SCORCHY SMITH
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Review of Mining
Potentialities Of
Seward Peninsula
By HOWARD LYNG
Territorial Senator
The ninth in a series of articles
exclusive to the Nome Nugget
Before writing of the present
day mines and miners of the im
mediate Nome area, it might be of
interest to first give a brief his
tory of Nome’s beginnings, includ
ing the names of the men who
made the first gold discoveries
that precipitated one of the
world’s greatest gold rushes, the
claims staked, who staked them,
and the creeks on which they
were located.
On the- 31st day of July, 1898,
eight men departed from Chinik
(Golovin) bound for Sinrock, 100
miles to' the westward, to investi
gate a report given to John
Brynteson by Laurits Stephanson
of the Unalakleet Reindeer Sta
tion, that natives had found gold
in the Sinrock River. They were:
John Brynteson, Eric O. Lund
bloom, Jafet Lindeberg, H. L.
Blake, Chris Kimber, F. L. Porter,
John Hagelin, and the Rev. N. O.
Hultberg of the Swedish Covenant
Mission at Chinik.
On Aug. 4, due to a sudden
Bering Sea storm, they sought
shelter in Snake River. While
waiting for the blow to subside,
despite 'the wind and rain, some
of the expedition members took a
quick look at the country, includ
ing the creeks later known as An
vil, Mountain, Glacier, and Lind
bloom, as well as Snake River.
Two days after entering Snake
River the party again started for
Sinrock. After eight days in the
Sinro'ck area, with no encourag
ing prospects, the party returned
to Golovin, arriving there Aug. 21.
The Rev. N. O. Hultberg pro
ceeded to form a second expedi
tion for the purpose of prospect
ing the creeks tributary to Snake
River observed on the Sinrock
trip. On the 10th of September
John Bryntesen, Eric Londbloom,
Jafet Lindeberg, with two natives
to sail the boat, left for Snake
River, returning to Golovin Oct.
1st, with about $35 worth of gold
dust panned out in making dis
coveries on the different creeks.
A decision was then made to
keep the discoveries quiet, and to
return following snowfall, using
reindeer for transportation. This
decision was changed, however, a
day or two later, and a third and
final expedition was formed and
outfitted.
Seeking a larger boat than that
used on the two previous trips,
the four-ton schooner owned by
the Swedish Covenant Mission
was obtained in exchange for
building a small school house for
the mission—this was accomplish
ed in six days. At this time a
California miner named Gabe W.
Price arrived from Kotzebue via
St. Michael—he'had been sent to
the Kotzebue district by Chas. D.
Lane, head of the Wild Goose
Mining Company to' prospect the
region. As the expedition lacked
anyone with placer mining ex
perience, Price was invited to join
the party and an agreement was
reached that he was to get No. 8
Anvil and to stake No. 9 for his
brother, R. L. Price.
On Oct. 12, 1898, the schooner
loaded with supplies and mining
equipment, Dr. R. N. Kittelson,
Eric O. Lindbloom, Jafet Ldnde
berg, Gabe Price, Johan Tornen
sis, and a native named Constan
tine, sailed for Snake River.
(To be Continued)