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    Mayhem at Rock Creek and more Gold Rush Stories
    Mayhem at Rock Creek and more Gold Rush Stories
    Mayhem at Rock Creek and more Gold Rush Stories
    Ebook59 pages41 minutes

    Mayhem at Rock Creek and more Gold Rush Stories

    By M. L. Poncelet

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    About this ebook

    Mayhem at Rock Creek & More Gold Rush Stories is a collection of eight British Columbia gold rush short stories that will take you back to the 1850s.

    Hardship and conflict follow desperate gold seekers as they travel up the Fraser River into territory previously claimed by the Hudson’s Bay Company. Galvanized by their own greed and determination, they brave swollen rivers and precipitous trails to get to the gold diggings where gold commissioners and justices await, ready to take advantage of the gold fever.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherM. L. Poncelet
    Release dateNov 19, 2012
    ISBN9781301190577
    Mayhem at Rock Creek and more Gold Rush Stories
    Author

    M. L. Poncelet

    My writing is inspired by historical adventures and hardships of early British Columbia pioneers.

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      Book preview

      Mayhem at Rock Creek and more Gold Rush Stories - M. L. Poncelet

      Mayhem at Rock Creek and more Gold Rush Stories

      by M. L. Poncelet

      Copyright ©2012 M. L. Poncelet

      Smashwords Edition

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Disclaimer: The characters in these short stories are entirely fictional. The events are based on historical information researched by the author.

      Trouble in Fort Yale

      The Trial Of Justice Nuttall

      Rations in a Prosperous Land

      Captain Hovie’s Messenger

      The Molasses Letter

      Disputed Claim

      Justice Arrives in Lillooet

      Mayhem at Rock Creek

      Trouble in Fort Yale

      Gold Commissioner Horatio Ricketts penned a brief note to the Governor. The steady patter of autumn rain on the roof echoed in his head. His sinuses were plugged and his eyes watered. He blew his nose into a handkerchief.

      Another case of murder occurred here last Wednesday. I held an inquest in the new log building. It is of sturdy construction and the jailer has moved all of the prisoners to his side of the building. The court house will occupy the other half. I am sure it will be well used. I was compelled to go to Hill’s Bar this morning to settle disputes with mining claims and visit Andrew Scranton in response to his complaint.

      Ricketts gripped his pen as he recalled the meeting with Scranton. As soon as he had stepped out of the canoe at Hill’s Bar, Scranton began assailing him with accusations in a loud voice for the benefit of some gold miners clustered nearby. It was clear Scranton was pleased with the effect he was having on the politics of Fort Yale. Ricketts responded with a few verbal barbs of his own.

      Mr. Scranton has negatively influenced the other miners. I told him the documents pertaining to his claim will be forwarded to your office when I receive sealing wax and the official seal.

      Scranton’s criticisms were being published in the Victoria newspaper with such regularity that the Governor was needling him for answers. Scranton focussed his accusations on Ricketts’ issuance of water licences and mining claims, knowing the Governor was preoccupied with revenue from both. Ricketts barely had time to respond to one accusation when another was received.

      British Columbia had officially existed for a mere two months. Nothing had changed or improved; murders were almost a daily occurrence and yet in his role as revenue officer and assistant chief gold commissioner, Ricketts was supposed to deal with serious crimes just as though they were simple issues. How was he supposed to retrieve money from all these prospectors? It was an absurd task considering that there were roughly three thousand in the town itself and at least twice the number camping out on the numerous banks of sand upwards of Fort Yale.

      He remembered the day in September when the Governor stood on the stump of a newly cut tree and pointed at Ricketts standing in the crowd and said he would be responsible for doling out parcels of land as well as collecting taxes and levies. He didn’t recall hearing any cheers at that announcement.

      Since then Ricketts had become very busy dealing with the troubles in Fort Yale. People were gambling and drinking and disputes frequently spilled out onto the street. Jacob Nuttall, the new Justice of the Peace, was supposed to deal with criminal incidents, but instead he spent most of his time undermining Ricketts’ reputation.

      In response to the complaints about the land owned by Ricketts and Co., Ricketts reminded the Governor the stakes in question most likely belonged to E. King. King controlled several saloons in Fort Yale.

      I have advised Mr.

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