Call of The Klondike

Call of The Klondike

Stanley Pearce and Marshall Bond were in Seattle, Washington, when it happened. On July 17, 1897, sixty-eight rugged miners stepped off the S.S. Portland steamship and made their way through the excited crowd. They were carrying large sacks filled with the most precious metal in the world—gold.

Multiple Choice

Where were Stanley Pearce and Marshall Bond at?

• Portland

• Seattle

• The Klondike

Multiple Choice

Why was the crowd so excited?

• They wanted to see the steamship.

• The miners getting off the ship had found a lot of gold.

• They were excited to see Stanley and Marshall.

Stanley Pearce described the scene this way: “Thousands of people in the public square watched the weather-beaten and hardy adventurers stagger into the express office with sacks of gold, gold in blankets, in oil cans, and even in moccasins.”

Multiple Choice

What is the most likely reason people used blankets, oil cans, and even moccasins to carry the gold?

• They found so much gold that they needed more ways to carry it.

• They forgot to bring containers for the gold.

Together, these miners brought back an astounding four thousand pounds of gold. It was worth nearly one million dollars, which, by today’s standards, would be many times that amount. Three days earlier, miners on another ship, the S.S. Excelsior, had arrived in San Francisco with large quantities of gold as well. Both groups of miners had found their gold in the same place: the Klondike region of northern Canada. Soon these discoveries would make headlines around the world.

Multiple Select

How much gold did the miners bring back? Choose two.

• four thousand pounds of gold

• one million dollars in gold

• four thousand dollars in gold

• billions of dollars

Multiple Choice

What happened three days before 68 miners arrived in Seattle with four thousand pounds of gold?

• Miners had arrived in San Francisco with large amounts of gold

• Miners had traded their gold for a grub stake

• Both groups of miners came back with gold

Multiple Choice

The miners in Seattle and the miners in San Fancisco had something in common:

• Both groups rode on the same ship together

• Both groups found four thousand pounds of gold

• Both groups found their gold in the Klondike region of northern Canada

In a matter of hours, many Seattle residents began planning their own trips to the goldfields. At a time when many Americans were either out of work or earning low wages, the prospect of striking it rich proved irresistible. Firemen, doctors, lawyers, ministers—and even the mayor of Seattle—quit their jobs and joined the rush.

Multiple Select

According to the text, what did some people do when they saw the miners in Seattle bring back all that gold? Choose two.

• quit their jobs

• start planning a trip to the goldfields

• gather at the mayor's office

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Tricky Question:

Why did people decided to take the trip to the Klondike?

• they were out of work anyway

• they wanted to strike it rich

• they were earning low wages anyway

“By the afternoon,” Pearce wrote, “every man who could raise the necessary funds for a year’s grub stake was rushing to the grocers, hardware merchants and clothiers to get together the necessary outfit to start by the next boat for the promised land, where the dreams of all should be realized.”

Multiple Choice

What is a grub stake?

• the money and materials necessary for the journey

• a piece of meat that has been grilled

• food

• a piece of wood that is pointed at one end

When prospectors found a promising spot, they staked a claim by placing posts at each corner, one with their name and date on it. The prospector then had three days to go to town and file a legal claim. Because the claims were usually measured by crude means, disagreements over exact boundaries were common.

Multiple Choice

What is staking a claim?

• putting stakes in the ground to mark your area

• the necessary supplies for the journey

Multiple Choice

Claims were often measured by crude means, which caused disagreements. What does that mean?

• they were measured in ways that were precise and exact

• people forgot to measure them and just guessed

• they were measured in ways that were not precise or exact

The first claim in a new location was called the “discovery claim.” Subsequent claims were legally referred to by their relationship to this claim, along with the name of the creek—5 Above Eldorado, or 6 Below Bonanza, for example. —Museum at the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park—Seattle

Multiple Choice

What does subsequent mean?

• after

• before

• during

Multiple Choice

This section of the text ends with:

—Museum at the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park—Seattle

What does that most likely mean?

• This section of the text is about the Museum at the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in Seattle

• This section of the text came from the Museum at the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in Seattle

We have received vague rumors about the expected rush here in the spring and we all wonder whether there will be such an enormous crowd as reported. What under the sun they will do is more than any of us can tell. Everything in the country is staked and there certainly won’t be employment for all hands, as there is not enough for those here already.

