Robinson Bros.
Sherwin S. Robinson, furniture dealer and funeral director of Ostrander, Ohio, was born in this county on what is known as "Three Oaks Farm," three miles north of Ostrander. on July 19, 1868. He is the eldest son of Rubens W. and Hattie Watson Robinson, and a grandson of John Robinson, the artist and sculptor, who came to this country from London. England, in 1832, and settled in this county in 1833.
The subject of this sketch spent his boyhood days on the farm and received his education in the Ostrander public schools. On November 20, 1896, he was united in marriage to Mary E. Bell, a daughter of William and Margurette Smart Bell. She was born at Macomb, Illinois, June 28, 1869. Mr. and Mrs. Robinson have two daughters, Elizabeth L. and Winifried. They are members of the Presbyterian Church. Politically, Mr. Robinson is a Prohibitionist, public-spirited and enterprising; fraternally, he is a member of Ostrander K. of P. Lodge, No. 348, and of the Woodmen of the World. Delaware Camp.
On January 1, 1897, Sherwin S. Robinson, now the senior partner of Robinson Bros., succeeded J. H. Millison by purchasing his furniture and undertaking establishment. In the autumn of 1901. Harry W. Robinson, who was in Alaska at that time, purchased a half interest in the business and thus gave the public the firm of Robinson Bros., who conduct one of the leading furniture and undertaking establishments of the country. This store has the record of furnishing as many homes annually as any other furnishing house in this and adjoining counties. The firm has had the satisfaction of furnishing a good many homes outside of this State.
Harry W. Robinson, of the firm of Robinson Brothers, furniture dealers and funeral directors, is the son of Rubens W. and Hattie Watson Robinson, whose biographical sketch appeared in the History of Delaware County, published in 1880, who at that time, were living on the home farm known as "Three Oaks Farm," three and one-half miles north of Ostrander. This farm is now owned by Mr. Robinson's mother, who resides in Ostrander, his father having died on the 30th of April, 1897.
The firm familiarly known as Robinson Bros, is located on the corner of Second and North Streets. Ostrander, in a large two-story frame building, which they purchased in September, 1901, and remodelled to suit their purposes. It is divided into three apartments. The first floor, which is 30x75 feet, is given up to furniture and is filled with everything pertaining to a first-class home furnishing establishment; the second floor, 30x50 feet, is the carpet, rug and drapery department. A large stock of wall paper is also carried. Adjoining these rooms on the first floor, is their undertaking parlor, which is modernly finished and where they carry a complete line of undertaking supplies, a line of caskets which is seldom found outside of the city undertaking parlors, covering a wide range, from the ordinary caskets to the most beautiful hand-carved solid mahogany and quartered oak state caskets. This firm especially prides itself in its funeral furnishings, having every modern convenience pertaining to this line of work, which classes them among the leading undertakers of the county. Both members of the firm are State licensed embalmers and directors.
Harry W. Robinson was born on the farm in this county. April 19, 1872; he is the third child of a family of three children—Sherwin S., Bessie A. and Harry W. Bessie died November 30, 1900. Harry W. Robinson received his education in the public scooIs, and at the age of 20 graduated from the N. P. A. H. and Business College at Delaware. After this he spent some three years in the telegraph and express office on the Big Four Railway. While at home on a vacation from London, Ohio, Madison County, in the summer of 1896, he met Miss Gertrude Latham, of Delaware, a young lady of nearly 16 summers, who was also visiting at the home of his parents, and, as Mr. Robinson explains it, "Dan Cupid was there, too."
In the fall of 1896 Harry resigned his position and engaged with Prof. Lewis L. LeMay in connection with the N. P. A. H. & Business College at Delaware, Ohio. The following year, on account of his father's continued poor health, he returned home, where he remained until after his father's death.
