Riegel, Jake H.

Riegel, Jake H.

1898-1899

Will leave for Klondike with St. Peter — Alaska mining & Prospecting Co with Hessian, MacMillan, Buckley, Brady, Turritan, Berguson, Beatty, Baasen, Sleepy Eye MN Dispatch, 1/27/98; training with Murfin for Alaska, purchased Newfoundland dog named Nero and several other dogs (Jake, Rover & Don) that have been used to haul milk to the creamery to take to Alaska, Sleepy Eye MN Dispatch, 1/27/98; Riegel & Murfin left for Alaska, taking dogs; “They go full of hope and determination and while none of them expect to make phenomenal strikes they do expect to be able to return in 2 years with enough dust to pay them for the troubles and hardships they have endured.” Sleepy Eye MN Dispatch, 2/10/98; Second-class passenger on steamer Excelsior, departing Seattle, 2/27/98 for Valdez, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 2/28/98; Member of Conger’s party, Conger, xxxii; Wife receives letter saying they are almost up to last bench on glacier and that the Moonlight party has discovered gold worth 75 cents to the pan – “The strike has caused no surprise as the 3500 on the trail know they will find gold in plenty.” Sleepy Eye MN Dispatch, 5/5/98; Hessian group on the Klutena about 25 miles from Copper Center, party split over whether to shoot rapids or pack down to Klutina, Hessian thinks “B & R (Beatty or Baasen and Riegel) are foolish. They do not care if they lose the goods, none of their money being invested”; Letter by M. Hessian 6/13/98 in St. Cloud MN Journal-Press, 7/21/98; Summary: Baasen wrote his parents that he and Riegel had their boat swamped. Baasen’s rifle, pick, spare clothing, provisions and share in the company’s goods were all lost; Riegel and Guyer also lost some goods; The party of 11 has not separated: Baasen, Guyer, Riegel and Beatty are working on own; split caused because some party members were afraid of shooting the Klutina rapids, but the four “wanted to move on at all costs.” Sleepy Eye MN Dispatch, 7/14/98; Baasen has returned home and reports Riegle, Beatty, and Guyer at Copper City; all are well. Sleepy Eye MN Dispatch, 7/28/98; sent negatives of camp views from Alaska to Tracy, MN local photographer, Tracy MN Trumpet, 6/23/98;