The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-01-05

In childhood because Of the outbreak
Lying In the shadow Of the
Arctic, Yellowknife began to forge
ahead as early as 1885, but In the
early days Of 1888 hundreds Of
prospectors, mining engineers, law
yers, doctors and laborers flocked 10
the new area to seek their fortune
In q strange remote setting Of eff
fete, rocky wasteland. Strikes, some
rich, other less lucrative, were re-
ported every few days.
The problem Of transportation
TO and from claims was solved with
development Of air travel. Droning
plane motors resounded over the
northern wilderness the year round,
except for spring breakup and the
fall freeze-up period.
Freight BY Boat
During the summer months,
heavy freight was transported by
boat from Waterways, down the
Athabasca and Slave Rivers and
across Great Slave lake.
Yellowknife expanded, slowly but
surely, until It's population swelled
to almost 1000 inhabitants. Life was
not drab in Yellowknife during
this boom period.
Gambling and dance halls en-.
joyed prosperity. In this assort-
ment Of humanity drawn from all
over the continent were gamblers,
racketeers and petty thieves. Hun
dredS Of stakes changed hands
merely on the turn Of O card; for
tunes were won or lost on green.
clothed gaming tables.
In two months In 1888, this
mining center sprung from a mot
ley assortment Of weather beaten
log shacks and tents to town Of
two hotels, five general stores and
trading posts, nine restaurants,
two bakeries, three airports, a
moving picture theater, recreation
hall and gymnasium, launderies,
barber shops and countless frame
buildings.
Town Grows Up
Yellowknife grew orderly, streets
were mapped out and plans lalc
for the construction of roads over
and through surrounding rocky
hills. And with the employment
Of modern methods Of mining and
gold recovery, Yellowknife life
grew startling reminiscent of the
racuous days Of the Yukon and
Klondike rushes.
Labor was at premium during
the summer season of Yellow
knife's boom year. Carpenters
and other laborers worked 10 and
20 hours daily erecting a suitable
town to accommodate the rapidly
increasing population.
For days at a time the entire
town would be deserted by reports
OF rich strikes In certain areas.
But always the miner, his wife and
children old enough to WELD O
shovel or pick-axe, would return
to the task Of building Yellowknife
from all over the continent.
Rambling Of war threats reached
Yellowknife In September, 1888, but
were quickly put aside In the thrill
ing, human, drama crowded panor-
anna Of the modern search for easy
money.
But with the rumblings Of war,
gold mining stocks slumped. A
tenseness was In the air. Com
panies hesitated to make large
capital investments that would
certainly prove worthless In event
Of conflict involving Canada
and the Mother country.
| Eventually, numerous camps
shut down. Jobs became scarce.
Prospectors and their families
packed up and started outside"
to seek other means Of livelihood.
Many big deals, involving large
transactions, for the sale Of claims
and promotions for large-scale de-
velopfnent for partly proved prop
critics, were suspended and, In
many instances, broken off al
The hardy who remained blamed
the shutdown and check IN ex.
pansion partly On lack of equip
ment and the long northern win
ter but the primary cause Of the
liill In YelloWknlfe's growth was
the threat Of war.
Some Strife 70 Rloh
This situation prevailed through
out the winter end except for a
brief furry Of excitement precipl-