Late in the fall of 1897, when the first reports of the discovery of gold in Alaska were made known, Harry Robinson organized a party of six to start for the Northern Gold Fields, the following February, 1808. The party was composed of J. J. Cone, F. J. Leeds, J. F. Haas, Fred Travis and Julius Herdegen. Harry Robinson and Mr. Cone left Ostrander on the afternoon of February 15th for Chicago, where they met the balance of their party at the Tremont Hotel, and here they more fully made their arrangements, taking into their party two old gentlemen from Mt. Pleasant. Michigan—E. W. Ellis and S. D. Eldred. who afterward proved of much value to the party when it came to boat building.
The party of eight left Chicago on the 17th for St. Paul, via the C. M. & St. P. Ry.. arriving at 7:30 A. M., the 18th. and leaving at 1:30 P. M., for Seattle, Washington, via the Great Northern Railway. After over three days' continuous travel across the plains, through and over the Rocky and Cascade Mountains, they arrived in Seattle at 4 P. M. on the 21st, having at times traveled hundreds of miles through a seemingly uninhabited country except for an occasional rancher's cabin, a tribe of Pawnees, or cattle to break the majestic solitude. The party spent seven days in Seattle, with a view to purchasing their outfits, as every man going into the Klondike was obliged to take with him an outfit of clothing and provisions that would last one year. The clothing, outside of common wearing apparel, consisted of moccasins for the feet, made by the Indians, usually from moose hides, which are made large enough to slip on over from one to six pairs of socks, as the weather sometimes requires it; snow shoes, ice creepers, snow glasses, several pairs of German socks, and a Parka, which fits like a gown, covering the body from the top of the head to the feet, and is very warm. The provisions were as condensed as it is possible to make them, in the way of beef extracts, milk, cream, sacharine tablets, for sweetening, etc.; dried or evaporated fruits and vegetables of all kinds put up in heavy canvas sacks and canvas-covered boxes, as nearly water-proof as it was possible to prepare them. In order to save paying the heavy duty on all goods taken from the United States into the British territory, the party decided to go to Vancouver, British Columbia, and purchase their outfits. Leaving Seattle on the 27th for Vancouver, via the S. & I. Railway, they arrived at their destination at 4:30. At Surnas, on the Dominion line, the Canadian custom officers boarded the train, and examined all baggage and collected duties.
After staying in Vancouver 11 days purchasing their outfits, the party sailed for Skagway, Alaska, on the ocean steamer Centennial, a large English vessel, built in 1862. There were three women and 362 men aboard, destined to Fort Wrangle, Skagway and Juneau. While crossing Queen Charlotte's Sound, they were in a severe hail and wind storm, lasting for eight hours; every passenger was sick including several of the ship's crew. Upon the upper deck were 85 dogs, which the rocking of the vessel seemed to effect very much in the same way as it did the first-class passengers. In narrating the story, Mr. Robinson said they all made noises similar and offered a liberal donation to the fish.
At 12 o'clock noon they passed into Dixon Strait, where the vessel was protected by the inland route; many interesting things were seen at Wrangle, which is a port and an Indian Camp of the Siwash Tribes. Near the wharf are a number of "totem poles," the Indians' God, that they worship. Some of the poles were newly carved with gruesome heads and images, while others were decayed and moss-covered, which have evidently been standing through many summer suns and wintry blizzards. Some have panels let in, encasing the ashes of the dead chiefs. Large game abounds; there were 15 fresh-killed deer hanging in front and on the sides of one Indian's cabin.
The party arrived at Skagway, March 15th, and after a delay of three days, they got their papers through the Custom House, which was in the United States territory. Upon looking over the trail leading from Skagway through the Porcupine Canyon to the summit of the Rocky Mountains, which was over and through the White Pass, it was found impossible to draw a sled with a team, as the party had anticipated doing. The warm Chinook winds and warm sunshine had melted the snow and exposed the many rocks and bowlders that only a few days before had been covered with snow, in such a way that only a pack train, or man on foot could travel, with any degree of safety. So facing these conditions there was but one thing to do; employ a man with a pack train and pay him the price of five and one-half cents per pound to "pack" the outfits to the summit or boundary line between Alaska and the Dominion of Canada—a distance of 22 miles, which all the way was very dangerous, being through deep canons, and over and between great rocks and holes in the ice. There were 36 mules and burros in the pack train, each carrying from two to three hundred pounds on their back, one mule following another. Usually the man in charge of the mules would ride at the head of the pack, the head mule, with a bell around his neck, and the rest following as closely as they could walk, single file. There were hundreds of mules being thus used on the trail; horses were of little use for packing in this way, as a misstep usually meant a broken leg.
