{"id":22663,"date":"2022-12-01T16:06:58","date_gmt":"2022-12-01T21:06:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/?p=22663"},"modified":"2022-12-01T16:24:40","modified_gmt":"2022-12-01T21:24:40","slug":"fwd-epeisode-687-reprint-of-episode-249-yukon-diary-livingstone-wernicke-on-keno-hill-1925-to-1935","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/?p=22663","title":{"rendered":"Fwd: EPEISODE 687 REPRINT OF EPISODE 249 YUKON DIARY LIVINGSTONE WERNICKE . ON KENO HILL 1925 TO 1935"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n
Begin forwarded message:<\/div>\n


<\/p>\n

From: <\/b><\/span>ALAN SKEOCH <alan.skeoch@rogers.com<\/a><\/a>>
<\/span><\/div>\n
Subject: <\/b><\/span>Fwd: EPISODE 249 YUKON DIARY LIVINGSTONE WERNICKE . ON KENO HILL 1925 TO 1935<\/b>
<\/span><\/div>\n
Date: <\/b><\/span>November 30, 2022 at 2:02:07 PM EST
<\/span><\/div>\n
To: <\/b><\/span>Alan Skeoch <alan.skeoch@rogers.com<\/a><\/a>>
<\/span><\/div>\n


<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n
Begin forwarded message:<\/div>\n


<\/p>\n


<\/span><\/div>\n
Subject: EPISODE 687 RERINT OF <\/b><\/span> EPISODE 249 YUKON DIARY LIVINGSTONE WERNICKE . ON KENO HILL 1925 TO 1935<\/b>
<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
Subject: EPISODE  687  REPRINT OF <\/span><\/b>EPISODE 249 YUKON DIARY LIVINGSTONE WERNICKE . ON KENO HILL 1925 TO 1935<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

NOTE: Early in June 1961 I explored a ghost town and got mine on Keno Hill called Wernecke.  The name was strange<\/p><\/div>\n

and had little meaning until I did research on Livinsgston Wernecke.  My Escape from the Yukon in September 1961 <\/div>\n
ended in Juneau, Alaska, across the Channell from the Treadwell Mine where Wernecke worked before moving to the Yukon<\/div>\n
as explained in an earlier episode.  He was a very interesting  man.
<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

