Faith of Fools: A Journal of the Klondike Gold Rush

by William Shape, Lee Laney (Introduction)

This dramatic journal and William Shape's accompanying photographs give a human dimension to the journey undertaken by vast hordes of prospectors who headed north during the Klondike Gold Rush of the late 1890s. Here we learn just how difficult it was to carry thousands of pounds of supplies over Chilkoot Pass, build a flimsy boat to rocket down raging rivers and pull that same heavily laden boat upstream, and battle thick clouds of mosquitoes. We learn of suffering and death and the true pleasure that comes from simple triumphs like baking a good loaf of sourdough bread and receiving mail from home. One hundred years after the gold rush, William Shape's journal and his candid snapshots vividly recreate the frenzy that drew a hundred thousand would-be prospectors to the frozen north. This previously unpublished journal--recently rescued from a California flea market--was compiled by a man with a keen photographer's eye and an author's attention to detail. Faith of Fools provides a rare opportunity to live history in the first person, traveling to the gold fields with those ordinary prospectors who made that long, laborious trip a century ago.

136 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1998

Reviews

[Jeff Macey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good diary type book by an educated man. The editor warned about the attitude of the writer towards the Indians, but holy cow it was offensive. Other than that, I enjoyed the book. Bought it in the gift shop of the Klondike National Historical Park in Seattle.

[Overbooked ✎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[LAB · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 1897 William Shape had been married for 7 years and was the father of two young sons. He and wife, Louisa, lived in New York City. Will had been born into a wealthy family of German immigrants and received a good education, both academically and through family trips abroad. But in 1897 the call of adventure and potential riches reached across the continent when word of the Klondike Gold Rush lured Will and a friend away from city life.

Faith of Fools (Washington State University Press, 1998) is William Shape's journal of the year he spent in pursuit of gold in the Klondike. He describes the arduous trek from Skagway over the Chilkoot Pass and the hundreds of pounds of supplies he and his partner hauled in numerous repetitive trips to the summit and down the far side. In a forthright but captivating style, Will details crossing swamps, meeting other miners, visiting Indian villages, building a boat, shooting rapids through rocky canyons, and camping amid swarms of flies and mosquitoes. It is a story of courage and persistence in search for gold at the end of the trail. He finds trail's end but the gold Will brought back to New York City was not sluiced from Alaskan rivers.

If you enjoy real life adventure tales and want to experience the challenge of the Klondike without leaving your armchair, this book is for you!