Reaching the Summit on March 21st with their outfits, they found plenty of snow and the trail in good condition for sledding. Here dogs were put into use for hauling the outfits, usually from two to seven dogs in a team, driven tandem fashion and drawing from 400 to 800 pounds. Oftentimes one could look ahead for a mile and see that single file of moving feet onward pushing to the promised land; first a dog team pulling until their tongues were hanging from their mouths; next a man with a rope passing around his body and either end attached to a sled, loaded with bacon and beans, pulling until their eyes were bulging from their sockets; then another man with his partner, a good faithful dog. the truest and staunchest friend a man ever had in the north country—pulling their burden together, each knowing it contained their rations, and each willing that the other should have his share — some men cursing and some in good humor. Such were the daily scenes for several weeks, covering the entire trail from the Summit of the Rocky Mountains to the head waters of Lake Bennett, which is a fine body of water, as it lies in one beautiful long stretch between the mountains. There are on its shores magnificent pine forests, which extend away up into the clouds and in its clear mirror scores of snowy peaks are reflected.
Upon reaching this lake, one begins to look for a favorable and cosy spot, one that will make him feel as though he were at home, for here he must stay until he has whip-sawed enough lumber out of the rough tree to make a boat of sufficient size to carry from two to five passengers and their outfits. Mr. Robinson and his party hand-sledded their outfits down Lake Bennett to an island, now known a-s"Dead Man's Island," as there were three men who lost their lives near there, by breaking through the ice. and who were later buried on the island. To the left of this island the party made their camp, six of them in the party—Travis and Herdegan had dropped out, as a great many others had done. There, day after day, they converted themselves into miniature saw-mills. To one who has never had any experience in whip-sawing, the work is very laborious. On April 10th they finished cutting lumber for boats. Mr. Eldred and Mr. Ellis built them—two in number—each large enough for three passengers and their outfits. As the ice had not left the lake yet, the party spent their time in hunting, there being much game. The ice froze to a depth of eight feet, and when it thaws it becomes honey-combed and is very treacherous to travel over. On April 12th, near Mr. Robinson's camp, three men were seen on the trail and were warned that the ice was unsafe. Not taking heed, they were soon through the ice and struggling for their lives. One of them was rescued by the Robinson party and two of them drowned—Mr. Burns from Kansas and Mr. Richards from Frenchtown, Montana. The bodies were recovered and buried on the island in rude coffins or boxes made from lumber which was whip-sawed.
On May 28th the lake seemed clear of ice and on this memorable day hundreds of boats on Lakes Bennett, Linderman and Taggish, were launched with their precious loads. We say precious, because after one has packed and pulled, carried and rolled a sack of dried apples or beans over glaciers, mountain tops and snow banks for six months he begins to feel an attachment for it, and this was what the parties had been waiting nearly six weeks for; and now the way was opened from Lake Linderman to the Bering Sea, nearly 3,000 miles, and over water as treacherous as a boat ever traveled, as wrecks were scattered at not infrequent intervals all along the route. Sometimes the boats were broken in equal parts, which meant total destruction to the outfit, and oftentimes death to its occupants, whose final resting place was usually marked by a post squared on all sides, with the name of the unfortunate man written upon one with a lead pencil.
Upon reaching Caribou Crossing, a narrow at the lower end of Lake Bennett, the party found an ice-jam in the gorge and blockading the way for several hours. The next morning the channel was clear, allowing all boats to pass. When the ice broke loose in the gorge it swamped and wrecked a boat—that of a Jew—who was single-handed, and who lost his entire outfit, which so disenheartened him that he took his own life.
