The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-06
TOwNER, sCHEMER AND swINDLER
He Bunkoed Confiding People From
Towner to Tacoma.

TACOMA, March Especial Several Taco
mans were swindled out OF amounts ranging
from s25 to 500 by the various schemes of Colo
mel Towner, who is reported as having fed from
Minneapolis, fearing arrest. He came here with
party OF Union Pacific officials, which in
cluded General Dodge, OF Denver, and talked
of Puget City as a terminus, and in that town
site several Tacomans put in and lost money. J.
R. Mcdonald and A. H. Anderson, of the Satsop
railroad, also became interested it is said, but
he did not fleece them. Among those who
assisted on his Washington Southern railroad
scheme and were not paid were Deputy Sheriff
Patterson, A. NJ. Hager and Bert Haney. The
latter is believed to be at Wolf Creek. Or. 1t is
said Towner secured IS o from a Tacoma woman
while en- route to san Francisco by steamer.
He was to refund the money at Tacoma, but
failed to return here.
Colonel o. NJ. Towner, who is the individual
referred to above, is known from the Great
Lakes 20 the Pacific as the protector and pro-
moter of schemes which, though carried nearly
to successful completion, have always failed.
His career in North Dakota. Montana and Wash
iugton is interesting. Colonel Towner first
went to North Dakota in 1850, hailing from st.
Louis. He spent some time in surveying and
investigating the country, then disappeared for
a time to return with about forty negroes who
took up homestead claims. Towner fed them
and paid them salaries, and when they had
proved up their claims they turned the land
over TO him. In this manner he secured for the
Elk Valley Farming Company, which was back
OF him in the scheme about 900 acres of fertile
and valuable land 5000 acres being in one solid
block on what now constitutes the Elk Valley
farm He erected on the farm, OF which he was
manager, house which cost from 5000 to sl0,-
600. The lumber for it was hauled by team
from Oiata, distance OF twenty miles, and the
hauling alone cost $40 per LOCO. All other
expenditures were on the same scale, and the
drafts on the company were heavy. His CON
nectlons with the company were severed, on &C.
count Of his lavish outlay it is said, in the fall
OF lsSl, ana in lSs2 he was elected member Of
the state legislature.
Towner then opened up a large farm in
Nelson county, n. d., and disposed OF his inter
est TO some scotch farmers. Then he founded
name. This occupied Mr. Towner's time until
lSST, when he engaged in the grain commission
business in Duluth, Mimi Not making any
great success in that line he went on the road
for wholesale grocery house and rounded up
in Helena, Mont In some way he secured
possession of some mining lands. developed
mine, went to st. Louis, hired special train
anu took number OF capitalists thence to in
yestigate his property. II this deal had been
corsummated he would have been a rich man,
but for some reason Ii fell through just as il
seemed about TO rnstsrialize. His next venture
was in railroad contracting from Seattle west
ward, and nothing further about him can be
discovered till he appeared at Grand Forks, y.
D., last June, with his now famous colonization
scheme. Colonel Towner is over six feet in
height, with handsome face and fine physique,
and would attract attention wherever he ap-
peared. liberal spender. liberal bor-
rover, and an equally liberal lender, he was
friendly to every body and everybody Was friend
ly toward him. He was of a eonyiVial disposi.
tion, and especially favored the company of the
fair sex, with whom he was great iavorite. As
worker he unsurpassed, and Grand
Forks man said: AS a hustler there never was
q man in the state who could even touch his
coat tails. When be was organizing the Elk
Valley farm he would WORK all day. drive 10
Grand Forks, distance of thirty miles drive
back again, and be in the field IN the morning
before any of the men"
The cause Of his present disappearance brings
out several theories but his family who are at
Grand Forks, declare that he is away on private
business.l