MERIGUET (GAY) EMILE (280- ANGLAIS)

MERIGUET (GAY) EMILE (280- ANGLAIS)

Although Emile Mériguet came originally from France, he went to the Yukon in 1886 after having lived in the United States for about twenty years. In the Klondike, he was known as Emile Guay (Gay).

On January 4, 1897, he found gold near the Eldorado Creek.  His discovery claim brought him $3,000. 00 a foot (0.3m) for 500 feet (152 m) He also became wealthy by working with his associate, Georges Lamarre on the number 13 Eldorado claim.  Once his fortune was made he retired to his native city in France.  Don't forget that  $3,000. a foot means a million dollars for 500 feet.... in 1897 .....

A creek and a ravine in the Yukon carry his name.

Ref.  Empreinte, vol.11, p. 20

MERIGUET, (GAY) EMILE (279 FRANÇAIS )

MERIGUET, Emile  BLOG # 279

 Le nom d'Emile Mériguet figure sur la liste des pionniers du Klondike  établie par Michael Gates. 

    

Originaire de France, Emile Mériguet vient au Yukon en 1886, après avoir vécu aux Etats-Unis pendant une vingtaine d'années. Au Klondike, il est connu sous le nom d'Emile Guay (Gay)

Le 4 janvier 1897, il trouve de l'or près du ruisseau Eldorado. Sa concession de découverte lui rapporte 3,000 $ du pied (0.3m) sur une distance de 500 pieds. (152 m). Il s'enrichit également en travaillant avec son associé, Georges Lamarre, sur la concession no. 13 de l'Eldorado. Une fois sa fortune faite, il retourne dans sa ville natale en France, où il prend sa retraite. N'oubliez pas que 3,000.00 $ du pied, veut dire que c'est 1,500.000 $ pour 500 pieds... pas si mal pour 1897.....

Un ruisseau et un ravin du Yukon portent le nom de Gay.

ref: Empreinte, Tome II, page 20

LAPIERRE, ALPHONSE (278 ENGLISH )

LAPIERRE, ALPHONSE  (278 ENGLISH)

In his book, KLONDIKE, Pierre Berton describes  meeting  George Carmack at the mouth of the Klondike River not long after Carmack had discovered the gold that would start off the Gold Rush of 1890. Lapierre and his companion, a French-Canadian named George Remillard went down the river towards Fortymile . The two men were quite discouraged and they also had no provisions. When Carmack told them about his discovery and tried to convince them not to go any farther, they were skeptical. By then they had heard many similar stories in the past eleven years in the North while trying to prospect for gold.  However, when the famous discoverer showed them the gold he had found, they were immediately influenced. Lapierre and his friend emptied their boat, filled their backpacks and went towards the famous Bonanza Creek.  They left so very quickly gesticulating with their two hands and discussing in a mixture of French and English that they forgot to fasten their boat.  The next day,Lapierre and Remillard demarcated the boundaries of their concessions Numbers 11 and 12 on the famous Bonanza Creek.

According to archival documentaries, Alphonse Lapierre continued to exploit  concession Number 10 on Bonanza Creek.  On September 3, 1897 he had already paid $1200.00 in royalties on the gold he had found.  The federal tax was 10% in 1898 so we can imagine the size of the personal wealth which Lapierre had.

Ref.  Empreinte, vol.11, p. 19

LAPIERRE, ALPHONSE (277 FRANÇAIS)

LAPIERRE, ALPHONSE (277 FRANÇAIS )

Le nom du Québécois Alphonse Lapierre figure dans la liste des pionniers du Klondike établie par Michael Gates.

