emarkable discoveries of gold at Cape Nome, Alaska, situated almost
in the Bering Strait, only one hundred and fifty miles from Siberia, and
distant not less than three thousand miles from San Francisco and
fifteen hundred from the famed Klondike, naturally created more
excitement in the Western and mining sections of this country than in
the Middle States and the "effete East," an expression frequently heard
in the West. These rich placer-gold deposits were discovered by a small
party of prospectors in the late autumn of 1898. The news spread like
wild-fire down along the Pacific coast and up into Dawson and the
Klondike country, and the following spring witnessed a stampede to the
new El Dorado, which, however, was wholly eclipsed by the unprecedented
mad rush of eighteen thousand persons in the spring ensuing. During the
summer months of 1899, when, in addition to the gold along the creeks,
rich deposits, easy to extract, were found in the beach extending for
miles by the sea, every one at Nome had an opportunity to share in
nature's unexpected gift. Consequently, upon the return in the fall, the
story of the wonderful wealth of this weird country was circulated
broadcast. All kinds of schemes, honest and dishonest, were devised
during the winter to obtain the gold the following season, and the
matter of providing suitable laws to meet the many difficult conditions
and questions which had already arisen, and which would be greatly
aggravated by the threatened and succeeding stampede, came definitely
before Congress. Alaska, legally, is not even a Territory, though
commonly so called. It is the District of Alaska, possessing a governor
and other officers, but, unlike a Territory, no legislature; and it is,
therefore, entirely dependent upon Congress for all legislation. The
Alaska bill, under the charge of Mr. Warner in the House and Senator
Carter in the Senate, consumed a great deal of the time of Congress;
many of its provisions were hotly debated, and finally it became a law,
June 6, 1900--in the main a satisfactory piece of legislation. By it
Alaska was divided into three judicial divisions, and that which
embraces northwestern Alaska and the new gold-fields was allotted to
Arthur H. Noyes of Minnesota, formerly of Dakota. If ever a position
demanded an honest, able, and fearless man, it was this judgeship, which
should be the guaranty of good civil government, establish a court, and
disentangle and dispose of, amo