Arctic & Northern History

Highlights of History from The Whitehorse Star

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1920

    Last Saturday ten of the big game hunters reached Whitehorse on their return trip to the outside world. All of these men were hunting in the Kluahne and White river districts, and the parties were made up as follows: R. S. Mebane, wife and son, of Great Falls, S. C., guided by William Armstrong; Dr. J. R. Care and A. Muller, of Norristown, Pa., guided by T. Dickson; Dr. Jones, of Los Angeles, Cal., guided by Morley Bones and Gene Jacquot. Also a party of four comprising Messrs. Flaherty, Beaumont, Caraway and Graham, guided by Charles Baxter.

    All of these gentlemen were so pleased with the success of their respective hunts that they decided to give a "get together" party for their guides and helpers and their newly made friends in Whitehorse. On Sunday evening at eight o'clock the hunters and their guests met at the Commercial hotel and at eight thirty marched in a body to the restaurant where covers were laid for forty-three, and no sooner had they arrived than festivities and good cheer were the spirit of the entire evening.

    Mr. Mebane, as toastmaster, and his able assistants had arranged a most unique program entirely different from any ever brought out in Whitehorse. A six course banquet was served and every few minutes during the entire evening the toastmaster was interrupted by the telegraph messenger bringing communications from all over the world, asking very pertinent questions of a number of our local government officials, citizens and others present. Appropriate toasts were responded to in a most fitting manner by Messrs. Lowe, Elliott, Wheeler, Oliver, Rousseau, Maclennan, Jacquot, Dickson, Baxter and a number of others. During the evening the subject of wolves destroying game was discussed thoroughly and personal experience were given by Messrs. Dickson, Thomas, Oliver and Rudolph, and Councilman Robert Lowe volunteered to see what could be done, at the next meeting of the Yukon council, to combat this destructive animal. Morley Bones also enlightened the guests of another animal that roams the mountain peaks in the vicinity of Kluahne lake.

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Hunters Well Pleased

    The party in charge of Billie Armstrong, consisting of Robert S. Mebane, of Great Falls, S. C., his wife and son, which left here August 1, was out 71 days. They hunted about Koidern creek and Lake creek, in the White river country, and came in with the greatest spoil ever taken in the country. All three members of the party are keen hunters, and the result proves their prowess. The total kill was 5 moose, 11 caribou, 6 sheep and 5 bears.

    Among the moose was the largest set of horns ever taken in the country. They are 63 1-2 inches in spread with one palm 17 inches broad, and the other 19, with 5 points on the front prong.

    No wolves, or signs of them, were seen, nor did any accident or untoward happening mar the success and pleasure of the trip, of which Mr. Mebane, who has hunted in many parts of the world, says that it was the finest hunt he ever had.

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    To ensure that none of his readers missed the significance of the hunting stories that appeared on the front page, editor A. M. Rousseau added his own comments:

    The Star believes that but few people in the Yukon realize the amount of money brought into this country by these big game hunters. While not over one-third of the big game hunters that have been into this district this season were present at this banquet, it has been conservatively estimated by those who know that these gentlemen present at this banquet spent between thirty and thirty-five thousand dollars in this territory after reaching Whitehorse. The hunters that make the trip into this country are busy big business men and it is a tribute to the country that the guides they employ are men of the type that are reliable, accommodating and good citizens, as is invariably expressed by the hunters on their return to Whitehorse. That the hunters themselves are true sportsmen is evidenced by the banquet prepared and given by them to their guides and their friends in Whitehorse.

    Here's to the hunters!