Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Departure

Tourists, businessmen, immigrants, and gold diggers who go to the Klondike can take the Canadian Pacific Railway directly from Montreal to Vancouver without reversing or leaving Dominion.After disembarking in this large city in Columbia, they can choose land, river or sea access, combining the different modes of transportation available, boats, horses, vehicles, plus walking for most of the journey. Once the departure was confirmed, Sammy Skin had to hand over all the details of the trip to his cousin Ben Rado: preparing supplies, choosing the route.That's just the thing for this ambitious and brilliant engineer.He was the sole initiator of this operation, so he naturally had to take full responsibility.

First, Ben Rado was quite right to note that the time of departure could no longer be postponed.Josiah Lacoste's heir has to be in the Klondike by the start of the summer.This region in the far north near the Arctic Circle also has only a few warm months in summer. Sure enough, when he looked up the Canadian Minerals Code applicable to the Yukon Territory, he saw that section 9 read: "During seasons of good weather (as determined by the Commissioner). Any plot not excavated within 15 24 hours shall be confiscated, unless dispensed by the Commissioner." Although the good season comes earlier, it is not until the middle and late May.Therefore, during this period, if the work on Lot 129 is suspended for more than 15 days, the property of Josiah Lacoste will belong to Dominion.Moreover, the American conglomerate is very likely to report the reason for the shutdown of the industry it covets to the relevant department.

"Sammy, you see," Ben Rado said, "we can't be pushed to the front." "I understand all that you make me understand, my dear friend," replied Sammy Skin. "Not to mention I'm absolutely right," added the engineer. "I don't doubt it, Ben. And I have nothing against starting from Montreal at once, if it will bring us back sooner." "We're only in the Klondike for as long as we have to, Sammy." "Agreed, Ben. When are we going? . . . " "Ten days later," Ben Rado replied, "April 2."

Sammy Skin folded his arms and bowed his head, wanting to cry out, "What! . . . so early! . . . " But he said nothing, because complaining was useless. Besides, it was very wise for Ben Rado to set April 2 as the final departure date.He looked at the route on the map, and went through a series of thoughts full of numbers, which he manipulated with justifiable flair. "To the Klondike," he said, "we can only choose between two routes, because there are only two routes. Maybe one day we can pass Edmonton and Fort St. John and follow the Peace River to the Yukon." River, the River of Peace runs through Cascia in Northeast Columbia..."

"I've heard it's a wild game area," interrupted Sammy Skin, addicted to hunting dreams, "well, why not take this route?" "Because after we leave Edmonton, we have to travel 1,400 kilometers overland through basically undeveloped areas." "So, Ben, which route are you going to take?" "Vancouver, without a doubt. Here are some pretty accurate numbers for the length of your trip: 4,665 kilometers from Montreal to Vancouver, and 2,489 kilometers from Vancouver to Dawson City." "Then, the sum is," said Sammy Skin, as he calculated, "5 plus 9 equals 14, and I enter 1; 8 and 8 equals 16, and I enter 1; 7 and 4 equals 11, and I enter 1; 5 plus 2 equals X...a total of 7164 kilometers."

"Exactly, Sammy." "Well, Ben, if only we could bring back 7164 grams of gold!  …" "Based on the current price of 2,340 francs for 1 gram of gold, the total value is 16,763,760 francs." "I wish we only brought back 760 francs," Sami muttered softly. "Sammy, what did you say?" "Nothing, my dear Ben, absolutely nothing." "I am not surprised by this amount," Ben Rado continued. "Didn't the geographer John Ming declare that Alaska produced more gold than California? In 1861 alone, the revenue was 405 million. Can't Gram make its own contribution to the world's 25 billion gold wealth?"

"I think it's very possible," Sammy agreed cautiously, "but, Ben, it's time to think about preparations... We can't go out there, into that incredible region, with just a change of shirt and two pairs of sock." "Don't worry, Sammy, I'll take care of everything. You just board the train in Montreal and get off in Vancouver. As for our preparations, it's very different from immigrants; they'll be wandering aimlessly in faraway regions , I had to bring a lot of things. All our things have been returned to us, and they are on Uncle Josias’s land. We just need to get there..."

