Survival and the Cremation of Sam McGee:

Survival and the Cremation of Sam McGee:
    I've done a bit of reading about the gold rush in Alaska, wondering at how all of the miners

The very definition of a survival situation. Men and Women hiking to
become millionaires one way or another. 

survived. It goes without saying each and every one of them put together some sort of a survival kit. They unlike us in modern times did not have the luxury of light weight materials or freezed dried foods. Freezing to death, hunger, thirst and disease were their traveling companions. I have read about people packing in the machinery to propel a ferry boat up the Yukon river, carrying the equipment over steep mountain passes. There was as much money to be made owning a ferry as being a miner. At one time there were more millionaires per square mile than any where else in the world. Sometimes money can do nothing to keep a person alive. This is the lesson to be learned when one reads "The Cremation of Sam McGee" written by Canadian Bank of Commerce employee Robert Service. He wrote two books of poetry about his experiences in the frozen north, the people, the places the environment. Tales of survival and many tales of not surviving.
     As it starts out "Sam McGee was from Tennessee" a warm place indeed. There was two men, partners traveling together hung by the common rope of gold. Sam hated the North, he was always cold, their kit was always wanting. One night while laying under the robes they slept in, packed in the snow, Sam made his partner (the writer does not have a name except to be called "Cap") promise as his last request, to cremate his last remains. Now here are two men gripped in deep winter, very much in a life or death situation and Sam has a premonition he is to die. Now Cap woke the next morning to a dying Sam McGee, by night fall he was dead. The corpse was lashed to the sleigh and a crematorium was sought. He drove with Sam for days on end, it states how Cap cursed the load, but he did make a promise and his word was his bond. Finally on "the marge of lake Labarge" a boat with a boiler in it the "Alice May" was found. Cap filled the fire box with deck planks and coal then Sam was introduced to the infernal. When Cap looked in the open door, he saw in the center of the fire Sam McGee asking him to "please close the door, as it's cold in here" smiling at Cap as he sat in the flames. I didn't do the poem justice, but this is the general gist of it.

Sam McGee is finally warm. 

     There is another story here, besides the cremation, it's the story of a person being worth his word. Cap said he would honor Sam's last request and he most certainly did. (A person is only as good as his word).Cap suffered as well, the conditions Sam died of, Cap had to still contend with to honor the last request. He didn't complain of hunger or thirst or even the cold and snow, Cap's only complaint was having made the promise to honor the last request. I'm not sure if I could do that in such a harsh environment, but I've found when demands are made on people they rise to the occasion. I have faith, I think most of us would honor that request, I do wonder how Cap survived it alone from then on. (For another blog on Sam McGee click here).
     If you are interested in reading "Best Tales of the Yukon" by Robert Service, I'm pretty sure it's still in print and available at book stores. It's a thought provoking story, the entire book is, I'd like to hear your thoughts. I'd like you to speculate on the survival skills all of the Gold Rush Miners had developed. Thanks for Reading!

jimandkate
emergencykitsplus.com