Gold Rush: Alaska (2010–…): Season 6, Episode 18 - Oregon Gold - full transcript
Faced with losing McKinnon Creek, Todd goes prospecting for nuggets and a new claim. Tony steers the dredge in a radical new direction and Parker pushes his crew to the limit when he orders them to move the washplant in 12 hours.
Narrator:
On this "gold rush"...
...A side of tony beets
few have ever seen.
Minnie: And we danced
for the first time.
The big, bad gold miner
gets back to his roots
As a farm boy
in the netherlands.
You still know
how that works, tony?
Tony reveals
a devastating family tragedy...
...How he went halfway
around the world
To make his fortune...
...And eventually become one
of the kings of the klondike.
And in a first, tony and minnie
Let us in on their secret life
When they're not
mining for gold.
Captions paid for by
discovery communications
¶
On their gold mine,
up north in the yukon...
Monica!
We got it!
...Tony's kids
monica and kevin
Dig into some family history.
Minnie: Hey, guys.
Are we looking at pictures?
Yep.
Yeah.
Okay. The amount of pictures
I've seen of dad in a dress
Is starting to concern me.
[ laughs ]
Look how skinny dad was.
I know.
And he looks so young.
[ laughter ]
[bleep] [bleep]
Holy [bleep]
I was only 16 then, I think.
You're such a fox.
No wonder you fell for mom.
Why'd you go with him?
[ laughter ]
Oh, that's you and I.
That was bc, before children.
Look at how cute
they once were.
That was in '78.
7.
7?
Yeah.
And I...
So I've known you
for 51 years.
[ laughs ]
[bleep]
Really?
I heard stories.
About?
Oh, yeah.
About what?
The hell-raising y'all did.
I didn't. I was always very nice
and good and polite.
He was horrible.
You know what?
You've seen the town
we grew up in, right?
That little town.
Anyways, when I first
started dating him,
Half the town
didn't wanna talk me anymore.
Why?
And not a lie.
'cause he was just a wild man.
Everybody was always bitching
about his driving and...
At least
that hasn't changed!
And then, you know,
I thought he was --
Have money, because
he was driving a mercedes.
Then I found out
it was his dad's.
[ laughter ]
Oh, my god.
That's amazing.
Narrator:
It's been a remarkable journey,
But gold-mining legend
tony beets
Now runs one of the largest
And most successful operations
in the klondike.
Tony is well-known
for being a hard-ass.
And over his 30-year career,
He's pulled millions of dollars
in gold out of the ground.
[ laughs ]
But this larger-than-life
klondike king
Started out 4,000 miles away
In a little village
in the netherlands.
On a rare visit to his homeland,
Tony returns to the family farm,
Where he discovered
the true meaning of hard work.
You did?
How old were you
when you put 'em in?
'cause they were here
when we were dating already.
Oh, I remember walking here,
and there was pure muck.
Oh, my god.
That was horrible.
For over two decades,
The beets family
struggled to make a living
On this 50-acre dairy farm.
Why? Does he attack?
No.
It is.
It is really a lot smaller.
You still know
how that works, tony?
Let me have a look
on the inside.
Huh?
Uh, no.
No, I don't think so.
[ chuckles ]
[ laughing ] no!
How many fields
did you guys have?
Yeah.
Okay.
[ cows mooing ]
Narrator: On a dairy farm,
The cows have to be
milked twice a day.
Yes.
Let's go.
Tony was first put to work
at the age of 7.
But tony hasn't been
at the business end of a cow
In three decades.
[ clicks tongue ]
Man:
Can I have a drink of that?
[ cows mooing ]
Minnie: It is kind of weird
being here,
Knowing that we could have
been here for like 40 years.
It's, like, scary, actually.
You don't know how life
would have been
If we would've stayed here.
It might've been
a good life, too.
We would've made a living
Because you're a little bit
of an entrepreneur anyway.
So you would've
done something.
And I probably would've
kept on working, too.
But it would've been
totally different lifestyle.
We could've started
a bed-and-breakfast.
Narrator: Tony's mother, magda,
is now retired.
But she still lives close
to the family farm.
Oh, it's horrible!
It's cold!
It's blugh!
Hey, mother!
Hello.
Hello.
Good.
How are you?
[ laughter ]
See?
Nice to see you.
Oh!
There we go.