On June 1st the party arrived at Taggish Lost, another police headquarters, the business of whose occupants it was to inspect all boats and contents and confiscate all goods that were being smuggled. While in camp at the mouth of White River, on the night of June 1st, a party of Siwash Indians attacked the prospectors while in their boats five miles up the river, shooting one and killing him instantly, but only inflicting a flesh wound on the other, who made his way to the shore and back to the mouth of the river, where the other members of their party were in camp, and related his experience. A party was formed of a dozen prospectors and two police from Taggish Post to go in search of the Indians, whom they found near the scene of the shooting the evening before. The Indians, six in number, were sitting around their campfire. The police crept upon them covering them with their rifles before the Indians discovered them. The entire band were marched ahead to Taggish Post, where three of them were convicted of the shooting and taken to Dawson City in July. During the following winter one died from the close confinement and the other two were hanged in March.
They told a rather grewsome story in regard to this execution that may sound rather improbable, but which was vouched for by responsible parties. It was the first hanging that was ever performed at Dawson City and the hands of one of the Indians were not securely strapped. When the drop was made, he freed his hands and reached above his head, grasped the rope and drew himself up. Whereupon one of the attendants grasped him around the body and hung on until life was extinct.
On June 4th the party arrived at the treacherous and dangerous White Horse Rapids, where many boats were wrecked and lives lost and men were driven insane. On the afternoon of June 3rd three men lost their lives by striking a large rock which lies in the middle of the canon, about 20 rods above the rapids. About ten rods below the rapids is another rocky projection where 35 boats were wrecked in one week's time. Miles Canon is just above White Horse Rapids, and the river flows through a narrow avenue between perpendicular granite walls. Through this gorge the boats were driven at a terrific speed
On June 12th, while in camp for the night, Mr. Robinson took a pan and panned his first pieces of gold from a bar at the mouth of Big Salmon River, which specimens he still has.
The party continued on their journey from day to day, with nothing worthy of special mention, except that not a single day passed that they did not pan gold from the bars along the Kwichpak or Yukon River, but not in paying quantities; it was very light, but could be found on any bar.
On July 9th the party arrived at Dawson City, which was a city of tents with a population of more than 10,000. At that time there were very few substantial buildings—a few large warerooms owned by the Alaska Commercial Company and the National Alaska Trading Company, three banks in log buildings; the mining recorder's office being a log cabin, as was also the penitentiary; and three log cabin churches and two hospitals, also built of logs cut from spruce trees. This remarkable city of mushroom growth is located on the bank of the Yukon River, partly bordering on the mouth of the Klondike River in an angle formed by the two streams coming together. Here was the landing for the thousands of prospectors who by grit, pluck and perseverance had reached their destination, but not their fortune, which required a goodly portion of the three above essentials before a man got it, as this was a new world to every one of them, a climate entirely different from what they were used to. The ground was frozen from the grass roots clear through to the other side, except for the three summer months commencing with June, during which time the ground thaws to the depth of about three feet. During these months it is one continuous day, the sun shining continually. On the 21st and 22nd days of June one can see the Midnight Sun, its orb not disappearing from one's sight during the 48 hours. As the summer wanes the sun travels southward, each day growing shorter, when in the last days of September it disappears entirely from one's sight. Then the dark season begins and lasts nearly six months. At no time is it brighter than a gray dawn, which occurs between the hours of 9 A. M. and 3 P. M., the balance oi the 24 hours of each day being darkness. At this season it is very cold, the thermometer often registering 60 degrees below zero, and during the month of January, in 1899, it registered at one time 80 degrees below zero. This was the coldest night on record at Dawson City up to that time.
Had it not been for the extremely dry atmosphere one could not have endured such extreme cold. It was not uncommon to hear of or find some prospector frozen to death. During the winter of 1899 while Mr. Robinson and his party were returning from a prospecting tour on a tributary of the Klondike River, they discovered a tent some distance from their trail. Thinking it was a good chance to get warm and cook their dinner, they approached the tent and throwing the flaps back, were horrified to see the bodies of two men frozen in death. One was wrapped in his blanket lying on some spruce boughs, while the other was on his knees with his head drooping forward, his chin resting on his breast. He was frozen perfectly rigid. He had endeavored to start a fire; a few shavings were lying in front of him and his knife was still grasped in his hand. They were hunters and from appearances had been dead for several days.
