The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-31
SHUTS DOOR TO GOLD.
Hudson Bay Company Closes Up
Eight Trading Posts.

CHICAGO, Aug. 30.-Fort Mcpherson and
seven other posts of the Hudson Bay company
have been closed against Klondikers now on
the way to the gold fields via the Edmon-
ton or "back-door" route. The rich fur trad
ing corporation, which has been doing bust
ness in the Canadian north and west since
1910 under 4 royal charter by King Charles,
does not look upon this overland rush with
favor fearing the inevitable overflow from the
Klondike into the Peace River country Itself
rich in gold.
ton of fur-bearing animals and knows what
will happen when the shot and shell of the
prospector are felt in the country.
But the Hudson Bay company has not been
the ruler OF that country since the purchase
deal by which the Dominion became the
owner of Prince Ruperts Land. as the entire
Canadian Northwest was known until about
the time of the confederation of 1871 of the
provinces stretching from the ocean.
''Semi-starvation, if not worse, and cold,
and other trials of body and mind await the
prospectors who make a late start via the
Edmonton route said E. B. Nixon, OF Winni-
peg an official of the Hudson Bay company,
Weares transportation and trading com
pany. Mr.. Nixon, who is guest at the
Great Northern knows the northiand thor
oughly, having been at nearly every western
post of the company.
sThe Edmonton route via Athabasca Land
ing is unquestionably short way, but |
don't consider it practicable at this season OF
the year. Mr.. Nixon continued. I'm the early
part of the spring our posts get their yearly
supplies, and it can be readily seen that an
thrush of people at this time were they not
properly provided with food and clothing,
would suffer great hardship. Our company
has fitted out many parties going via Dyea,
but whether these different parties have been
able to get through or not is questionable.
Fort Mcpherson, so often spoken OF, is
not the Quitting post that some people
imagine it to be- There are no supplies there;
nor have there been for some time. The place
is nothing but temporarily abandoned post
of the Hudson Bay company, uninviting at
present. and veritable bleak house in win
ter The company has not maintained
post at that point for some time. The COM
pany will probably. however, be able to out
fit parties in the spring, but this will require
a proper understanding of conditions.
1.-The means of transportation are limited.
Our boats have, as rule, all they can do to
handle our own material. Prospectors must
sleep on deck. A number of young men have
gone up this fall to prospect on the east side
of the mountains, in the vicinity of Peel
of these parties have taken their own canoes
the Peterboro, from Winnipeg-but l ques-
ton whether they will get much out of
them. as the season north of Athabasca
landing is a short one and the winter so
awfully severe.
81 have been asked many times since
reached Chicago whether 1t is possible to
reach the Klondike region this year, but l
have in every instance warned all inqurers
that it is an extremely dangerous undertake
ing, and one that l certainly would not at
tempt myself were l ever crazy for Yukon
gold.
ST consider the condition of affairs at Dyea
extremely precarious for many OF the In