The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-11-17
BIG BAGS OF GOLD.
Clever scheme of Boomer TO Stir Up
an Exeftement.

an Exeftement.
Many big stake has been made By
clever boomers in times past in tbs
Western country. but the meiho -
adopted for working up excitement in
some particular locality are never un-
dsrstood by the people at large.
One Of the eleyerest tricks that has yet
come to light was related last evening by
q gentleman who got into q reminiscent
mood regarding his experience as real
estate healer in former years.
you were speaking Of Port Angeles"
said he. ''and | want to tell you how the
boom in that town was first started. 1t
Won't take over six minutes to tell it.
You know that the principal investors in
that town have been Victoria people, and
they were first Led into IL by a clever
trick. 1t was several years ago and Mr..
Hickey, Of Victoria. engineered the
scheme. He went TO Port Angeles and
purchased so acres of land. not in his own
name. but In the name Of . syndicate,
for IL would not do 10 have his
name connected with it, He had the land
plated in acre tracts. Now you know that
whatever Dunsmuir did was popular and
Hickey thought IL he could only induce
the people TO believe that Dunsmuir was
investing money in Port Angeles others
would also invest there. ! was In Vic.
toria Ct the time and saw the whole
performances. He went to o boiler works
and had q large number of washers cut
of the same size IS twenty dollar gold
pieces. He got about half hushel, I
should think. Of the washers. only they
had no holes in them, being
simply rounded pieces OF iron
of the size and thickness OF gold pieces,
and he paid So for them. These he put
carefully into two sacks, tied them up
with stout strings, labeled each one
'S20. coo" and put tags on them. Then be
got another man to carry one of the bags
while he took the other on his shoulder. He
hired policeman. who was of course not
In the secret. TO accompany them aud pro-
teet the gold. At that time the boat left
Victoria for this side about 2 or
3 O'Clock in the morning. Hickey
took a bag of iron on his shoulder
that evening. and. accompanied by his
friend and guarded by the policeman,
started for the wharf. Walking into the
first saloon he came 10. in which / hap
pened TO be, he dropped the bag from his
shoulder to the bar. saying:
'Whew but that's heavy The other
man dropped his bag also and Hickey
asked the proprietor TO set the bags inside
few minutes while they took a drink.
The proprietor Was thunderstruck at the
sight of so much money. Two bags each
containing So. 000 was more than he gen.
orally had in his place.
What are you doing with so much
money! he asked Hickey leaned over
the bar and whispered: oh, that is old
Dunsmuir's money, which | am going 10
take over to invest in Port Angeles Don't
say anything about it,
The party took round of drinks. and
then departed with the bags for the next
saloon. followed them. and We all went
in 10 get drink. Hickey put tie bags on
the bar again, and everybody's eyes stuck
out 20 see so much money. Whenever he
vent any distance away from the bags the
policeman stood guard over them, but
Hickey tod each proprietor quietly that
IL was Duusmuir's money going TO Port
Angeles. After visiting the second saloon
LETT them and went TO my hotel. but two
hours afterwards in came Hickey with
the bags, and had them put up behind the
bar while he waited for the boat. They
we're N plain sight and. although ths
proprietor had been cautioned not 10 say
anything about il being Dunsmulr's
money, he could not keep such a secret.
and impaired the information To several
astonished gentlemen, while Hickey and
played game Of rounee and tie police
man stood guard over the gold. When II
came time 20 go to the boat Hickey hired
another policeman. and :he two officers
escorted him and his fraud down TO the
boat, where be threw the washers over
board and came over To Port Townsend.
Well. II Was surprising how quickly the
news spread. In few days everybody
knew thar Dansmuir had sent sa0, coo over
10 Port Angeles to bay land. What Dans.
muir did was sure TO be- profitable. aud
everybody Vas anxlous 10 invest. Within
three weeks people became go excited that
they got up an excursion to Port Angeles.
aud over $50 people went over. They
averaged Si.oo apiece. and Hickey told
me afterwards that he made 81. COO out of
the dea! selling his acre tracts. -