The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-04-02
PORT STANLEY.
something About the Lopez Island
Boom Town and Its Promoters.

PORT STANLEY.
Something About the Lopez Island
Boom Town and Its Promoters.
LOPEZ. April Especial. six months
since, in October, 1891, two men came to
Lopez from Anacortes. The name of one
was Mallory, and he announced himself
to be Methodist minister He was an
imposing man of good appearance and in
sinuating speech and manner, and as
heartily welcomed as strangers ever are in
this meek o. woods" He rapidly be-
came acquainted among the guileless
farmers who constitute the bulk of the
population of Lopez, and spoke largely of
the benefits that would accrue to Lopez
island through his residence here He had
very large acquaintance through the
states of Iowa and Nebraska, where he
said be had been a shining light in the
temperance field and was known to the
public as the Nebraska cyclone" on ac-
count of his fervid oratorical powers.
Many of these people hack there, he said,
he was in constant communication with
on the subject of moving further West,
and he proposed to exert the great infiu-
ence he possessed over their minds to turn
their steps hitherward, and concentrate
them all. bag and baggage, on the island
of Lopez. People were somewhat bewil-
dered by these glowing promises and be-
gan to prepare, one and all, for an unex-
ampled season OF prosperity.
In the meantime, the man who had
accompanied Mallory when he landed on
this Coast, and whose name, by the way,
was Gustin, had also become conspicuous,
and was making very wide ripple on the
still surface of this quiet little pond. He
was man of perhaps so years, always
roughly attired, and with face so hidden
in dense growth of beard that he was
promptly christened by the boys OF the
neighborhood "Old Whiskers." He at
once announced himself as real estate
man with scheme. He was man of
great physical energy and soon made his
scheme" SO far as it apparently con-
cerned the land owners, well known.
The main features of it were that he was
going to organize stock company with a
large capital (amount indefinite and differ.
ing in various cases) which would proceed
to bond all the land hereabouts, locate
townsites, build up communities and
start all sorts OF manufacturing
institutions. Mr.. Gustln, despite his en-
ergy and somewhat overbearing methods,
did not find that his scheme" worked as
well as he had seemingly expected Per-
haps the people thought that the smallness
of Lopez island (which contains some
thing under three townships) and the
magnitude of Gustin's schemes were in
congruous. At last, however, two men
were found on the eastern side of the
island, at Swift's bay, who were willing to
bond or sell their property on. terms that
of h..f Of ha
pany and active prosecution of the scheme.
A Mr.. Biggs-a Methodist, by the way
was the first to come to terms. He agreed
to sell Mr.. Gustin 100 acres, some of which
is good land and some stony and sterile,
for $3.50 per acre, provided the company
(still unformed) that Gustin represented
would make in 81 900 payment by the LIST
of July. 1892, and $500 half-yearly there
after until the purchase price was COM
plete. Another man, Julius Schroeder by
name, also signified his Willingness TO sell
twenty-eight acres of beach and slough
that he owned lying between the Biggs
property and Swift's bay to the company
for 800, $500 of which was to come due on
the same date as Biggs' first payment, the
LIST of July, 1892.
Now, everything being in train, the
match was applied and the new company
sprang fullhedged into existence Lo and
behold The Rev. Mr.. Mallory, temper
ance orator, Nebraska Cyclone" col
onizer and what not, was president and
treasurer. Mr.. Gustln was the manager,
and a man named f. ?. Baum, resident
of Friday Harbor and a prominent church
and Sunday-school man. was the secre-
tary. 1t is worthy of notice that two
farmers living near Swift's bay were ten
dered Office of trusteeship in the company
and declined the honor.
Behold, then, the Port Stanley Townsite
and Development Company, Mallory
president and treasurer, Baum secretary
and Gustin manager! These three also
served rs the trustees necessitated in the
legal formation of a corporation. Now
the scheme was pushed ahead with I'M
paralleled vigor and energy. The first
moves were to plat town and build
wharf. surveyor was imported from
Anacortes, who laid out the 12s acres.
more or less, into townsite. very
prettv town was made of 1t, too-on paper.
The front on the beach was turned into
business lots. thirty feet wide by 100
feet deep. These were loo feet
from the water limit at high tide, and
dAigned possibly to meet the necessities
of wholesale merchants and warehouses,
as they are backed on the plat by an alley
ten feet or so wide. Behind this block
comes the balance of Port Stanley, lying
mostly in a salt water slough, ct present
occupied wholly and solely by the ducks
and large government scow that was
formerly used in the coast survey. In
this slough the PosT-ISTELII6EScEE re-
porter sought the lot and block stakes OF
the townsite last Sunday. Mr.. Gustin.
however. informed him that IS II was IN
convenient the surveyors did not drive
them. On this point, however, the presl-
dent and treasurer does not agree with
him. for he informed the reporter the next
morning that they were driven. Back OF
the town proper are number of hve and
ten-acre tracts, few in number and IN
cleared.
Now after this foregoing explanation
please read the prospectus of the Port
Stanley Townsite and Development Com
many. which is being scattered broadcast,
printed on the backs of envelopes, etc, the
italics and bracketed remarks being in
tsrnolate