Klondike Gold

In 1894, Robert Henderson from Big Island off the north coast of Nova Scotia arrived in the territory with a small party. A former sailor, Bob had wandered pretty well around the globe. They prospected around the river bars of the upper Yukon and rocked out $54.00 in fine gold at the mouth of the Pelly. When they reached Joe Ladue's trading post at Ogilvie the trader contributed the latest information concerning recent strikes and discoveries. Acting on this information, Henderson headed for Indian River, prospected along it to the mouth of Quartz Creek and proceeded up it to the divide on Hunker. After cleaning up around $600.00 for the season on Quartz Creek he proceeded to cross the divide to Gold Bottom where he located a two-cent prospect. During the summer of 1896 Henderson made another trip to Ladue's post. The water in Indian River was low and he realized that it would be practically impossible to proceed up that stream. He came to the conclusion that Gold Bottom flowed into a tributary of the Yukon some distance below Ogilvie so made his way down the Yukon to its confluence with the Tron Deg [Klondike] where he found George W. Carmak with his native wife and his Indian brothers-in-law, Skookum Jim and Tagish Charlie, fishing for salmon.

Carmak had jumped ship a few years before at Skagway and gone inland to prospect. He had married a Siwash girl named Kate and was living with the Indians, having earned the sobriquet "Siwash George." In accordance with the usual custom, Henderson announced the discovery of Gold Bottom and invited Carmak to stake there. A short time later Carmak and his two Indians proceeded to Gold Bottom and staked claims adjacent to Henderson's location. Henderson states that he advised Carmak and the Indians to cross the divide and prospect the gravel of Rabbit Creek, later known as Bonanza Creek, and, after arranging for supplies for the party, asked him to send back word by an Indian if the prospects were favourable.

It was at the head of Bonanza Creek that the first real find was made a short while later. The camp was short of fresh meat and Skookum Jim had gone hunting, leaving his two companions to follow. Waiting on the bank of the creek for them, he stopped to take a drink of water. As he lay on his stomach the dull glint of gold in the creek-bed caught his eye. When Carmak and Charlie joined him later Jim told them of the colours he had discovered. They remained on the creek, panning and testing the gravel, and in a little while had washed out over twelve dollars. Forthwith they staked out claims, Carmak staking a Discovery Claim and Number One Below, Jim staking One Above and Charlie Number Two Below. Without attempting to notify Henderson, Carmak and Charlie built a raft and proceeded to Fortymile to register the claims and spread the good news while Jim remained behind to guard the camp.

Carmak's announcement, however, was received with little enthusiasm in Harry Ash's saloon there since his alliance with his Indian family hadn't enhanced his prestige, his veracity being also held in light esteem. In fact, the region where his reported strike had taken place was little thought of by gold-seekers, the valley being too wide and the hills too low. It was all moss, mud and willows, an ideal moose pasture in the summer and a good hunting region for wild game-and that was all.

Despite Carmak's display of gold dust there was still a disposition to accept his news lightly. "Carmak's discovered pay-dirt in that old moose pasture," the crowd laughed, and continued with their drinking. All but Clarence Berry, the bartender, who quietly eased out of the door, made tracks for the spot and reached the diggings in time to stake Forty Above. Eventually he became the owner of Four, Five and Six Eldorado. The first year he secured only a half-interest in Five which paid him $130,000.00. It gave him one of the largest nuggets in the region, a nugget which tipped the scales at nearly a pound and realized $230.00.

Overnight the realization seemed suddenly to strike home and the stampede to Rabbit Creek, hereafter to be known as Bonanza, was on. Over two hundred claims had been staked ere the news filtered through to Oscar Ashby's saloon in Circle City, but by the time Circle City had been almost deserted for the new diggings Bonanza had been staked in every direction.

Meanwhile Bob Henderson had made his way to Gold Bottom and did not hear of Carmak's strike in the area he had recommended until October, when the ground was all staked out. So bitterly disappointed was he when he heard of the magnitude of the strike and realized how Carmak had let him down that he threw down his shovel and sank back on his bedroll, unable to speak. Leaving the Klondike he spent a winter, stranded and half-starved, in Circle City ere returning to his home in Nova Scotia, a sick and embittered man. His disappointment was only partly assuaged by the Dominion Government extending to him recognition for having been the real discoverer of the Klondike seeing that he was the first man to mine on one of its tributaries. The honorary pension given to him he renounced in 1927 and returned west to Vancouver Island to get in on another strike. But, once again, his luck deserted him and he died, thinking to the last of the fortune that, by a twist of circumstance, had slipped through his fingers.

Skookum Jim and Tagish Charlie were made honorary citizens of Canada for their part in the discovery, which allowed them the privilege denied to Indians of getting all the liquor they could pay for, though Carmak, an American citizen, received no special recognition. Deserting his Indian wife, Kate, who is said to have been the true discoverer of his gold find, and his hybrid family, he went to New York and died, penniless. Skookum Jim, Dawson Charlie and Kate Carmak are buried in the little Indian cemetery at Carcross, forty miles south of Whitehorse, Charlie having fallen off the Carcross Railway bridge in 1910 and drowned.