"and the express messengers breathed with relief when they bundled him off the train at Seattle...."See in text(Chapter I)
Seattle, because of the proximity of Washington to Alaska, was a major point of departure for those heading to the Klondike. By this point, Buck has already made the transition from California to the Puget Sound mentioned in the first paragraph.
"“If I don't get the hydrophoby—”..."See in text(Chapter I)
Hydrophobia, meaning literally a fear of water but referring to a sudden resistance to drinking fluids of various kinds, is a symptom of rabies, which the man fears after having been bitten by a dog. Although the first rabies vaccine was introduced in 1885, rabies was still often fatal in the 19th century, especially because access to doctors was not always immediate. A better vaccine was developed in 1908, after London’s novel was published.
"“Yep, has fits,” the man said, hiding his mangled hand from the baggage man, who had been attracted by the sounds of struggle. “I'm takin’ ’m up for the boss to ‘Frisco...."See in text(Chapter I)
This character is lying to the train attendant to make it seem like he has a legitimate reason for having a hostile dog. The noun “fits” could refer generally to a number of conditions, including something like rabies (often a concern when dogs are violent). “‘Frisco” is an abbreviation of San Francisco, a bay city in Northern California where some prospectors would leave to Seattle or even Alaska more directly. “Crack” here would be popular dialect term indicating a high degree of talent.
In this game, known as Keno, gamblers place bets on which twenty Chinese characters or numbers out of eighty will be randomly selected in a drawing. Gamblers are each given ten guesses and are then reimbursed in proportion to how many they guess correctly.
In this game, known as Keno, gamblers place bets on which twenty Chinese characters or numbers out of eighty will be randomly selected in a drawing. Gamblers are each given ten guesses and are then reimbursed in proportion to how many they guess correctly.
This type of well differs from those that require a pump or pulley system to access water. Artesian wells are constructed in such a way that the water naturally rises to the surface as a result of underground water pressure.
A lake in the Province of British Columbia and Yukon Territory in northwestern Canada, Lake Bennett was a historically popular stop for prospectors after toiling through Chilkoot pass.
The Chilcoot Divide (now spelled Chilkoot,) is a 33-mile-long trail through the Coast Mountains that leads from Dyea, Alaska, to Bennett, British Columbia. It was a major access route from the coast to the Yukon goldfields in the late 1890s.
Dawson is a city in the Yukon that experienced a population boom because of the gold rush, peaking at 40,000 inhabitants but now home to only 1,300. Those who lived in Dawson were usually miners or providers of services and supplies to miners. Jack London lived here for about one year.
During the Klondike Gold Rush, the Alaskan city of Skaguay’s population swelled and the community was riddled with crime. When the rush ended, miners and prospectors rapidly left. It is also spelled as “Skagway.”
A flintlock pistol is a type of firearm that uses flint, a variety of rock, to produce the spark needed to ignite gunpowder in order to fire the gun. It was first popularized in the 17th century.