Narrator:
Magda has lived on her own
Since tony's father, klaus,
died 10 years ago.
And she is one tough lady.
Good.
Minnie: That's good.
Magda: Yes.
Narrator:
When tony left the netherlands
At 24 years old,
He was a small-town
dairy farmer.
No one could've predicted
He would be returning
35 years later
A successful gold miner.
Who would've ever thought
Your son would have
had a fan club?
Oh, yeah.
Okay.
Wow.
Wow.
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
So do they ever say anything
about his swearing?
Yes.
Tony bleep!
Well, mom, you should've
taught him not to swear!
Narrator: Coming up...
Is this where your dad
had his accident?
...Tony relives the tragedy
that forever changed his life.
[ laughs ]
Narrator: In his hometown
in the netherlands,
Tony beets relives his childhood
with his mother, magda.
Okay.
Magda: No, no, no, no, no.
[ laughs ] okay.
Narrator: From a young age,
tony was a rebel.
Yeah.
Minnie: It was hard.
Yeah.
Is this where your dad
had his accident?
Yeah.
Were you -- like,
you were hauling 'em?
Or you were stacking?
Right?
And it gains momentum, too,
as it goes down, right?
But that's quite a distance
it fell, you know?
That must've been horrible.
Yeah.
There was not a lot
he could do.
He couldn't work
on the farm anymore.
No.
Let's go.
Narrator:
The beets' farm is surrounded
by canals and dikes
Built with
world-famous dutch engineering
And a fleet of dredges.
Tony wants to know
everything about dredges.
So here we are on holidays
looking at dredges.
Oh, I think
he's a little obsessed.
Narrator:
There's only one miner
Dredging for gold
in the klondike.
And it's no coincidence
That he grew up
in a land of dredges.
The netherlands is protected
by 2,000 miles
Of dikes and dams
Built by floating
digging machines.
This dredge
isn't mining for gold.
It's making the canal deeper.
[ laughs ]
Hey, tony!
Hey, minnie!
We got to go!
Let's go!
I don't really give a [bleep]
let's go.
We have to go, man.
No.
Narrator: Coming up...
...Tony and minnie
make the bold decision
To leave their homeland
For the promise
of a better future.
And he goes, "oh, by the way,
I'm going to canada."
¶
Minnie: [ laughs ]
How the hell
did you do that one?
I think you're supposed to
stand way further way back.
I mean, the way
you're standing right now,
You might as well
put it in.
Narrator: Tony and minnie beets
went on their first date
Way back in 1978.
[ laughter ]
I mean,
this has to stay there, too.
Well, I don't have to be ready.
Whoa!
Oh, that's not bad.
We've come, -- whoa!
We come a long way from...
...Bumming rides
with you, eh?
Actually, no,
I wouldn't.
I mean, there was
plenty of fish in the sea there.
So...
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You're so lucky you got me.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever.
You knew him.
You knew who he was.
But he was just
the guy next door.
You know, you want to go out.
But I didn't have
a driver's license.
So then I ended up phoning him
and his buddy for a ride.
And that's how we ended --
sort of ended up hanging out.
But did he stand out
in those days?
Totally no. Honestly no.
I mean...
Well, actually,
it's the truth
Because he first went
to the neighbor on the right,
Then he went to the neighbor
across the canal,
Then he went to the left.
So he was starting to run
out of neighbors, though.
Well, I mean...
Woman: What sealed the deal?
[ laughs ]
When I first kissed him.
Yeah, remember?
[ both laugh ]
Narrator:
At just 24 years old
And struggling to run
the family farm,
Tony made a life-changing
decision.
Before leaving
for the new world,
Tony had to break it
to the woman
He'd been dating for 18 months.
You wanna know
how it really went?
He picked me up from the bus
because I came home.
And he goes, "oh, by the way,
I'm going to canada...
By myself."
"I'm coming with you."
"really?" "yep."
And that was basically it.
Hey, look, tony.
What?
Oh, yeah.
That's where we got married.
That's where you got
your life sentence.
Narrator:
Tony had a work permit.
But for minnie
to accompany him to canada,
They had to get married.
So they headed
to their 400-year-old town hall.
Yes, this is where
it all changed, see?
Remember, we drove in
from over there.
And the car we were in
parked over here.
How did I look
on my wedding day?
Well, a wedding dress
isn't really warm.
I think that's the first time
I saw you in a suit, you know?
