The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1882-10-21

jack scrantOn's Projects and Adventuros-
The style Of the Man-F0unding Of

SeSfshAuOOs
From the San Francisco Argonaut.
! Business was exceedingly dali in What
com, for Victoria had In the meantime put
line of steamers In operation to Fort
Langley, just above the mouth Of Fraser
river, and had secured the great bulk Of
the trade. But the plucky and ehterpris.
ing people Of Whatcom did not despair, for
the day Of their deliverance was deemed to
be at hand upon the completion of the trail.
In short, business with us was completely
at stand-stlll. Far removed from the
great world, we we're thrown upon our own
resources for occupation and amusement.
Jerome Rice, Bill Spear, formerly district
attorney of Sierra county. both long since
dead-Hal Clayton and Judge Crosby
formed notable quartette in breaking up
the dizziness and monotony. Rice had a
large tent, in which he carried on tho bust
Of "auctiopeef and, commission merchant :"
This was the headquarters of the gang, the
place where practical jokes Of great proper
tons were planned, and lesser ones exc
cuted. Every evening large bulletin,
roughly sketched with a marking brush on
sheets of coarse wrapping paper, was dis
played upon it's front, with news from all
parts OF the world by the "grape- vine line,"
with appropriate editorial comments, and
winding up with the local market reports,
which we're capital burlesques on the bus
ness stagnation that prevailed; and although
Northern Light, edited by VIM. Baums.
man, now Of the Call, the isusance OF
Jerome Rce's bulletin, with itB astounding
news items and wealth of good natured
personalities, never failed to attract
laughing crowd. firing of literary pursuits
and seven up, Bill Spear made an attempt
to organize an amateur opera Company
The only musical instrument the town af-
forded were q squeaky fiddle and wheezy
flute, and these and their owners were
pressed into the service. It is to tie hoped
tnat the spirit Of the Immortal. Verdi aia
not listen 10 al TfoVatore" az it Yves local
ly adsrted by Spear, and produced by the
Whatcom Opera Troupe.
Bat the dull monotony was delightfully."-
broken on every Sunday by the arrival of
Colonel Jack Scranton. The colonel had
contract for carrying the mails on Puget
Sound, for which purpose he had chartered
the old steamer Constitution, and every
Sunday morning small cloud Of SNAKE in
the distance denoted her coming, and BY
noon she had anchored, and the handsome
colonel was on shore making II lively for
the boys" used then to think, and can
hardly aver that have yet changed my
mind, that Jack Scranton was the handsorn-
est man ever saw. Tall and straight as an
arrow, with piercing black eyes, q magpif-
cent mustache and imperial Of raven hue,
with wavy hair thrown back in studied care
lessness, clothes of faultless fit and exquis-
tie taste, and an Alpine hat, with military
cord and acorns, set jauntily on one side of
his head, the lower rim turned down, he
had handsome, ,rakish, dashing air that
attracted admiring attention wherever he
went.
And his appearance did not belle
his character, for more jovial,
generous, off-hand, happy go lucky fellow
never lived. Sears saloon, the principal
one Of the town, called. OF course, the
Bank Exchange" was his headquarters,
and here he held his levees and dispensed
his Inequalities. And right royalty he
played his role Of host. He would admit
of no distinctions, but his big, generous
heart contemplated the whole Of mankind
in his familiar, all embracing term, athe
boys" Often have seen him, when dis
gusted with tho ANAL ,attendapce at the
Band Exchange, step. to the corner, and
raising his delicat ly-gloved hands to his
mouth, shout his invitations to the sur
hill-tops, and the miners, with
smiles on their faces, would
emerge from their tents and gather around
him to hear his funny stories and witty
jokes, and drink his champagne. Another
man, entering the town with kid gloves,
patent. leather shoes, and store clothes,
would have been hoored out of it; but the
custom seemed to belong to him by inherit
ance. Fresh from New England, with her
staid principles of morality and ecohoiny,
the shock to ray moral training By observing
this habitual Sabbath breaking was ex-
seeded BY my wonderment at the ease and
grace with. which Jack Scranton could throw
money away.
No stage here ever lavished the bank
notes Of the property man with finer SEN
sational effect. and l have never since seen
or Charles De Moor make offer of his mil
jack Scranton might have done it without
half trying. They tell q story about him,
in connection with this very mail contract,
which presume is true. 1t is said that he
went to Washington dead broke, engaged
the finest apartments at Wizards and, in
the pursuit Of his contract, gave magnificent
dinners to senators, congressman, and other
until his hotel bill had reached
an enormous sum. Willard sent up his bill
by his clerk, upon which Colonel Jack tel
egraphed his brother in New York, and re-
ceived few hundred dollars. Changing
this money into one dollar bills, few of
five and ten dollar denominations, he ar
ranged the money in piles with the larger
bills conspiculously displayed on the tops,
and then rang his bell, and requested the
attendance of Mr.. Willard in person. The
landlord came, and was received
by Colonel Jack with in
dignation. Il have been insulted by your
clerk, sir, said the colonel, and I desire
to pay my bills and leave your house, sir. I"
The landlords eye took in the rows of
bank notes at glance. and he eadeavored
to apologize, but the colonel would not
listen to him, until the apologies were SO
profuse, and the promises that the offense
would not be repeated were 80 lavish, that
he was finally constrained to yield, and re-
main. A few days after he secured his
contract. and was flush again, spending
money like prince.
Although his business afforded him an
income from which o more prudent man
might have realized fortune, he was al
ways embarked in some grand scheme that
had millions in it," and invariably, in his
enthusiasm over the ultimate results, lost
all thoughts of the cost. At the time
write, no doubt whatever existed in those
regions but that the future great COM
mercial emporium Of the Pacific was to
be located somewhere on Puget Sound.
The Whatcom people were confident ofhav-
ing secured the prize, and the original set
tiers had made good deal of money Though
the sale Of town lots. Seattle, Olympia,
and Steilacoom. also. had their advocates.
but Scranton pooh poohei all of their pre-
tensions, and gave out mysterious hints Of
the. great city that was to be named. It
finally TRANSFERRED that Scranton, Sears, and
two others, whose names have forgotten
one of whom was Jew. who furnished
most of the capital-had secured the land
bordering on the Semiamoo Bay, about
forty miles from ', hatcom; and that dis
tance nearer the Fraser River. The bay or
bays are in the shape Of the figure eight,
the inner one being almost land-locked
with deep water, surrounded by sloping
banks. and really presents one of the pref
test town-sites on the sound. This
was Sonnton's mysterious prize. and
the better to prepare q
programme for the founding of the future
city, the stock holders met there to discuss
"a ~ks~ ho1I s.