Dans son livre "Klondike" Pierre Berton, raconte qu'Alphonse Lapierre rencontre George Carmack à l'embouchure de la rivière Klondike peu de temps après que ce dernier à fait la découverte d'or qui va entraîner La Ruée de 1898. Lapierre descend alors le fleuve vers Fortymile avec un compagnon canadien français, Georges Rémillard.  Les deux hommes sont découragés et n'ont presque plus de provisions. Quand Carmack leur parle de sa découverte et tente de les convaincre de ne pas chercher plus loin, ils sont sceptiques. Ils ont entendu beaucoup d'histoire du genre pendant les onze années passées dans le Nord à faire de la prospection. Pourtant lorsque le célèbre découvreur leur montre son or, l'effet est immédiat. Lapierre et son ami vident leur embarcation, remplissent leurs sacs à dos et se dirigent vers le ruisseau Bonanza. Ils partent si vite, en gesticulant des deux mains et en discutant dans un mélange de français et d'anglais, qu'ils oublient d'amarrer leur embarcation. Le lendemain, Lapierre et Rémillard délimitent les concessions no. 11 et 12 sur le célèbre ruisseau Bonanza.

  Selon les documents archivistiques, Alphonse Lapierre exploite aussi la concession no. 10 sur le ruisseau Bonanza. Le 3 septembre 1897, il a déj'a payé 1200$ en royautés sur l'or trouvé. La taxe fédérale étant de 10% en 1898. on peut se faire une idée de la richesse personnelle de Lapierre.

ref: Empreinte Tome II, page 19

BEAUDOIN, JOSEPH (276 ENGLISH)

BEAUDOIN, JOSEPH (276 ENGLISH)

                               Joseph Beaudoin

The name of this French-Canadian is found in the list of pioneers established by Michael Gates.

This French-Canadian was already in the Yukon when the two first representatives of the North-West Mounted Police arrived in the territory. During the summer of 1893, Beaudoin met Inspector Constantine and Sergeant Brown on the shores of the Lindeman.  The two officers were discouraged by the difficulties found  due to the construction of a boat using a long saw and were thinking of cancelling everything and going back when Beaudoin and his American companion , Jack Cawper offered to finish the job for them and to guide them up to Fortymile for the price of $125.00.

After having argued about the price, Constantine finally accepted the offer.  Beaudoin and Cawper finished the boat in one week.  The crew got aboard and headed towards Fortymile joyfully leaving behind this area which Constantine had christened “Camp Misery.”

In 1895, about twenty officers of the North-West Mounted Police arrived in the Yukon to establish order amongst the miners at Fortymile.

In August 1896, Georges Carmack, Skookum Jim and Tagish Charlie discovered a great quantity of gold in Bonanza Creek.  It is this discovery which started the famous Gold Rush towards the Klondike.

The prospectors who were already in the Klondike at this point were those who were lucky to have the chance to obtain the best “limits” or mining concessions.

Ref. Empreinte, col.11, p.18-19

BEAUDOIN, JOSEPH (275 FRANÇAIS )

BEAUDOIN, JOSEPH  (275 FRANÇAIS):
--------------------------------

Joseph BEAUDOIN

         Le nom de Joseph Beaudoin figure dans la liste des pionniers du Klondike établie par Michael Gates.

Ce canadien français est déjà au Yukon quand les deux premiers représentants de la Police à cheval du Nord-Ouest arrivent dans le territoire. Pendant l'été de 1893, il rencontre l'inspecteur Constantine et le sergent Brown sur les rives de la Lindeman. Les deux officiers, découragés par les difficultés liées à la construction d'une embarcation avec une  scie en long sont sur le point de rebrousser chemin quand Beaudoin et son compagnon américain, Jack Cawper, leur proposent de terminer le travail à leur place et de les guider jusqu'à Fortymile en échange de $125.00.

Après avoir un peu maugrée à cause du prix demandé, Constantine accepte finalement l'offre. Beaudoin et Cawper finissent le bateau en une semaine. L'équipage s'embarque alors en direction de Fortymile, quittant avec joie ce lieu que Constantine avait baptisé Camp Misery.

En 1895, une vingtaine de gendarmes de la Police à cheval du Nord-Ouest arrivent au Yukon pour faire respecter la loi chez les miners de Fortymile.

