Charles Eugene Carbonneau

Charles Carbonneau arrived in Dawson City in August 1898. He was well-dressed, travelled with a valet, and was in the company of Thomas Pelkey, an early staker on Bonanza Creek. Carbonneau’s calling card identified him as a Count and the representative of a well-known French wine merchant. He was in Dawson as a representative for a group of London investors and Pelkey introduced him to Dawson mining and the miners. Carbonneau bought four of Pelkey’s claims: 41 Above Bonanza, fraction 3A on Eldorado, and two on All Gold Creek, and they left for Europe to arrange for financing to work the claims. The Anglo-French Klondyke Syndicate was incorporated in London in November 1898 with wide-ranging objectives in development and transportation. Charbonneau was the manager and he returned to Dawson with seven and a half tons of supplies. He met Belinda Mulroney and they were kindred spirits, being far-thinking, competitive, independent opportunists. Carbonneau travelled often to Europe and brought back the current news and interesting perspectives on the world. Charles and Belinda were married in 1900. At that time, real property was under the influence of a husband and, until the marriage, Belinda was very successful independent woman. She divested herself of many partnerships, so they were not compromised by the upcoming wedding.¹⁾

After the marriage, the syndicate lost both claims on Bonanza Creek through foreclosure and the Carbonneaus ended up with them in a clear title. In 1900-1901, they hired about ninety-five men to work on their Eldorado and Bonanza claims. Belinda concentrated on Eldorado and Carbonneau oversaw the Bonanza operations. He was having problems, including a lawsuit for unpaid bills. By the spring of 1901, Belinda owned all of Claim No. 12 on Gold Run, next to the rich ground worked by J.A. Chute and A.E. Wills. The Carbonneaus sold the Eldorado fraction, and Belinda transferred her Gold Run claim to Charles.²⁾

By 1902, many small claims were being consolidated into large tracts of land for more intensive mining. Many of the claims at the lower end of Gold Run had been consolidated by Chute and Wills and Charles started to reorganize the rest. Chute and Wills were willing to sell as they had mortgages and huge debt. Charles wanted to create a company financed by outside investors to create some income for the Carbonneaus and Chute and Wills and finance mining on a larger scale. Two men had been working Claim No. 12 on a lay agreement with a $20,000 loan from the Carbonneaus secured by a mortgage on the equipment. The loan, payable on 1 May 1902, was not paid and the Carbonneaus foreclosed while the gold was still in the dump without enough water to clean up. The miners had not read the agreement, depending on Charles’ spoken word, and thought the lease and the agreement ran out in September. Fearing they would lose the case, they countersued saying Charles had asked them to salt the claim to fool potential investors. The Gold Run (Klondike) Mining Company was incorporated on 1 October 1902 and seven English subscribers were listed. Chute, Wills, and Carbonneau had different ideas on operating the mine and Belinda, for a while, had power of attorney to side with Wills. Charles Carbonneau did not return to the Klondike after 1902. By 1904, Belinda and Charles’ marriage was dissolving and her Klondike fortune was gone.³⁾ Charles and Belinda divorced in December 1906.⁴⁾