"Hmph! That's quite a lot!" exclaimed Sammy Skinner. "It's worth taking some precautions...especially to keep out the cold...well...I think I'm frozen to the bone finger." "Forget it! Sammy, when we arrived in Dawson City, it was just in time for the peak season of the good season." "However, bad seasons will come." "Don't worry," Ben Rado replied, "even if it is winter, you will have everything. Warm clothes, delicious food. You will come back fatter than when you started." "Ah, no, I didn't ask for that," retorted Sammy Skin, resigned. "Let me tell you in advance: If I gain 5kg in the future, I won't go!"

"Just kidding, Sammy, you can joke if you want...but trust me." "Trust is essential to... Then, it's settled, on April 2, we will set off as members of El Dorado..." "Yes... this period of time is enough to prepare." "Well, Ben, since I've got ten days or so, I'm going to spend the days in the country." "As you please," Ben Rado agreed, "although the weather in Green Valley won't get any better." Sammy Skin can answer: Anyway, the weather is much better than the Klondike.However, he stopped talking, and he only said positively: he was very happy to be with his hired hands these days, and to see his land, even though it was covered with snow; forests, rivers armored with snow, and the great blocks of ice silted by the Saint-Laurent.And, in times of extreme cold, the hunters have more chances of hitting pretty things, whether birds or beasts, not to mention the beasts of prey that roam about: bears, lions, and other beasts.As if Sammy Skin was saying goodbye to the residents of the whole district...

"Ben, you should come with me," he said. "Do you think so?" replied the engineer. "Who is in charge of the preparations for departure?" On the second day, Sammy Skin got on the train, met a horse-ridden stagecoach at Green Valley Station, and arrived at the farm in the afternoon.Sammy Skin, as usual, was rather touched by the gracious reception he received.But when the servants learned the reason for his coming so early, and the absence of the master all summer, they could not conceal their sorrow at the news. "Yes, my friends," said Sammy Skin, "Ben Rado and I, we're going to the Klondike, a place of devils, of all devils. It's far away, coming and going. It will take at least two months."