En août 1896, Georges Carmack, Skookum Jim et Tagish Charlie découvrent une grande quantité d'or dans le ruisseau Bonanza. C'est cette découverte qui à entrainé la célèbre Ruée vers l'or du Klondike.

Les prospecteurs qui sont déjà dans la région à ce moment sont ceux qui ont la chance de délimiter les meilleures concessions.

ref: Empreinte, Tome II, p-18-19

TALES OF THE YUKON (274 ENGLISH)

TALES OF THE YUKON (274 ENGLISH)

EMILIE FORTIN TREMBLAY  (274 ENGLISH) 

                  Emilie Fortin was born on January 4^th, 1872 in Saint Joseph-d’Alma in Quebec. When Emilie was fifteen years old, her family emigrated to Cohoes, New York, US. There she met Nolasque Tremblay whom she married on December 11^th, 1893. On June 16^th, 1894, after a honeymoon covering 5000 (8000 km) riddled with laughable events  Emilie arrived at Fortymile, Yukon.  She considered  herself to be the first white woman to have crossed the Chilkoot Pass and she was very proud of that feat.The couple spent one winter at Miller Creek in a small logwood cabin with windows made of green bottles and a roof which turned into a garden in the summer. That year Emilie sent out invitations to all the miners of the region inviting them to a Christmas meal. The invitation was  written on birch-bark wood. The Christmas menu was to be: stuffed rabbit, roasted caribou, boiled brown beans, King Oscar sardines, dehydrated potatoes, sourdough bread and prune pudding.From the fall of 1895 to the spring of 1898, the Tremblays visited their families in the United States and in Quebec. They returned through the Chilkoot Trail right in the middle of the Gold Rush.  During four months in 1906, they travelled to  Europe.Up until 1913, Emilie and her husband travelled around in the Klondike from one mining site to another. Following financial difficulties, they settled in Dawson City where she opened a store for ladies’ clothes.  This store was situated at the corner of King Street and 3^rd Avenue and it is now a historical building in the city; the tourist industry  uses it now,Over the years she had become the godmother of 25 children and even raised one of her nieces, her sister’s daughter for her sister had been left a widow with nine children. On her return from Europe she had decided to bring the young girl with her to the Yukon.  The Tremblay’s house was always open to travelers, to  missionaries, and to widows. Bishop Bunoz called Emilie the “Mother of the  Missionaries of the Klondike.” During the First World War, she knit 263 pairs of slippers for the soldiers and this is without counting those she offered as gifts.Emilie Tremblay was a very courageous  woman who distinguished herself in  devotion to others.  She was a life member of the order “Daughters of the Empire.” She was even the founder of the group “Ladies of the Golden North” of  and the president of the “Yukon Group of Women Pioneers.” The numerous medals which she received for her good deeds and a few souvenirs were given to the museum in Saguenay, Quebec.One year after the death of her husband in 1935.  She visited her relatives in Quebec and the United States.  In 1940, after her return to Dawson City she was  68 years old and she married Louis Lagrois in Dawson City.  At this point she quit her commercial enterprises and moved to her new husband’s the  cabin in Grand Forks (Yukon).In August 1946, Emilie went to San Francisco, U.S. To attend an annual congress of former Yukon pioneers. At the end of her life, she shared her memories with Father Marcel Bobillier and he used them to write a book entitled “Une pionnière du Yukon”: A Yukon Pioneer” and it was published in 1948 in Chicoutimi, Quebec. After a well-filled life, Emilie Tremblay died at the age of 77 on April 22, 1949 in a senior citizens’ residence in Victoria, British Columbia.The French school in Whitehorse was named in honor of this northern heroine. In 1995,  a group of students of the Emilie Tremblay School produced a video-cassette narrating the important moments of her life.Ref: Empreinte- “La presence francophone au Yukon” (The Francophone Presence in the Yukon” (1825-1950), Volume 1, p 16-18.