TO ALASKA FOR GOLD

London's sacred desire to become a writer grew stronger. He became more experienced in life. He saw life's victims and those who fought hard against its injustices. He was eager to let the entire world know what he admired in human beings and what caused them pain. He acquired an old typewriter, which could type only in capital letters. On his days off work, he spent as many as fifteen hours a day typing. Able to type with just one finger, he wrote essays, scientific and sociological articles, poems, and short stories. However, the editorial offices of magazines consistently returned his manuscripts. The editors often felt that his poems were too "high-flown" and lacked distinctively "poetic" elements.

His early stories were farfetched. Their action lacked development and the characters were static. Clearly the beginning writer lacked the skill and polish of someone with more experience. His language was too flowery and heavy. He stacked one epithet on another. Jack London had a love for words but did not yet possess the sense of measure. However the first failures did not discourage the beginning writer. He continued to work on new short stories and verses. When material was returned, unaccepted by one editor, he sent it to another, all the while continuing to write new material.

Jack's stepfather believed in his lucky star. His mother also put her hopes on Jack's persistence. However something was just not going right. He had to give up many things, including his interest in political economy and biology. Burned out during the day by his work, he could not help falling asleep even while reading the most fascinating novels.

In America, much was (and still is) spoken and written about different ways to acquire immediate wealth. The United States was being advertised as a country of freedom and equal opportunities. However here was an example of a healthy, strong, young man, who unsuccessfully tried to break from poverty and free his family from it. He was convinced that it was necessary to uproot the entire rotten system of capitalism. He was ready to devote himself to the goal of revolution, but he had to first feed his parents and somehow sustain himself.

That year, 1897, the sensational news of gold discovered in the Yukon spread all over the United States. The legends about the lands of gold, where people became millionaires in a matter of weeks, were passed by word of mouth. Jack, with his brother-in-law, decided to try their luck. They took all the savings of Jack's sister Eliza and the money from the mortgage of her house. With this money, they bought everything necessary for the long journey into the snowy lands of the Yukon. They bought woolen sweaters, flannel shirts, fur coats, hats, boots, blankets, and tents. At the end of July, the two men sailed North. They encountered difficulty from the very first moments of landing. They had a lot of baggage, but not enough money to hire a porter. If they did get a carrier, they would have had only enough money to last them a few days. They decided to carry the baggage themselves along the slippery paths through the mountains. Then Jack's brother-in-law refused to continue the impossible journey. From that point on, Jack traveled with three friends. They divided the load in several parts having to cover the same path time and time again. The Chilkoot Pass was the most difficult one. London had to load himself with up to 70 pounds on his back, and stubbornly climb the steep slopes, trying to keep up with his companions. This was not for the weak.

Jack derived much satisfaction out of it. He took pleasure in watching his muscles work perfectly and was quite happy when he managed to surpass the natives of these lands in endurance. He overcame rapids and fast icy streams, which no one else had the courage to cross. They needed to make progress quickly; time was everything, with hundreds of competitors also crossing the mountain ranges, walking along the narrow paths and sailing the lakes in boats and rafts. Only courage, endurance, and sharp wit promised to bring any luck in that feverish pursuit. Jack looked fearlessly into the face of danger. He was inspired by the dream to provide for his mother and his stepfather, whom he left sick. He dreamed about his marriage to Mabel, about finally having the means to pursue his writing career.

In the beginning of October, Jack and his companions reached the camp of gold-miners on Lake Henderson, below Dawson. On the third day of their gold search and trial sand-washing, Jack's companion, Thompson, found a piece of sand with abundant gold glitter. The happy argonauts quickly staked their claim to this piece of land, made a detailed map of it and took a sample of land to Dawson in order to claim the gold. They had the courage to show their findings to the experts only after they filled out the claim form. They were immediately ridiculed. The golden glitter appeared to be nothing but mica. By that time, it was too late to think about new searches: the early Arctic winter came in full force. Jack and his friends decided to wait and resume their work in the spring. During the long winter evenings, London was reading thick volumes, among which were Marx's Das Capital and Darwin's The Origin of Species. He listened to the miners' endless true accounts and fictional stories about incredible events and fabulous findings, about fights over gold, which often had a tragic end, about the power of friendship and selflessness of native Yukon women. He heard how one traveler froze to death after getting completely soaked. He had also heard about a greedy man who died from a gunshot wound, which was caused by gold that was hidden inside a gun barrel. One could hear all kinds of stories during the endless Arctic night!

Towards the spring, from the lack of fresh fruits and vegetables, London became ill with scurvy. He tried to hold out as long as he could, before he finally realized that he would not be able to get well in the North. When he knew this to be true, he came down to the Yukon River, with his two friends. Then all three of them sailed along the Yukon River to the Bering Sea, north of Port St. Michael, covering over two thousand miles. From St. Michael a steamer returned them to San Francisco.

He did not bring a cent with him. He had spent everything that was given to him. However, he brought something even more valuable than money — his notes about all he had seen and heard. His memory stored meetings, stories, and pictures of mighty nature. He was a witness to a crude people's struggle with wild nature; he saw their victories and defeats. His faith in the might of a human being, in friendship, and comradeship grew stronger.

From his time spent in the North, Jack developed a love for dogs; he could appreciate their dedication and selfishness. He was even more attracted to human qualities such as persistence, strong will, and the ability to come out as a winner in every situation. At the same time, the trip to the Yukon opened up for him yet another side of a capitalist world, which promoted a cruel struggle between people, covering it in the name of free enterprise. In this struggle, only a few could achieve success, while hundreds and thousands of others would fail much like those in search of wealth in the Northland.