The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-10-27
WILD HUNT FOR GOLD.
The Frazer River Excitement
Of Early Days
luEEo sy ExTRsvAoasT HOPES
Rise ana Tagf ~ Hhssessn III sfs4ss Fay
easayznyfs N~ndse4sy-S s"~A
..ue<sens~-ssa.s 900 Nisers-


Ia she sr~fng ef lsss whsn gDid vas DIS
covered on Fraser rsTev. BRITISH Ioaunsfsss-
4ssr Ser Caledonia rs y vas then ssaaezs },
sonsags.sx4 M gisite inhabitants savs fxr
sv.rsts ard clerks ~ the Hudson Eay Gem
xuysw trading stations. the headquarters os
vb5eh IA. Fort Victoria May 81 The
.usrsox~s ~ers hxigbresds and ssx fall
sgs>es Irssisans. The Hudson Bay Com
nary governed on sea ana Land. there vas
then no government BAT theirs. ard James
Douglas wsa a. the heal Of Il
IYs this territory, ~ the ssnae period. The
rnatzns fsr outannbeyed the whites. aud
tie na,syes Eere ed bv the Hudson Bag
fsorae 20 hesieSs that al the Bcssoas fas
they were taught 81 call the Americansl in
the world we're the fex they saw on paget
sound. principally in aud aroans the 81
halls. The King George Iuen tas they
called the EngtIsfsl Oh the CONTRARY the
Indians we're told. were past counting for
numbers, and were the Taost powerful
nation IN eItstsnee. The naiivess bsisev-
ing theee statements 20 te trlIs, naturally
haa little fear 81 the Americans and \
wholsaonse dread OF and respect for the
Engiish.
During the previous winter many thoss-
sand miners had accumulated in saa ffan-
cisco. and the city vas literally oYerrstn
with them. Like Aieawber. they were
waiting for something To turn up when
the news OF the latest gold discovery
reached them In the latter part OF March
lzss The Ps1ges sssssad Heyald. published st
steiIscocm, was the fsrst paper To give
Publicity 10 the discovery. ana from that
Office column slips eontaiug the news we're
sent To Jerry sullivan, then The leading
nessdealer in san Francisco. As soon a.
the contents OF the slips we're known, they
SOLD rapidly Al - cents and 81 each Ssiiii-
van cent letter BY the return steamer
saying the slips went 81 Ike bot cakes, y
and urging the Publisher 20 send hinE
! f0D slips containing the next news re-
esived from the mines. The slips ltwo col
umns this iimel were ready 20 go down by
the same steamer, bat there we're only 3s0.
not the 900 requested These we're more
important than tn. FIRST. because they
contained not only fuller particulars, but
satisfactorily confirmed all the statements
in the FIRST slip. With this second report
also sent considerable shipment of gold
from the new Eidorado. Word came
back that the second alps we're sought With
much greater cagerness than the first;
that many of them were sold At 81 each. and
several al second hand realized s.. The
desire 10 obtain this news aud the prices
paid for these slips was a fair indication
not of the abundance of money. bat OF the
number Of idle men then in Fan Francisco
hungry for news OF this character.
When satisfied of the reliability of the
do NJ ms IL
sought means to reach Fraser river. Ships
and hanks and hrigs and schooners that
had long lain idle in the harbor OF san
Francisco were hastily provisioned and
Tilted with berths. and were as speedily
loaded with az many passengers as they
could carry. The Pacific Mail Company
also refitted and manned hall dozen ocean
steamers that years before had been laid
up as unfit forfurther use. All were got III
order n quickly as possible and advertised
To sail for the new gold fields. They did
not have long To wait for their loads: in a
sew hours they were full 10 overlooking
with passengers. An exodus then set in at
san Francisco the like of which had rarely,
II ever. been Witnessed indeed il filed
with CONSERVATION many who had parma.
n.nt interests in California. This human
u
1t continued undated for many months,
extending well into the ensuing year.
Three months after its inception, on the
81 of July. ISIS. the steamer Sierra Nevada
arrived from San Francisco with 800 pas
sengeFs. This steamer, when running 10
Panama, could not accommodate more
than s1 passengers.
Next day. July 4. the steamer Pacific ar
rived with zoo passengers; her complement
previously was about 30.
Next day, July ). the steamer Panama
arrived with $40 passengers; her previous
complement was about 80
The same day the steamer Cortez was
hourly expected with ] 600 or more passen-
gers.
The steamer oFizaba was announced 10
leave san Francisco on the iSt of July with
tali load Of passengers, and the John l..
stephens was about to leave at the same
date sish S.o0 she was crowded with
loo when running TO and from the Isth-
mus.
These steamers could make three or four
trips 10 the Sound in the time required 10
make one To- Panama; hence the increased
nanaber OF passengers carried en- each trip.
II vas yerltahlc bonanza to the Paoili.
Mail Company.
AZ the eommeneemsn al this influx the
miners Nvre landed Al Whateonl, taat he.
in. regarded a. the most convenient Point
from which 10 start ior Fraser river Sf,b.
seauenty they were landed az Victoria.
owing 10 disagreement between the
steamship company and ihe parties own.
ing the water front on Eellingham hay.
Before the steamers were withdrawn. hoW.
hay AMI fsa4s ali. a. :
landed on the shores ST that bay J 90 az
sH.tsU sogis, All ahc could 70 So le!t im.
nseiia,ely for the mines Within sixty
DAYS from the arrival OF the FIRST load g..
passengers aPwaras ~ i0to5 people had
pitched taeir tents or erected temporary
baftgaes ia ard around Wbatconi. win
'ae view az locating there pxrns aneutly.
When the steamers eeas csi TO land pas.
seueers al Whaseon. as thcy dill when
their destination was changed d Victoria.
then commenced sn exos.a= a.
fapad and as extraordinary as was
the iatlux. = newspaper sailei
the NatsAsss IfssswAs started there IN
the he1Sht 81 The excitement ilv nlSn
tTosn Sacramento. Is had been issued
aa9iat fso months, when. seeing The toNn
do0use3. The riitog Inserted a vass.ii.. tory.
'n BE Vof'iS, 'Whatyem has gone ia aas3
the 50 has E0ae oat ia,sstl hfx SEN,
snt returned 70 the see-e 81 hjs former
is3sls sRd fluctuations Ia a.. lfar,ala.
Fhe death uf WkAteom wAS the maxim,
81 Victoria Mhat hitherto bsl heen
knawa oaiy as Hudson bsy trading Pass
saan lssamet az IS city oS soosi.v prsat.
ass- he bsSiissss msa * Wbascont wtga
vefy ZEN exceptions, toeeshe- w5th sac
49,