And then, we waited
until everybody was inside,
And then we walked
up the stairs.
And then we came in,
And that's the day
when I got married.
Tony: Right?
And we danced
for the first time, of course.
[ laughs ]
First and only time
you ever danced.
A month to the day
we got married, we left...
Yeah, we left.
...Packed up our five suitcases.
Got out.
And we left.
Yep. Got out.
And that's how
we came to canada.
You still owe me a honeymoon,
by the way.
Did I miss something?
Minnie:
My parents weren't impressed
with us leaving.
And it was --
and, I mean, I'll be honest.
It wasn't nice saying goodbye.
But, I mean,
once we said goodbye,
It's like, "phew.
That's over with.
Now, let's get on."
No looking back.
You know, and at that age,
we were 23, 24,
It's like an adventure, right?
What do you have to lose?
Narrator: Coming up...
...The dutch farm boy
becomes a klondike legend.
[ gunshot ]
[ cows mooing ]
Narrator: At 24 years old,
dutchman tony beets
Immigrated to canada
to make his fortune.
But tony found himself
milking cows again,
This time in salmon arm,
british columbia.
We didn't even have money
to buy a vacuum cleaner.
Tony: I know.
Right?
Oh, no. I mean, we were living
paycheck to paycheck.
Yeah.
We were broke.
I mean, I barely
could afford gas money.
While he milked cows
to make ends meet,
Tony continued to search
For a way
to strike it rich.
In 1986,
following in the footsteps
Of the original
gold rush pioneers,
Tony headed 1,900 miles north
From salmon arm
to dawson city.
¶
Minnie:
Tony worked 14-hour days,
Pushing dirt 14 hours a day
from 8:00 till 10:00 ever day,
7 days a week.
Narrator:
Within a couple of years,
The farm boy
from a tiny dutch town
Was running paradise hill,
One of the largest
gold-mining operations
In the yukon.
And 25 years later,
When todd hoffman ventured north
seeking gold-mining advice...
Hey.
My name's todd.
[ both laugh ]
Tony beets.
That's fun to watch.
...It was tony beets
That he turned to.
¶
A mining operation,
Just like the farm
tony grew up on,
Benefits from a large family.
At one point in time, we started
talking about having kids.
Narrator:
Bianca was born in 1987.
Kevin followed in '88,
Mike in 1990,
And monica in 1993.
Minnie: When the kids
started working here,
They were all fairly young.
Narrator: The minute their feet
could reach the pedals,
Tony put his kids to work.
It is kind of funny when you see
Your young ones
on the heavy equipment.
It's sometimes a kind of --
you know,
They're kind of teeter-tottering
and doing this,
And you kind of go,
"okay, I'm not watching."
I mean, I'm really bad.
I don't like that stuff.
Tony just says, "oh, it's fine."
I remember the first time
I got on a piece of a machinery
Way, way back when.
I was probably 13.
And it was buggy number four.
It was buggy number four 'cause
it's the one without a cab.
That way, I could sit
on the hood
While tony showed me
how to operate in the seat.
I was 12
The first time I hopped on
a piece of equipment.
It was the 988 front loader.
The tires were like 4 feet
higher than I was.
Tony doesn't care
if you're male or female.
You're gonna be on equipment.
You're going to be yelled at.
You've got [bleep]
You're [bleep],
you're running the equipment.
Like, it doesn't [bleep] matter.
Get out there.
So who is the best shot
here?
Really?
'cause I'm pretty sure
Mom gets the most squirrels
every year.
Moral of the story -- don't
piss her off. She can shoot.
I think my money is on mike.
Mike is gonna win it.
Yeah, he is.
You're bragging.
Yeah.
She turned on?
And they're all good
at what they're doing.
And that's what makes it work.
Otherwise, if you have one
that doesn't pull his weight,
It's not gonna work.
Being raised a beets,
We got taught
at a very young age
That you got to put
your hours in.
Like, my first day at work,
I think I pulled
an 8-hour shift,
Second day, 12 hours.
And it hasn't gotten
any less since.
All that way.
Let's get serious
with this.
Tony: That'll be plenty.
Ready, mike?
Yep.
[ gunshot ]
That's slick, man.
Get it!
Minnie: Yeah! [ laughs ]
Kevin: I'm a bit nervous.
There's too many eyes.
Oh, he got it!
