| Chasing a Dream |
| Prince Edward Islanders in the Klondike |
| J. Clinton Morrison |
Before the Klondike strike in 1896, the North American
preoccupation with the search for gold had spanned much
of the latter half of the nineteenth century. Frustrated by
years of economic depression, many people had become
desperate. There was now the more practical reasoning
that there was still a way out of the poverty, the
unemployment, or the back-breaking labour associated
with tilling the soil and harvesting the sea for subsistence.
The spectacular Klondike gold rush flashed across the
historical scene like a celestial meteor, and just as
suddenly plummeted into oblivion. A full year passed after
the original strike in the summer of 1896 before the outside
world realized the magnitude of the discovery. Soon
100,000 frenzied fortune hunters from around the world
invaded the great lone land of the northwest - a stampede
which culminated in the "Trail of '98". A year later it was
practically all over, but not before it had become one of the
most photographed events of the nineteenth century.
Regardless of its brevity, its historical significance, or its
economic consequences, it became an exciting side issue in
the Island's social history and culture.
preoccupation with the search for gold had spanned much
of the latter half of the nineteenth century. Frustrated by
years of economic depression, many people had become
desperate. There was now the more practical reasoning
that there was still a way out of the poverty, the
unemployment, or the back-breaking labour associated
with tilling the soil and harvesting the sea for subsistence.
The spectacular Klondike gold rush flashed across the
historical scene like a celestial meteor, and just as
suddenly plummeted into oblivion. A full year passed after
the original strike in the summer of 1896 before the outside
world realized the magnitude of the discovery. Soon
100,000 frenzied fortune hunters from around the world
invaded the great lone land of the northwest - a stampede
which culminated in the "Trail of '98". A year later it was
practically all over, but not before it had become one of the
most photographed events of the nineteenth century.
Regardless of its brevity, its historical significance, or its
economic consequences, it became an exciting side issue in
the Island's social history and culture.
|
| _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ EXCERPT |
| "The prospects of this northern region are not at al so golden as the papers used to paint it, but there are some rich miners up the Klondike River, and discoveries are being made which are promising. It is utter folly for any many to dream of going to the Klondike to make a fortune in a few months, yet the chances of locating are fairly good and claims may pan out well. The stories of 'picking nuggets and rock mining' are huge ghost stories." - Barnabas Trowsdale, Conway, Lot 11, PEI October 13, 1898 The Island Farmer |
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS |
About the Author List of Maps Dedication Foreword Part One: THE DREAM BEGINS Chapter 1: Setting the Stage Chapter 2: The Strike Chapter 3: Gold Fever Part Two: THE CALL OF THE NORTH Chapter 4: Heading Out Chapter 5: The Trail of '98 - The Dyea and Skagway Routes Chapter 6: The Trail of '98 - Routes out of the Track of Civilization Chapter 7: Placer of Gold Chapter 8: Dreamers, Drifters and Drivers Chapter 9: Profit and Prayer Part Three: A BITTERSWEET COUNTRY Chapter 10: A Harsh Land Chapter 11: Dawson City - San Francisco of the North, 1896-1900 Part Four: THE END OF THE DREAM Chapter 12: The Third Wave Chapter 13: Aftermath Notes Appendix: A Fragment of the Prince Edward Island Migration to the Yukon and Alaska from 1890-1910 Bibliography Index |
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR P. John Burden |
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ RELATED INTEREST |
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ABOUT THE AUTHOR J. Clinton Morrison |
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