Dawson City - A History of Growing Pains 1896 - 1906
As prepared by Dawson Historian, John Gould.
ELECTRIC MOTOR SLEIGH FOR DAWSON
Winter travel to Dawson City will be one of the biggest features of this years great gold rush says an exchange if certain Chicago business and railroad men succeed in making a transportation scheme work which is the most novel of all the numerous propositions that have come up since the rush to the north land began.
The proposed electric service from the head waters of the Yukon and the lakes in sleighs capable of travelling sixty miles and hour on smooth service. The Pullman Place Car Company has by this time completed models of the sled that is to make the travel to Dawson practical and easy in the middle of the Arctic winter.
The company acting on the idea is the Great Northern Mining and Transportation Co. And prominent Chicago business men.
The sleighs to be built by Palace Car Co will be furnished with upholstered berths, and heated and lighted with electricity, so on the coldest weather will not trouble the traveller. It will travel at speeds 10 to 60 miles per hour depending on the road conditions.
The first trip will have men who will smooth over the rough places after the pilot get acquainted with the operation of the sleigh.
Passenger and baggage will be carried at reasonable rates.
All plans of the Company are patented..
Smaller sleighs will be available to the prospector, they will be fitted with diamond drills for prospecting during the winter. The sleighs are expected to be put in operation during the coming winter.
(From the Alaska Search Light September 14,1897.)
This electric sleigh never got operating during the gold rush.
Cable ferry owned and operated by Mr. Hubrick. The ferry landing was at the foot of Queen Street. There was a tower straddling Front street just south of Queen street, a cable ran from the top of the tower across the river to an anchor high on the west side of the river. The Territorial Government bought the ferry in October 1904, it operated until the mid 1840's when a diesel powdered ferry was used. The ferry tower wastorn down in 1945. Mr. Hubrick moved out to Hunker where he acquire a road house at claim 54 below discovery which operated until some time in the 1920's.
NOTICE
Notice is hereby given to all it may concern that the following
schedule offices for freighting on the creeks has been adopted by the Yukon
Freighters Association.
Hunker and Last Chance forks.................................8c per lb
Hunker
and Gold Bottom forks.............................. 12c per lb
Hunker Discovery...................................................15c per
lb
Dominion upper Discovery..................................... 27c per lb
Dominion
Lower Discovery......................................30c per lb
To Discover on
All Gold via 6 below discovery
Hunker................................................................ 35c
per lb
Too Much Gold.......................................................30 per
lb
Eureka
to the forks................................................40c per lb
Little
Blanche to mouth.........................................25c per lb
BLUE LAWS
Dawson was no doubt the only mining place in the world which had a Sunday closing ordinance. From midnight Saturday to midnight Sunday the saloon doors were locked and business was suspended. Work of any kind was prohibited. Those who have been drunk for a week are given a chance to sober up and gel in condition for an other weeks run.
One person was fined for fishing on Sunday, and had to contribute 2 dollars
and cost for the good of the nation.
SOCIETIES
Dawson Lodge No.1 of Yukon Order of Pioneers, was formed in Dawson on July
24, 1897. Within a short time they built a hall on 2nd Ave. Between Princess
Street and Harper Street, this was the first hall to be built in Dawson, it
was used extensively by other groups and religious organizations. In June 1898
two fraternal orders, the Masons, and the Odd Fellows, had their first meeting
in Dawson, which was held in the Pioneer hall.
Shortly after this meeting a decision was made to build a fraternal Hall, the
hall was to be built on a lot near the Presbyterian church on Church street.
A dedication ceremony was held on Sunday September 13,1898. Those orders who
©John Gould
(This is copyrighted material and under no circumstances is allowed to be copied or used without the express permission of the author)