Gold Rush Newspaper Data for Northwest Arctic, Alaska

Welcome to Alaska Genealogy Trails!

Newspaper Data on the Gold Rush

13 Oct 1898, The Evening News
BACK FROM KOTZEBUE
Prospector Declares There is No Gold
Many Experienced Miners Find No Color After Weeks of Weary Search
The reports of the richness of the Kotzebue Sound region, which led a number of San Joseans to equip an expedition to that vicinity seem contradicted by latest advices from that district.
S.W. Blakely of Stockton and well known in San Jose, who left fot the Kotzebue Sound country, Alaska, on the 15th of last May, in search of gold, has returned, pretty well disgusted with the country. The Kotzebue Sound country is within the Arctic Circle, and is much further north that the Klondike diggings.
Mr. Blakely and the others, who arrived about the middle of last July, were lured to the country by lurid accounts of the finding of immense quantities of gold in that region, but Mr. Blakely says he is satisfied that the reports were merely for the purpose of inducing travel northward for the benefit of the steamship companies.
During all the time he was there, and he did not leave for home until the 1st of September, there was not 25 cents worth of gold found anywhere near there. There were between 500 and 600 men, many of them old and experienced prospectors, at work all the time, and even they were unable to find so much as a color. He saw many parties sneak off quietly up this creek or that creek in search of the yellow metal, but they always returned without having discovered a grain. He was of the opinion that if there had been any gold in that part of Alaska it would have been found, as the country was very thoroughly prospected. Between 500 and 600 miners will winter there.
The country is reached by going up the Kobuk river, which is navigable for about 350 miles. It is the intention of many who are there to continue up the Par river next Spring and then go over the James pass to the Koyokuk river, where there is considerable mining.
It is Mr. Blakely's intention to return to Alaska next Spring, though he will go to Rampart City, which is on the Yukon, instead of to Kotzebue Sound. The weather at that place is not bad during the summer, though the nights are cold. The mosquitoes, he said, were awful.
The reports of mosquitoes were true; as a matter of fact, that was about all the truth there was in the articles published about the region. He did not intend coming home when he started, but intended to go to Rampart City. On his arrival at St. Michaels, however, he found several thousand people waiting there to get up the river, and as he saw no chance of getting up for several months, he concluded to come home. [Transcribed by K. Torp]

Aurora Borealis, 1 Mar 1899
Mr. Fitzhugh Henderson, after a 30 hours walk from Unalaklik, finished his long, hard trip from the Kotzebue country, arriving here February 15th. He remained a few days to complete business matters then left for Cape Nome to investigate that district.
He reports no gold found along the buckland or Selawik rivers. At a depth of five feet colors can be found and a little float gold, but above or below, nothing, even to the depth of forty feet. The would be miners of that locality are now of the opinion that the "gold discoveries of that part of the country were by the dream of some poor sailor."
Later in the month Mr. Meyers and Mr. Knobelsdorf came in. The latter is known as the "Flying Dutchman" up there, having traveled 1900 miles this winter. His statements agree with those of Mr. Henderson that the Kotzebue is a failure as far as gold is concerned. There are altogether nearly 1000 people scattered along the coast and rivers, with sufficient food to last them through the season. The mercury had been as low as 65 degrees and many had suffered with frozen hands, faces and other portions of the body, otherwise good health prevailed.
The Cape Nome discovery has penetrated that country by this time and it is supposed as many as can will stampede at once for the new fields. [Transcribed by K. Torp]

