Yukon who is who

Dick Gooding

Dick Gooding was born in England. He was the telegraph operator across the Yukon River from Stewart Island in 1936. When he was not in the office or out tending to the line, he crossed the river on the ice or by boat to the saloon at Stewart. He was well read and a communist, and he loved a good argument. One time he went to Atlin to relieve an operator who went on holidays. He was in a long speech against the Royal Family when an American joined in. Gooding knocked him down; he was not going to have an American run down the Royal Family – ‘what does he know? He doesn’t even have one.’¹⁾