The Golden Grindstone

The Golden Grindstone is the dramatic story of one man's journey to the Yukon goldfields. George M. Mitchell was a Toronto insurance broker turned adventurer who chose the route least traveled to the Yukon--and not only least traveled, but doubtless most perilous. Along the way, he encountered boat-crunching rapids, famine conditions, murderous fellow prospectors, rambunctious wildlife, extreme cold, and Indians with very little experience of outsiders. At one point he shattered his kneecap and seemed to have little hope of surviving. That he did survive is nothing short of a miracle. The resulting story is perhaps the best book ever written about the Gold Rush.