The Nome nugget., 1921-01-01
TOM POWERS WRITES
 OF BIG OUTSIDE

The following is the advance install ment of serfes of letters from the pen of that widely known old timer Thomas A. Powers of Unalakleet, wnt St incisive co sments on men and (, ! gs have bean freqI.rt,.' presented in the past. Mir. Powers writes this time from the big Ou.sire. to which he has been stranger for many years, (Ed.)
 Seattle. Wn. Nov. 3, 1920 Nugget, Nome
 The departure of the Victoria from Nome this year was truly reminiscent of the early days-the crowds. the meetings of old friends. .he rush for accomodations, the quiet gambling of the steerage passengers who could not. owing to the crowded condition of the boat secure first class passage. and the consequent scramble to obtain bet ter accommodations were all very much like the conditions in the rush days. Nbovc all, the ruinous cry of the gam blers as they advertised their wares. with Sol as master of ceremonies, kcenlH seizng up the possibilities 10 the chatter of chips, the chink of coin. and the seven, come eleven" and other sonnds pregnant with the feeling of the players, savored decidedly of the "old days, the gold days, the days If 9''-to paraphrase the song. And then ther" Were others with a bottle of R0ishe ; in which the drowned their Wur liy cares.
 T're o,age to the pas WIS With out roll from the ship and the sound of music and the merry laughter of the diners could be heard up to mid night. But when the Victoria struck the broad waters of the Pacific an other sound was heard, for aid Nep- tune, with touch of his magic wand speedily turned strong republicans into heek ueihocIdtS dSdin dilu one anu all, rich and poor. proud and humble. paid uniwling tribu:e to the sea god. No more was heard of the merry voice of youth, the gay laugh and the glad voices of the gamblers were dull and some tones of the piano. Even the listless while not q few conceived the 1 idea that death would he welcome as a change from the wiseries of nal de mcf. --
 We had % put in to Latouch for oil and there the passengers, young and old. gladly hit the shore again, 1 where the wandered through the cop per mines, wondered at he vast min | cral wealth in the nearby hills and !! vainly tried to compute what cannot :. he compu:ed-namely the values of 1 Alaska's' mineral wealth to the pres ent and vet unborn generations And l mea nwl1ile they devoted themselves 1 to cEticising the laws retarding her l development and progress. i
 Con Kelly and the members of his l f: mily left the boat at Iatouche ow- 1 ing to his son, Con junior. having |, , touch of pneumonia. A soldier also , rema ined there for q similar reason. Captain Gotwals of the Alaska Road Commission also left the boat for req sons connected with his work.
 The trip from Latouche to Sea tile, the latter part. was pleas ant enough for anyone and sea sick ness was q thing of the past. |
 Our arrival here was greeted by what to he writer seemed to be mill ions of people. He was assured later, however. that it was only a couple of thousand. He heard his name men tioned by someone but couldn locate them in the throng and struggled .hru the gathering alone. But when snorting taxicab nearly bit him in the f