The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-08-15

lives. The governor was also assured iaSt
the course pursued was highly injurious 20
the colony. Many settlers Rave recently
GENE hers'' II wenr on. anxious 20 make
this their home. and have invested in prop
erty 20 q considerable amount, and crowds
os their friends are only awaiting their ad-
vices 20 follow. but they find tier ardor
Ganspened and their operations Checked ay
the incorporating policy OF the Hudson Bay
Company; whilst thousands OF ignmi-
grants from California are passing by this
beautiful island &c settle upon American
shores because they see no fair Held OPEN
Ell 10 their enterprise under the British
flag
The governor replied that he could not
permit free trade on Fraser river; that
the only people having a trading pflNilege
there were the agents Of the HUDSON hay
Company. and that this privilege. given
the company by the crown. he was bound
20 protect. II was very probable the GOV
ernnent would shortly take the country
into lis own hands. compensating the COM
pany for any sacrifices made, when other
arrangements might be made. tIhiS
course was pursued, subsequent events
show, whsrf the colony OF British GoinFn-
dia was established. of which Douglas was
appointed governorp In regard 20 the free
navigation Of the Fraser, Douglas told the
committee that proposals had beer made
to owners of certain American steamers 20
run under certain conditions, one OF which
was TO do so under the British flag * tha
proposals were declined, arrangements
would certainly be made as early as pos
sihle for other steamers
Steamer Commodore landed 400 men az
Whatcom on the 18th Of May from San
Francisco. There seemed 10 be 40 legal
limit to the number OF passengers allowed
10 be carried ii tioSa days. Vessels Of
from coo 70 i,sAo tons measurement that IN
these days would not he permitted 10 carry
more than I'D 10 800 persons then carried
from 800 up. On the 9th OF June the Re-
public arrived AT Victoria with $50 passeu
gers; on the LIST OF July the Sierra Nevada
took In 1900. and on the Sth OF July the
Cortex and Orixaba together landed $500
Sail vessels brought up people at from SIS
to $50 apiece, steamers at $50 in the steer
age and SIS in the cabin. BY the 10Th OF
June =. II, Cornwall estimated that i4(s9
people had gone north from San Francisco.
and during the entire season the number or
people entering the country from the Uni
ted States was estimated by Special Agent
Nugent at so,0oo and before the year was
gore fully two-thirds the whole number
had returned TO Washington, Oregon and
California.
John NJ. Chapman on the 18th of May
wrote To friend as follows; I'VE have got
into the mines after long ana tedious
=
and made $40 between us. We had hard
tinie coming: lost all our outfit except
fioar. Our canoe capsized in the falls and
was broken TO pieces. Considering Our
chances, we are doing toerably Well, Six
other canoes were capsized aid smashed
The same day near the place we met mis-
fortune. Four whites and two Indians
were drowned from the canoes Provisions
are very high here. Pork is selling at 81
a pound: -four, 20 cents a pound: tea, 81
a pound; pickaxes. S. apiece. and shoveIs
s. apiece. If any one could get here with
provisions a fortune might be made in
their sale
Another letter of same date says: 81
shall do veil as soon as the river falls.
have sees men who have been near the
head OF the river who say they have got
out from $50 to Sis a day to the man.
with the rocker. / am making from $ TO
Sl2 day. There Is now no way of max
ing a pack trail Up the river. When the
water falls / shall go further up"
May 3 a correspondent at Whatcom de-
scribed the town as one of eleven stores.
two butcher shops. three bakeries. two
restaurants and numerous boarding
houses. Lots have been selected for three
churches. Miners are arriving here daily
with the dust. they having from five to
one hundred ounces each the results of
a few days or weeks work.
landed 500 men at Bellingham bay. The
harbor presented the appearance of San
Francisco In 1S49. Lots were selling OF
from 500 70 H.00a each. Gambling was
carried on openly. Tents were every
where The water was covered with boats
and the shore was alive with the restless
thrCng of human beings.
Joseph r. Bush Just from the mines
reported $50 miners at work between Fort
Hope and Saiior's diggings. none of whom
We're making less than SO a day and
some as high as 800. The Indians were
a little troublesome. and imposed a tax
of blanket or a shirt on each miner.
The Panama landed 800 men at What
com the first week in June. Money was
plentiful. the trail was going on. pack
train of 200 animals was getting ready
and the prospects never were brighter
AS matter of fact, tile end was at hand
The arrangements of Gov Douglas were
then in course Of conSummation He
threw open the river to the steamers Sea
Bird and Surprise. TO run from Victoria
and empowered the rursers TO issue thu
miners licenses. Including licenses the
fare was s25. either from Puget sound or
Victoria. He stationed the war ship SateI-
lite at the mouth OF the river and pre-
vented by force at every point men from
going I'm other than as he directed One
Of the men who suffered loss I'm this way
neer, whose canoe and goods were seized
and confiscated. So repressiye and exenl-
mary We're his doings that the life Of
Whatcom was taken out at one blow
June IA correspondent there wrote
Real estate In all Bellingham bay places
lS receding every hour Whatcom is
doomed, -iehome has exploded. and Bel
lngham CITY has flashed in the pan The
trail, the iong-iooksd-for trail. IL en-
pbatically gone In. A general stampede
VIII take place from Bellingham BAY
some other point on American soil Will
be looked out Steilacoom and Seattle IRE
most talked OF, as starting points over the
Nachess and Snoqpaimie passes Great
efforts are making for Victoria" At this
time Victoria WIS said TO present a very
busy appearance. Many people were ar
irving from Bellingham bay and purchas-
ing property. All the surveyed lands were
taken The climate was said to be health
I'll and agreeable and the country about
quite pretty. A wharf was then building
which could be- approached By the largest
SHIPS. Victoria was plainly winning the
nght and after another month or two
Nhatcom was completely knocked out
Among those who returned from The
mines about this time were Messr~
Terry and Matthias. OF Seattle. who were
reported TO have large amounts of gold
and 10 have made from $50 10 SIS a day.
ca