EPISODE 687  REPRINT OF EPISODE 249
<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
EPISODE 249   YUKON DIARY  LIVINGSTON WERNECKE   ON KENO HILL 1921 TO 1935<\/o:p><\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
alan skeoch<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Feb. 2021<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO BE IN WERNECKE CAMP, KENO HILL  1925<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Mining is dangerous.  So it is not first in line up of desirable careers.  Test yourself.  <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Would you take a job cutting out slabs of rock with explosives five  to 1,000<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
feet beneath the ground where the darkness is absolute and arsenic is just<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
one of the nasty minerals you will be handling while the air you breathe<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
is often  filled with tiny dust particles that are sharp enough to grind  your<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
lungs to a cancerous  pulp.<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\"cid:A29E50C4-A6C1-420B-8FA4-0F285F6C6B03\"<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Arsenic and lead pouring out of mine site\u2026not the Wernecke mine site but the problem was present in the Yukon and remains a problem<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Not so nice.   Probably worse than I have noted.  Many miners, even as late<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
as the 1920\u2019s could not stand erect in the stopes.   And the water they drank<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
had contaminants no one had identified\u2026arsenic for sure.<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Livingston Wernecke was well aware of the dangers miners faced.  He tried<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
to make the conditions in Keno Hill as pleasant as possible.  His mine was<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
not filled with dust.  His drills were water infused to reduce the chances of<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
silicosis of the lung;  It was safer to work  in a Wernecke mine than the<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Guggenheim mine at the top of Keno Hill.  Not perfectly safe.  Mining<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
can be  dangerous but Wernecke made sure his miners knew the dangers<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
and took precautions.  <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
YES, he seems to have been erasable at times.  Miners that displeased<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
him were told to \u2018get your time owed and get out\u2019.  When buying claims from<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
stakers he gave fair prices as high as $100,000 if the site was tops.  But<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
he only made one offer.  Take it or leave it.  He did not talk much\u2026lacked<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
the social graces. <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 He did not like prostitution or hard liquor.  Attempts to control both of these<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
vices failed it seems but were minimized.<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO BE A MINER ON KENO HILL BETWEEN 1925 AND 1935.<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
   Dr. Aaro Aho in his book, \u2018Hills of Silver\u2019 shows  the good  side of Livingston Wernecke.<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
He referred to his miners as his \u2018boys\u2019.  Livingston may not have spent a lot of time<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
sharing stories with them over a hot drink but he made the conditions of their<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
lives as good as possible.  <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Wernecke Camp Mine was not the wreck  that we saw in 1962.   In 1927 \u201cthere were two bunkhouses, <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
a cookery, two  shafts and head  frames, a machine shop, a framing shed, mill buildings, Wernecke\u2019s<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
and Hargreaves\u2019 (mine manager) houses, three other residences, several outlying log cabins<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
and shacks, a recreation hall with a poolroom, bowling alley, library and radio, an outdoor skating<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
and curling rink, a warehouse,an office, a mess hall for 200 people,  laundry, the mill,<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
power house,  and assay office.\u201d (P. 123, Hills of Silver)<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Because of his stomach troubles, Livingston kept a cow for fresh milk.  Often the cow<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
did not give  all the milk expected because some teamsters would  milk her at night.<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
She eventually died… lead contamination from eating ore sacks. <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Wernicke\u2019s  house was attractive since he expected his wife Mabel and their<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
two children to live on the mine site. Livingston liked to sit on his porch and watch moose<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
wading in the lakes far down in the McQuesten Valley.  Married miners with children were welcomed<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
as  employees .  Mabel and Maud (Hargreaves wife) often had games of bridge with other wives.<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
The poolroom, barbershop and  store were operated like any  such businesses in towns like<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Dawson City, Whitehorse or even Keno City.<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\u201cIn the recreation hall Emil Forrest showed silent movies on a small canvas screen for 75 cents  <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
admission and the  show  was always crowded  to see  Rudolph Valentino in the Sheik, Douglas<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Fairbanks in The Three Musketeers, Gloria Swanson,  Tulula Bankhead, Pavlova, Tom Mix, Charlie<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Chaplin and other great entertainers of the golden flapper era.\u201d<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Dances  were held with music  provided by the miners own \u201cJackhammer\u201d  band  \u2026a sax, 3 violins, a drum,<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
piano, and two banjos.   One prospector and  miner even gave dancing lessons.  When a dance<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
was planned Wernecke sent invitations and  provided  transportation from Keno City or even<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
as far away as Mayo Landing.<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
