The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-12-25

Rev. T. Arthur Whitaker. who claims
the honor OF having founded the Seattle
City Mission. and who was prominent in
real estate transactions after the big IRE
OF June 8. 1856. IS under IRE at Burlington.
Vt According 20 the story now In circu-
latlon. and which Is backed up by nu-
rnsrous letters n possession OF the Bur
Ineton Free Press. Whitaker has a mar
veI0us record. including neglect Of family
and the obtaining OF money by fraud
Whitaker first became known 20 the
people Of Seattle In $50, when he had Of
hces In the KoTn block. At that time he
was associated with Horatio W. Durant
and w o. Hardin. One Of the prominent
advertisements OF this firm read as fol-
lows:
Whitaker. Darant & Hardin. SO Korn
block. Real estate and investment
agea1s, Korn block. Occidental square.
If you VIII eaI sou vii! nnd Vs. in a fne,
wsIl-locatea office; you will be kindly
treated you VIII be attracted by our
choice property list: you Will discover thai
We h5ndle a0Shing but hrst-ciass prop
erfy: yod will hnd our Office good place
10 obtain information"
Outside OF his connection with this firm,
Whitaker Is said 10 have carried on ex-
fenslye real estate transactions on mar
gins. lie has asserted that he made
ss.e10 ia one year ia this city. and there
is no reason 10 doubt his statement. IL
appears, however. that his success ear
risd him away. He thought that because
he had been nal king money hand over
hand he could keep on doing so. This led
him so deep into the labyrinth Of real
estate transactions that he became en-
barrassed when the real estate market
fell, and lost heavily.
AT one time he figured that he was
worth $1,000. but 1t is probable that he
had his interests spread out 10 such an
extent that he really did not know how
he stood. The personal losses OF Whit
aker did not affect the firm. the members
OF which. according 10 ". o. Hardin's
statement. simply divided commissions on
sales. AZ the end OF a year Whitaker
sold out his interest In the partnership
and started the Whitaker Manufacturing
Company. with headquarters at 40 West
Battery street. North Seattle. Whitaker
lived al the same place. The object OF
the company was the manufacture OF
spices, etc. Whitaker was manager. but
success did not crown his efforts, and the
company faded from sight in 1882. After
that Whitaker disappeared. and nothing
was heard Of him until the following APP
peared, December Il, 1886. In the BuFling-
ton, VI, Free Press:
In Vermont.
ION September sth Rev. T. Arthur
~ HltAAtE EstakiE 10 THIS AAA1 AtIAt -NNH& va n
10 represent the Christian Alliance and
TO act as It's state superintendent After
remaining in Burlington for few weeks,
Mr.. Whitaker. who had been a missionary
and had a pastorate in Oklahoma, con-
ceiyed the Idea OF establishing q church.
lie inspected quarters in several different
buildings and nnaily decided TO lease the
hail IN the Barrows block on Church street.
THIS hall was partially remodeied, q room
for the sale Of periodicals being arranged
al the front, while the church meetings
We're 20 be held in the rear A lease or
the hall was obtained for a period OF SIX
years and the intention of publishing
sIxteen-page paper called the Gospel Her
aid was announced.
church OF Burlington was organized with
nineteen members. and meetings were
held. Rev r. Arthur Whitaker was It's
pastor. The hall was furnished with
chairs, an organ was put in and the ueces-
sary preparations for holding meetings
through tbs winter were made. The new
church was not without It's enemies, as
well as it's supporters, and many ques-
tons were asked as TO It's origin and be-
liefs Later the feeling became 30 strong
that letters were sent 70 the papers ana
1T about this time AIR George f. Davis
wrote. and there was published under his
signature in the Free Press or November
9 a letter giving a partial Endorsement 20
Later circumstances led Mr.. Davis ara
others OF this city 10 investigate NhitaA-
evs past life ard works, and at their re.
quest the Free Press prints the result OF
their Investigation. Correspondence mas
been esta hllshed between parties in CALI
fornla, Kansas, Oklahoma and other
points ard their dlgests OF his character
are not OF the most favorable. A sum-
mary OF thu facts CLEANED from these LETT
tiers which are from ministers and other
reliable parties. IS es follows:
His Previous History.