Multiple Choice

What does vague mean?

• unclear, unsure

• sophisticated

• clear, precise

Multiple Select

What does the writer mean by the following: "What under the sun they will do is more than any of us can tell. Everything in the country is staked and there certainly won’t be employment for all hands, as there is not enough for those here already." Select all that apply.

• There are no jobs for people who come there.

• All of the land has been staked already.

• They don't know why people want to come there.

• There are not enough jobs for the people already there.

Men are busily engaged on schemes to fleece the unsuspecting Cheecakos out of their tenderfoot money, and I am afraid many of them will work.

Perhaps the name Cheecako is not understood by some in Denver, but it is the Saguache name for greenhorn, or newcomer. We “old-timers” are called “sour doughs,” as it is supposed to be part of our education to know how to make sour dough bread.

Multiple Choice

What does it mean to scheme?

• make plans, especially in a devious way or with intent to do something illegal or wrong

• create an illusion of pleasantness

• offer to help someone in times of trouble or need

Multiple Choice

What might be the central idea of this section? Select the best response.

• Some men were fleecing or scamming newcomers, also called Cheecakos.

• Some men were quitting their jobs to become prospectors.

• Some people learned to make sour dough bread.

Multiple Select

What is a Cheecako? Select two.

• tenderfoot

• newcomer

• old timer

• experienced person

A story of the recent stampede to Swede creek is typical of Dawson life. I was awakened at 1 o’clock in the morning by my partner, Bond, who in a mysterious voice told me to “hurry up, dress and come.” “Come where,” said I. “Don’t say a word but come,” said he. “How far?” No answer. “Take any grub?” No answer. So I gave it up and came. Slipping a change of socks and moccasins into my knapsack, together with some hard tack, and belting on my hand ax we started in pitch darkness. We reached Tammany dance hall, where there was an unusual bustle and excitement. I was still half asleep and uncertain whether it was a dream or not.

Multiple Choice

From this section of Stanley's diary entry, we can infer that:

• This stampede was planned.

• This stampede was unplanned.

Multiple Choice

Hard tack is:

• a dry biscuit or bread that lasts for a long time

• a type of beef jerky that lasts for a long time

Finally we started up the river. There were about 50 in the party, including four or five dance hall girls. It was inky dark and the river trail has been freshly blown over with snow. We have to go up the river and cross it three times. Soon there was trouble. Men and women were off the trail and up to their necks in snow. Finally some one produced a candle and I volunteered to lead the procession, having had experience carrying a candle underground, I therefore had the novel experience of leading a stampede six miles up the Yukon by candle light. Our party of four was one of the first to arrive. We staked by candle light and started home, arriving at Dawson about 9 a.m., having made about 30 miles since 2 o’clock in the morning.

Multiple Choice

About how many miles did they walk in total that night?

• 20 miles

• 30 miles

• 30 minutes

Multiple Select

According to the text, what are two problems they ran into on the journey?

• the snow was deep--people were up to their necks

• there was too much ice to climb the mountain

• they forgot to bring supplies

• people were off the trails because they couldn't see

Multiple Choice

Why did Stanley lead the procession?

• He seemed like the best person for the job.

• He had experience leading processions.

• He had experience carrying a candle underground.

Since our staking on Swede creek, in which I got claim number 20, they have staked as high as No. 750 or about 30 miles above my claim, but I haven’t yet found out why we went or what caused that stampede.

Multiple Select

From this section of the text, we know what two things? Choose two.

• Stanley was able to stake a claim.

• Stanley was not able to stake a claim.

• Stanley still does not know what caused the stampede.

• Stanley has discovered what caused the stampede.

Other stampedes are on very much the same order. This, however, is the only midnight stampede on record. Quite a number regretted going to Swede creek on that trip. At least six men had their feet frozen, and two men died in the hospital from pneumonia. They were careless and did not take proper care of themselves...

Multiple Choice

According to the text, what is different about this stampede compared to others on record?

• It is the only stampede at Swede Creek.

• It is the only midnight stampede.

• It is the only stampede where peole got pneumonia.

Multiple Select

According to the text, what happened to some people that went on the stampede? Select two.

• They got pneumonia.

• Their feet froze.

• They found lots of gold.

• They forgot their stakes.