Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-10-21


TIE CGuE 6'AEEsE swasDEE.
when 1 newspaper enters the service
Of a corporation Il surrsnders al indie
peudence and Is forced 70 become not
alone the advocate Of It's schemes but
the apologies for it, crimes against Law
and society. Unless II accepts these
terms II will not BE- employed, unless u
executes them the corporation table
cloth is shaken elsewhere, and She bones
upon which 1t expected 10 enaw are
thrown 70 some other and more crinR-
iuQ eur. The Tacoma Lsdgsr, as a cor
poration organ, II evidsntiy determined
70 earn and retain les allowance OF
bones TO Rnaw.
Recently We Published an extract
from letter 10 the New York Sas from
Eagle City, Idaho. in which some Of the
sad results Of the late cmur d. Aiene
mining craze were graphically told
Upon these facts We arrsiened the
Northern Pacific Railroad Company for
melting rush 10 the mines BY falss
publications Of their value and extent,
by falsshoods Published In les official
circulars and widely distributed under
its agency throughout the United States
We charged the Northern Pacihc' Rail-
road Company with abettsng an inhu-
man swindie, with the sole and greedy
object Of profisinR by The rush 70 C@ur
d'Alene thereby excited and encouraged.
To those statements aud criticism the
Ledger offers 10 reply an assertion that
the Posi- IsrxIIIoEsox In 1879 aided
and abetted for the interests of this city,
the Ekagit mining boom. The Posr and
the IsrxLLIoKxcKR were published In
Seattle during shs whole period OF the
Skneit river excitement. They printed
reports from the mines obtained from
sources deemed reliable. Az newspapers
they published the news, and exercized
the ordinary caution of daily journals
in regard 70 authenticity and truth. We
have no apologies to make for their at
teranoes or conduct concerning the
Skagit boom. Profting by the lessons
then learned, wien accounts Of wonder
fully rich discoveries Of gold at C9ur
d'Alene were studiousiy circulated by
the Northern Pacific management and
its newspaper tools, the Posi-, IsrxLII-
oKxcKR cautioned the public 10 "go
SLOW" We advised every man who had
good Job 10 stick 70 II, and those who
had saved a few dollars 10 be In no haste
10 spend them In going TO CBur d'Alepe
in search Of gold nuggets in mid winter.
In this community heed was given the
advice thus rendered, and but very few
Seattleites contributed 20 Northern Pa
cifle greed by buying tickets 10 and from
that gildsd Gehenna.
When II became apparent that the
value Of gold discoveries on tbs skaeit
had been greatly overessimated, the pa
pers named did not attempt 10 delade
the public by sxtravagant statements.
They gave Publicity 10 facts AZ fast as
asoertained, az was their privilege and
duty rs public journals. In this they
pursued q course exactly opposite 10
that adopted by the Northern Pacific
Railroad Company. II n a fact estab-
lished by the sorrewful experience Of
thousands that the valne Of the Cpur
d'Alene mines has been grossly ovsres-
timated. Before us lies the last folder"
Of the Northern Pacific Railroad mark.
ed Fall 1884. In this document a
whole page is devoted TO allurine and
false statements concerning the richness
OF the C9ur d'Alene mines. In Il we
find sneh lies a. these; "sl0o per man
psrdas are being taken out Of tho rim
rock Of the gulohes, while in the CLUTCHES
t2b TO $40 per man per day are being
panned out. The claims are all verv
vieh." Again in this circular the PEG.
pie ara told that 'overerowdine by rea-
son Of too great an influx Of prospectors
and miners" is impossible; that .'tAeye
IS enough for all ,eho coms.n "wher-
ever" says this official" document.
''the bed rock has been uncovered, bean
tiful rieh dust has been sroopsd IN by
the lucky owners Again, ''these are
the richest and most extensive placers
on the continent, as from l3sx TO 30
cents per pan is vseuiariy obtained.
All this and much more Of the same
fraudulent and delusive character. We
venture the assertion that no advertise
ment Of the most outrageous lottery
svindle ever published can be found In
which more unwarranted statements
and bald falsehooas are paraded to
catch the eve and obtain the money of
the eullihle. The sanction Of great
railroad corporation 10 such a tissue OF
Misrepresentation. for the purpose Of
obtaining under such pretenss the hard
earned money Of It's dupes, is an outrage
only paralleled by CONSCIOUSNESS min
Ing Spectators. who with lying state
n,ents and fictitious assays, swindle an
wary purchasers. When, in addition.
the amount Of physical suffering
entaiisd upon the victims Of this arail-
road circular IL considered, no words
can fitly charaescriEe the work, nor can
public indignation be too great against
the company responsible therefor.
Had any individual, no matter who,
or hov great or powerful. under such
pretenscs blasted so mAny hopes, de-
iuded 50 many victims. and caused 50
much Of suffering asd death, In his vile
greed for gold, an outraged pahlis
would long since have cut shors his
power for evil sammarily. and by means
10 which only in dire extremity com.
munities resort. But under shield and
shadow Of that statutory creature known
asa corporation. knaves ply their call.
ingsecnred from personal responsibility
unaved by fear Of personal pnnishmen,
or retxibntion. In Washington Terri
tory today wrurcs are heinz, t,..wr..s r.s