The "pointmen" in a gold mine worked at the furthest end of the tunnel where the frozen gravel was being thawed and dug loose. For the pointmen, deep below the surface, gold mining was dirty and often dangerous work. Yet despite the conditions and the exhaustion, many men preferred it for the higher wages it paid.
In the drift, steam escaped from the points, filling the air with moisture. Candles used for light threw little flame and often went out altogether. Fans were sometimes used to help with ventilation and lucky pointmen had the use of electric lights. The drifts were usually only a few feet high, forcing the men to stoop over for hours at a time.
The warm moist air sometimes thawed the roof. As they hammered the points and cleared the gravel the men kept alert for falling rocks. Tools were often lost under the debris. The points themselves were terribly hot and severe burns were not uncommon. Clothing became soaked with steam and perspiration, and wet gloves did little to protect hands from burns and blisters.
Yet for those without a claim of their own, working the points was a viable way to make a living in the Klondike.
