The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-11-28
DID PORTLAND INSPIRE IT?
THE o. h 4 y. COMPAyY.s EASTERN
AGENT DEFAMEs SEATTLE
Nasty Lies About the Cfty's Business
Mefhods-An Outrageous Ashanti
by . Paid Hirelinx-Dees tho
ST. Louis post.Di.natch.


headquarters Ia Portland. and takes an
abiding interest In the welfare OF pros
pecfivs Kiondike gold-seeksrs.
Thirteen years ago Col. Donan explored
the Klondiks country. He discovered no
rich mines bot he brought back specimens
OF orc which convinced him that Alaska
was destined 10 become the great gold
country Of the world.
lie has recently been 10 Alaska, but not
to the K.ondiae region. He dispeses Of
some alleged falIacies regarding the cii-
mate Of Alaska and the terrors of the
Chilkoot pass. and pays his respects to the
bogus mining and prospecting companies
which have sprung UP like mushrooms all
over the civilized world.
II am not engaged in booming the Kion-
dixie country" he said TO a Post-Dispatch
reporter. 1t needs no booming. I am
chiefly interested in exposing the methods
by which the poor devils who go there are
feeeed ana skinned by bogus transporta-
ton and mining companies.
Sesttie has become the headquarters OF
as fine nest Of bnnko men as ever cursed
the country. Before the kiondike boom
Seattle was busted ex-boom town. Whole
streets were deserted. and you could buy
town lots by the acre. The newspapers now
sem 10 DC unwittingiy engaged in abetting
Ire sharpers In their work of skinning the
people.
Here Is sample case: 4 dispatch from
Paris. Mo, In one of today's papers tells
.iew the president of local gold pros
,pe ting company has returned from Seattle.
and has reported the result OF his mission.
Iased On bis report. the company author
lied an agent 10 contract for vessel to
be built al a cost of 81. GO delivered at ST.
Michael. The president reports further
that n Seattle company viii transport the
Twenty-Five members Of the Paris company
from Seattle to st. Michael for $i4,ooo. an
average OF more than 500 each. and n sup
ply company offers 10 furnish year pro-
Visions for s1rn a man.
After getting to St Michael It will cost
ti7s more To ascend the Yukon to Dawson
City. That makes ss15 for the trip. and
probably these men think they are getting
through cheap.
Now see what robbery this is:
The Pacific Coast steamship Company
takes passengers in regular government in
spected steamships from San Francisco to
the kiondike for $50 first cabin. The Ore
gen Railroad Il Navigation Company ear
fies passengers from Portland TO Dyea or
Skaguay for $40 first cabin, and s2s second
cabin passage. From Dyea to Lake Lin
derman the head Of navigation for the
klondike. is only twenty-three miles. and
from there all the prospector has TO do Is
10 hoat down the river in a boat he can
portable boats furnished with an outfit.
Now, this Paris company has found
Seattle company which viii furnish years
provisions for $50. Nothing is said of the
outfit. An outfit at Seattle OF boots. cloth
ing. blankets. etc, costs all the way from
$50 TO $3.50. according to how much the
prospeetor has or will give up. AT Port
land a complete outfit. including knock
down boat and provisions for a year, can
be had for from 500 10 si50.
II do not understand this boom of Seat
tie. The sea distance is only ninety miles
shorter than from Portland and not an
hour quicker. Seattle Is not a manufac-
turing town. All the clothing and blank
cts, the desicated potatoes and dried
fruits are shipped there from San Fran
cisco. Portland Pendleton and Oregon
city. The prospsetor has To pay the added
freight and the big profits of the whole
saiers and retailers through whose hands
they pass
II have collected some statistics as To
the bogus companies which have been or
eanized to defraud prospectors. In sixty
days from the last week in August to
the middle or October there have been
organized 56i mining and prospecting com
panies with an osteasible aggregate cap
itaI of xG.s. o09.0ca. These companies set
forth aHuringly that they viii build their
own ships and river boats and many of
them require of prospectors a certain per-
centage of the passage money down, the
rest 10 b. paid when they take passage In
the spring.
build ISIS ocean steamers. ranging in tom
mage from 100 to 5.eeD. and on top OF all
this companies have been organized 10
build s..si river steamers 10 navigate the
Yukon river. varying in length from W To
J11 feet and embracing all manner Of craft
~~propellers. stern wheeiers and side wheel
ers Why If all these boats were huit IL
would place boat every three~uuarterS of
81 mile along the Yukon from It's mouth to
Dawson city.
"A large part of these companies arc
manifestiy bogus and fraudulent. but
never warning voice is heard from tho
press for the benefit of the victims A
large proportion OF these schemes origin
ate among the sharpers of Puee; sound
ard expect 10 b. damned fron one end to
the other Of II fot saying SO. But II Is alt
enc 10 ma. think Il time someone raised
his voice against tbs Imposition.
"Efightfu pictures are drawn of the
dangers and difficulties Of the passage OF
tee Chtlkoot ana Skaguav passes, That
- AZ rot. Mrs Sylvester Scovel ST
Louis womaa. recently walked over the
skaglsay pass in plain, ordinary New York
Walking Shi'ss. distance OF thirty miles
- tweuty~aBe and oue-half hours
What aye ths factsf The highest point
c. Chifkeot pass Is only : 40 feet aud that
II SkagGay IS hut s.aw fees. WAX. oar
poor little Allegheny mountains arr. g esa
T.ot high and Pixies peak which has been
climbed over AMI over again. IL ll0sQ feet
above the sea level. As a matter of fact.
men. women and children have been ira
versing tho trail over the passes Tor thirty
YEARS. only recently S-year-oid girl sas
brought over safely.
Another rutsa apprehension exists rs 90
the climate 90 Alaska nn the coast the,
average winter temperature IS - degrees
Heynnd tl4e coast ranges. Of course il Is
ceid, hut the extreme Geld Is no; ,ontlnu-
GUS. II never gets colder than Il does in
the pakotas. and when the mercury gets
a. - and - degrees below ia this h.ondgke
/, does pct stay there louEcr than a few
hours In summer Ii is hat-as hof a. a ST.
Louis summer. ana dat Is saying much
Il expect newt spFtns ~ least iAa Jso PEG
pie will make + rush for the h fona{ke ,a~r-
Sane aS.@o Wiz he nearer the mark That
IS why | think those who intend 70 ro
should BE warned, As for geld. there j.
any azneunt of snsicv~iopcss mining rotln.
Try There - gO}A In The mountains. In the
creeks, in The beds ~ the rivers, gold cv~
cFywhere. aad no man need leaf that All
tae geld has been discovered and All the
payl lux claims taken up"
Thanksgiving Party.