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Show t Old Camp Reviving us (lie Ke-sul( Ke-sul( of Kecent VeHow Metal Finds. WAS. ONCE SCENE OP COPPER BOOM Rush in' Spring Expected and Town Is Preparing, for Arrivals. Special , to The Tribune. ALD1SZ. Alaska. Nov. 27 The wild scramble for claims continues here. "With the near approach of cold weather, the amateur 'as well as the seasoned prospector is making use of every minute min-ute of daylight to place his monumentn on unstaked giound. The snowfall along the coast rang" in this section is very heavy, and once the white blanket covers cov-ers the hills prospecting and claim staking stak-ing will be .at an end. Realizing the necessity of cjulck action, those who hare- not placed their names on location loca-tion monuments arc scouring the hills in search of paying lodes. Thoso who got In earlier in the season sea-son have had time to prospect . their claims and arc. about town displaying specimens of their rock and forming companies to exploit their properties. A score 'of sales have been mado in the last two weeks, ranging from a few thousands to as high as $30,000. tho claim owncru taking a small payment in cash, the, remainder to be paid at fillpulatcd periods. A number of people attracted by the reports sent' to the out-tdde out-tdde have arrived on late boats and have bought up some of the more promising prospects. The prospector, .as usual, is wlllirig to give up his chance.? for a small cash payment and a. bunch of stock. As a consequence it Is noi an uncommon sight to pee a man who lias been "broke" for the past few years appear In a saloon with a roll of hills amounting to a few thousand -dollars, and with a poorly concealed air of Indifference, In-difference, order the drinks for the house. He irs aurrounded by a crowd of his. less fortunate cronies who immediately "tap" him for amounts ranging according to their former degrees of intimacy. Some of the prospectors after making sales have taken boats for the outside, where they will be able to spend the winter in more congenial surroundings. Valdez is known as tho farthest north ice-free port in Ihe world, and has had several incipient booms which died in the horning. Copper was the basis of these flimsy bubbles, but this is the 4irst time in her history that gold Is known to exist in paying quantities In her hills. Tt eemp. strange to a newcomer new-comer that prospectors could hnve been blind for so long a time, but the evidence evi-dence of the old timer's Indifference Is here in plenty When copper was around the Iwo-hit mark, great ledges, of It were located; and thousands of dollars' expended In development work. Some of them will provo dividend makers some dny. but most of them" are held by poor men. who find that a copper mine requires, in most, instances, huge sums of mpnoy for preliminary development Ifeforo. W ia placed on a producing basis. The discovery of rich gold leads has given Valdez a new lease on life, which It attested by the general air of activity ac-tivity and assurance that pervades the atmosphere. The real estate man rlndfi himself a figure of importance . these days, hie chief occupation being "to find houses for tenants who will spend the wjntor Jiere. 'waiting for tho coming of spirng, when tho looked-for rush will arrive. This has caused houses which could be bought for a 55 note two year ago to rent Tor four times that amount monthly Rentals are soaring and dwellings dwell-ings that have been Idle for years are being renovated and placed In condition for the use of prospective tenant. Mayor Boyle has won his fight for a city wharf and cheaper coal, and soon the pnbMc will be able to purchase fuel for half what It cost in the past. Formerly For-merly coal cost from J 17.50 to $20 per top. The city will be "able to sell a belter class of coal for about $12.50. It- is estimated that this reduction In prlcf wllj hwer t.hc -oat of tunnel work in' the mines from $2 to ?3 per running foot." |