Shearer Caleb02

Waupaca County News

May 7, 1903

START FOR ALASKA

C.J. Shearer has departed for Seattle, Wash., where he will join Mr. Gaylord and arrange for their trip to Alaska. E.E. Gordon expects to leave here the 24^th and join the party which will sail June first on the Steamer Ohio or Belinda for Nome, a trip of about 4,000 miles. These gentlemen have organized a mining company and hope to bring back wealth untold.

Waupaca Record

October 8, 1903

HOME FROM ALASKA

Edsil E. Gordon returned from Ruby Creek, Alaska, last Monday morning. Mr. Gordon is looking fine and he says his health was never better. He has grown a full beard that has not detracted from his personal appearance. Mr. Gordon is enthusiastic about the Alaskan gold mines. He believes that is the country in which to make money fast and he is going back next year. Mr. Gordon is associated with Messrs. Spencer Gaylord, C.J. Shearer and others in the Casa de Paga Mining Company, incorporated under the laws of this state to mine in Alaska. The company has sixteen claims on Ruby Creek, fifty miles from Nome. Mr. Gordon left Waupaca May 19 and joined his comrades at Seattle where they embarked on June 1^st and were seventeen days on the way, five days of that time in the ice. Their boat broke a propeller bent the plates and started it to leaking, and they had a very disagreeable time accompanied with some danger. The ship had to immediately go into dry dock.

The company worked no old claims as the season was too short. The past winter was of unusual character inasmuch as they had a regular January thaw that saturated the ground with water, which was followed by a hard freeze, from the effects of which the earth did not thaw out. The company prospected and found new claims and made expenses from the gold panned out. Labor commands five dollars a day and board. The gentlemen all go back another season. Mr. Shearer is now on a hunting trip near Tacoma and will not return until the last of the month. Mr. Gaylord expects to return the last of November. As soon as some matters are adjusted it is expected that a dividend of the year’s results will be declared.

Waupaca Record

October 29, 1903

MR. SHEARER EXPECTED HOME NEXT WEEK

It has been known among a few that C.J. Shearer was almost fatally injured while returning from Alaska and has been laid up in Seattle in a hospital. To get at the facts in the case the Record interviewed E.E. Gordon, who, with Mr. Shearer, was almost swept overboard by a terrific storm on the North Sea. Mr. Gordon said:

“We left Nome September 16 and when six days out from Nome a severe wind storm came up, and as the boat was not loaded except with the fuel it was a mere plaything to the wind; it threw the boat over on her side and the great waves dashed against her, keeping the boat in such a position that the state room was soon flooded, and we attempted to gain the saloon. We did not dare to take the direct passage to the saloon so attempted to go thru the smoking room. Mr. Shearer and I had started when all of a sudden the boat gave a lurch and threw us about twenty feet. I caught on a corner of the state room, but Mr. Shearer knocked me against the door and I caught onto that; however, he did not catch anything to stop himself and would have gone overboard had not someone opened the saloon door and come out just as he shot past. His body striking this party somewhat slackened the velocity and changed the direction and he fell striking his head against the door. He was picked up as dead, but after showing signs of life had convulsions for four or five hours. Mr. Gaylord and I took care of him until we reached Seattle which was three days, and then he was placed in Providence hospital, and put under a brain specialist, by whom he was pronounced to be out of danger. Mr. Shearer did not recover his memory for two weeks, although he was conscious after one week. I left him a week after he was hurt.

I was not sea sick at all, but there were 150 cabin passengers on board and the next morning after the storm there were only ten passengers to breakfast. Mr. Shearer is expected this week and Mr. Gaylord will come later.”