At Christmas time Wernecke threw  a big party for all.  <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Drunkenness was unacceptable to Wernecke and one  story is told that he  threatened  to fire any<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Irishman who got drunk on St. Patrick\u2019s day.  None got drunk.  But his Swedish employees] did<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
get drunk so he  fired them all.  This sounds a little far fetched but the story does underline  the<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
stiff moral code by which Werncke lived.   And his determination to make sure others shared<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
his principles whether they liked it or not.<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
The brothel down in Keno City bothered Wernecke as mentioned earlier.  He visited the place<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
intending to have a talk with the Madam\u2026perhaps named Vimy Ridge.  Before  the discussion<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
got underway one of his miners noted Livingston and said, \u201cHello, Mr. Wernecke, I see<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
you use this place too.\u201d Seems Livingston said nothing but may have stared  at the miner in disgust.<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 Another tale that may or may not be true but underlines his determination<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
to protect the  health of his boys.   He paid a doctor to ensure the girls were in good health and not<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
likely to infect his boys.   Infections would reduce production  at the mine.<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
A complicated man.   He looked after his boys well.  Grant that.  But he would fire them on the<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
spot for minor transgressions.   He gave terse orders which were sometimes misunderstood<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
which kept his miners on pins and needles.  <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE HORSES?<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
When Bill  Dunn and I visited  the ruins of the Wernecke Camp Mine we found a horse stable with<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
two horse collars.  I made a big mistake when I assumed  the Mine was  shipping ore concentrates<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
by horse and sleigh or wagon to Mayo Landing where sternwheelers would load the sacks  and <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
beat their way to Whitehorse.  Livingston Wernecke got rid of his horses in 1923\u2026the same year<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
that Benjamin  Holt invented  and marketed  the Holt bulldozer\u2026then called  the \u2018caterpillar\u2019.<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
At least two of these powerful machines were shipped  to Skagway and on up the White Pass<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
railway to Whitehorse then driven at crawl speed  all the way to Keno Hill.   Wernecke was criticized<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
for this  leap  of technology. \u201cWe do not even know how to get the machines off the boat in Skagway let<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
alone onto a White Pass railway flatcar.\u201d   But it was done.   The Holt machines hauled multiple<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
sieighs of ore all hitched to the Holt caterpillars with a caboose as living space for the drivers<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
when at rest. <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
What happened to the horses?  The good horses  were sold. \u201cThe others were shot.\u201d  A  few were<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
kept to haul ore from the mine to the  ‘Holt train\u2019 and others  hauled waste rock to be dumped over<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
the cliff into the MvQuesten Valley.<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Werencke always tried to make his mine as efficient as possible for Treadwell Yukon directors<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
in California.<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\"cid:568A7B77-9D1F-4DF7-81BE-5FA67CE4920F\"<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\"cid:DA949E58-6A04-48FA-B01B-280CE8CEF2D6\"<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Wernecke was quick to see that these huge  Holt Caterpillars could haul many many<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
sleigh loads of silver ore from Keno Hill to Mayo Landing cheaper than the teams of horses<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\u2026and cheaper.  <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF THE WERNECKE MOUNTAIN RANGE?<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Livingstone Wernecke was a shy man  really.  Efficient, frugal, irascible, generous, \u2026a man who loved the wild places as  much as he loved<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
developing mining ventures.   Prospectors were often provided with food, gear and even airborne transportation to the unknown<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
part of the Yukon in hopes they would make discoveries. If a prospector found  and staked promising mining sites Wernecke was<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
quite willing, as mentioned earlier,  to pay as high as $100,000.   He encouraged discoveries by these free ranging unprofessionals.  He admired  their<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
tenacity..their risk taking\u2026their independent spirit.<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
One  of the rewards, after his death, was the naming of a largely unexplored Yukon mountain range after him.  The Werneke Range.<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Incredibly beautiful.<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\"cid:2CB96AE8-4CB5-4B4F-94C0-688A595C0878\"<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\"cid:3F96BE94-577E-4D74-A7C4-EC18A3DCC455\"<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
So much more could be said about Livingston Wernecke.   Too little time to do it.<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
alan skeoch<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Feb.  2021<\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/o:p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n


<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n


<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Begin forwarded message: From: ALAN SKEOCH <alan.skeoch@rogers.com> Subject: Fwd: EPISODE 249 YUKON DIARY LIVINGSTONE WERNICKE . ON KENO HILL 1925 TO 1935 Date: November 30, 2022 at 2:02:07 PM EST To: Alan Skeoch <alan.skeoch@rogers.com> Begin forwarded message: Subject: EPISODE 687 RERINT OF  EPISODE 249 YUKON DIARY LIVINGSTONE WERNICKE . ON KENO HILL 1925 TO 1935 Subject: EPISODE […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22663","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22663","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22663"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22663\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22663"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22663"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22663"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}