The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-10-17
Baron Hammond and His Big
Port Townsend Iron Works.
CHEEKY ADvENTuRER's SCHEME.
Seattle Lake Canal Commission Ready
to Begin the Survey.
Navy Yard Commission win Not Report
for Months-Contraband Chinese Start
for China = Another Seattle Wheat
ehip-suicide at Nanaimo.

PoRr TOWNSEND. Oct. 16.-lSpecial. IA
timely expose by the Examiner has saved
Port Townsend from making itself ridicu-
lous. Sundays issue. which arrived here
yesterday with . story headed "A Baron
Hammond Job" opened the eyes of the
Chamber of Commerce. The article cre-
ated q great sensation. and the edition of
the paper became exhausted long before
bought ct premium.
It is just two weeks since Baron Henry
Woodcraft Hammond arrived in this city.
He came amid flourish of trumpets, and
informed everyone that he was blessing
in disguise. He represented the Anglo
Pacific Steel Company, limited. with a cap
Nal stock of $1200oO. This corporation.
according to the prospectus which the
baron brought with him, numbered among
its board Of directors leading capitalists
and noblemen of England. and among its
hackers were John d. spreckels, L. s.
Baker, James G. Fair, Irving Scott and
other California millionaires.
The objects of the company were given
out at once. A steel plant to employ not
less than 1000 men was to be located on
Townsend bay. All that Baron Hammond
wanted to make the matter an assured
fact was q guarantee by the Chamber of
Commerce that the company could buy
1000 acres of land at $50 al. acre. The
The Chamber of Commerce appointed q
committee OF five to secure land at that
figure. It was promised.
Then the baron went to Tacoma, and
from that city he telegraphed the
committee that the Chamber of
Commerce of that city was hold
ing out strong inducements to have
the steel works there. Portland, Seattle
and San Francisco also wanted the man.
moth manufacturing establishment Per-
sonaliy, he preferred Port Townsend, be-
cause he could get coal at least 81 q ton
cheaper than anywhere else. He was
ready to close the deal on the spot, and
would guarantee that the works would be
in operation in ninety days if citizens of
Port Townsend took 81, 600 worth of STOCK
and paid the cash for it on the spot The
committee then returned to Port Town.
send, where the baron followed two days
later.
While in Tacoma he had shown his
patent Of nobility reposing in cup of solid
gold and deposited it in bank. This had
great effect on the committee. Some one.
however, commenced to smell mouse,
and It was decided to stand of the baron
till his antecedents could b inquired into.
The baron hereupon became short of ready
money, and offered to have the steel works
located in this city If he was given 81 200.
This money he wanted to use as personal
expenses for the purpose of making trip
to England and there floating the necessary
bonds. He explained that he had q. bond
draft for eco. 900 on the Bank of England,
but needed ready money for few days.
That night the baron got drunk. and came
very nearly getting arrested for disorderly
conduct.
The Chamber of Commerce committee
said that they had the baron in . tight
place, and he was offered $500 cash and
81, 200 in sixty days, providing he f1oated
the bonds.
The baron had all along insisted that his
plans be kept from the press. as premature
publication would interfere, and this re-
quest was complied with until two-thirds
Of the local population put the baron down
as q colossal, choleric fraud, whose capital
was an unlimited amount of self-assur-
ance. Then the Morning Leader made an
expose Of the whole matter. In answer to
the statements published, the baron today
inserted the following card:
To the Editor of the Leader: Ny attention was
called to an article in your yesterdays issue
headed "A Peculiar Proposition" The charges
contained therein are such as no honorable man
would allow to pass unnoticed. must ask your
readers to suspend judgment upon me until Fri
day, when / shall be in possession of certain
documents which have telegraphed for, and
which will enable me to dispr0ve the represen-
tations contained In the article rejecting upon
my business and personal character. In the
meantime permit me to remain, yours respect
fully, d. WooDCRAFr HAMMOND.
The committee having the matter in
charge reported to the Chamber of Com
merce last night the facts and conclusions
noted above. Baron Hammond has been
taken up by local syndicate. who are will
ing to advance him 81, 500, SO that he can
90 to England and float his bonds, provided
the works be located on their land. The
baron insists that when in Tacoma he re-
ceived q telegram from the Chamber oil
Commerce guaranteeing to advance $4,000
for his influence and the expenses of trip
IT,