[ all cheer ]
There you are. One more?
That's it.
Hey,
I'd like to see you shoot.
Oh, you're weaseling out of it.
Really?
A lot of people
probably think that,
Because we work for him,
like, the kids work for him,
That we get special treatment,
but we don't.
Okay.
Monica, you ready?
Minnie: Ready?
His affectionate term
for me is little [bleep]
He calls me little [bleep]
That him, essentially,
like a mother saying,
"oh, hi, baby," to their kid.
It's just, "hey, little [bleep]"
[ laughter ]
I guess...
Well, now we know where...
So apparently,
mike got his skills from mom.
Ready?
Yeah. Yeah, I'm ready.
And there you go.
[ gunshot ]
Well, that's the thing.
That's the first full one.
That's the thing.
You can hit them to kill...
Okay?
Narrator: Coming up...
Jump in, tony!
[ laughs ]
...Tony and minnie reveal
what they do in the off season,
When the klondike freezes over.
Oh, you're a [bleep]
aren't you?
I'm so glad
I picked you up.
Okay. Let's go.
Narrator:
Tony beets has an impressive
collection of shirts.
But they're all one color.
Tony's fashion sense,
it's kind of interesting --
He has none.
I mean, underwear, socks,
everything has to be black.
What?
[ laughs ]
Minnie: Well, I don't think
tony is color blind.
But he just likes black.
Narrator:
When winter hits the klondike,
tony and minnie
Trade the frozen north
for desert sun.
A lifetime of hard work
Has provided them
with a winter home,
Complete with a gym...
We can do both.
...An indoor sauna...
No.
No. Oh!
...And a custom garage designed
around tony's red convertible.
I'll be right back.
Minnie: This is my hot tub.
Tony and me like to sit in this,
usually at night.
Jump in, tony.
[ laughs ]
Oof!
How is that?
Who would have ever thought
that, 35 years ago,
That we'd be sitting in arizona
in a hot tub?
If the kids
would wanna take over,
They could take over
and just send me my --
Send me my money.
Really?
Really.
You started with my tattoo,
my name and a little heart,
Which I thought
was really cute.
Jasmine.
Jasmine was our fourth baby.
She was born on
the 15th of December, 1992.
She was actually born
on tony's birthday.
And they told me she has
an extra chromosome,
Which there's nothing
you can do about it.
And she passed away
on March 1st the next year.
We had her for 2 1/2 months.
I'm very grateful for that.
And we all got to see her.
We all got to hold her
and cuddle.
But losing a baby is --
That was kind of...
That was hard.
You know, once in while,
you do wonder what --
What she would've been like.
[ ringing ]
Hey, daddy.
But I'm also
totally convinced
That if jasmine
would've been fine,
We wouldn't have had monica.
Now, that I can't
imagine, either.
Well,
it's certainly different.
I'm happy you're having
a good time in thailand, too.
I'm not in thailand.
I'm in cambodia.
Oh, sorry!
You're in cambodia.
Well, wherever you are.
I mean, I'll always
have five kids.
She's with you forever anyways.
She's always right here.
That'll never change.
Love you.
Of course!
I love you, too, mommy.
Bye, sweetie.
I love you, too, daddy!
Narrator:
For seven months of the year,
Tony and minnie
work tirelessly
In the gold fields
of the yukon.
For the rest of the year,
They enjoy the fruits
of their labor.
[ laughs ]
But back then,
we were still young pups.
Oh, yeah. Without ambition,
We wouldn't have been
driving like this.
You've got to
get up every morning.
You've got to get out of bed.
And you've got to get at it.
It's the way we do it.
Yeah.
We're not quite done yet.
Oh, you're an [bleep]
aren't you?
I'm so glad
I picked you up.
[ laughs ]
Unh-unh-unh!
No, no, no.
Be honest, now, tony.
Who picked up who?
No, no, no, no, no, no.
I saw --
I saw potential with you.
Yeah. Oh-ho-ho-ho!
I knew I could mold you
a little bit.
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah, yeah.
[bleep]
On the next "gold rush"...
If I don't find another mine,
they're gonna be out of a job.
I got a tip on a mine in oregon.
I think
I found something!
It's frickin' gold!
If we turn right now,
We might still get some gold
in the box.
Kick it that way more!
Now it's all [bleep]
Let's get this [bleep] moved.
It ain't gonna happen!
