16th Mar 2010
Is there any documentation or information on what date (month and day)
Wyatt Earp and his wife sailed from California to Alaska in the Spring
of 1901 (April or May)?Actually, all of this is pretty helpful and may give me the answer (or
at least the plausability I need) for my story.
As you have both discovered by this time,there is a ton of stuff out
there on Wyatt, and some of it is contradictory. For example, a
recent book on Wyatt questions acknowldeges the report that Wyatt and
Josie was in Denver in July 1900 when they learned of Warren's
death,but questions that with another source that states that Wyatt
decided not to go to the funeral since he was in Alaska and by the
time he heard of his brother's death.
However, all I really need is to be able to assert that Wyatt was in
the US in late April or early May in 1901 with time on his hands to
travel across country (not to Alaska) --without having all the Wyatt
trivia fanatics contradict me with contradictory records. There are
two pieces of info you provided that are extremely helpful in that
regard.
First, pafalafa-ga, your data that Wyatt was documented to be in San
Francisco as late as April 30 in 1900. When Wyatt and Josie did
travel back and forth, they always waited until the rivers around Nome
thawed and the ice broke up, since they would not be able to get in
before that. By 1900, Wyatt had been going to Alaska for about 3
years, so this info would show that they didn't travel there in April
(and probably 1st or 2nd week in May is safe).
Second, tutuzdad-ga, your review and analysis of the Nome Daily
Chronical entries which argue that, at a minimum, if Wyatt and Josie
were coming and going in spring / summer 1901, their movements would
have been duly noted -- which I have to say was very clever and
insightful of you. I could quibble with a few points (i.e. the
"season" for making money in Nome was only late spring to early fall,
since everything was frozen over the rest of the time and mining towns
basically shut down -- that's why Wyatt and Josie wintered in
California in other years). But your compelling argument is that
Wyatt and Sadie stayed over in Nome that winter or otherwise the local
paper would have noted it --given their focus on "trivia" -- is a very
good piece of analyis, and quite compelling.
So let me try this out on you two: One of the other documented items
about Wyatt and Josie is that they fought from time to time and he
would move out on her. I think your data gives me sufficient "air
cover" to allow for a plot device where I can have Wyatt where I need
him to be in April and early May 1901 for one of two reasons: (1)
Wyatt and Josie didn't travel to Alaska in any year earlier than 1st
or 2nd week in May, or (2) Wyatt and Josie didn't pack up and leave
Alaska at all in the fall of 1900, but just stayed on through the
winter and finally left in the fall of 1901. However (my invention)
Wyatt and Josie had a falling out and he just stomped out on his own
and left her there in April 1901, and then returned a few weeks later
-- and of course the local paper wouldn't have printed an article
about anything as scandalous as that about one of their revered local
celebrities.
My question back to you two -- what do you think?
I think you folks have more than earned your fee here, and I'm
satisfied to close this question. However,if you come up with any
additional info later, let me know and I'll reopen it and gladly pay
for it as a follow-on. Thanks a bunch.Dear jfclemons-ga;
I believe I have a workable solution for you:
Your suggestion that Wyatt had a fight with his wife and sneaked out
of Alaska, and that the paper would have respected his privacy and not
printed anything about it is plausible I suppose, but still not
likely. Given his celebrity status - and his notoriety in particular -
I think the paper would have jumped on it. I?ll tell you why:
If you recall, on July 6, 1900, about the time you are talking about,
Wyatt?s younger brother Warren was shot in a saloon in Wilcox,
Arizona. It took several weeks for Wyatt to get the news but when he
did, both he and his brother Virgil ?DID? supposedly rush to Cochise
County (probably in the fall of 1900) to avenge Warren?s death.
Presumably Wyatt returned to Alaska rather quickly, before winter set
in...but did he, or did he wait until the following spring?
I?ll address that more in a moment, but for now let?s get back to this
?newspaper sparing his honor? thing...
WYATT EARP ? SENIOR CITIZEN
http://home.earthlink.net/~knuthco1/Itemsofinterest3/seniorcitsource.htm
The media loved to hate Wyatt Earp and it?s doubtful that anyone
interested in selling papers would spare his misstep. Due to some
miscommunication, when word got back to New England that an "Earp? had
been killed in Arizona, the New York newspapers assumed incorrectly
and were quick (and premature) to print an erroneous article based on
the incorrect scuttlebutt that it was "Wyatt? Earp who was the one
killed. The article went on to pound his reputation by lauding him as
the terror of Nome - until, of course, the real information eventually
arrived and set the record straight. By this time Wyatt would probably
already have been to Arizona but as far as I know the papers never
retracted their story. So, as you can see, the media of the time has
little regard for Wyatt Earp and was chomping at the bit to disparage
him when they thought it would sell papers, without regard to his
?reputation? or his ?honor?. Having said that, I don?t think the Nome
papers would have been any more lenient on their favorite ?bad guy?
when they had few newsworthy events and many papers they would liked
to have sold.
