The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-06-28

Byrnteson had been farther up the
coast with some other prospectors just
tefore he met Lindberg and Lind
blom, and he told them of the finding
of gold in the creeks at the upper
edge of the coastal plain. SO they
left Council and went down to Colo
vim bay, where they procured a boat
and provisions. They set sail Septem-
Der IL, 1898, on a voyage that proved
eventful, Proceeding along the coast
they stopped at the mouths of the
streams that flow into Behring sea;
they did some prospecting, but not
finding enough gold. went farther west
to where the Snake river meanders
through the tundra to the sea This
became the site of Nome 1t was
about 100 miles from their starting
point. Having been to Nome, | can
picture the desolate landscape-theE
absolutely devoid of human touch
the chill gray waters tapping long
beach fringed by the moss covered
plain stretching to forbidding hills
They did not linger on the seashore,
although the beach sand showed some
gold. They assembled the slow flow
ing river in their boat as far as the
mouth of a creek where Byrnteson had
panned gold on his former trip. Lind.
eberg was quick to infer that the gold
on the shore must come from up
country, and determined to search for
its source. They prospected several
creeks the names of which now to an
Alaskan are as eloquent of gold as
Colchis of Pactolus to Macaulay's
school boy, 1t is remarkable fact
that these three men, novces in allu-
vial mining, should have been able,
after hasty inspection, to select what
later proved to be the richest portions
of several creek bottoms. They To-
Gated joint discovery claim on An
vii creek, and then each located a
claim on his own name on this creek
as well as on Snow, Glacier, and Rock
creeks They knew what they were
about; they showed rare Judgment in
locating, and they took pains to COM
ply with the law. All of these claims
were subsequently consolidated under
the name of the Pioneer Mining COM
pany of Seattle, and Mr.. Lindeberg
became the president of the company
When the three prospectors returned
to Council in October the news of
the discovery soon spread, causing a
rush. A party was organized by the
three Scandinavians and three others,
who went to the mouth of the Snake
river and organized the Cape Nome
mining district. The whole country
was soon plastered with locations,
most of them illegal. The prospec-
tors that had done the first gold min
ing in this region, the Seward PENN
sula, were chagrined to find that the
three Scandinavians, comparatively
inexperienced as they We're, had locat-
ed the best claims; so they jumped
the claims of Lindberg and his part
ners on Anvil creek and set an ex-
ample that was followed at once by
the crowd of newcomers. Every claim
was covered two or three deep with
locations. Anarchy ensued, culminat-
ing in a disgracefm litigation, render
ed long and costly by gigantic con-
spiracy on the part of the local auth
critics established at Nome. Never
was the law worse prostituted by
graft and never did a man fight more
courageously and fairly against big
odds than Lindeberg on behalf of his
prospecting companionship." To the
honor of American journalism be it
said the Washington Post was instru-
mental in exposing the whole shame
full story, causing the senate to call for
an investigation. The federal court
al San Francisco, notably Judge Nor
row, checked the outrage and preven
ted the robbery from being consum-
mated while investigation was being
made. The Judge at Nome was dis
missed and a great wrong righted
Lindeberg came into his own, after
a fight that had lasted three years.
He proceeded to exploit the gold-bear-
ing creek bottoms in miner-like way
and organized a thoroughly efficient
enterprise, which proved highly pro-
fitable. The Pioneer Mining company
has produced $17,OOO,OOO in gold, of
which $6,000,0O0 has been distributed
in dividends and 100000 spent in
property and equipment. 1t Is still
productive. And when he had made
money Mr.. Lindeberg did not forget
his native place, Tromso, but furnish
ed funds for building schools, giving
to his younger countrymen some of
the educational advantages that he
had been compelled to acquire as best
he could during the rough and tumble
of his great adventure.
This is the story of a recent day.
The heroes of it are living and work.
ing still 1t is a pleasant story, be-
cause it tells of wrong righted and of
intelligence rewarded. The ignorant
and the envious among their fellows
exclaimed at the stupid luck" of the
gallant three. but it Is fact that they
prospected on every claim that they
staked, they worked diligently, and
they ascertained where lay the richest
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