It's gonna [bleep] fall over!
If we took care of our [bleep]
this wouldn't happen!
[bleep]
I'm sick of it.
Where'd everybody [bleep] go?
On this "gold rush"...
...A side of tony beets
few have ever seen.
Minnie: And we danced
for the first time.
The big, bad gold miner
gets back to his roots
As a farm boy
in the netherlands.
You still know
how that works, tony?
Tony reveals
a devastating family tragedy...
...How he went halfway
around the world
To make his fortune...
...And eventually become one
of the kings of the klondike.
And in a first, tony and minnie
Let us in on their secret life
When they're not
mining for gold.
Captions paid for by
discovery communications
¶
On their gold mine,
up north in the yukon...
Monica!
We got it!
...Tony's kids
monica and kevin
Dig into some family history.
Minnie: Hey, guys.
Are we looking at pictures?
Yep.
Yeah.
Okay. The amount of pictures
I've seen of dad in a dress
Is starting to concern me.
[ laughs ]
Look how skinny dad was.
I know.
And he looks so young.
[ laughter ]
[bleep] [bleep]
Holy [bleep]
I was only 16 then, I think.
You're such a fox.
No wonder you fell for mom.
Why'd you go with him?
[ laughter ]
Oh, that's you and I.
That was bc, before children.
Look at how cute
they once were.
That was in '78.
7.
7?
Yeah.
And I...
So I've known you
for 51 years.
[ laughs ]
[bleep]
Really?
I heard stories.
About?
Oh, yeah.
About what?
The hell-raising y'all did.
I didn't. I was always very nice
and good and polite.
He was horrible.
You know what?
You've seen the town
we grew up in, right?
That little town.
Anyways, when I first
started dating him,
Half the town
didn't wanna talk me anymore.
Why?
And not a lie.
'cause he was just a wild man.
Everybody was always bitching
about his driving and...
At least
that hasn't changed!
And then, you know,
I thought he was --
Have money, because
he was driving a mercedes.
Then I found out
it was his dad's.
[ laughter ]
Oh, my god.
That's amazing.
Narrator:
It's been a remarkable journey,
But gold-mining legend
tony beets
Now runs one of the largest
And most successful operations
in the klondike.
Tony is well-known
for being a hard-ass.
And over his 30-year career,
He's pulled millions of dollars
in gold out of the ground.
[ laughs ]
But this larger-than-life
klondike king
Started out 4,000 miles away
In a little village
in the netherlands.
On a rare visit to his homeland,
Tony returns to the family farm,
Where he discovered
the true meaning of hard work.
You did?
How old were you
when you put 'em in?
'cause they were here
when we were dating already.
Oh, I remember walking here,
and there was pure muck.
Oh, my god.
That was horrible.
For over two decades,
The beets family
struggled to make a living
On this 50-acre dairy farm.
Why? Does he attack?
No.
It is.
It is really a lot smaller.
You still know
how that works, tony?
Let me have a look
on the inside.
Huh?
Uh, no.
No, I don't think so.
[ chuckles ]
[ laughing ] no!
How many fields
did you guys have?
Yeah.
Okay.
[ cows mooing ]
Narrator: On a dairy farm,
The cows have to be
milked twice a day.
Yes.
Let's go.
Tony was first put to work
at the age of 7.
But tony hasn't been
at the business end of a cow
In three decades.
[ clicks tongue ]
Man:
Can I have a drink of that?
[ cows mooing ]
Minnie: It is kind of weird
being here,
Knowing that we could have
been here for like 40 years.
It's, like, scary, actually.
You don't know how life
would have been
If we would've stayed here.
It might've been
a good life, too.
We would've made a living
Because you're a little bit
of an entrepreneur anyway.
So you would've
done something.
And I probably would've
kept on working, too.
But it would've been
totally different lifestyle.
We could've started
a bed-and-breakfast.
Narrator: Tony's mother, magda,
is now retired.
But she still lives close
to the family farm.
Oh, it's horrible!
It's cold!
It's blugh!
Hey, mother!
Hello.
Hello.
Good.
How are you?
[ laughter ]
See?
Nice to see you.
Oh!
There we go.
Narrator:
Magda has lived on her own
Since tony's father, klaus,
died 10 years ago.
And she is one tough lady.
Good.
Minnie: That's good.
Magda: Yes.
