The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-26
NO BAD MEN IN NOME.
But II Took Nerve 10 Wear tho First Dress
suit 10 Hall There.

The bad man with the revolver, who
used TO shoot up" the old camps, Is a
picturesque character that has never APP
| peared in Nome. There were two or three
shooting affairs the first summer, says
! Alfred II. Durham In the Cosmopolitan,
but they were Of the character that might
occur in New York. London or Paris, not
the mining camp variety, at all.
The most remarkable thing about Nome
is the rapidly with which it acquired the
Injuries OF civilization. Its electric light
ing system and its telephone service arc
excellent Its large greenhouse supplies
fresh vegetables and flowers the year
round at reasonable prices. There are
numerous clubs, the most important OF
which il a secret society. the Arctic Brother
hood, whose clubhouse Ia in every par
ticular all that clubhouse should be, from
tho bowling alleys to the cafe. The three
churches are the largest buildings
The first winter of Nome was character
lied by what might DO called high finance.
truly a commentary on the mental trend
OF the day. Everybody tried to corner
something. To corner things was in every
particular Legitimate, and to neglect an
opportunity was TO court ruin.
The price OF coal under artilciai stimulus
went to $3.50 ton; lumber commanded
$500 n thousand feet before the winter
broke Castor oil could be had In large
quantities for 90 cents an ounce; eggs
brought so cents each The most successful
corner was that Of fresh milk. There was
only one COW in the city; tho owner thereof
cleared $1,000 on milk, and sold the COW
In the spring for beef. realizing $500 more.
Beer brought unheard of prices. To take
advantage OF tho high prices expected
the following winter, poultry yards and
dairies were established and n brewery
built and thus prices found their natural
level
The social life Of the town during the
first two winters would have furnished the
student of sociology an interesting chapter,
comprising IA it did the formation Of a
-four hundred" a fast set" and the like
Alta charity ball held early the second season
] wore the first dress suit ever exposed 10
public view In Nome Needless TO add
WAS the most uncomfortable centre of all
eyes. Judge Clark finally broke the ice
by shaking hands with the man who had
nerve enough to wear dress suit in Nome.
1t was a most amusing thing TO see the
dress suits appear after that Before the
winter was over it was rare indeed TO SEQ
a man at a function in anything but even
ing clothes. Where they came from has
never been satisfactorily explained TO this
day
And the thing that brought all this about
Is gold Nature hides her treasures in
strange places. and puts through strange
PAGES Us that seek for IL. Everybody in
Nome has claim; everybody expects to
strike it rich sooner or later, Enough
enthusiasm. optimism and ambition are
generated in Nome each year TO supply the
carthage, the universe-could they be
bottled or dried. The first mining was
done by placer methods right on the sea
beach. At first one man could make as
much as $50 a day by the simplest methods.
Each inch of beach. one might say, has been
worked over by the hand methods, and
now the whole beach is icing systemat-
ically sifted again this time gasolene en-
gines and mercury are assisting