The San Francisco call., 1897-08-17
he causes leading to the new incorpora.


tion:
The North American Trans sportation
and Trading Company was Incorporated
nearly five years ago under the laws OF
Illinois with $45 900, rather small capi-
tai considering the millions we talk OF
new There were three objects for which
the company was incorporated: Common
carving traae, sale of merchandise and
the discovery and development OF Alas
kan gold claims.
John Cudahy, who holds considerably
the largest number of shares, has had
full control OF the mining operations OF
the company, while the other interests
were looked after by the officers ana
controlling board, consisting OF Z. b.
Weare, G. A. Weare ana ]. Cudahy. Inc
mining opera tions included systematic
exploration of the ranges sloplng toWaro
the Klondike. The men who 0ld this
prospecting were in charge OF the pest e&-
perts who could be tempte1 TO brave the
rigors OF an Alaskan winter by big salar-
les. The enormous richness of the placer
diggings only confirms the faith the COM
pany has in the richness OF lis quartz
leads behind But one man could tell you
owned, the acres of coal lands patented
and the value and extent OF the placer
ground that the company has, both IN
Alaska and the Northwest Territory.
This Is John Cudahy. The organization
of the company has been com pleted. The
stockholders are mostly Chicago men, al
though few foreigners have taken stock.
The old transportation company mas
transferred the gold lands and coal prop
critics 10 the new company. The scale on
which the North American Company Will
operate as a common carrier is to be much
larger from now on, as is shown by our
large order for steamers ard other I'M
provements that cannot now be made
public. The company believes that 1t has
discovered true lodges in Alaska, or do
you think it would have been paying out
money for so many years? The ledges go
down, and it seems probable there Will be
another figure added TO the estimated
value OF the property"
Seattle merchants are iubilant over the
decision of the Dominion Government
that miners outfits can enter the North
west Territory free of duty. This practl-
oaly assures the Yukon Quitting trade to
this city and banishes the hopes of Vlcto-
ria that she might become the headquar-
ters. 1t is gratifying to know that in the
future all necessary clothing for Klon-
dixie prospector and any reasonable
amount of provisions can go across the
border line OF the Northwest Territory
duty free. The exact amount of goods
that can go free is left with the customs
officers in the north, but the duty will only
be to prevent importation OF goods for
sale. This does not affect the business OF
the Seattle merchants TO any great extent,
as nearly all the wholesale purchases are
made in San Francisco. There never has
been any objection to paying duty on
goods that were TO be put on sale in Alas
ka, but when ihe Dominion officials an
nounced that miners outfits must pay
duty there was a dec ed objection. The
Chamber OF Commerce few weeks ago
took action to have the supports of entry
at Dyea, Skaguay and other points along
the Alaskan coast abolished. This was
backed up by the Washington delegation
in Congress, and the effect is evident.
From information received in letters
sent from Skaguay on the steamer Elder
there seeme1 10 be some doubt as to the
drowning of Dwight Fowler of Seattle.
A hope that he might still be living was
entertained by the young mans parents,
which was dispelled last night by the re-
ceipt of the original letter giving an ac-
count of she accident. A clause states:
I'VE have fixed up the body as best we
could. We have packed il in ice, and l
will take the body over to juneau. A
friend of Fower's will accom- pany it down
TO Seattle" 1t is believed that the body
is being brought down by the Al-Ki.
1t was remarked to-day by a close OBJ
server that not ii man of all the hundreds
that have passed through Seattle during
the past few months on their way to the
KIondike has departed without laying in
an armament of arms and knives. Some
men took shotgun, rifle, revolvers and
several big knives. Others were content
with either rife or shotgun, and some
went without either of these clumsy
weapons, bur all carried revolvers and
knife. These arms form an important
part of Klondike outfit, and the amount
spent on arms and ammunition alone has
been especially brisk the past few weeks,
and it is currently reported that the hand
weapons could not be purchased at any of
the trading posts in Alaska. The revolver
is considered a necessary thing on the
Klondike as protection against either man
or beast.