lock the following evening, bobbing like a cork in
the now fast increasing storm. After some difficulty in getting into it,
in truly a very thrilling fashion, we were rowed ashore in a life-boat
and artistically beached through the surf, a feat which could be
performed only by that crew of skilful Swedes.

V

McKENZIE AT WORK--THE STORM--THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS

Nome had become more substantial in appearance,--there were fewer tents
and more buildings,--but it was even more unsightly now that the rain
had made the streets a perfect sea of mud, knee-deep in most places. The
Wild Goose Company's railroad had been laid, and was in successful
operation. On all sides was manifest the hustling genius of the American
people. We put up at a remarkably promising place, The Golden Gate
Hotel; and, after a long unacquaintance with such a luxury, rested
between sheets, and gave our things a chance to dry. We were lucky to
have caught the _Elmore_, for otherwise it would have meant detention at
Chenik for a week, awaiting an abatement of the storm. It was a pleasure
to see some of our friends again, and very interesting to learn the news
and latest developments. The story of the wonderful strike of gold at
Kougarok and Gold Run, back of Port Clarence, was corroborated, and,
generally, the mine-owners said that the country was richer than they
had ever dreamed it to be. The receivership story was also very
generally confirmed. Undoubtedly there then existed in the civil
administration of the Nome country as corrupt a ring of wholesale
robbery and blackmail as one can imagine.

The following account may better enable the reader to appreciate the
magnificence of the scheme of confiscation which at this time was in a
prosperous state of realization.

There had been organized in the city of New York, under the laws of
Arizona, with a capital stock of fifteen million dollars, The Alaska
Gold Mining Company, of which Alexander McKenzie, a man of political
influence, well known in the Dakotas, was the chief promoter and the
owner of a majority of the stock. He had placed a portion of the
remainder where he believed it would stand him in good stead. The main
assets of this company consisted of "jumpers'" claims to rich mining
property near Nome, principally situated on Anvil Creek--claims which,
having already been taken or "located," had been "jumped" or
"relocated" by certain individuals on some of the pretexts sugg