When Canadians think of the Klondike Gold Rush, they probably think of one of two things: the wild jubilation of striking it rich, or the grim misery of prospectors' long journey north. "Most people don't really discuss humour in the context of the Klondike gold rush," he told the host of CBC's Trail's End. Humour helped define in-groups and out-groups during the gold rush, Petrakos says. Reports from the gold rush era say the frontier lost its sense of humour as governments and other institutions moved in. In his paper, Petrakos cites William Douglas Johns, a journalist from Chicago who travelled north to cover the very first days of the gold rush.

Source: CBC News August 23, 2020 13:52 UTC