"It's all about picking gold nuggets!" shrugged a farmer. "If you can pick it up." An old man added philosophically, shaking his head dejectedly. "What can be done, my friends," said Sammy Skin, "it's like a fever. Or like an epidemic, which sweeps the world from time to time, and takes many victims!" "Why, my master, why are you going there?" asked the oldest woman on the farm. That's when Sammy Skin explained how he and his cousin had inherited a piece of land from their recently deceased uncle, and why the cousin thought they had to go to the Klondike. "Yes," continued the old man, "we've heard of what happened on the frontiers of Dominion, especially of many poor people; they're dying of overwork! Anyway, Mr. Skin, you don't have to Stay there, and after you've sold that pile of dirt, you'll come back..." "Believe it, my friends! But by the time I return, five or six months will have passed, and the good season will be at an end. . . . I shall lose a summer! . . . " "Summer is lost, and winter is more miserable," added an old woman, making the sign of the sign of the sign of the cross, saying: "May God bless you, my master!" After a week in Green Valley, Sammy Skin thought it was time to join Ben Rado.He was not without emotion when he said goodbye to those kind people, everyone was excited.Come to think of it, in a few weeks, the April sun will be on the horizon in Green Valley, and the first greenery of spring will be emerging from the snow.Without this damned trip, he would come back and live in the house until early winter, as he did every year.During these eight days, he vaguely hoped that Ben Rado would send a letter from Green Valley, telling him that their plan could not be carried out.But the letter didn't come...everything went on as usual...departure at the original time...so Sammy Skinner had him taken to the station. On the morning of March 31, he met his dreaded cousin in Montreal. "Anything new?..." He stood opposite his cousin like a question mark and said. "Nothing new, Sammy, but the preparations are done." "So, you have..." "Everything, except food that can be found on the road," Ben Rado replied. "I've only prepared clothing. As for weapons, you have yours and I have mine. The two shotguns we are used to and the hunter's full outfit. However, since it is impossible to repurchase clothing there, each of us takes The following assortment of clothes was prepared in case: flannel shirts, jackets and woolen shorts, woolen sweaters, corduroy suits, dungarees and cotton trousers, blue suits, fur coats with fur linings, and Hats, sailor's raincoat and bonnet, rubber overcoat, 6 pairs of fitted socks and 6 pairs of socks one size larger, cotton and leather mittens, hunting boots with large spikes, high-waisted loafers, racket-shaped Snowshoes, handkerchiefs, towels..." "Hey!" shouted Sammy Skin, throwing his hands up in the air, "do you want to set up shop in the capital of the Klondike? These things last ten years!" "No, only two years!" "Just," Sammy repeated, "just those two words are horrible. Come to think of it, Ben, we're just going to Dawson City to sell Lot 129 and come back to Montreal. It won't take two years." , hell!" "Probably so, Sammy, on the condition that the price offered is equivalent to that of Lot 129." "What if someone doesn't pay the price?" "That's something to think about, Sammy." Since it was impossible to get any other answer, Sammy Skin asked no more questions. The next day, April 2, the two brothers came to the train station. Their luggage had been sent to the station, and all of them together were not a big pile.The supplies of their prospectors would only be a real hindrance when they were replenished in Vancouver. Had they asked Canadian Pacific before leaving Montreal, they would have bought tickets for the steamer to Skagway.However, Ben Rado has not yet decided which way to go to Dawson City, by sea, and then by water along the Yukon River upstream from the mouth of the sea to the capital of Klondike; or by land, after passing through Skagway. Traversing the mountains, plains and lakes of British Columbia. At last the two cousins ​​set off, one dragging the other, one reluctantly, the other full of confidence.All in all, though, they were comfortably seated in the luxurious state train carriages.People can be forgiven for wanting comfort, since the train journey from Montreal to Vancouver is 4,700 kilometers and takes six days. The train passes through this area of ​​the Dominion after leaving Montreal, which includes very different areas of the east and center.It is only after passing through the Great Lakes that the train enters less populated and sometimes even deserted terrain, especially near Columbia. The weather was fine, the air was dry and cold, and the sky was covered with mist.A column of mercury on a thermometer moves up and down at zero degrees.The white plain stretches as far as the eye can see, and after a few weeks, it will turn into a green ocean.Ice on rivers will also melt.Flocks of birds overtook the train, flapping their wings vigorously and flying westward.Tracks of the beast could be seen in the snow on either side of the railroad stretching into the forest on the horizon.These are easy tracks to follow, leading to a few rewarding shots. Now it does involve hunting!If there were any hunters on this Vancouver-bound train, it was gold nugget hunters.The dogs that accompanied them were not trained to catch pheasants and hares, to chase deer or bears.No, they are just sledge animals.It is their destiny to pull sleds on the frozen rivers and lakes of the region from Skagway to the Klondike. Truth be told, the gold rush has only just begun.However, word keeps coming that many deposits have been found on all the tributaries of the El Dorado, Bonanza, Hunter, Bear, Gold Dee, and Klondike Rivers.Some people say that in