The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1906-08-03

IS louId' SO far as known. was
FL mat discovered in the N1.n,
district of Alaska on NJ. >
bench claim ON Anvil ere k In star-
ing gold for the use of mankind nature
seems to have favored the Nome dis
'rlct especially ana big nuggets are
common IN that vicinity. but This par-
ucutaf nugget is away beyond the
uSuai size, and person Alternating +,
steal 1t would not find it easy +, c9i;.v
OH. 1t could not be put in the vest
pocket, and to lift it with one hand re-.
quIres considerable muscle. Its weight
Is ~ ounces ana its value S3.27G. The
Dig lump of gold was struck bv
miner who hit it with his shsyel whon
digging post hoe The nugget. wh.,1
Is the property of the Pioneer Mining
company. is displayed in the territorial
wing of the United States government
building ut the Lewis and Clark ey-
position at Portland. 1t is part of the
exhibit made by the Nome chamber of
commerce and is in charge of !. !. In
derWood. An ingenious arrangement
was devised to permit of close inspec-
tlon of the big golden lump. This ana
some other nuggets, to the value alto
gether of $4,000, were put in n wire
cage so constructed that person could
put his hand through and lift the mug
get but could not pull it out Over
the chunk of gold was placed legend
reading, You can lift the nugget. but
don't take it away" Lest some one
should attempt to take it away. DESPITE
the warning. man who wears n re-
volyer in his belt stays in the cage.
He says that no one has yet tried to
steal 1t, but that visitors who think
that they can pick off Il bit of gold
with finger nail or penknife are not
uncommon.
The output of gold from the Nome
district from 1899 to 1904 inclusive
was $29,330G00. This is represented
III the exhibit at Portland by Il pile of
gilt blocks fifteen feet high. The size
OF each block is exactly equivalent to
the output of gold in the year it rep
rescnts. The biggest block is at the
bottom and is thirty-one inches in di.
ameter. 1t is equal in size to gold
worth $6,200000, the output of Nome
and the Seward peninsula In 1904
Near this pile of gilt blocks is a gold
brick, not of the kind used by conf.
dence men, but worth $4,000. 1t is
twelve inches long and weighs about
ninety pounds.
On the Portland Beach claim in the
Nome district seven men and a cook
last winter cleaned up $42l,00O worth
of gold in sixty days. The cost of op-
Grating the NINE including labor and
coal during this period was $500. On
an adjoining claim S250,000 was taken
out. The summer mining season has
been shortened this year by bad storms,
but the total yield for the year will be
above that of any previous year owing
to the fact that winter mining has
proved so successful. Last winter was
the first time that mining on an extern
sive scale was tried during that sea
son, and it proved practicable.
In some mines where a shaft of con
siderable depth has to be sunk in order
to reach the pay streak winter mining
is more economical than summer min
ing because there is less danger of the
mine caying in or being flooded by wa
ter from melting snow. When the
ground is frozen solid it may be tun-
neied with comparative ease and it is
not necessary to board up the shaft
AS timber is worth $40 thousand feet
in Nome, this latter feature is one of
no small Importance.
Every mine is equipped with a boiler
and hose which carries the steam to
the mine. Attached to the end of the
hose is long piece of steel pipe. drawn
to point and perforated with two
holes short distance back of the
point. The steel pipe, or nozzle, is
driven into the bank by means of a
sledge, and when the steam is turned
or the gravel is thawed out for three
or four feet in all directions. Work
men shovel the gravel and dirt into
large buckets. which are dumped near
the mouth of the mine Samples are
taken frequently, and the amount of
gold is ascertained, so that 1t is posi-
BILE at any time to estimate the value
of the dump where the pay dirt is de
posted In the spring the dump is
cleaned up, the gold being washed out
by means of sluice boxes. ana this con
chldes the seasons work
MOTOR pOWFR