Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-09-06

OBvkNI1 1EAR8 On 1UE RACTHDf,
sLoPE.
The death of man in victoria nearly
a hundred years old. and Who has been
longer on the Pacific slope by mauv
years than any other now living, is
taken advantage of in abe Victoria Colo
INST OF Aug. 3lst for the presentation of
the excellent article following:
Yesterday afternoon one of the most
remarkable Of the hardy old pioneers
OF the great Northwest expired in his
DIST year. The Hon. John Tod was the
eldest IN a large Scoth family, the
youngest member of which, namely
MIS- Anderson, Ii nox resident of this
city. He was born at Lockleven. Dam
bartonshire, Scotland, In 1871 or ~,
and was intended by his parents for a
mercantile career. At the age of six
teen. possessing an indomitable, indie
pendent spirit, he resisted the command
OF ms employer in the matter of deliy-
ering parcels, which, it seems. was the
duty OF a junior clerk, and thus put an
end 70 his prospects in a mercantile
line. About this time, 1907 or 1908.
Lord Selklrk was establishing his North
western emigration scheme on the Red
River of the North. and young Tod em-
parked for York Factory, Hudson BAY.
IN company with a number of other dar-
ing spirits, many of whom occupied no
sitions of trust in after years in the ex-
tensiyo possessions of the II. Is. Co.
The deceased now worked his way M
from clerk ~ trader, and from q
chief trader to a factor, and then to a
chief factor in this service Before the
century was twenty years of age he had
traversed the vast territory from Hud-
son Bay to the Columbia river He re-
membered every incident of the trouble
between the Northwest Fur Company
and the II. b. Co., which finally culmi-
mated in open hostilities upon the
ground on which the city of Winnipeg is
now built. just outside of old Fort Gar
ry. He found his way to Mon
treal by the great lakes about the time
of the war of 1872. There was scarcely
fort in those early days that he did
not know and several were afterward es-
tablished by him. For nine years sub
aequentiy, out in the Peace River cOun-
try, be never saw the face of a white
person or heard the sound of his mother
tongue. Always great reader when he
could command books of any sort, he
had few works with him during his
long exile, and in order that he might
not forget the English language alto
gether, he accustomed himself to read
ing aloud and frequently recalling to
mind and rehearsing what he had been
reading about. With a strong and re-
tentive memory such exercises served to
store his mind with information which
was always at his command in after
years. More than forty years ago he
was selected to take charge of old Fort
Kamloops. after the death of a Chief
Factor named Black, who was shot BY
an Indian in the hall of the fort. At
this time Old Nicola, for whom Nicola
River ard Valley were named, and his
large tribe were much disatfected, and
the position of the deceased gentleman
was ono of extreme peril. He was a
man who never knew what fear was.
On one occasion Nicola and large
band Of Indians managed to get into
the fort Enclosure for the purpose of
killing the master and plundering the
premises. Mr.. Tod, being almost alone
and unaided, ordered several kegs of
powder to be brought to him, and,
knocking out the head of one, he coolly
lighted match and threatened to blow
up the fort, himself and all the Indians
by whom he was surrounded unless they
at once left the place and neiGhborhoOd.
II ia needless to say that he was master
Of the situation. and from that time ON
all INSTRUMENTATION among the Indians
was at an end. On another occasion,
while east of the Rockies, the small
pox broke out among the natives, and
| 4hn~y Oh hat No Cd h. T..
white man among them, spread the fell
ton waited ON him to talk this matter
over, and during the talk he was openly
accused of wanting to kill all the Indians.
This idea was of course strenuously
combatted and the natives told that If
they were killed off he could get no
more furs and would himself have to
Close the trading post and leave. "If,"
said Mr.. Tod, II wanted to kill y0u all
have only to take the cork out of this
bottle" pulling it out Of his pocket as
he spoke, land every Indian in the room
would be dead man. This remark
able instance of tact and presence Of
mind settled that difficulty, and his in
6uence from that time was supreme. L
should have been stated in the begin
ming of this short notice Of a very re-
markable man that he was first at As
toria in 1914, having crossed the noun
tains and reached the Columbia river
from the east, very shortly after the late
John Jacob Aston founded that trading
post, afterwards immortalized BY WASH
ington Irving. He was contemporary
Of the celebrated DIR. Mclaughlin and
was early connected with Fort Vancou-
YER. He retired from the service Ct H. b.
Co. after leaving Kamloops, about 1S47
or lS, and settled at his late residence
ON Cadbor0 Bay. In 1856 he was APP
pointed a member of the first executive
council on Vancouver Island by the late
Sir James Douglas, and held that posi-
ton for several years. He leaves large
family of four sons and several daugh-
tiers, and he is understood to have been
somewhat wealthy. Besides consider
able landed property around CadborO
Bay, anc valuable city lots and improve
ments, no purchased, many years ago, q
number Of Bank of Montreal shares
that hsvc since become very valuable.
The deceased for many years Of his life
kept an accurate journal. Some Of
these records he left east Of the noun
taius, and before leaving KamlqQps a
largo heap of them were consigned to
the flames, as he then considered they
we're not worth the trouble Of packing
TO this city, which was then Fort Vic
toria. Had these manuscripts been pre-
served a most interesting volume of ex-
citing "reminiscences Of q long and
eventful life could have been compiled
and given to the public.
THREE ArrExPn TO KILL.-The Victo-
ria Post gives % the account following
Of q determined attempt at suicide in