Basil G. Austin Papers, 1904, 1953, and Undated
.5 cubic foot (in 1 box)
Papers include consists of copies of Basil’s notes on his family, diaries from 1904, a bound version of Diary of a ninety-eighter, and the cover page and maps of Cumming’s book.
There are three versions of Basil’s diary. The first version is the handwritten original, which he kept in Alaska, along with a more legible 1904 version. The second version is a typescript that closely follows the original, probably written after 1910. The third version was published by John Cumming as Diary of a ninety-eighter. (Copies of this book are separately cataloged in the CMU libraries.)
The diary described Basil’s trip, mining experiences, companions, Nels Seaver and Ed Burmeister, and Alaska in detail.
The collection consists of copies of Basil’s notes on his family, diaries from 1904, a bound version of Diary of a ninety-eighter, and the cover page and maps of Cumming’s book.