the Panama river.
 l look for some good strikes to be made here this summer, as quite a number of prospectors are scattering out all over the country.
 The Northern Commercial Co. s boat Seattle No. 5 succeeded in going up the Cinema river to Fairbanks. Some of the officers of the company went out on the creeks. and not seeing enough gold on any of the claims decided not to build, so all their goods are being sold from the barge.
 Everybody is leaving both towns, and even now fine log cabins are being de- serted by their owners. Every body that started from Nome has gone back, except myself. I believe they will make good strike here yet. I forgot to say that everything is staked for fifty miles around here.
 HARRY OWEN.