Two Women in the Klondike (Classic reprint series ; no. 9)

This new and abridged version of a classic in Western literature tells the story of a New York socialite who braved the Yukon in 1898 in search of gold. In diary form, Hitchcock describes in detail the people she met and her impressions of rural Alaska and Dawson City. An outrageous adventure for general readers, armchair travelers, and anyone interested in the lives of American women in the late 1800s. Two Women in the Klondike created a sensation when it was first published in 1899. The idea that two well-bred socialites could survive the dangers of the North thrilled nineteenth-century readers from San Francisco to New York. When Mary Hitchcock heard about the discovery of gold in the Klondike in 1898, she left her privileged city life for the wilds of Alaska, planning to stake her own claims. She persuaded her friend Edith Van Buren to accompany her, and the two began preparations for roughing it. The necessities that they brought up the Yukon River to Dawson City, Canada, included a portable bowling alley, an ice cream maker, a Great Dane named Ivan, and a full-sized circus tent. Hitchcock relates the struggles, surprises, and pleasures of traveling in the late nineteenth century in her trademark style. She describes in diary form the people she met and her impressions of rural Alaska and Dawson City. Invaluable for its detailed descriptions of manners, food, and personalities, Hitchcock's account of the Klondike Gold Rush is an outrageous adventure for general readers, armchair travelers, and anyone interested in the lives of American women in the late 1800s. This new, abridged version includes a map of Hitchcock's northern travels and an introduction by Terrence Cole, professor of history at the University of Alaska Fairbanks "Two Women in the Klondike created a sensation when it was first published in 1899. The idea that two well-bred socialites could survive the dangers of the North thrilled nineteenth-century readers from San Francisco to New York." "When Mary Hitchcock heard about the discovery of gold in the Klondike in 1898, she left her privileged city life for the wilds of Alaska, planning to stake her own claims. She persuaded her friend Edith Van Buren to accompany her, and the two began preparations for "roughing it." The "necessities" that they brought up the Yukon River to Dawson City, Canada, including a portable bowling alley, an ice cream maker, a Great Dane named Ivan, and a full-sized circus tent." "Hitchcock relates the struggles, surprises, and pleasures of traveling in the late nineteenth century. She describes in diary form the people she met and her impressions of rural Alaska and Dawson City. Hitchcock's account of the Klondike Gold Rush is an outrageous adventure for general readers, armchair travelers, and anyone interested in the lives of American women in the late 1800s."--Jacket Ho For The Land Of Gold! -- With Malice Towards None -- Land In Sight! -- St. Michaels -- A Trial Of Patience -- We Meet Old Friends -- Transferred At Last -- We Hear The Signal -- Up The Yukon -- Discomfort Of Barge Life -- Nearing Our Destination -- The Promised Land -- We Become Squatters -- The Sick Boy -- Our First Dinner In Dawson -- We Become Free Miners -- Visiting Mines With A Klondike King -- Our Man Friday -- Isaacs, The Irrepressible -- Our Helpful Neighbours -- A New Scheme -- The Rideout At Last -- The Trials Of Building -- Business Propositions -- A New Experience -- In The New Home At Last -- A Series Of Disappointments -- Adieu To Dawson -- The Race With The Domville -- The First Portage -- The Skaguay Pass -- A Day In Sitka -- Killisnoo -- Farewell To Alaska. By Mary E. Hitchcock ; Introduction By Terrence Cole. This Volume Is An Abridgement Of The Original 1899 Edition. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.