William Maher, aged 66, a resident of Whitehorse since 1899, dropped dead while at work on the Canyon Road at 10.15 Monday morning. Death was ascribed to over exertion.
Born in IS6S at Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, the son of a police officer of that city and also an ex-Crimean veteran, Mr. Maher came to Whitehorse in 1899 and prospected in the hills west of the site where Whitehorse is now situated. The property
known as the Copper Cliff, 9 miles south of Whitehorse, was located by him over thirty-four years ago; Wm. Moffatt of Washington and T. Mathews of Vancouver being partners with him in the venture. Moffatt, after years of prospecting in the Southern
end of the Territory, returned to his home in Washington. Mathews was a real estate dealer in Vancouver and passed away four or five years ago.
"Billie" Maher as he was commonly known, stayed with the camp working
wherever he could get employment and at anything that came his way. No matter how difficult or arduous the work, he tried it. For many years he was employed on the mail service branch of the White Pass & Yukon Route, and, from general hearsay, the services he rendered to the company were eminently satisfactory.
Deceased was the second oldest citizen of Whitehorse and, with the death of this old timer, the town loses one of her best and Canada a faithful subject. Funeral services were held on Thursday afternoon, Rev. H. B. Metcalf officiating. Interment was in the Whitehorse Cemetery.