Narrator:
When tony left the netherlands
At 24 years old,
He was a small-town
dairy farmer.
No one could've predicted
He would be returning
35 years later
A successful gold miner.
Who would've ever thought
Your son would have
had a fan club?
Oh, yeah.
Okay.
Wow.
Wow.
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
So do they ever say anything
about his swearing?
Yes.
Tony bleep!
Well, mom, you should've
taught him not to swear!
Narrator: Coming up...
Is this where your dad
had his accident?
...Tony relives the tragedy
that forever changed his life.
[ laughs ]
Narrator: In his hometown
in the netherlands,
Tony beets relives his childhood
with his mother, magda.
Okay.
Magda: No, no, no, no, no.
[ laughs ] okay.
Narrator: From a young age,
tony was a rebel.
Yeah.
Minnie: It was hard.
Yeah.
Is this where your dad
had his accident?
Yeah.
Were you -- like,
you were hauling 'em?
Or you were stacking?
Right?
And it gains momentum, too,
as it goes down, right?
But that's quite a distance
it fell, you know?
That must've been horrible.
Yeah.
There was not a lot
he could do.
He couldn't work
on the farm anymore.
No.
Let's go.
Narrator:
The beets' farm is surrounded
by canals and dikes
Built with
world-famous dutch engineering
And a fleet of dredges.
Tony wants to know
everything about dredges.
So here we are on holidays
looking at dredges.
Oh, I think
he's a little obsessed.
Narrator:
There's only one miner
Dredging for gold
in the klondike.
And it's no coincidence
That he grew up
in a land of dredges.
The netherlands is protected
by 2,000 miles
Of dikes and dams
Built by floating
digging machines.
This dredge
isn't mining for gold.
It's making the canal deeper.
[ laughs ]
Hey, tony!
Hey, minnie!
We got to go!
Let's go!
I don't really give a [bleep]
let's go.
We have to go, man.
No.
Narrator: Coming up...
...Tony and minnie
make the bold decision
To leave their homeland
For the promise
of a better future.
And he goes, "oh, by the way,
I'm going to canada."
¶
Minnie: [ laughs ]
How the hell
did you do that one?
I think you're supposed to
stand way further way back.
I mean, the way
you're standing right now,
You might as well
put it in.
Narrator: Tony and minnie beets
went on their first date
Way back in 1978.
[ laughter ]
I mean,
this has to stay there, too.
Well, I don't have to be ready.
Whoa!
Oh, that's not bad.
We've come, -- whoa!
We come a long way from...
...Bumming rides
with you, eh?
Actually, no,
I wouldn't.
I mean, there was
plenty of fish in the sea there.
So...
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You're so lucky you got me.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever.
You knew him.
You knew who he was.
But he was just
the guy next door.
You know, you want to go out.
But I didn't have
a driver's license.
So then I ended up phoning him
and his buddy for a ride.
And that's how we ended --
sort of ended up hanging out.
But did he stand out
in those days?
Totally no. Honestly no.
I mean...
Well, actually,
it's the truth
Because he first went
to the neighbor on the right,
Then he went to the neighbor
across the canal,
Then he went to the left.
So he was starting to run
out of neighbors, though.
Well, I mean...
Woman: What sealed the deal?
[ laughs ]
When I first kissed him.
Yeah, remember?
[ both laugh ]
Narrator:
At just 24 years old
And struggling to run
the family farm,
Tony made a life-changing
decision.
Before leaving
for the new world,
Tony had to break it
to the woman
He'd been dating for 18 months.
You wanna know
how it really went?
He picked me up from the bus
because I came home.
And he goes, "oh, by the way,
I'm going to canada...
By myself."
"I'm coming with you."
"really?" "yep."
And that was basically it.
Hey, look, tony.
What?
Oh, yeah.
That's where we got married.
That's where you got
your life sentence.
Narrator:
Tony had a work permit.
But for minnie
to accompany him to canada,
They had to get married.
So they headed
to their 400-year-old town hall.
Yes, this is where
it all changed, see?
Remember, we drove in
from over there.
And the car we were in
parked over here.
How did I look
on my wedding day?
Well, a wedding dress
isn't really warm.
I think that's the first time
I saw you in a suit, you know?
And then, we waited
until everybody was inside,
And then we walked
up the stairs.
And then we came in,
And that's the day
when I got married.
Tony: Right?
