The Portland daily press., 1895-03-25

A4i'ASoiA' AAo udu Wlrou ni0 o"hOiS oha1
he thought he could get the wheat taken
from Portland to Tacoma for 50 ton of
2240 pounds, and had received reply
that it might be better to try for cargo
OF coal for San Francisco. After he got
his contract with General Sprague
signed, he wired his owners that he had
contracted for cargo of wheat for
France, and the price he was to get from
Tacoma. He sent letter at the same
time, and eight days later, when he was
receiving his cargo OH board the Dakota,
he received from Mr.. Rogers telegram
saying Telegram and letter received.
We congratulate you on your success" p"
The result of this eff ort on the part of
Captain Gllkey to open up the port of
Tacoma the wheat trade was far greater
than he had anticipated. He had over
come the opposition of the merchants and
of the Chant Der of Commerce of Port
land, and he had given Tacoma start
That single shipment opened the eyes OF
every merchant of Portland TO the
great advantage to themselves of making
it the wheat port. 1t would have, as has
been said, cost him $4,000 had he gone to
Portland. and the torul cost of taking
the grain from Portland to Tacoma did
not exceed So, 500.
| In short time after the Dakota sailed,
the merchants of Portland made charters
| themselves to load ships at Tacoma; and
| six. or eight ships were loaded there that
same year, the first after the Dakota
being ship owned by Hon. Arthur
| Sewall of Bath.
Tacoma was then small place of 800
inhabitants, and now it is booming
city of $4,000 people, The first ship was
loaded at Tacma in less than four months
after the Dakota received her cargo, and
the port still retains its prestige as the
great grain port.
The business captured by Captain Gil
key netted, afted paying all disburse-
ments S21.12 from Tacoma to France, and
he cleared up on the "roundn of thirteen
months about $4,000 and it was then
said that no other ship in the world be-
gan to pay anything like it that year.
( sThe business men OF Tacoma saw at
once the great Importance OF what Cap
tain Gilkey had accomplished. and We're
anxious to have him return alldas ettle in
| their city. Mr.. Clark, leading lawyer,
proposed that they should present Kim
with deed of a house lot in their ulain
street,sin fact their only street of any
Importance, having all idea that it would
be an inducement for him to return, but
it.was decided to give him a service of
| plate or something else of that nature,
! and Mr.. Clark was selected to 70 to Port
| land and find something. On the way
| he met Captain Gilkey on the train, and
happened to say, What is the time,
| Captain?" and when the captain pulled
out an ancient watch. he made up his
| mind what to get for him. There hap
pened to be in Portland on exhibition a
Walthac1 watch that had taken two
prizes in Europe, and Mr.. Clark bought it,
paying $500 for the watch, locket and
| ohain. s@
just before he sailed Captain Gilkey
was visited by the editor of the Tacoma
Herald, and Mr.. Clark, who asked him
| to 90 up town. They took him to the
best hotel, where banquet was served,
and where he was presented with the
watch, Mr.. Clark making the presenta-
| tion speech. The inscription on the
watch is as follows:
| Presented 40 /. r. Gilkey,
Commander of the ship Dakota
by
The business men of Tacoma, W.T.
For his enterprise in taking hence the
first cargo of wheat shipped from
Puget Sound.
Nov. 5, 1884,"
| From France Captain Gilkey went to
| San Francisco, ard there found a great
drop in frieghts. Fortunately for his
owners the Dakota went in on the food
! tide and the greatest record of "round"
| of 13 months was made Just at the right
time.
| 1t should be added that mad the house
lot been given to him instead of the
watch it would now be worth SIS, OOO.
Just before he sailed four members of
the then legislature came up to Ia coma
| by steamer, and congratulated him on
| his success. They told him that they
thought that within year they would
b ave branch load through theCascade
mountain to the great swheat fields, but
whether IL WAS built or not, il he would
come back they would see to it that he
had cargo if they had to bring 1t to
Tacoma by OK teams. eaz,- saz,
Tacoma is "a city set upon a hfli," and
| when the Dakota sailed that hill was a
mass OF flags. Captain Gilkey couldn't
imagine how SO many flags could have
been in one small place, but every house
seemed to be flying one. After that
great trip Captain Gilkey commanded
the ships William G. Davis and Rufus E.
Wood, and then concluded to engage in
| business on la nd.