THE CAPE XOME GOLD DISTRICT 21 



In niiiiiy instance.s, wliere the supply of copper plate could not e(puil 

 tlie demand, the bottom of the rocker was covered by United States 

 silver coin, principally one-dollar pieces, and these coated with the 

 mercury which caught the gold. During the latter part of summer 

 and in the fall it is estimated that an average of 2,000 men were work- 

 ing along the beach, and that they took out an average of about S20 

 j)er day per man. In many cases the amount taken out was much 

 greater. The tundra between the beach and the base of the mountains 

 ■ lias also lieen prospected to some extent and has not infrequently 

 yielded from 10 cents to 30 cents ])er pan. Capital, however, will 

 doubtless be required to handle the tundra with proHt; also the benches 

 above referred to in the lower region of the mountains have been 

 found to be auriferous and have largely been staked. 



Tlie country about the head of Solomon and Bonanza rivers, 40 

 miles northwest of Nome, reports good prospects. In the Golofnin 

 Bay country on Fish River and its tributaries coarse gold was taken 

 out during the past summer. On Ophir Creek, one of the chief trib- 

 utaries, a single claim is said to have yielded 875,000. I*rosi)ects 

 have also been re|)orted on the western sliore of Norton l>ay. Late 

 in the fall it was rumored that gold had been found at Cape York by 

 a native employed in herding the Government reindeer. These 

 rumors have since been more tlian verified Ijy Captain Jarvis, who 

 visited this region with the U. S. revenue cutter Bear, and by a recent 

 numl)cr()f Tlie Alu-ikmi Miner, issued atJuneau, which reports thecoun- 

 try i"i<-li ami that more than nine sijuare miles of it were staked late in 

 Noveml)er,and early in December, 'inhere seems good reason to infer 

 that sultstantiall}' the entire southern half of this large peninsula, 

 Covering more than 8,000 or 10,000 square miles, is gold-ljearing and 

 much of it very rich. It lies in the great Yukon gold belt, extending 

 from the KloiuliUe westward, and probably continues across Bering 

 Sea into Siljeria. It seems more than ])rol)ab]e that the Siberian coast 

 will l)e visited by enterprising .American ])rospcctors before another 

 season has passed. 



There is no timber in the Nome district. The nearest aj>proach to 

 it is a scanty growth of very stunted willow or elm along some of the 

 waterways, wholly inadequate lor oidinary camping purposes. A 

 growth of moss, which furnishes abundance of food for reindeer, covers 

 the surface except in the upper slopes of the mountains. There is, 

 liowever, a sullicient growih olgrsiss to sustain horses an<l cattle dur- 

 ing the short summer months. Mr I"'. V. Coville atlrilmtes tli<' ;il>- 

 j-ence of f ind)er to I be rit'ors of the A relic climate. 



