The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.
TIMMINS – A few years ago, the Auer family donated, to the museum, a selection of the journals of Charles and Mae Auer. The Auers were local pioneers, responsible for the Nighthawk Mine and the development that would become known as Mattagami Heights (today, home to our local Ford Dealership).
The diaries are an exceptional view of what life would have been like for the very early prospectors coming to the area. Today, I offer to you an excerpt that caught my attention because it sounds like something right out of a movie!
To set the stage, Charles Auer and his partner Black Jack Cole (what a name!) started to head for the Nighthawk River system in January 1908. Along with their dog team lead by Nell and Jack, they mushed their way on existing trails, breaking new ones when needed.
The temperatures plunged to -40 F and the snow was about three feet thick. The going was pretty rough. Eventually, they hit smoother ground and stopped for the night at Campbell’s Halfway House, outside of McDougall Chutes. They took care of the dogs and enjoyed a good hot meal.
I’ll let Charles tell the rest of the story:
“One might imagine that after the two strenuous days we had just gone through our next thoughts would have been for bed but a number of hours and much entertainment were in store for us before we finally turned in.
“On our arrival we had noticed signs of something unusual principally in that Campbell was arrayed in a freshly laundered white shirt with a large white collar and if you knew Campbell, you would realize as quickly as we that ‘events were toward.’
“We were not long in suspense for when we spoke of going to bed, Campbell said it wouldn’t be a bit of use to go for they were going to have a dance and that we must join in the revels. This latter we refused but thought we would look on awhile before turning in. The crowd that began to assemble would have delighted the observer who said that the ‘proper study of mankind is man.’
“As a patriotic American, I will give first place to a young lady from St. Louis who is visiting some of the people who are building this section of the Transcontinental Railway. The company is a St. Louis concern and I have noticed a proneness on the part of young ladies to visit remote railroad works and mines ever since Richard Harding Davis wrote Soldiers of Fortune. If this was her inspiration I am under obligations to Davis for it was a treat to see a girl who knew how to wear her clothes.
“She was evidently enjoying a novel experience and seemed to be carefully observing her fellow guests. The thought strikes me that she might have been taking notes for a journal and I’d venture that she sized up Black Jack and me for examples of the typical north woods product, in our whiskered, toqued and moccasined condition, and never thought we were observing and admiring compatriots.
For the rest of this article, click here: http://www.timminspress.com/2014/02/01/history-dance-night-a-treat-for-early-prospectors