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Rube Holbrook

Paris Mercury  October 5 1900  (excerpts)

 Rube Holbrook A Millionaire

The Monroe County Man Strikes It Rich Near Cape Nome

Three years ago a party of 25 Parisians went gold hunting in Alaska.  The poorest man in the crowd was Rube Holbrook......  Wednesday night Tan Bassett returned from Nome, where he has been during the summer.  He says Holbrook is interested in some of the biggest claims in the Cool Creek country, 80 miles back from Nome, and in undoubtedly a millionaire.  The other Monroe boys, Wright, Beagles, Powers and the rest, are doing well.  Tom Murphy and Abe Hill are in Seattle, where they probably remain.  Mr. Bassett says Nome is the richest of all gold countries and will yet startle the world with its output.  He states, however, that government favoritism toward syndicates is visible even in far off Alaska and that the poor man has stood a poor show in Alaska.  The big companies jump claims with impunity and have seized almost the entire beach.  One miner's house was moved off his claim and in resisting, he was killed. Small pox raged for awhile and there were some suicides, but the reports sent out were greatly exaggerated.  Mr. Bassett says he saw no starving men. He still has great confidence in the value of the Paris company's claims.

(Courtesy of Kathleen Wilham)