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ECU A FaUclore
Circumstances of Interview
Washington
Nat Honig
Seattle, Washington
December, 1938
'The Lure of Gold', etc.
1. Dr. Kristian Falkenberg, 426 Republic Bldg., Seattle, Wn.
2. December. 16, 1938
3. 426 Ripublic Bldg.
4. Honig
5. None
6. Optometrietts office.
FORM B Folklore
Personal History of Informant
Washington
Nat Honig
Seattle, Washington
December 16, 1938
'The Lure of Gold", etc.
1. Norwegian
2. Unobtainable
3. Unobtainable
4. Chicago, 1893-1896; Alaska, 1897-1905; Chicago, 1905; Seattle, 405 to date.
5. Unobtained.
6. Prospector in Alaska, optometrist
7. Optometrist
8. Chieftain, Alaska-TUkon Pioneers; Past Arctic Chief, Camp Ranpart No. 15,
Arctic Brotherhood of Alaska; President Norwegian Commarcial Club;
Treasurer, Washington State Fraternal Congress.
9. Distinguished of bearing, but rough-hewn type; speaks with slow, but slight
Norwegian accent.
10. Dr. Falkenberg is one of five survivors of those who took the "back -door"
route (the Edmonton Trail) into Alaska during the 1898 gold rush. The trip
took 22 months from Chicago to Dawson it now can be covered by air travel
in the same number of hours.
Honig Folkstuff
Prospecting and gold
rushes
THE LURE OF GOLD
/t is bard to believe what men would go through for the lure of gold, but
the hardships many of the prospectors vent through to reach Alaska in the days
of the gold rushes show what men would do for a chance at a lucky strike.
I know because I am one of the three known survivors of the ones who came
to Alaska the hard war -by the Edmonton trail. I will tell it as it happened.
One warm Sunday morning in 1897 I opened up the Chicago Tribune (I lived
in Chicago then) and read about the rich gold strike at Dawson. A friend, a
young fellow named Dietrich, came along riding on a bicycle. He said "I sure
would strike out for Dawson if it wasn't for my right hand being crippled. "That
put the first idea in my head.
A friend of Dietrich named Han already was fired with the idea of striking
out for Alaska, and said he had arranged to go with another Norwegian named John
Sejersted. He invited me to go along with them.
We bought an outfit of 500 pounds of bacon, 500 pounds of hardtack, coffee,
tee, dried fruit, etc. W• bought eight thoroughbred Scotch collie dogs from
Robert Lincoln, Abels oldest son. While the dogs were high grade, yet it proved
we were perfect Chechakos, to take that kind of dogs, which were not used to the
cold climate, as we later found out.
14 planned to go byway of Skagwey and Chilcoot pass, but heard of the
terrific snow slide at Dyer, so we changed our plans an decided an the Edmonton—
Athabasca—MacEensie River route.
We left Chicago September 15. We built a boat at Edmonton, and hauled it
and our supplies by wagon from there to Athabasca Landing, store we arrived
October 1. We loaded our boat and started down the river that night.
Not being used to river travels we got stuck on most ox the sandbars in
that crooked river. That evening we camped on the river bank and crawled into
our clasping bags. We were surprised next morning to find two inches of snow in
The Lure of Gold (Cont.)
our sleeping bags. We started down the river again, hitting the sand bars an
before. We probably would have had to stay -there if the noble hearted Indian
river pilot Alex Kennedy had not come along with a large raft and hauled us
off the last bar. be piloted us 125 miles to Pelican River, where we camped
that winter, hunting, trapping and prospecting.
Prospecting was kind of disappointing, as we expected to find gold on
top of the ground. The fact is, we were worried about the price of gold dropp-
ing before we got to Dawson. That winter our nearest neighbor was forty miles
Shortly after the river froze up Mahn returned home and Sejerated and I
remained. The two of us left Pelican River May 28, 1898. From Grand Forks
onthe Athabasca River we went to Fort McMurray, a distance of 87 miles. There
were twelve rapids, some very rough and swift, but we were lucky to have Alex
Kennedy as our pilot.
We sailed across Lesser Slave Lake to Slave River, into Great Slave Lake
to Fort Resolution, across Great Slave Lake (120 miles) to Fort Providence and
down the MacKenzie River to Fort Simpson, where Mr. Cannel was factor for the
Hudson Hay Company. On June 28 we started up Liard River, pulling our boat a-
gainst that swift current. Our toughest spots on that river were Hill's Gate
and Devil's Portage.
Sejerated and I had a good outfit but we separated on September 15. I
took in John Green, an old Chicago sailor, as 4y new partner. He had lost his
entire outfit when his boat capsized in the river.
We camped at Fart Balkett on uctober 9, 1898. I spent nearly every day
that winter hunting from daybreak to nearly dark. Green didn't feel strong
enough to go through to Dawson but decided on going by way of the Stikine River
and Wrangell. I put 315 pounds in a hand sled and on March 15, 1899 started off
alone, arriving at Dease River Post four days later a distance of 96 miles.
The Lure of Gold (Cont.)
There I joined three Scotahmen George Anderson, Forbes, and Johnson. We left
on March 26 for Folly Banks. George and I pulls(' 500 pounds each on a hand sled,
traveling ten miles each day. We built a boat at Polly Banks, arriving at Dawson
July 8, 1899.
Aftertwenty-two months the only thing I had left in the way of clothing was
what I stood in an old felt hat, flannel shirt, woolen socks, and Indian sash
for a belt, and Indian moccasins. I must have been quite a sight, for Mr. Burke,
reporter for the ',Klondike Nugget", yes bound to take my picture.
Twenty-two months travel to find gold— so I know what men will go through
for the lure of gold. Today the only two survivors of those who took the Edmonton
trail, besides myself, are John S. Mackay, past president of the /tamers of Van-
couver, British Columbia, and Dr. Ralph S. Quimby, an optometrist.
To give you an idea of the ways of the prospectors, take the case of Joe
KaminskY, In March, 1903, no gold had yet been found around Fairbanks. Joe
Kaminsky we out twelve dollars on Gold Strewn. No one could believe Joe had
washed out the gold there, but I was mire of it, for Joe paid me twelve dollars
to go over to the blacksmith's shop and make a plain ring from that particular
twelve dollars worth of gold dust. It was worth the money for him to have the
souvenir of the first gold washed out in the Fairbanks district.
In Fairbanks I met a prospector's wife who wore a locket containing coarse
gold, which her husband had found above Emma Creek.