The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-08-15
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: Fraser River Rush. Z
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Langley. - miles; TO Fort Here. 100 miles:
TO Fort yaie. Il5 miles; 10 the mouth OF
Thompson River. 10 miles. Thompson
river is nay:gabie from April 70 October
only"
A letter te Sam McCaw from Langley
reads as follows: I'VE were six days On
the passage 10 the mouth OF the rVeF,
and a day and 3 half going up. We are
going up the river with Charley Adams
Adams SAYS that the mines are good; TIE
loves, that he knows OF any one nakihs
Il so a day. Provisions are very high
The rush from California new besaH,
as is evidenced by the following para
graph: Gentlemen who have arrived IN
town the past week from points below
represent the geld fever raging fearfciiy
Port Townsed is nkened 20 beehive, one
public house there having 800 boarders
who are lodged and fed In 81 ten pin alley
Other towns are equally crowded with
gold seekers: Victoria having received
sudden accession 10 its population OF sew
eral hundred. The scene IS represented as
being 8 close resemblance TO that pre-
sented in San Francisco in 1ss9. AZ Port
Townsend and elsewhere all are making
preparations for mining. Tha Columbia
brought I'D 80 miners. the Commodore
400. and the bg.- Merchantmen soe
The Herald OF May ! chides the oregoni-
an for advising people 70 SO TO the mines
via Portland. through the Barlow gate,
or by Columbia river and the palies- III
SAYS: THE Nachess pass north of Mount
Rainier, is superior 70 Barlow's gate. and
SnoQualmie. little further 10 the north
ward. Is nor inferior to either; SO that II
Oregonians are partial 10 horseback travel
they would yet find il TO their advantage
TO come to Puget sound 10 make the final
start for the mines. AS TO Californians
going into Columbia river on their way TO
the mines Ii is simply ridiculous.
The editor was informed hy latest ar
rivals that TIE mines were proving even
more productive than at first reported.
Edward Glddlngs brought out sioe worth
OF the giittering dust. which he exhibited
10 the admiring gaze Of all he met. The
miners are making s. TO si2 day. In the
way of trade several thousand dollars OF
dust hal passed through Giddinss hands.
He was then on his way 10 Olympia 10
replenisi his stock of goods. and would
speedily return 10 Whatcom. The road
from Whatcom TO tn mines he thou. mt
would be finished that week.
The great influx of miners IS commented
upon San Francisco is casting upon our
shores thousands who could find no en-
ployment thera, and it was feared the frce
lunch tables of that city would soon De
utterly abandoned, and the vendors of bad
whiskey compelled 10 shut up shop.
The first of great number of drownings
was recorded. A Steilacoorn man named
Wilson and two kanakas in canoe were
overturned in the rapids while ascending
the river and all three lost.
At this time there was only one steamer
on Puget sound. the Sea Bird Capt. Fran
els Connor. and she was engaged in max
ing a weekly trip from Olympia 20 Stella
coom Seattle. Port Madison, Port Gam
BILE, Port Ludlow and Port Townsend to
WILDLY island. Il was shortly extended to
Whatcom. and later 10 Victoria, and in
1859. to Semiahrnoo. San Juan and New
Dungeness. A half dozen sloops and small
echooners found employment. Travel by
canoe. however. was very common, and
exceedingly dangerous. Men entirely mex
perienced undertook trips OF l5o to DO miles
In them, from Puget sound towns to the
mines. and were never heard from after
wards. They were supposed to have been
killed by Indians or drowned Hundreds
OF lives were undoubtedly lost in this way.
In its issue OF May IA the Herald ehron-
icies the arrival at Whascom OF the Con-
stitution from San francisco with 100 min
iers, and Of the Panama at Port Townsend
with full! load of passengers. Both yes
sells were also heavily freighted with mer-
chandise. The first pack train was then
ready to start from Whatcom. though the
trail was not finished til several months
later. In fact. the delay in completing this
trail was one OF the chief causes for What
CONS downfall. Men were encouraged in
every possible way 10 take that route. and
probably 10000 followed the advice. When
they got there they found they could not
get over the road. and they were compelled
after all TO seek other routes. Whatcom
IN the meantime rapidly increased its pop
uIation. Lots sold at high prices. and the
people there had the biggest and widest
boom ever seen on Puget sound. BY fall
Il was bursted. and the people gone the
editor of the paper published there CThe
Northern Light giving 10 the world the
following laconic obituary Of the town and
its journal: "Whatcom has gone In. and
the Light has gone out"
miner on Thompson river wrote 10 a
friend in Seattle that he was making SS5 a
day. Sam Mctyaw averaged the results at
Fort Yale IT from IS 10 $ls a day. He
brought down fifty ounces In dust received
by bin In trade with the Indians. For
profitable mining, however. the water was
too high and this was one OF the chief
troubles experienced by the Frazer river
miners OF ISIS. causing delays, losses and
appointments unexpected, and which
assisted more thsa any other one thing In
depopuiating the region in the fall as rap
idly as It had been peopled In the spring
ana summer
About this time lin May the British be
gan 10 hamper the people going fn from
the United States. The country then was
New Caledonia. and by lease was pos
session OF the Hudson Bay Company.
Douglas was not only governor of the
country, but was the resident head Of the
Hudson Bay Company which had the ex-
elusive right 10 trade. The settlements
prior TO the gold excitement were merely
trading posts of the company commonly
designated forts. They were stocked with
merchandise for trading with the Indians
The company also had a couple Of steam
ers, the Beaver and Otter. and a small
schooner, the Cadboro. which were kept
employed between the head station az Vic
toris and the coast and river posts from
Fort Nisqually on the south TO Sitka on
the north. While il was not really prepar-
ed TO handle all the new traffic. II wanted
It, ard Efforts were made TO prevent tho
newcomers from taking in merchandise
either for their oTu consumption or for
trade. The governor. in furtherance of this
policy, issued a proclamation In May prn-
hieiting the free navigation of Fraser river
even to canoes and twenty DAYS were
given from The sth for all boats 10 leave
the river. Failing 70 Go so they would he
seized and sold. A t,hther regulation ives
soon made by which miners were 20 be
licensed. and no steamboat was allowed on