And we danced
for the first time, of course.
[ laughs ]
First and only time
you ever danced.
A month to the day
we got married, we left...
Yeah, we left.
...Packed up our five suitcases.
Got out.
And we left.
Yep. Got out.
And that's how
we came to canada.
You still owe me a honeymoon,
by the way.
Did I miss something?
Minnie:
My parents weren't impressed
with us leaving.
And it was --
and, I mean, I'll be honest.
It wasn't nice saying goodbye.
But, I mean,
once we said goodbye,
It's like, "phew.
That's over with.
Now, let's get on."
No looking back.
You know, and at that age,
we were 23, 24,
It's like an adventure, right?
What do you have to lose?
Narrator: Coming up...
...The dutch farm boy
becomes a klondike legend.
[ gunshot ]
[ cows mooing ]
Narrator: At 24 years old,
dutchman tony beets
Immigrated to canada
to make his fortune.
But tony found himself
milking cows again,
This time in salmon arm,
british columbia.
We didn't even have money
to buy a vacuum cleaner.
Tony: I know.
Right?
Oh, no. I mean, we were living
paycheck to paycheck.
Yeah.
We were broke.
I mean, I barely
could afford gas money.
While he milked cows
to make ends meet,
Tony continued to search
For a way
to strike it rich.
In 1986,
following in the footsteps
Of the original
gold rush pioneers,
Tony headed 1,900 miles north
From salmon arm
to dawson city.
¶
Minnie:
Tony worked 14-hour days,
Pushing dirt 14 hours a day
from 8:00 till 10:00 ever day,
7 days a week.
Narrator:
Within a couple of years,
The farm boy
from a tiny dutch town
Was running paradise hill,
One of the largest
gold-mining operations
In the yukon.
And 25 years later,
When todd hoffman ventured north
seeking gold-mining advice...
Hey.
My name's todd.
[ both laugh ]
Tony beets.
That's fun to watch.
...It was tony beets
That he turned to.
¶
A mining operation,
Just like the farm
tony grew up on,
Benefits from a large family.
At one point in time, we started
talking about having kids.
Narrator:
Bianca was born in 1987.
Kevin followed in '88,
Mike in 1990,
And monica in 1993.
Minnie: When the kids
started working here,
They were all fairly young.
Narrator: The minute their feet
could reach the pedals,
Tony put his kids to work.
It is kind of funny when you see
Your young ones
on the heavy equipment.
It's sometimes a kind of --
you know,
They're kind of teeter-tottering
and doing this,
And you kind of go,
"okay, I'm not watching."
I mean, I'm really bad.
I don't like that stuff.
Tony just says, "oh, it's fine."
I remember the first time
I got on a piece of a machinery
Way, way back when.
I was probably 13.
And it was buggy number four.
It was buggy number four 'cause
it's the one without a cab.
That way, I could sit
on the hood
While tony showed me
how to operate in the seat.
I was 12
The first time I hopped on
a piece of equipment.
It was the 988 front loader.
The tires were like 4 feet
higher than I was.
Tony doesn't care
if you're male or female.
You're gonna be on equipment.
You're going to be yelled at.
You've got [bleep]
You're [bleep],
you're running the equipment.
Like, it doesn't [bleep] matter.
Get out there.
So who is the best shot
here?
Really?
'cause I'm pretty sure
Mom gets the most squirrels
every year.
Moral of the story -- don't
piss her off. She can shoot.
I think my money is on mike.
Mike is gonna win it.
Yeah, he is.
You're bragging.
Yeah.
She turned on?
And they're all good
at what they're doing.
And that's what makes it work.
Otherwise, if you have one
that doesn't pull his weight,
It's not gonna work.
Being raised a beets,
We got taught
at a very young age
That you got to put
your hours in.
Like, my first day at work,
I think I pulled
an 8-hour shift,
Second day, 12 hours.
And it hasn't gotten
any less since.
All that way.
Let's get serious
with this.
Tony: That'll be plenty.
Ready, mike?
Yep.
[ gunshot ]
That's slick, man.
Get it!
Minnie: Yeah! [ laughs ]
Kevin: I'm a bit nervous.
There's too many eyes.
Oh, he got it!
[ all cheer ]
There you are. One more?
That's it.
Hey,
I'd like to see you shoot.
Oh, you're weaseling out of it.
Really?
