The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-10-14

on file in the Office OF the deputy collse-
tor OF customs in the Colman building IS
a document Of which the North American
transportation & Trading Company should
make a great effort 10 secure possession.
! II the company should fail IN that. as
II probably would. the next hest thing
should be done-a photographic copy oh
tanned OF it. So long as any member OF
use company is alive he viii be interested
in the document, and when he is gone
his children and his children's children
VIII Il Ok az /. and ENJOY H.
The document is a very simple snair,
ana is known TO men Of 2 maritime frame
OF mind and those who deal in maritime
matters as the shipping papers OF the
steamer Alice Blanchard. There are hun
dreds and hundreds OF other shipping pa
pers in the customs Office, bur only those
! of the Alice Blanchard are of any interest
TO the members of the great transportation
company that operates all sorts OF water
craft between this port and Alaska and
has trading posts along the great Yukon.
The Alice Blanchard left this port for
s.. Michael and other points on the north
west coast Of Alaska early in July, 1892.
Her shipping papers were made out July
T. 1922, but the steamer had some trouble
over business matters and was unable to
take her departure as soon as anticipated.
But finally she went away, and was not
seen again in this port for many months.
Her shipping papers showed that among
her crew We're the following:
r. 3. Weare. born in the United States,
age so years. complexion dark. wages 81
per month. shipped as coal passer.
John J. Healy. born in Ireland, age 3
years. dark complexion wages 81 per
month. shipped as coal passer.
Charles II. Hamilton. born in the United
States. age 20 years. wages 81 per month.
shipped as assistant freight clerk.
Isabella Healy, aged q years, wages 81
per month. shipped as stewardess.
J. c. Barr. wages 81 per month, shipped
as freight clerk.
J. J. Holland wages 81 per month,
shipped as carpenter.
The world well knows who these men
are. p. b. Weare is vice president of the
North American Transportation 4 Trading
Company: j. J. Healy. who makes his
headquarters at Dawson. is the manager
of the company; Charles III. Hamilton,
the assistant freight clerk makes his
home in Seattle, and is the secretary and
assistant manager Of the company. The
other persons whose names are listed in
the shipping papers are either employees
or members Of the company. Holland had
charge Of the construction of the first river
steamer for the company.
The interesting question the world wants
answered is, Why did these prominent
people ship as common employees on an
obscure steamer bound for the barren and
far-off coast of Alaska? The question is
easily answered. These men had real
lied the great possibilities Of Alaska. Old
John Healy had been in the Yukon coun-
try for years. He knew all about Ii. The
Yukon was as familiar TO him as is Lake
Washington to the people of Seattle. He
satisfied himself that the rivers and creeks
of Alaska were filed with gold. and that
the time was not far distant when enter
prising humanity would appreciate it and
food the country with their presence. AL
ready many miners were scattered along
the Yukon and it's tributaries and were
taking fortunes out of the water.
Healy knew as a matter Of fact shat
the Yukon miners would want provisions
and outfits, and that when they had taken
out plenty of sold they would want an
easy and comfortable route back 10 civil
lization. And so Healy came back 10 the
states. proceeded to Chicago and there
the North American Transportation &
Trading Company was incorporated.
2. II. Weare. Mr.. Healy Mr.. Hamilton
and others came West. They chartered
the steamer Alice Blanchard. She was
the first craft operated under the direc-
ton OF the company. These men who
chartered her desired TO go north. The
maritime laws of the United States lid
not permit her to carry passengers. RI
she had done so government officers would
probably have made her owners serious
trouble. There was but one thing to do.
and that was to ship Mr.. Healy and the
other members Of the company as en-
ployes Of the steamer. That Is what was
done. and so IL Is that the shipping papers
Of the Alice Blanchard call Mr.. Healy a
coal passer. Mr.. Weare a coal passer. and
accuse Mr. Hamilton Of being an assist
ant freight clerk.
The Alice Blanchard on her northward
trip carried material for a river steamer
and plenty Of competent men TO build II
after ST. Michael was reached.
In a few weeks the little steamer was
plying up and down the Yukon, and the
North American Transportation & Trad
ing Company was doing business. Subse-
OF ent history Of the company IS too we'll
known 70 need telling. II was the COM
pany's steamer. the Portland. that brought
down a million dollars IN gold dust and a
s. eat cargo Of happy miners. and thus set
the world talking about. and rushing to.
the greatest gold fields known TO the his
tory OF man.
AS has already been told IN detail in the
Post-Intelligencer, the company has let
the contract for new ocean and river
steamers and viii carry the great majority
OF the people who viii go 70 and come
from the klondike by way OF ST. Michael
next year. T. the meantime. Mr.. Healy.
Mr.. Weare and Mr.. Hamilton sit in cosy
chairs. smoke good cigars. look at their
tank accounts and smile when they think
OF the little hand that started north in the
Alice Blanchard in july. 1892,