The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-26
MADE FORTUNE IN COFFlNS.
Versatility of Little Woman showed Up
in the klondike.

III Inc hlOnuike.
There have many stories come out
Of the Klondike country of the people
who have made fortunes there. Some
have been of moving, some of packing,
some of gambling, some of salooning,
some of feeding the hungry and SO en-,
but none of undertaking, so far as I
have heard, and I know of a man and
his wife who have got rich by burying
people Thus spoke Seattle man
who had been at Dawson since the be-
ginning. TT was really the wife who
did it, he continued, and her story
Is interesting. Her husband, whom she
greatly admires and affectionately calls
Jim was a worker in an undertaking
establishment. and when the rush be-
gan toward the gold diggings she hust-
led him out and came along to take
care of him. At Skaguay some friend
gave her a lean and lank little Eskimo
dog, broken to harness, and apparently
broken in health. At least he could
scarcely drag himself around, but his
new owner cuddled him up carefully
and by the time she was ready to SO
on the road the dog was able to pull a
fair sled load.
80 she and her husband and the
dog, which she had named Jim as u
compliment to her liege, started on
their long. hard journey. They got
along quite as well or better than many
others on the trail, and when the first
tollgate was reached the woman's wit
manifested itself still more. She vas
in advance with the dog and the sled
her husband watching the re lainder
of their goods some distance back. The
tollgate keeper looked her over min
ute, took a squint at her measley little
dog and frankly told her that he would
be darned If a lone woman like that
would have to pay to so through his
gate and he sent her along free of COST
Smiling and thankful she passed on
and unloaded a mile or so further and
came back to her husband after. an
other load. Telling him to stay right
there till she had brought everything
through she finished the job and Jim
came sauntering through the gate un-
scathed of toll
ION another occasion she was ahead
again with the dog and was beginning
to put up the tent when several gallant
fellows dropped their packs and took a
hand. They got the tent III and every
thing in shape on short notice AMI she
thanked them with a smile and they
passed on. Then she Went back after
Jim, and that worthy came up, grin
ming and satisfied. And so it was al
the way to Dawson. That woman was
a wonder, and Jim was gladdac every
minute that she was his vile.
Arrived on the spot they did not
know just what to do at first, never
thinking of the undertaking business
which they had run away from. But
one day a man died on the creek where
they We're and there wasn't anybody in
particular to bury him. This was the
little woman's chance, and she hustled
Jim out after the job. He got ii, of
course, and in a short time he had his
carpenters tools out and was at work
building a coffin. He turned out II veIy
good one. got everything ready in true
professional style and the funeral was
great success. Jim got $3.50 for his
efforts, and Jim's wife knew what their
mission was in the klondike.
Other funerals followed and Jim got
them and took in 5000 or $500 for each
one. Now and then a man would die
whose friends wished his body sent out
side, and for this kind Jim got $500. In