Asa Thurston Hayden
Asa Hayden was a one-time professor of geology at the University of Hawaii. He was a partner with Alba Root “Deep Hole” Thompson in the Klondike. Hayden was convinced there was a second layer of bedrock, and therefore another layer of gold-bearing gravel, and they chose No. 30 on Eldorado Creek as a place to experiment. An unmanageable source of water was found at 220 feet and the Yukon Government was called to cap the flow at an estimated cost of $6000. Dr. Hayden tried again on Sulphur Creek, working alone this time. He worked until his backers ran out of money. His third attempt was on the left limit of the Yukon River, some distance below Dawson. Hayden never cut his hair or beard and related the story of Samson when asked why.1)