Now, let?s get back to this trip to Cochise County:
If you are willing to insert a bit of virtually undetectable
embellishment (call it speculation if you will, but not necessarily
fiction), I think it is more plausible to work something out in your
story where the local authorities conspire to secret Wyatt out of
Alaska in the fall of 1900 (several weeks after Warren?s death when
the news caught up with him) so he could quietly investigate, and
potentially avenge his brother's death ? all the while having an alibi
that he was in Nome. This way you can have a plot where the sheriff
(or who ever) PURPOSELY influenced the media (with the help of Earp?s
close friend, John Clum, a long retired newspaper man himself) and fed
them incorrect information so they would publish an erroneous article
and make it look like an error rather than what it was in reality.
This would eventually lead to the well-documented headline that
appeared in The New York Tribune on July 15, 1900:
"Wyat Earp Shot at Nome; The Arizona 'Bad Man' Not Quick Enough With His Gun."
?The story went on to tell what a terror Wyatt was to the good
citizens of Nome. Various papers around the country put out bizarre
stories about the Earps. Even Virgil was reported dead in Seattle.
Apparently no one had heard of Warren before.?
WYATT EARP ? TIMELINE
http://www.gv.net/~syd/WyattSEarp/history11.html
Now what you have is a story that uncovers a long-forgotten local
conspiracy that even the best trivia buffs would have a problem
disputing (since you cannot prove a negative, especially if that
negative happens to be a secret). It not only gives Earp a reason to
go back to Arizona before winter 1900 but it also strongly suggests a
plausible reason for Earp to travel BACK to Alaska a few months later
in the Spring of 1901.
Viola! You have a believable story.
Of course, none of this is written in stone anywhere as far as we
know, but neither can it be disputed by trivia buffs who might like to
disprove it either. The truth is, it makes perfect sense COULD very
well have happened just as I have described.
On a belated note: I noticed that I failed to show my source for the
quoted information about the rare newspapers. Here?s that link for
you:
HOLADBIRD ASSOCIATES
http://www.holabirdamericana.com/americana2002/archive/Auction20/AKthruAZ.html
So, in conclusion, the question I have to ask now is, if you are
willing to pay ONE of us, which one of us would you like to pay? The
decision is yours as there is no provision to split the reward so it
is you who must choose. I should also point out that a question cannot
be ?re-opened? once it is officially closed and a researcher is
awarded. The only solution is to open a new and separate question for
later inquiries.
Regards;
tutuzdad-gajfclemons-ga,
tutuzdad-ga has done some great work on this question, and provided
far more information that I was able to.
I hereby abdicate any claims to having provided an answer, and I
propose that tutuzdad be recognized as the sole, legitimate answerer
of this question.
But thanks for posting this in the first place...it was fun!
pafalafa-gaYou may give this interaction a rating now if you wish, or simply move
on and post a seperate question. Once answered, a question is
effectively closed.
Regards;
tutuzdad-gaI appreciate the thougthfulness, thoroughness and imagination you
applied to this question. It was very helpful in my research. Thank
youNo. Wyatt and his wife used to spend their winters in California and
then sail to Alaska every spring, where he owned a saloon. He'd
operate it during the mining season, and then come back to California
again in the fall. They did this for several years starting 1897.
The last year they did so was in 1901, when they once again sailed to
Alaska in the spring, but at the end of that season they gave up their
Alaska business for good and moved back permanently to California.
I've been able to find the info above, but so far, I can't find when
(month and day, or even something like "late April" or "early May")
that they actually left for Alaska in the Spring of 1901.
I'm writing a book that includes Wyatt in 1901, and I need to know
where he was in April and May of that year so that I can set the
timeframe for my novel. If you can get me something close, that would
be great. ThanksCan't fnd anything on his whereabouts in Spring of 1901, but the year
before he was in San Francisco, getting into trouble:
Los Angeles Times
May 1, 1900
San Francisco, April 30 -- Wyatt Earp, gun fighter and all-around "bad
man", was knocked down and out late Saturday night by Tom Mulqueen,
the well-known race-horse man. The trouble occurred in a swell
Market-street resort near Stockton...
Hope that helps, a bit.
pafalafa-gaOn second thought, tutuzdad-ga, let's give this a little more
attention and time. If this involves an additonal $25 or so, I hereby
direct that to you (and acknowldege the generous acquiescence of our
colleague). Let me frame the follow-on inquiry this way:
For purposes of my plot, I need Wyatt Earp (alone, not with Josie)
credibly available to travel in the lower 48 states for approximately
a month to six weeks in spring of 1901. My story requires he take
about a month to get where I need him (on the East Coast, traveling
privately and anonymously), then about a week or so engaging directly
in my story which can take place in late April or anytime in May, and
then traveling back home (Alaska?) afterwards.
Because of all the attention paid to Wyatt both in his own time and
now, I need some "virtually undetectable embellishment", in your
words, that will allow for that, without raising the ire of all the
Earp trivia fanatics who (if I'm lucky) end up reading the story.
I like your idea of having Wyatt go off looking for the person who
murdered Warren, as I can riff off of that But I'm still a bit
nervous about what is documented about him during 1901.