some plots, prospectors washed out gold worth 1,500 francs in one plate.As a result, the number of immigrants continued to expand.They were flocking to the Klondike as they had flocked to Australia, California, and the Transvaal, and all the shipping companies were starting to fill up.Nor did the train carry representatives of corporations or groups organized with the backing of the major banks in America or Europe.These people have advanced equipment and are provided with sufficient clothing and food by specialized agencies, so they can be carefree about their future.There are only those poor people in the car, who have suffered from all kinds of hardships in life, and poverty has forced them to leave their homes.Because they have nothing to lose, they can take any risk.It must be confessed that the hope of getting rich had clouded their minds. Still, the transcontinental train was going full steam ahead.Sammy Skin and Ben Rado couldn't complain about being uncomfortable on this long trip: during the day, they had a living room, a bedroom at night, and a smoking room where you could smoke as you wished, just like in the best cafe in Montreal As in the rest of the world, there are restaurants where the quality of food and service is impeccable, and bathrooms if they want to take a shower on the go.None of this, however, prevented Sammy Skin from moaning when he thought of the house in Green Valley. Four hours later, the train arrived in Ottawa.This is the capital of Dominion, which sits on a hill overlooking the surrounding area.The more or less proven attempt of this beautiful city is to occupy the center of the world. Beyond the city, not far from Carlton Station, its rival city of Toronto can be seen, the original capital, abandoned today. The train then travels directly west to Sudbury Station.Here the railway splits into two branches.The area became rich from nickel mining.The northern line should be taken in order to bypass Lake Superior and reach Port Arthur near Fort William.The train made considerable stops at Heron Bay, at Shrei Bay, at all the stations on the great lake, so that the brothers could see the importance of these freshwater ports, if they would.Then they passed through Happy City, Ignace, the Eagle River, through a region rich in minerals, and arrived at the important city of Winnipeg. A few hours here seemed shorter to Sammy Skin than elsewhere, and he wished to preserve at least one memorable place for the trip.If he hadn't been fascinated by the Klondike, he might have spent a day or two visiting this western Canadian city of 40,000 inhabitants and its surrounding cities...sadly: no way for Sammy Skin interested in these places.The train was picking up passengers again, most of them actual human cargo.They travel not for entertainment, but to reach their destination as quickly and as shortly as possible. On the train, Ben Rado tried to wake up the attention of the property co-owners of Green Valley. "Sammy, haven't you noticed?" he prompts, "how well cultivated this whole area is..." "Ah!" said Sammy Skin listlessly. "And great pastures with thousands of buffaloes. Great hunting ground, Sammy!" "Of course," Sammy Skin answered curtly. "I'd rather spend six months, maybe six years, here than six weeks in the Klondike." "Okay! If there are no buffalo near Dawson City," Ben Rado replied with a smile, "you can hunt moose." After passing through Regina, the train headed for the New Crow Pass in the Rocky Mountains, and after a few hours in Calgary, it headed for the border of British Columbia. A rail branch branched off from Calgary to Edmonton, which was the terminus of the railroad.Some immigrants sometimes used this branch railroad to get to the Klondike.The route passes the River of Peace and Fort St. John, then crosses the Deeds, Francie, and Pelly Rivers, crosses Cassia County, known for its hunting, and connects northeastern Columbia with the Yukon River.It was a hunter's passage, and Sammy Skinn would have liked it if he had come here for amusement.Then, the road was long and difficult, and during the journey of more than 2,000 kilometers, travelers had to frequently replenish supplies.Indeed, the region is particularly rich in gold resources.Gold can be panned in almost any river.It is a pity that there is a lack of manpower in this area, and it will be unimpeded only after the Canadian government builds post stations at intervals of 15 miles. As the train travels through the Rocky Mountains, travelers can easily spot these proud peaks, forever wearing their snow caps.These frozen solitary beings maintain a lifelong silence broken only by the panting of the locomotive. As the train moved westward, one region after another unfolded ahead. These were not fertile regions, where production had not yet impoverished the land. As long as you worked, a bumper harvest was guaranteed.This is the area that belongs to Kutawi, these golden lands of the Cariboo where gold was once touched and is still everywhere; this hydrological network is full of flakes of this rare metal.There is even reason to ask ourselves why prospectors were less inclined to go to easily accessible areas than to the Klondike despite the fatigue and enormous expense of the long journey. "Honestly," said Sammy Skin, "Uncle Josiah should try his luck in the Cariboo! . . . We're here now . . . we'll know the value of his development now! We We'll get the money in 24 hours and we won't be away from home for more than a week!" Sammy Skin has a point.Still, it was probably written in his fate book that he must venture into the dreaded Klondike and wallow in the muddy waters of the Forty Mile River. So the train moved on, taking Sammy Skin farther and farther away from Montreal and Green Valley, toward the coast of Columbia.At last, Sammy Skin and Ben Rado got off the train at Vancouver station safely.