Yukon who is who

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George H. Matlock (1860 - 1933)
	
George Matlock was born and grew up in Iowa with five siblings. The family broke up when the mother died, and nine-year-old George went to live with another family. He worked four to five months without pay and then stole a horse and saddle and left. He was seventeen when he started across the plains and then up into British Columbia. He was called the last of the mountain men and buffalo hunters. He went to Alaska in 1880, stopping to work at the Treadwell Mine in Douglas.((Elva Scott, “Historic Eagle and it’s People.” Eagle City, Alaska, June 1992: 49-51.)) In 1884, he came over the Chilkoot Pass and bar mined on the Stewart River until 1886 when gold was discovered at Forty Mile.((Linda E.T. MacDonald and Lynette R. Bleiler, //Gold & Galena.// Mayo Historical Society, 1990: 413-14.)) 
	
In May 1888, Tuck Lambert and Gordon Bettles left Forty Mile about May 20th and travelled upstream. At Troublesome Point they found Frank Densmore, George Matlock, Skiff Mitchell, Joe Ladue and three others. They had a line of boxes, the first to be worked in the Yukon.((Gordon C. Bettles, "Why I Came to Alaska." Introduced by Candy Waugaman. //Alaska History,// Vol.10, No.2, Fall 1995.)) 

In the summer of 1889, George Matlock and Pete McDonald went to Nuclato, Alaska and came back with First Nation wives.((Elva Scott, “Historic Eagle and it’s People.” Eagle City, Alaska. June 1992: 57.)) In 1890, Matlock and his partners including Frank Buteau, brought hydraulic mining equipment to their claim on Franklin Gulch.((Linda E.T. MacDonald and Lynette R. Bleiler, //Gold & Galena.// Mayo Historical Society, 1990: 413-14.)) When the Alaska Commercial Co. told everyone to come out to St. Michael because the boat would not arrive at Forty Mile, Matlock and Buteau remained in the country making do with what they had. They killed forty caribou and they had two casks of flour and some beans and a few pounds of dry fruit between them. In the fall of 1890, they made a fish trap and caught about a ton and a half of fish, so everyone had grayling for the winter.((Elva Scott, “Historic Eagle and it’s People.” Eagle City, Alaska, June 1992: 49-51.))
	
In the winter of 1893/94, Matlock came to the defence of his partner against a man named Washburn. Washburn stabbed Matlock in the back and so Matlock shot Washburn in the thigh. They later shook hands, but the incident prompted a request for the NWMP presence by John J. Healy and Bishop Bompas.((Linda E.T. MacDonald and Lynette R. Bleiler, //Gold & Galena.// Mayo Historical Society, 1990: 413-14.)) Matlock signed the founding charter of the Yukon Order of Pioneers at Forty Mile in December 1894.((Yukon Archives, D. E. Griffith, “Forty-Milers on Parade.” Coutts coll. 78/69 MSS 087 f.5.))
	
Matlock moved to Circle City and later the Klondike. He travelled to Dawson on the ice by horse and arrived just two days before the ice went out. He hauled freight and borrowed money to buy a claim.((Linda E.T. MacDonald and Lynette R. Bleiler, //Gold & Galena.// Mayo Historical Society, 1990: 413-14.)) In 1899, Matlock was partners with James Monroe in owning and mining No. 16 Above Discovery on Bonanza Creek. It was a good claim although not as rich as the best. The paystreak was wide and deep and the pay was uniform. Matlock worked a crew of ten men and was successfully using the most approved mining methods.((//The Klondike Nugget// (Dawson), 1 November 1899; “Some Whose Riches Were Not Made In The Mines.” AlaskaWeb.org, 2020 website: http://alaskaweb.org/mining/nonminers.html.))
	
Matlock left the Klondike for Fairbanks, prospected the Seventymile River, and finally returned to the Fortymile.((Linda E.T. MacDonald and Lynette R. Bleiler, //Gold & Galena.// Mayo Historical Society, 1990: 413-14.)) He partnered with Arthur Froelich in 1903 and they trapped that fall and prospected for two weeks in December. In January they started hunting and went over to the Charley River on the Alaska side. In February, they took out their traps and started prospecting full time. Froelich was a persistent miner on the Seventymile River. By the middle of May they were mining in the Arctic tributary. Mining in 1904 was productive and they travelled to Eagle to record their claims. Froelich's share for the season was $2177. They stayed partners for another year.((Elva Scott, “Historic Eagle and it’s People.” Eagle City, Alaska, June 1992: 49-51.)) 
	
In 1908, Matlock was in Eagle prospecting and mining on the Seventymile, Nation River, 4th of July, and other creeks. He spent his winters in Eagle and married Jessica Fox. After they divorced, Matlock lived in the Eagle area with partner Charlie Martin.((Elva Scott, “Historic Eagle and it’s People.” Eagle City, Alaska, June 1992: 60, 62.)) He prospected and trapped on the Fortymile River in 1932 with Fred Terwilliger and Al Stout and moved up to Gold Run during the next summer. Matlock died on Gold Run in 1933 and is buried at Eagle.((Linda E.T. MacDonald and Lynette R. Bleiler, //Gold & Galena.// Mayo Historical Society, 1990: 413-14.)) His property was appraised at $433.50 and his estate was $26.24 after expenses.((Elva Scott, “Historic Eagle and it’s People.” Eagle City, Alaska, June 1992: 60, 62.))