gravels were laid down near the shore and the finer material was carried out to sea.

Underneath the dense and spongy growth of moss and grass is a layer of dark-brown or black peat, varying from two to twenty inches in thickness. This peat is usually of a coarse, fibrous character, and is formed principally from moss and grass by vegetative decay. Below the peat a layer of blue, tenacious clay about a foot in thickness is usually found. This rests upon stratified sands and gravels, and includes considerable white sand similar to that of the beach. There are also a few thin layers of ruby and black sand, occurring at irregular intervals, that carry gold in commercial quantities. These are usually found resting upon a blue or yellow clay of a tough, impervious character, which is often termed bed rock by the miners.

The hard or true bed rock is reported to be a soft sandstone or mica-schist. These lithologic terms are used rather loosely by the average miner and we believe that the same bed rock series that is exposed in the gulches underlie the gravels of the tundra. Where this bed rock has been reached it is usually at a depth of from twenty to forty feet. It must not be inferred that this is a measure of the average thickness of the tundra gravels as the test pits from which data were obtained were too few in number to warrant such an estimate. It is not impossible that the tundra gravels may in many localities exceed 100 feet in thickness.

In the sorting and reducing of this material the sea played an important part, for through former ages, as now, the surf has been grinding it up. During the elevation which eventually resulted in the formation of the present coastal plain the shore line gradually

receded, so that the waves successively worked over the materials of different portions of the coastal plain. As has already been stated, the coastal plain or tundra is underlain by gravels similar in character to those of the gulches and the beach. There is every reason to believe that these gravels are gold-bearing, though they have as yet received but little attention. from the prospectors."

The Story of the Discovery of Gold at Nome has often been told, but it will bear repetition at the close of this chapter.

Early in July, 1898, H. L. Blake, N. C. Hultberg and J. L. Haggalin sailed in a small schooner from Golovin Bay up along the northwestern coast for the purpose of prospecting for quartz. Abreast of Snake River, the site of the present city of Nome, a heavy gale struck them and they were washed in on the beach.

The storm continued for several days, and they put in the time prospecting in the vicinity of Snake River. At the mouth of Anvil Creek they found good colors at a depth of one foot, the dirt averaging from fifty cents to one dollar to the pan. They were satisfied

they had made a great discovery.

Not having enough men to form a district, they, either through being unacquainted with the mining laws or overgrasping, did not stake a claim, fearing if they did so their great strike might be observed by others. They returned to the coast, and when the storm subsided, embarked for Golovin Bay, for the purpose of letting their friends in on the find, and thus let slip from their grasp the richest gold-producing territory that has been discovered in Alaska. For, soon after, some one gave the "tip" to E. O. Lindbloom, Jafel Lindberg and John Bryneston, and

this trio of Swedes left immediately for Cape Nome, arriving there about the middle of September. Ascending Snake River to Anvil Creek, they prospected Anvil, and in a short time took out $30 in dust. They now crossed the divide and tried Snow Gulch, which they found to be very rich, and in three days took out $1,800.

After staking all of Snow Gulch, part of Anvil, and some other claims, the Swedes returned to Golovin Bay. To Dr. Kittleson, who was then in the employ of the Alaska Commercial Company at that place, and to G. W. Price, who was on his way home from Kotzebue Sound with "cold feet," and to Missionary Anderson and John Torensis, they communicated the secret of their great find; and this party, numbering seven, with N. C. Hultberg, one of the original discoverers, now outfitted and returning to Snake River the middle of October, organized the Nome Mining District, as described above. It was after all the good claims had been appropriated that

H. L. BLAKE

Blake and his associates discovered that the golden harvest they anticipated for themselves had been practically garnered by the energetic Swedes.

CHAPTER XXIV.

GOLD ON THE SEASHORE

THE GOLDEN BEACH AT NOME-MR. DUNHAM'S INTERESTING DESCRIPTOIN-WHEN THE BEACH GOLD WAS DISCOVERED-SIZE OF CLAIMS-RICH FINDS GREAT EXCITEMENT-BONANZA FOR THE CARPENTERS-SALOONS AND GAMBLING HOUSES Deserted—Barkeepers and Faro Dealers JOIN IN THE RUSH-EVERYBODY HAPPY-TROUBLE TO COME ARBITRARY ACTION OF OFFICER REVERSED -DEFINING RIGHT TO STAKE BEACH-WHOLESALE ARREST OF MINERS-DISCHARGED VICTORY OF THE MINERS-BACK TO THE BEACH-WHERE THE GOLD IS FOUND THE PAY STREAKS-RICH SPOTS $72 TO THE PAN-$9,000 IN THREE DAYS -WORKING SHOULDER TO SHOULDER-A HAPPY MINER-ESTIMATED OUTPUT-COLOR OF BEACH GOLD-MINT Value.

Washing gold from the sands of the seashore is not altogether a new thing in the history of gold mining. In southeastern Alaska, ruby sand carrying fine gold has been worked for years, but so far as known it is confined to a very small area in the vicinity of Lituya Bay. In the early days of California and Oregon, beach gold was found to a limited extent, and Australia has beach mines which are still producing considerable gold; but all the beach diggings in the world grouped together would not equal in extent and richness the wonderful gold-bearing sands of the northwestern coast of Bering Sea.

The following account of the beach diggings at