Document 60: Excerpts from the Diary of Charles P. Mosier, Winter 1898-1899
Diary of Charles P. Mosier, MSS 12, Acc. 82/168, Yukon Archives, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.
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Excerpts from the diary of Charles Mosier, of Byron New York, aged 17, mining in the Klondike Mining District with his father and other members of a Western New York group.
Tuesday, November 8: Started hole, dug a foot. All other boys started too.
Wednesday, November 9: Working at hole; sunk 2 feet.
Thursday, November 10: WORKING hole down, about 6 feet.
Friday, November 11: Working hole down, 7 1/2 feet.
Saturday, November 12: Working at hole; down 9 1/2 feet.
Sunday, November 13: Reading, bathing. Expecting Father home from Dawson. Bob Menzie brought over some moose steak. Father returned from Dawson about 9:30 P.M.
Monday, November 12: Put up windlass at the hole & curbing.
Tuesday, November 15: Working at hole.
Wednesday, November 16: Working at hole, picking the muck.
Thursday, November 17: Working at hole.
Friday, November 18: Working at hole. Writing to Walt Hollenbeck. Got colds.
Saturday, November 19: Father working in hole in forenoon; I at windlass. Not working in afternoon. Sym & I jointing the floor & Nailing it down....
Sunday, November 20: Resting in cabin? below this morning. Van Valkenburg took Ed Britt to Dawson with dog team.
Monday, November 21: Working at hole. 44 below. I have a cold & hard cough.
Tuesday, November 22: Working in hole. Struck $1.28 to pan on 19 A. No. 7 lay in creek bed an average of .83 cents to pan.
Wednesday, November 23. Working in hole, down about 20 feet. 42 below zero.
Thursday, November 24: THANKSGIVING: I worked in hole part of day. Had moose roast, plum pudding, cranberry sauce, potatoes etc., for dinner. Ate a good meal. Went down on 12A to see Mr. Moore; he gave us a piece of moose also.
Tuesday December 20: Cleaned out hole, about 30 buckets muck & gravel. Found gravels. The fire burned through 1 ft. muck.
Wednesday December 21: Cleaned out hole; colors found.
Thursday December 22: Cleaned out hole; colors found.
Friday December 23: Cleaned out hole; 35 buckets gravel & muck.
Saturday, December 24: Cleaned out hole; 45 buckets gravel. Boys had a round-up. Shepherd with his guitar & Van with mouth organ, Sandy Roberts dancing; mostly all No. 19 Sulphur.
Sunday, December 25: XMAS: Had a fine dinner-moose meat, pies, cake. Father dined at Mr. Moore's on 12-A Sulphur. Spent the evening at Dan Fraser's cabin. Had a musicale-singing, dancing etc. Came home & had lunch & went to bed.
Tuesday, March 14. Cleaned hole; 18 buckets pay; $1.16 & $1.37 to pan.
Wednesday, March 15. Cleaned hole; 32 buckets pay; 25 cents, 32 cents, & 37 cents to pan. Smoke made my eyes sore.
Friday, March 17: Father worked in hole & Mr. Glover windlassed for him. I was laid up with sore eyes caused from gas in hole—was blindfolded all day.
Friday, March 24: Cleaned hole here & 28 cents to pan. Finished cleaning Meadow hole & put in fire.
Saturday, March 25: Cleaned hole here; 30 cents to pan. Also cleaned at Meadow Creek.
Sunday, March 26: Stayed in cabin; baked bread. Sym & Glover returned from Dawson. Had a singing chorus....
Monday, March 27: Cleaned hole here; 95 cents to pan. Bought some moose meat of Snidson, No. 9 lay on 18A; $4.37 our share. Put a fire in hole on Meadow....
Tuesday, March 28: Cleaned hole here; 20 cents to pan. Also hole on Meadow panned a nice little chunk.
Monday, April 3: Cleaned hole; 55 buckets; 98 cents & 13 cents to pan.
Tuesday, April 4: Cleaned hole; 50 cents to pan; 46 buckets pay.
Wednesday, April 5: Cleaned hole; 40 buckets pay; 33 cents & 10 cents to pan.
Monday, May 8. Drawing dirt to sluice; started sluicing in afternoon on Conger's dump. Cleaned up at night. A good showing.
Tuesday, May 9: Drawing dirt from Conger's dump. We sluiced from our dump; made a nice showing when cleaned up.
Wednesday, May 10: Sluiced from our dirt; cleaned up at night..
Thursday, May 11: Sluicing from Conger's dump. 60.
Friday, May 12: Sluicing from Conger's dump.
Saturday, May 13: Finished Conger's dump. Sluiced from our dirt about 2 hours. Batavia boys got a nugget of $20 and better.
Sunday, May 14: Stayed in cabin all day.
Monday, May 15: Sluicing from our dirt all day. Cleaned up two front riffles at night.
Tuesday, May 16: Finished sluicing our dirt....
Wednesday, May 17: Finished laying track and sluiced from Blair's dump in afternoon. Ice went out in Yukon River.