Hessian, Mike J.

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; Mike Hessian is Captain and already left for Seattle, New Ulm MN Review, 2/2/98; (“not all went, Turritan had an accident before leaving New Ulm MN Review, 2/2/98; no other references to Berguson and Brady, McMillan received letter from party, so probably did not go” note from Lashway); Brother in-law of P.J. Galvin from St. Peter who returned rich from the Klondike, New Ulm MN Review, 2/2/98; Second-class passenger on steamer Excelsior, departing Seattle, 2/27/98 for Valdez, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 2/28/98; Member of Conger’s party from Minnesota, Conger, p.xxxii; Mike, p. 42; Had very stormy trip to Valdez, weather good for sledding supplies, Letter dated 3/8/98 in Belle Plaine MN Herald, 3/23/98; Mentioned in letter about D. Wherley’s accidental shooting of Roy Murfin, Sleepy Eye Dispatch, 4/22/98; 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, but they are grub-staked so they don’t loose anything if they loose their goods); walked to Copper center stopping at Great Northern Camp; Millard working on trail; Holman building trading post at Copper Center; Indians gone down river because Steam Whaling Co. has placed wires across the Copper River preventing salmon from coming upstream, Letter by M. Hessian 6/13/98 in St. Cloud MN Journal-Press, 7/21/98; Reports drowning of J. Buckley in the Sotomwa River (most say Copper River) when he missed his footing on a steep bank and was swept away by the river, body not found, boys are offering $50 reward for recovery; letter from Hessian to his father C. Hessian, Sleepy Eye Dispatch, 8/18/98; traveled 600 miles with 75 lb. pack to Tanana and back to Valdez, with his brother, John Shaule, Geo. Stubbs, Harry Smith of Great Northern Co. now in Juneau planning to go to Dawson, St. Cloud MN Journal-Press, 10/27/98;