Upon arriving at Dawson and spending a few days looking over the situation, four of the party, Eldred, Ellis, Leeds and Haas, all being men past middle life and their pluck pretty well spent, explained to the others that they were very much needed at home and that they must go at once. This they did, selling their outfits, which brought good prices. Sugar at that time was selling at $1.00 per pound, dried fruits, 75 cents; butter, which was put up in pound tins, sold for $1.50; flour at $10.00 per sack; and fresh meat at $1.50 per pound.
During the winter months of 1898 and 1899 the subject of our sketch and Mr. Cone prospered together. In March Cone located and worked a claim on Montecristo Gulch, which he operated for several months, cleaning up a considerable amount of gold. Selling his interest in the claim, he went to Nome, remaining there for some time. He then returned to his family, who at that time was living in Kansas. Mr. Robinson continued prospering, and in July, 1899, with his partner, James Drummond, a Scotchman, located a claim on upper Bonanza Creek. This they continued to work together until in September, 1901, thawing the dirt in the winter by means of wood fires, which was the way the mining was operated, hoisting it by means of a windlass and dumping the gravel which contained the gold in a large heap or mound which was later sluiced when the gold was separated from the dirt and gravel.
This was the most interesting part of the mining when you could look in the bottom of the sluice box and see the little yellow chunks of gold and dust lying between the riffle poles. As the mining in the Klondike is all placer, there being no gold-bearing quartz, or lodes, sometimes the gold which is commonly called "gold dust" was found five feet below the top of bed rock, where it had been washed, settling between the crevices of the rocks at an age when the country had a much warmer climate than it has at the present time. It has every evidence of at one time having been tropical, as the skeletons of the mastodon are often taken from the frozen earth at a depth of fifteen feet, the bones and tusks being always in a good state of preservation. Lava beds are greatly in evidence. A few old, well defined volcanic cones, which are no longer smoking, can be seen from "the Dome." From this promontory, which is the divide between the Great Stewart River and the Klondike River—from this elevation which stands alone and is several thousand feet above the sea level and unapproachable in its grandeur—one gets his first extended view of Alaska. Through the blue haze stretching out over fifty miles of foot hills, across the great valleys, peak beyond peak rise the snow-capped Rockies 150 miles away. Any attempt, however graphic, would fail to give the reader an adequate conception of the grandeur of this scenery.
The subject of this sketch left Dawson City on September 8, 1901, on The Eldorado, a Yukon River steam-boat, and arrived at White Horse Rapids on the 16th, Sunday evening, where he took the train overland for Skagway, a distance of 100 miles, over the same route that the prospectors had traveled by foot and with dog teams three years before, undergoing many hardships. Now he was able to skim over the country in ease and elegance in a day. covering the same territory that before had taken weeks to do. Yet the former trip had had its joys; the traveler filled with great expectations had time to enjoy the thousand and one charming views along the way; the fresh, invigorating mountain air gave him an appetite that enabled him to do justice to his own cooking, and it gave him a much clearer conception of the extent of the country.
Mr. Robinson took very much the same route homeward on the ocean as he did when going into the country. After reaching the States, he visited San Francisco, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, Denver, and many other points of interest in the West. Arriving home late in October, 1901, he at once engaged in the business he is now pursuing.
The following summer he erected a nice comfortable home and on October 1, 1902, was married to Miss Gertrude E. Latham, of Delaware. They have two children, Jeannette A. and Eugene L. Mr. and Mrs. Robinson are Presbyterians. Politically the former is a Republican; fraternally, a member of Edenburgh Lodge, I. O. O. F., No. 467.
From 20th Century History of Delaware County, Ohio, and Representative Citizens, Edited and compiled by James R. Lytle, Delaware, Ohio, Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago, 1908