Beatty, Mike A.

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; 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, xxxii; QCMDR, 1898, Locator, p. 30; Witness to Peters, QCMDR, p. 58; Conger meets M. Beatty and F. Guyer on way to Copper Center as he heads north, 2/14/99, Conger, p. 198; Mentioned in letter about D. Wherley’s accidental shooting of Roy Murfin, Sleepy Eye Dispatch, 4/22/98; Goods are at the top of the 3rd bench; about 1800 people on trail; weather not cold, but wind chill; prices on glacier are high; could make $20-$30 a day packing for others but then might not get their good over the glacier before the thaw, Beatty Letter 3/30/98 in Kasota MN Times 4/22/98; Summary: R. 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; Long letter dated 10/19/98, wintering at Copper Center, staked claim on Quartz Creek; didn’t reach headwaters of Copper River because it flows under two glaciers; accompanied by Miss Jenny Riegel (mule) and Nero (dog); found massive destruction of timber country by whites, worried about effects on Indians, climbed Mt. Drum, given food by Gorsech (D.C. mining engineer), and on return to Copper Center had an excellent meal prepared by Mrs. Flinn (Flynn); Masons wore white aprons made of flour sacks at Buckley’s funeral. Sleepy Eye MN Dispatch 12/1/98;