15 May 1899 - Bismarck Tribune
FROM KOTZEBUE SOUND
Two Iowans Just Out Have Tales of Hardships, but No Gold
Skaquay, Alaska, May 5, via Seattle, Wash., May 13. - F.A. Fysh and W. Williams reached Dawson, April 15, on foot from Kotzebue sound. Fysh and Williams formed two of a party of 18 who left Iowa last summer and joined the big rush which landed 2,000 on the various rivers of Kotzebue sound.
The party established winter quarters 300 miles up the Kowak river. After untold hardships and labor they decided that there was no gold in the country. On Feb. 19, Fysh and Williams struck out over the divide to the Koyukuk, thence to Dawson, a distance of 1,000 miles. Mr. Fysh reports that Kotzebue sound is thickly peopled with an intelligent race of Indians closely resembling the Japanese in habits and physique. The principal diet heretofore has been dried salmon, but the abundance of white man's food last summer was the cause of laying away less than half a crop of salmon. The result this winter was that the illy nourished natives have been dying off like sheep. He says the opening of the Bering sea will see the exodus of the last white man, and only a scattering of cabins will mark the scene of one of the most disastrous gold hunting expeditions since Cortez landed on the coast of Florida.
W.I. Siegel, A U.S. mail carrier arrived from Dawson today with 165 pounds of mail matter from points on the American side of the Yukon, commencing at St. Michaels. He made the trip in 15 days. He broke through the ice several times, having many narrow escapes. He reports that five large mails for Dawson are hung up at Selkirk, Hootalinqua and White Horse and will have to await the opening of navigation. The Yukon and its tributaries are fast breaking up. ?? river is free of ice and Fifty Mile river is open from White Horse rapids to Lake Marsh.
Norman Rank, ex-golf commissioner of the Atlin district, who arrived from Victoria today, brings an order from Minister of Mines Humes to the effect that the opening of the mining season is to be extended from June 1 to July 1. He also brings word that Humes would come up before the end of the month with a committee of arbitration before which all controversies about ownership of claims in Atlin district are to be settled.
Captain Wallace Landley reached here from Victoria today with a grant for the construction by the Atlin Short Line Railroad and Navigation company, of a narrow gauge road of 2 ¼ miles to connect steamboat navigation between Lake Bennett and Atlin.
Ed Stratford, special agent of the U.S. land office is here to make a selection of sites for a public building. From here he goes to Sitka. [Transcribed by K. Torp]

2 Sep 1899 - The Anaconda Standard
Had Hard Luck Stories
Frightful Experiences with Kotzebue Country
ARE BEYOND DESCRIPTION
Horrible Sufferings of Hardy Prospectors in the Frozen North -- Bering Sea Swept by a Terrific Wind Storm

Seattle Wash., Sept 1 -- Two steamers arrived from Alaska to-day bringing about 500 miners, fortunate and unfortunate. The Laurada came form St. Michaels and the Humboldt from Skaguay. The total amount of gold dust they brought down is estimated at one-half million.
The reports from the Cape Nome district are still conflicting, but the fact remains that considerable gold dust was brought from there by passengers on the Laurada. The dust is very find and has to be amalgamated.
S.A. Warren and O.H. Robertson of Denver brought out $50,000 from the Eagle City district. J. Dickinson, who has been in that district six years, had $25,000.
From the Klondike came J.H. Ladd with $20,000; E. McGrath with $50,000, and Charley Anderson with $40,000. One stalwart miner struggled toward the assay office this morning with a sack of dust 15 inches long and was asked where he came from.
"Eagle City, sir, and that's on the American side and I'm an American miner, and don't forget it."
He seemed to take as much pride in the latter part of his statement as he did in his sack of dust.
Many hard luck stories are also told.
T.C. Martin of Chicago lies in Providence hospital,a and his old partner, Thomas Cragle, of the same Place, is dead on the barren and inhospitable shore of Kotzebue sound. Martin went in two years ago and is a physical wreck, glad to have escaped with his life. He says the terrors they experienced were awful and cannot be described. He had to be helped off the Laurada and into and out of the conveyance by a friend named Kyle, who took him to the hospital.
P.J. Peterson of Chicago came back on the Laurada. He had an iron constitution and does not seem to be much the worse off of a long, hard winter spent in the Kotzebue country.
"I was the only one, though, out of 31 who pitched camp together, that was able when the ice broke up to walk out straight."
Peterson wintered about 265 miles up the Kobuck river from the mission on Hoddum Inlet.
Mike Daly and two Frenchmen from Providence R.I. are reported to have died last winter in the Koyukuk country. Their bodies were found this spring.
Dr. Groves of Redding, Cal., died in the Koyukuk country of spinal meningitis.
Bering Sea was swept by a terrific wind storm on the 19th, 20th and 21st of August that made all shipping caught out in it struggle hard to live. The British gunboat Pheasant, the U.S. cutters Rush and Corwin and the Laurada, were all caught out and had a hard time to live it out. All escaped, however, but the Pheasant lost two of her life-boats, which were smashed by heavy seas washing her decks. The huge waves that broke over her piled down into the forecastle, driving every Jack Tar to other parts of the ship. The Rusli and the Pheasant, after the storm, put into Dutch harbor, where the Laurada saw them. The latter vessel was caught by the hurricane one day this side of Nome at about 10 o'clock on the night of the 19th. It came up from the southeast and blew with terrific force till the 22d. The Laurada was heading into it and shipped but few seas. Sailors on the cutters said it was the worst storm they had ever encountered. [Transcribed by K. Torp]