First, there was Robert Henderson—­and this is true history.  Henderson had faith in the Indian River district.  For three years, by himself, depending mainly on his rifle, living on straight meat a large portion of the time, he prospected many of the Indian River tributaries, just missed finding the rich creeks, Sulphur and Dominion, and managed to make grub (poor grub) out of Quartz Creek and Australia Creek.  Then he crossed the divide between Indian River and the Klondike, and on one of the “feeders” of the latter found eight cents to the pan.  This was considered excellent in those simple days.  Naming the creek “Gold Bottom,” he recrossed the divide and got three men, Munson, Dalton, and Swanson, to return with him.  The four took out $750.  And be it emphasized, and emphasized again, that this was the first Klondike gold ever shovelled in and washed out.  And be it also emphasized, that Robert Henderson was the discoverer of Klondike, all lies and hearsay tales to the contrary.

Running out of grub, Henderson again recrossed the divide, and went down the Indian River and up the Yukon to Sixty Mile.  Here Joe Ladue ran the trading post, and here Joe Ladue had originally grub-staked Henderson.  Henderson told his tale, and a dozen men (all it contained) deserted the Post for the scene of his find.  Also, Henderson persuaded a party of prospectors bound for Stewart River, to forgo their trip and go down and locate with him.  He loaded his boat with supplies, drifted down the Yukon to the mouth of the Klondike, and towed and poled up the Klondike to Gold Bottom.  But at the mouth of the Klondike he met George Carmack, and thereby hangs the tale.

Carmack was a squawman.  He was familiarly known as “Siwash” George—­ a derogatory term which had arisen out of his affinity for the Indians.  At the time Henderson encountered him he was catching salmon with his Indian wife and relatives on the site of what was to become Dawson, the Golden City of the Snows.  Henderson, bubbling over with good-will, open-handed, told Carmack of his discovery.  But Carmack was satisfied where he was.  He was possessed by no overweening desire for the strenuous life.  Salmon were good enough for him.  But Henderson urged him to come on and locate, until, when he yielded, he wanted to take the whole tribe along.  Henderson refused to stand for this, said that he must give the preference over Siwashes to his old Sixty Mile friends, and, it is rumoured, said some things about Siwashes that were not nice.