The Daily Alaska empire., 1935-08-12
polar bear fellows you sometimes meet and never do forget.
 About The Spoilers

More people have laid claim to being characters in The Spoilers" than in any other book. The char acter in that book drawn most di- tectly from life was Dextry. He was really Charles D. Lane, great Californian character, a very prom lfnent and wealthy man who came to Nome in the early days and started the Wild Goose Mining Company. They started a railroad 1t the mine. He was old at the time and later went blind The whole family was interesting: Mrs. Lane was most unusual woman, tIncon- ventional, fine, everyone loved her: never used her in story, al- though she probably afforded more material than anyone. Their son Louis was wild, vigorous, athletic fellow; hard to handle, fighting, running around. but with lots of friends Many people thought he vas the hero of The Spoilers, but he really shared that character with half-a-dozen other young fel- lows I knew But Lane, himeslf, was a truly Lincolnesque character, full of "reminiscences; illustrated every point he made by a story, which might be ribald, sentimental, or religious, as suited his mood. Story Behind
 Judge Stilln1a1, cs course, was real character. People in Alaska will remember the story behind The Spoilers A politician in the states by the name of Alexander McKenzie backed the original group who came in to take advantage of our naturalization laws and get control of the rich claims on Anvil Creek. Two or three years after I left Alaska, talked with the judge Of the U. s. Circuit Court or what ever court this case was tried in, in San Francisco, and as a result I had the goods for a series of arti- cles, which ran in magazine form, and were called The Looting of Alaska" These articles had a pro- nounced political effect. I was a new writer, and inexperienced enough to tell the whole truth, and l just cut loose; tore off the lid completely. was threatened with libel suits and probably would have been sued if there had been any possibility of getting any money from frie. When T used this situa- tion forsthe novel, one of the char acters was a judge similar to a well n-known Judge in. Nonle, who was later convicted of Participation in the plot. This judge is nov dead
 @the Barrier"
 "'The Barrier was a romance of the early pioneer. days in the Yu- |kon.aI spent some time in little camp there, One of the early Alas kan pioneers, Al Mayo, was trader in that camp; he was aa squaw man with large family. Ife was very interesting and lovabIe char acter, big bear Of a man who knew his country thoroughly. The problem of his ,fafhiiyA was a very real one with him HIS sons were more Indian than they were white. Al gave ds aif essditsahd work and acted as a sort of unofficial daddy ito the whole camp. Hi my book I had ths trader and tile squaw and the half-breed daughter. The in- side romantic story: wAs purely, i'm aginary. Although the traders life and character was patterned after Aia his physicaf lapb bearanee was not. Al was short, wizened, grizzly littie fellow; s'ms character was somewhat rornahticized, and he would no more have recognized himself in it than would anyone else.
 fe
 Many people ask 4ts6ut Fatfgr Barnufd. He vas an actual cfiarac- ter, a priest living sdhewhsfe ois the acwer Yukon I iesen went 50 far as to use hts real name, because ] he was stschs'a fine character | wanted to pay tribute to him. ] There is nothing in the book that is not all to his credit.
 ''Poleons Dotet, who was ofie Of the most popular Of my characters, never existed, He wks purely ia composite of French Canadians had met in my traveis,'
 Report Bfings Laugh yss
 Beach laughed at the report that the original Necia and Cherry Ma. 1 botte were known to Juneauites. I'd like to meet either or both of those girls smyself,s he declared. "Alf the women in my stories are purely composites ofEvarious worasu I have known. Several times wuinen who did not know who was have informed me that they were the originals of Necia or Cherry. Need less to say, was surprised. I had never seen any of them before"
 Asked if these women came up to his expectations, he said, aWell, hardiy.@ seS4A M
 MT. Beach said there was one nnsSih1a axaaxtio., +131.