CHARLES FISHER
PIONEER CAFE
MAN OF NORTH
HAS ONE OF MOST MODERN ES
TABLISHMENTS NORTH OF
SEATTLE—BRIEF HISTORY
ON NOVEMBER 4, 1897, Mr.
Charles Fisher, the subject of
this sketch, started from Lon
don, England, his home for many
years past, on a quest of adven
ture on the highroad of life. He
became attached to the service of
Sir Henry Bernard, as a combined
chef and valet, for twelve mining
men, who having heard of the Klon
dike gold rush, were making prep
arations to join the stampede. The
only stipulation made by Sir Ber
nard was that Mr. Fisher should
remain with the party until its re
turn to London Town.
Via the Edmonton Trail, the
party finally reached Fort Mac
Pherson, where the first news of
the Boer War was received by the
party. As all members of the par
ty, excepting Mr. Fisher, were Bri
tish army officers, they immedi
ately retraced their steps back to
England, but Mr. Fisher continu
ed on to Circle City, where he
found employment cooking for the
Northern Commercial Company.
For seven months he remained
with this company, proceeding then
to Dawson. Here he soon found
work with the Dome Yukon Min
ing Company, on No. 2 below, Hun
ker Creek. July 7, 1900, he took
unto himself the faithful help
meet who has remained by his side
throughout the long years he has
remained in the Northland. The
same year he opened a restaurant
in Dawson on Third avenue, which
he named ‘ ‘ Old Glory. * ’ The build
FISHER’S CAFE. ONE OF M OST MODERN IN THE NORTH
F amily
and Eat Dinner at Fisher’s Cafe
At Luncheon time, oil a busy day, maybe you are hurried,
but you want good food just the same. Fisher’s Cafe is
the place of prompt service. Here you can eat in a hurry
and at a moderate cost. There’s plenty of variety in our
menu.
i
Pleasant Surroundings
AND
Courteous Service
44This Christmas and New Year’s I will give a dinner
which will eclipse the greatest effort of my career,” said
Mr. Fisher. The above expression should be enough for
those who know the attainments of Fisher’s Cafe on past
occasions.
Fisher’s Cafe
CHARLES FISHER, Proprietor
PRIVATE BOOTHS DANCING FLOOR BANQUETING HALL
si
CHARLES FISHER,
Pioneer Restaurant Man of North
ing was owned by Peter Vashon.
Mr. Fisher remained in this
place of business for the -next two
years, after which he staked a
claim on All Gold Creek, and be
gan mining. Four years’ opera
tion of his claims sufficed, and he
then staked the first homestead in
! the Yukon Territory, which later
jbecame known as “Fisher’s Road
house. ’ ’ There he farmed for the
next four years, raising timothy,
oats and all kinds of vegetables,
for ali of which he easily found
a market. In the winter time he
engaged in freighting, carrying
caribou, moose or fish, which was
readily sold to the wood camps,
which were numerous in those
days. In disposing of his hay crop
he found it necessary to bale it, so
constructed a handmade press.
In the work of baling he was as
sisted by a horse, which turned the
power to compress a'wagon load
of hay into a compact bale 18
inches high by 20 inches wide by
36 inched long. The first bale of
hay manufactured in the Yukon
was sold by Mr. Fisher to Alex
McDonald, better known to his
hundreds of friends as the “Big
Moose. ’ ’
irxi. r lsuer reuiameu Vii me
farm for four years, when a com
pany arrived on the ground seek
ing a water right. As Mr. Fisher
knew of a good water site, directly
across the Klondike River from his
homestead, they staked it and con
structed a powerplant in two years
time. This was known as the
North Fork Power plant and sup
plied power for the adjacent min
ing district. N. C. Treadgold was
the principal promoter and stock
holder of this company. Mr. Fish
er catered to the workmen engag
ed in construction of the plant,
during which time he erected a
splendid two-story roadhouse. This
was with the idea in mind of con
tinuing in the business permanent
ly. Four years following the ar
rival of the power company, Mr.
