Jim Wallwork
Jim Wallwork grew up on his father’s ranch, located where Lethbridge is now. When some stampeders passed through on their way to Edmonton, Wallwork decided to join the stampede. He bought a little sternwheeler, Daisy Bell, from John Gainer in Edmonton. It had been operating on the North Saskatchewan River. Wallwork arrived at Athabasca Landing intending to start a passenger and freighting service to Peace River Crossing. He and partner Charlie Roberts’ attempt to carry Jim Cornwall and Fletcher Bredin and their trading good to the west end of Lesser Slave Lake failed due to rough weather. Wallwork turned back to Athabasca Landing and joined some stampeders [the Holt party] heading north. The Daisy Bell crossed Great Slave Lake without difficulty. Jim towed a party who decided to hijack his steamer but two prospectors [Cadzow and Erickson] helped him and he escaped after a few shots were fired. He agreed to tow Cadzow’s scow and also John “Steamboat” Wilson’s spoon-boat and York boat down to the mouth of the Rat River.1)
John Wilson, a lawyer and past mayor of Kalgoorlie, Australia (1895-96) was travelling through Canada to England when he caught gold fever. Wallwork and “Steamboat” Wilson became partners at Fort Smith. They and others contracted some First Nation men who supplied thirty dogs and dragged the Daisy Bell over the summit from “Shacktown” to the Bell River. Wallwork and his party then travelled down the Porcupine River to Fort Yukon. Wilson was called back to Australia and he took a steamer to Dawson on 24 June. The Daisy Bell's eight horsepower engine could not ascend the Yukon River so Wallwork put the boiler and engine into a York boat and reached Dawson on 9 July.2)
There is a photo of Jim Wallwork and the Daisy Bell at the Provincial Archives of Alberta (B5200).