The Gold Hunters

A look at the 19th century gold rushes in British Columbia and the Yukon. Includes archival photographs and hand-drawn maps.

The deep hush of noon hovered over the vast solitude of Canadian forest. The moose and caribou had fed since early dawn, and were resting quietly in the warmth of the February sun; the lynx was curled away in his niche between the great rocks, waiting for the sun to sink farther into the north and west before resuming his marauding adventures; the fox was taking his midday slumber and the restless moose-birds were fluffing themselves lazily in the warm glow that was beginning to melt the snows of late winter. It was that hour when the old hunter on the trail takes off his pack, silently gathers wood for a fire, eats his dinner and smokes his pipe, eyes and ears alert; - that hour when if you speak above a whisper, he will say to you,

Three men wish to try out their luck in finding a hidden treasure in the unyielding Canadian Wilderness while a young Indian Princess is kidnapped for this purpose. Excerpt: "It was that hour when the old hunter on the trail takes off his pack, silently gathers wood for a fire, eats his dinner and smokes his pipe, eyes and ears alert;—that hour when if you speak above a whisper, he will say to you, "Sh-h-h-h! Be quiet! You can't tell how near we are to game. Everything has had its morning feed and is lying low. The game won't be moving again for an hour or two, and there may be moose or caribou a gunshot ahead. We couldn't hear them—now!" James Oliver Curwood was an American action-adventure writer and conservationist. His books ranked among top-ten best sellers in the United States and at least eighteen motion pictures have been based on or directly inspired by his novels and short stories. At the time of his death, he was the highest paid (per word) author in the world. His writing studio, Curwood Castle, is now a museum in Owosso, Michigan.

This book is an enthralling memoir by Chalkley J. Hambleton, chronicling his quest for gold in Colorado during the mid-19th century. Unlike many others, Hambleton invested in mining equipment and joined a group of fellow gold hunters, making his journey westward an intriguing tale of determination and perseverance. He vividly describes the harsh reality of crossing the Oregon Trail and encountering the Sioux and Pawnee, but also the breathtaking beauty of the land. Hambleton's observations about the mining process, miner communities, and his own personal experiences make for a fascinating read that dispels misconceptions about the gold rush era.