Jim Lackey had come to the Yukon Territory during the gold rush, bringing his wife and ten-year-old son with him. They had staked a claim a few miles outside of Selkirk, on Beaver Ridge, and through the summer months, Jim had been able to dig enough gold from his claim to make ends meet. But when winter came, the claim seemed to give out, and Jim realized that he and his little family would soon be without food. He needed to find a job.