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Perhaps the most familiar figure in the town, - and he was always in town,- was, "Sleepy" Lee Yee, a short, chubby. squint eyed chinaman. "Sleep", the only name he responded to, had apparently arrived with the great influx of chinese in the late 1860's or 1870's, and remained a town fixture until his death in the 1930's. The Chinese population of possibly 30 to 40 in the late 1890's had slowly dwindled by death and departure until Sleep was finally the sole member of his race remaining.
Just how he acquired the moniker "Sleepy" is a moot question. He undoubtedly would have been glad to explain it in his very limited English, had any one bothered to ask him. But the name was just taken for granted,- as was the person. However, the story circulated among school, kids of the time, and having reasonable credence was something as follows.
In the early days Lee Yee was a member of a small group of prospectors who were moving their camp from sand bar to sand bar on the creek and river bottoms in search of the yellow metal. Eventually they were caught up in one of the worst fall storms of the period, involving snow, sleet, and below freezing temperatures. They were ill equipped to contend with such weather, and not yet being prepared to move out, simply decided to gather together a good supply of camp fire wood and wait out the end of the storm. The blizzard and freezing continued for days, and they were able to sustain life only by standing or sitting around the huge camp fire maintained day and night. One night the group was huddled around the fire, half dazed from lack of sleep and utter exhaustion. Lee Yee was standing up slowly turning around to warm the side which chilled immediately when away from the blaze. Eventually, tired and benumbed with cold, he went sound asleep standing up, and fell headlong into the fire. His companions pulled him out of the glowing embers barely in time to prevent serious burns and total loss of his clothing. From that time forward he lost the name, Lee Yee, and assumed the moniker "Sleepy", or just "Sleep".
Although most Chinese of the. time would work at any menial jobs available, Sleep was never known to work or to even seek employment, yet he seemed to get along quite well, by his crude standard of living, at the China house. Some folks thought that he might have saved a little nest egg from the early placer mining ventures, but it is more likely that he existed mainly by his wits. He was an avid card player, and whenever gambling games were in progress at the various saloons, he might be found crouched inauspiciously at some point around the table, day or night. He smoked Bull Durham cigarettes continuously, and when not smoking one, was usually in the process of rolling one. He wore a coat of vintage of 1880 or 1890 which was too large for him, and which was once black, but had now turned to a greenish bronze hue with age. With an inscrutable face and narrow slits of eyes, partly. shaded by an old slouch felt hat, and with an attitude of blank ennui, he was an enigma to any opposing player,- even the professionals. Sleep never revealed to anyone the extent of his winnings or losses, but. it can safely be assumed that he left the game tables as winner much more frequently than as a loser.
He was a friendly, affable fellow who greeted everyone on the street, and whom everyone greeted in return; but sometimes, when the young blades about town would try teasing him, his temper would show through and he would take off in a huff, usually of short duration. He was perfectly willing to tell of his past experiences even to the distant days when he lef t his wife and family in China soon to return to them with gold. But his English was so limited and intersperced with Ee*-e-e-e 's while he groped for words, that no one had patience to listen to his talk -e-e-e long enough to piece the story together. When "Old -Sleep" died of natural causes at an estimated age of near 90, surely a part of "Old Elk City" went with him.
These, then, briefly described, were a few of the characters who inhabited the Elk Basin, and frequented the Elk Hotel, and lent a distinctive atmosphere to the old camp during its boom days. Of course there was "Youkon" Kelly from Alaska, and "Blue Goose" Herman, and "Brigham" Young, and "Uncle Jake" Pritchard, and "Sliver" Thompson , and there were scores of others who were without special nick-names, but who were equally individualistic and interesting. |
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