Fisher disposed of his profitable
business to Mr. and Mrs. John
Hollenbeck. This was in 1913.
He then went to British Colum
bia, but after buying a farm at
Langley Fort, which he cleared and
seeded, a disastrous fire completely
destroyed his home and contents.
He had just completed building a
house, of two stories and very mod
ern for those days.
Once more he headed north for
Dawson, where he secured a job
as cook with the Guggenheim’s
powerplant, located on Little 12
Mile. He stayed there one season,
and that winter tried his luck at
trapping lynx. The following
spring, in 1916, he landed a job as
cook on the river steamer Susie,
which was en route down-river to
Ruby. At this camp he entered
the employ of The Merchant’s
Cafe, later moving to the creeks
where he cooked for various min
ing camps. In 1917 Mr. Fisher’s
wife and daughters arrived in
Ruby and with their help he con
ducted the Merchant’s Cafe for
the following year.
Two years’ later or in 1919, he
purchased the Ruby Hotel, remod
eling it throughout, which, when
completed, was known as one of
the most comfortable roadhouses
in the Territory. He was very
successful in the operation of this
business, which he conducted for
the next six years. An opportunity
presenting he disposed of his busi
ness at a profitable figure, he sold
out to A. S. Crane. With his fam
ily, he then moved to Seward and
on August 2, 1924, opened the
present place of business, called
Fisher’s Cafe and Bakery.
Mr. and Mrs. Fisher have
three daughters, Gwendeline Mar
guerite Edmonton, All-Gold Dor
othy Alice and Mildred Mary Ade
la. Gwendeline w'as born in Daw
son, April 23, 1901. Allgold was
born on All Gold Creek, July 29,
1903, and Mildred was also born
on All Gold Creek.
The eldest daughter married
Sergeant William Nelson Growden
of the U. S. Signal Corps, June 21,
1921, the day of the Midnight
Sun. The marriage took place in
Mr. Fisher’s restaurant at Ruby.
Since coming to Seward Mr.
Fisher has taken out his naturali
zation papers and is now a full
fledged citizen of the United
States, and one of its most patriot
ic sons. The restaurant which he
conducts in Seward is one of the
most magnificently furnished in
the Northland, and is enjoying a
steadily increasing trade.
It will be recalled if one will pause
for a moment that all of the larger
quartz mining propositions in the Ter
ritory have been operated on tidewa
ter. Operating mines on tidewater is
the most economical method of min
ing in the world. This is one reason
why Nuka Bay will come into promi
nence much sooner than other quartz
fields. Another reason is because
Nuka Bay prospects uncovered reveal
that there is unlimited tonnage. Tho
development work has not progressed
so far that it is a certainty the leads
will not pinch out.
The first cannery to be built in
Alaska and to operate in Alaska the
same year, is the record held by the
Nakeen cannery in the Bristol Bay
district. The cannery is the property
of the A. & S. Products Corporation,
a subsidiary company of The Great
Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company.
HERE ARE A FEW DISTANCES
Seward to Seattle_1700 miles
Seward to Latouche _ 62 miles
Latouche to Valdez_ 84 miles
Valdez to Cordova_ 90 miles
Cordova to Juneau_ 495 miles
Air Mail from Seward
An air mail route from Seward to
Seldovia, Chignik and Bristol Bay is
talked of for the coming summer. In
case this is adopted the aviators will
be paid by the canners and by the
postoffice department jointly. The
distance covered is about 600 miles.
This Takes a
Power Plant
An electric iron is just
about all an ordinary
electric plant can handle
under the best condi
tions—
But it’s child’s play for the
1500-watt Kohler Automatic,
■with double the capacity of
most plants and no storagg
batteries to be ruined by over
loading.
If you want electricity without
hobbles—all the light you need
and all the power you’ll demand
sooner or later—you want the
Kohler Automatic.
Come in any tjme and see a
mighty fine piece of machinery
at work. Or telephone or write
us for a demonstration at your
home.
C. E. ORLANDER
AGENT
KOHLER
AUTOMATIC
POWERS LI G H T