I was reminiscing in my office on October 11 with Nels Nielsen, who was born in Stavenger, Norway, about 78 years ago. Nels went up the Stikine River in 1897 with
McKenzie and Mann, who were going to build a railway from Telegraph Creek to Dawson City.
The Canadian Parliament failed to ratify a previous agreement and the job was a dud, so Nels landed in Skagway in the spring of 1898 and went to work on the construction of the White Pass Railroad, just a few miles from Skagway, Alaska, when Soapy Smith was shot.
He worked on the road a while and then went trapping in the Champagne-Dalton Post area; took unto himself a wife and raised a large family. Later he joined forces with Fred Langholz in a freighting service known as Langholz and Nielsen, carrying supplies to the Shushanna Gold Fields, via Kluane Lake, etc, in 1912 and 1913.
Eventually he became night watchman and janitor of the White Pass and Yukon Route, for the odd 25 years, which position he held until a few months ago when he had to give it up.
It was my pleasure to talk to Nels on many evenings, about the old days, and many people will recall him, always on the spot in the depot, courteous, but tough if
any transients wanted to sleep on the depot floor.
He was resting his elbow on my depot counter, discussing Paddy Duncan, who served an 11-year term for a murder at Champagne, as I had just received a clipping from a Juneau paper of October 5, stating that Paddy had been killed in an auto accident 35 miles from Haines, at age of 90. Nels said he had known Paddy Duncan well, and "he would never have
shot anyone, but if he were 90 years old, probably just as well he died." At this moment Nels fell backwards on the depot floor and in five minutes had passed away, in the building he had so faithfully served for so many years.
So we place another wreath for one of the Yukon's pioneers, Nels Nielsen, who just worked, never harmed a man in his life, and was as square a guy as [ have ever
known in the Yukon.
To his family, we extend our sincere sympathy and regrets.