One of the most respected biographies of is "Wyatt Earp: The Life
Behind the Legend" by Casey Tefertiller. In there he states something
like, "Wyatt and Josie left for Alaska for the last time in April
1901" (I don't have the book in front of me) -- and though Mr.
Terfertiller provides copious footnotes throughout, no reference is
given for this. I don't know if he was just asserting (or guessing)
or if some documentation exists. He is also the one who asserts that
Wyatt was in Alaska when he heard of Warren's death so didn't go to
the funeral (although that is not inconsistent with he and Virgil
going looking for the murderer later, which could be the source of
confusion in these stories). Also, apparently Josie, at least, was
still in Alaska that summer, as she is reported as being involved in a
charity fund raiser there (same source).
So, if you are willing, could you provide me some more of your time,
your research, and your great insights here to help me fill the
remaining gaps? I would really appreciate it.Understand. So, how do I proceed. Do I wait for addional postings
here or close this out and reopen the question?Hi!!
According to my research, Wyatt Earp moved FROM Alaska TO California
in 1901, is this the date that you are requesting?I appreciate the level of confidence you have in my research, but
honestly, in spite of your generous additional offer, I don't know
what I could provide you beyond what I have found thus far. I try to
be pretty thorough the first time around.
There may be someone else who might be willing to take on your
additional request in the form of a seperate question though. We are
surrounded by some very talented geniuses here.
Regards;
tutuzdad-gaIt seems that Earp went to Alaska the last time in the summer of 1900
and returned to the lower States in the fall of 1901:
"The one cloud in an otherwise happy period of his life was the murder
of youngest Earp brother, Warren. On July 6, 1900 he was shot in a
saloon in Wilcox, Arizona. According to one source, Wyatt and Josie
were in Denver at the time. Both Wyatt and Virgil supposedly rushed to
Cochise County to aveng e the death of yet another brother. A few
weeks later, Wyatt and Josie went back to Alaska.
In 1901 Wyatt sold his interest in the Drexel Saloon. He and Josie
left Alaska with the large fortune of $85,000 dollars in their
pockets. They immediately used the money to outfit still another
saloon, this one, the Northern, was located in Tonopah, Nevada, the
heart of the most recent gold rush. Along with his saloon, Wyatt was a
Deputy United States Marshal for the District of Nevada."
WYATT EARP - SENIOR CITIZEN
http://home.earthlink.net/~knuthco1/Itemsofinterest3/seniorcitsource.htm
You might also consider this information:
"These Klondike gold rush newspapers are rare, and their content
remarkable. The two papers are the Nome Daily Chronicle and the Nome
Weekly Chronicle. One of the papers, the 8/25/1900 edition, has a
detailed article on the mining district and water pumping works,
though Lane?s name is not mentioned. At least one also carries an ad
for the Wild Goose Railroad. Ads for the famous saloons are here as
well, including the Northern. Tex Rickard & partners owned this
saloon. Rickard and Wyatt Earp were best friends. His wife Josie noted
that Rickard was a good dancer: ?that night I danced several dances
with Tex Rickard, whose talents were just the opposite of Wyatt?s so
far as dancing?? [p177] Rickard talked Wyatt into moving to Nome and
starting a saloon. Rickard?s Northern was a gold mine, and he
suggested this to the Earps. They built the Dexter in 1900 and billed
it as ?the only second class saloon in Alaska.? Earp left Nome for
Tonopah. Rickard followed to Nevada shortly after, operating the
Northern Saloon in Goldfield.). The papers are the 8/25/1900, 9/17/00,
9/5/1900; Nome Weekly Chronicle 10/6/1900 in magazine format, volume
1, no.1."
As you probably know, a newspaper of this era commonly reported the
travels and travel plans of it citizens, especially in a community
where nothing else newsworthy freuqently occured. It would stand to
reason that in view of this fact and coupled with the fact that Wyatt
Earp was a rather well known figure (if not local celebrity) I find it
unlikley that this newspaper would have failed to report Earps
journey's in 1901, if in fact he made one - which I obviously doubt.
In addition, Earp was reported to have amassed a fortune of $80,000 in
cash from his saloon business and gold mining (he was busy indeed) by
the time he returned to the lower States. It is not feasible to
believe that he would only have been in business for one year and
absent from his business much of that time. While he did apparently
travel in the summer of 1900, it is hard to believe that he would have
made another trip in 1901 only to return to the lower states 6 or 7
months later as these voyages required both time and money.
With that in mind I tink we can safely assume that Earp's final trip
TO Alaska took place in the summer of 1900, and not 1901 as you
suspected.
What do you think?
tutuzdad-gaDear jfclemons-ga;
In response to your agreement that the question has been answered as
far as you are concerned, and the subsequent acquiescence by my
college pafalafa-ga, I will officially close your question with
gratitude merely by pointing your to our comments below, rather than
reposting them here unnecessarily.
I look forward to helping you again as your project is a very
interesting and challenging one indeed.
Regards;
tutuzdad-ga#If you have any other info about this subject , Please add it free.# |
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