The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1917-12-27

be full OF the web-footcrs. Did you
ever know Ben oleoti7 hear he IL
SINE big gun down there now. |
knew him in - when he mushcd from
Nome 10 Fairbanks, over a thousand
miles" And when ! told him olcott
was secretary of state in Oregon he
remarked; "He had sense enough 10
60 out before his dough sourcd."
There is not dollars worth of FIRE
insurance in Nome. No company will
take any. Too big risks. There is
not wooden building that is level
even the Masonic temple is not strictly
level or on the square. This summer
the water will run out of the kitchen
sink all right, and next summer il
won't, and the few bath tubs in the
city have to be lacked up or down, de-
pending on which end Of the house the
frost did the most heaving.
Sixteen cans of water for one dollar
and Alaska going dry January l. Do
you wonder the people are leaving
Alaska? Soft coal was S25 ton and
going up little higher every time the
Nugget printed a dispatch that a sub
marine had sunk another boat. The
avcsagc cost Of heating house at this
price was $50 a month Party line
/ phones were $40 per month and cleo
trio lights SIS apiece per month The
Pioneer Mining Company brings its
water 10 miles through pipes. Some
Of The small concerns, which have rich
ground but 10 water, build fences to
catch snow, which mclts in the sum
mer and can be used for sIucing. But
a fellow might have to wait four or
five years for the fcbIe winds to blow
the snow into his particular trap.
Everything is chance, and big
chance ia Alaska. When things come
they break il big lunches, but they
arc 4 long hi4c coming tothe 90 and 3
Where did This beach gold come
from2" | asked q miner Washed
down from tha hills he replied The
saae question to another minor got
This answer "Washed n by the
ocean" Naw You guess
There are three beaches az Nome,
The present water front, ono a milo orI
two Back, ana one four or five miles
back, from which it is plainly evident
that in the ages past glacial and vol
canie actions have crowded lhe ocean
back Rich ground was found Oh all
these beaches.
In 1919 great storm or tidal wave,
ruined the present beach by washing
Out or burying the goldbearing sand,
and since that time Nome has steadily
gone down. The hydraulics and dred-
ges will operate for years to come yet,
but they do not employ much help and
their season Of operation is so short
that there are not enough assets to
keep Nome a live one. This mining
town is following Dawson it will /
soon be dead one, once-waasor.
The life Of the greater population
Of Nome during the long winter is
sleeping days and reading nights, and
the one great sport is dog racing.
For the first time on the trip Of |
about 2200 miles down the Yukon
found my old friends, nicl,les and |
dimes, at Nome, and ! went into hip
pocket depository and fshed out
handful that were demonitized at 4
Skagway. Practically "outside" prices
prevail in Nome, with the exception Of
the hash houses" A steak costs
dollar there.
Moving pictures are the main source
Of entertainment in the north city and
considering how the town is cut off
from the world for eight or nine
months the slows are good The reels
must be ordered and delivered nine
months ahead.
There may be a few horses on tho
job around the mining outfits, but !
did not see them. The market price Of
hay was $100 n ton in August and cats
500. The price Of horse board was
$3.50 per day. SO YOU may be sure
there were not many saddle ponies ~