Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-04-15
INDIVIDUAL CHANCES,
When there was q Clear Stage
and No Favor.

When there was D Cisar stage
and No Favor.
paeet Sound In fSs2-speeulsticns In
flour, Lunber, Mill Sites,
and Logging Claims.
(Frtm the s. z. CALI
You have deeply yentured;
Rat all must do 20 who would greatly
,-lByron's DoQs Of Venice.
Itis interesting ~ we'll as instructive
IN review the past occasionally. no.xith-
standinp tne injunction that il IL un-
vise 10 look back. 1t il interesting
laspooislly for those now safe With an
snauirsd foYtune) TO revert To the time
an this coast when everybody was mora
~ lAss an advent surer. and the race for
vsalth was opsn to all comers. The
maiority Of those who cams in early
davs uot only TO California, bat 10 the
northvest coast, where, as Bryant un~
Rolls the Oregon,
That knows no sound sase is oua dash
ings,
f,.me stripped, 10 to speak, for this race
and thoss With the best wind and bottom
~nn There was no doubt good deal
~ iockeylng. but Time. as tbs judge OF
ths contest, has awarded the prize. The
vinnsrs are many, but VINO can cosnt
i.t&
spection il painful; but come. having
nerve enough 70 rcinssgrats their ca
sruiss for final effort. say: II never
look back; that way lies madness; ! am
in tie present, and only look To the fu-
ture, brief 10 Il may be-" Few like To
s2sak OF their failures. but sometimes
one il met, perhaps iu the recesses OF
She Pioneers Hall, who. without actually
coming out ahead, has had ut least q
ulaco in the racs and il willing to toll
hsw he gained is. Tho experiences, IN
part. Of such q one, are given in this
sketoh following; and it il all tho more
interesting because. while wealth was
the principal object sought, the study OF
human nature and the acquisition of
general information are by no means
uuimportant incidents IN his career.
CHANCES YoR SPECULATION.
In 1862, when tbs great Are in Slcra-
nento sent lumber up from x12 thou
ssnd to Sl50 in twenty-four hours-and
when D. q. Mills made the first impor-
tant step toward his gigantic fortune by
eosrailing the San Francisco market be-
fore the news had reached here-in
those DAYS Of 'individual chaness," at.
A.x.,. ~wsa - p<sv, unx, ii Al trvw "a fr a
northwest coast as q source vi Lumber
supply. Among those who went into
tho enterprise Hctivsly were such men
a. Stevens, Baksr q Co., Messrs. Fergu-
son b Page, and Captain w. T. Bay
wnrd, smart Yankee from Maine. who
gave up ths banking business In San
Francisco for the purpose. In ANYTHING
he undertook, the latter never Let the
grass grow under hrs feet. The parties
named ali started for the north west
about the same time. Messrs. Bay ward,
Page, and Ferguson and Baker had a
Pct project in view, and that was the
construction Of large sswmiii ON the
Willamette, opposite Oregon CITY,
about II miles above Portland. The
steamer Columbia, Captain Dali, landed
the party in Portland. In December,
1852, aud ON inquiry they found the do
aired site belonged TO DIR. Mclaughlin.
. fsot0s Of the Hudson Bay Company:
He wanted $4,000 for the location, and
according 10 an engineers estimates II
would take $4,000 more to build the
mill and put it In running order. After
two weeks Investigation Captain Say,
ward told his collcages the engineer Was
Wild In his estimates--it would COST
dsutle what he stated; and. fusther r
more, IL on the completion OF the works
they made them pressus TO q MILL man.
irving him 100000 additional. he
would be bankrupt in twelve months
30 ho drew out The others hold on,
business 70 the milling. The result was
PAGE lost his life, Ferguson his fortune,
and Baker the amount he put In.
4 noun SPECULATION.
Bat it vas mot In Sayward's way 70
confess failure il he could help II. 81
he approached simeon b. Reed, then 4
Young man lust arrived In Oregon, with
only capital Of about $1,000, and had
"a business conversation Mr.. Reed
u now one Of the wealthiest men in Or
oQon, and has been connected With al
the important movements IN that State
He had tho inside track with Nesmith
and others in their time. a. he has now
With Willard and tho Northern Pacific
Tho firm Of Ladd q Reed II widely
known Ill over the Pacific Coast. The
ssbuoiuoes conversation" that Cansair
Gayward had with Reed related to fiour
Their united capital waa not very large
hut the proposition was accepted To buy
all the flour obtainable in tho country
Tho average price paid for it Was &2i =
baTrel. and Il was shipped on board
the steamer Columbia tho day before
che sailed, censigned 70 Hayward's
clerk in San Francifco. Tho freight
cost 90 . ton. 6ayward knew that
Trisdinndsr had q corner ON heur In
che city, and that he had either to buy
this consignment or allow his corner to
b brokan. The msCuate Of tho grain
martet took the whole lot at $s4 bar
rel, and 4 clean profit Of 5000 ON th,s
Of the spsculasors. s. much Tor 50
nauoh.
ADsAL u LuxzsR.
u must b borne In mind that before
b Left 6an Francisco, Capt Saywasd
had ordered oue u his vessels 10 follow
him up 10 the Columbia, where he ex-
peoted 20 load with Lumbar, bat falling
% Ct the required amount, ho found II
neceasary\o notify the skipper 70 change
his courlo before he csoesed tho Colum-
6iA river bar and bear on for Puget
doand. He did this by means Of . lst-
~ thrcuQh the bar pilot at Astoria. Who
eaasRsd him 3l40--oue- half his regular
puoea&e-e0 give il 70 the captain; bus,
und0s The circumstances, fnsspsy was
noe much of an ohjst. After this BAY
ward started 10 Cowlitx. A y0unx Ger
man. whom he had met in Oregon, IN
pts company, told him q cargo OF Iuln-
eer could Be obsaiued on the Sound for
evelve dollars thousand. as nows q
toeSacramento disaster had not reached
aAcA. 6aywArdss intention Vas 10 atari
overland from Couiitx 10 Olympia.
IN board the steamer Co!umbia'
yafle coming down the river, Captain
award, much 70 his ann0yaRce, net
0peain Perkins, (vho uasd to import
4anA 80, from the Sound) and Mr.,
1eed not. however, his lats partner IN
~ auuR spsculati0n, bound on the sams
1eAad q himself. Il vas time fos
01t9ey, evidontly.
Why, Eayward. how are you r asked
Opeain Perkins. "00in9 10 the Soundy''
Would like 70; never have been there
h!eoeo. viii 90 Il the German gosa
- mA.' rsplisd hayward. in IN an
MN - - A. :-lf-