A lot of people
probably think that,
Because we work for him,
like, the kids work for him,
That we get special treatment,
but we don't.
Okay.
Monica, you ready?
Minnie: Ready?
His affectionate term
for me is little [bleep]
He calls me little [bleep]
That him, essentially,
like a mother saying,
"oh, hi, baby," to their kid.
It's just, "hey, little [bleep]"
[ laughter ]
I guess...
Well, now we know where...
So apparently,
mike got his skills from mom.
Ready?
Yeah. Yeah, I'm ready.
And there you go.
[ gunshot ]
Well, that's the thing.
That's the first full one.
That's the thing.
You can hit them to kill...
Okay?
Narrator: Coming up...
Jump in, tony!
[ laughs ]
...Tony and minnie reveal
what they do in the off season,
When the klondike freezes over.
Oh, you're a [bleep]
aren't you?
I'm so glad
I picked you up.
Okay. Let's go.
Narrator:
Tony beets has an impressive
collection of shirts.
But they're all one color.
Tony's fashion sense,
it's kind of interesting --
He has none.
I mean, underwear, socks,
everything has to be black.
What?
[ laughs ]
Minnie: Well, I don't think
tony is color blind.
But he just likes black.
Narrator:
When winter hits the klondike,
tony and minnie
Trade the frozen north
for desert sun.
A lifetime of hard work
Has provided them
with a winter home,
Complete with a gym...
We can do both.
...An indoor sauna...
No.
No. Oh!
...And a custom garage designed
around tony's red convertible.
I'll be right back.
Minnie: This is my hot tub.
Tony and me like to sit in this,
usually at night.
Jump in, tony.
[ laughs ]
Oof!
How is that?
Who would have ever thought
that, 35 years ago,
That we'd be sitting in arizona
in a hot tub?
If the kids
would wanna take over,
They could take over
and just send me my --
Send me my money.
Really?
Really.
You started with my tattoo,
my name and a little heart,
Which I thought
was really cute.
Jasmine.
Jasmine was our fourth baby.
She was born on
the 15th of December, 1992.
She was actually born
on tony's birthday.
And they told me she has
an extra chromosome,
Which there's nothing
you can do about it.
And she passed away
on March 1st the next year.
We had her for 2 1/2 months.
I'm very grateful for that.
And we all got to see her.
We all got to hold her
and cuddle.
But losing a baby is --
That was kind of...
That was hard.
You know, once in while,
you do wonder what --
What she would've been like.
[ ringing ]
Hey, daddy.
But I'm also
totally convinced
That if jasmine
would've been fine,
We wouldn't have had monica.
Now, that I can't
imagine, either.
Well,
it's certainly different.
I'm happy you're having
a good time in thailand, too.
I'm not in thailand.
I'm in cambodia.
Oh, sorry!
You're in cambodia.
Well, wherever you are.
I mean, I'll always
have five kids.
She's with you forever anyways.
She's always right here.
That'll never change.
Love you.
Of course!
I love you, too, mommy.
Bye, sweetie.
I love you, too, daddy!
Narrator:
For seven months of the year,
Tony and minnie
work tirelessly
In the gold fields
of the yukon.
For the rest of the year,
They enjoy the fruits
of their labor.
[ laughs ]
But back then,
we were still young pups.
Oh, yeah. Without ambition,
We wouldn't have been
driving like this.
You've got to
get up every morning.
You've got to get out of bed.
And you've got to get at it.
It's the way we do it.
Yeah.
We're not quite done yet.
Oh, you're an [bleep]
aren't you?
I'm so glad
I picked you up.
[ laughs ]
Unh-unh-unh!
No, no, no.
Be honest, now, tony.
Who picked up who?
No, no, no, no, no, no.
I saw --
I saw potential with you.
Yeah. Oh-ho-ho-ho!
I knew I could mold you
a little bit.
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah, yeah.
[bleep]
On the next "gold rush"...
If I don't find another mine,
they're gonna be out of a job.
I got a tip on a mine in oregon.
I think
I found something!
It's frickin' gold!
If we turn right now,
We might still get some gold
in the box.
Kick it that way more!
Now it's all [bleep]
Let's get this [bleep] moved.
It ain't gonna happen!
It's gonna [bleep] fall over!
If we took care of our [bleep]
this wouldn't happen!
[bleep]
I'm sick of it.
Where'd everybody [bleep] go?