Rev. Thomas Arthur Whitaker was or
~ a minister frs fNss Ezts-zf RNnffRf
church Waltham. Mass. ia June. 1871.
and soon went 70 the Pacific coast, where
be accepted the pastorate OF the Baptist
church In Santa Clara, Cal. DecAmssr
l. fSSs. He remained there about two
years. during which ti7ne charges were
made against him in WRltham Mass, N
his home church. % neglect 10 support his
wife etc. eshe not being with her has-
band And he declining % comtnou.e 20
her sttpeaTt. Mr.. Whitaker was excluded
hv hts home church upon these charges.
ara s@eaQse az al Insulting letter writ
ten 10 the church in reply "a the request
q the standing COMMITTEES TO meet these
charges. 80.
wash.. where BE went into business az
q zeal estate broker. and claims 70 have
made ss.ooa IN = year and half, but lost
d when the Seattle boom burst.
'~rben ne went 70 san Francisco. ana
Started FWhitaksT'S American Medicine
and Extract Company. capital stock
Sc .s1; ineorpaFaSe "a key - Arthur
"fla obtained several thousand dollars
fran friends In that region, Or 70 BE more
explicit. s. 800 from t1elnhsrs 81 his oanrch
st santa Clara. Cal. OF ~h4cn he bad re-
ste wen; Fast to Goat his stock tn chi
esxa and Boston. And never returned %
fhs Pacific coast. Failing sn Boston 70
ssl his stock. ne started a new eorpora-
t}un under Massachusetts iaw. named me
American tfGsne& Publishing society
ss4m4fai s. a0o claimed by WaitakeT 20
d all fea48 f8a WNH~f~
dent ard generals supeTi ntenaeuf. Miss
Emma Whitaker. his sister treasure r
He started mont ~ reltslouz rap.r car.
- ne xsosysel Publisher. with oTice ~
s promAeid street. bosEca- Tae Hrst
number contained a wood cut q himself.
ard scheme % city missions herle nais-
assnx foreign missions and pbilanfnrapie
..s7sarr,rf~ns enaf are simply oVerw hsssn nS-
A fist OF city missionaries was given; Tour
nesIves 80 WerE among IRE Sntnese.
French, fforsuxsse ard JAn2nese- IN al
vszary beard % 6Ns or sax aoaored nssa
,s-ars scattered frem FsoStcc % tire Pact
ae coast and a foreign aaVlsorT eoeTd ef
Aria and Mexaco. &one eE these men
had beea consulted as 70 The us1 81 iaer
names 70 serve - fhza czFasaKE. tt&t
fssrgaa4itv vas uof deemed essential ne
- -srv r,,sssirns = Baston we're described
a. AL y esssF2Esaa- fa ne present tense. m
sse.sd % sayzng + would - tsEen % as
"a - men 49, ~ ws 20. os -. ,sS-,o,
rs4~n3r- Raes~8 exposed the sgaB1 and
sse asetha4ss q Mr.. T. Arthur NhltAksr.
spec next Day they ad3~d rsuEa zaore 10
sAe store - Information
serysers waa hs2s uas -G-sseF ef TIE pa
Fs~ wriatea ~ NJ. T. Arthur y assaEer.
s*I5Fsven kron Destan. Mr.. whitaker Rsxf
sesfa 49, Nsss&alf - eEEHEefEs5iN ~eFS n
%#w Hampshire. ard after = t@~ a as
go an aRa0.a szse0t 1Eama tNs AEseEt RI
EansAst Home AE@s30n society 50 SeS
~afk 70 labor n EE@ geFr3tn~v C Okla
Aazsa - tNe su&n - %sNklrk Here a
sh.geA - I've or ak members w As formed.