The San Francisco call., 1897-09-12
IN HUMANITY'S CAUSE.
Prominent Men in Seattle VIII Take
Steps to Prevent Food Famine +
in the klOndike.

SEATTLE, WAeH, Sept. n.-Repre-
sentative mem bers Of the local Cham ber
of Commerce are preparing to take the
initiative in a thoroughly determined
manner in the matter OF effective and i'm
mediate steps toward the alienation OF
the prospective food famine in the Kion-
dixie. 1t is their intention at the next
regular meeting of the chamber on next
Wednesday evening. or possibly at spe-
ciaI meeting before that time. 10 address
petition to Secretary of War Aiger asking
that his department at once adopt the
necessary measures for sending food into
the Klondike and thus prevent starvation
among the Americans located there.
The natter has been quietly discussed
among the more active and prominent
mem bers of the body here and it is the
opinion that the moment the Seattle
peopIe act other cities will fail in line and
bring pressure to bear to carry out the
desired project.
Samuel Crawford, one of the board OF
trustees of the cham ber, who is taking an
active part in the preparatory measures,
said to THE CALL CORE srondent to-day
I'VE have not yet decided whether to
wait for our regular meeting Wednesday
| night or to call special meeting Monday
night for this purpose. In any event, it
| is deci led that we will petition the Gov
ment, through the War Departm en- t.,
to assume control in this matter, and
without loss of time to take such stems as
deemed most ad visa bic to get sufficient
| food supply into the Klondike to preven t
a famine. There is scarcely a city in
! 81 hoe Of 0f -.
people interested directly or indirectly in
the Klondike gold fields; the son or other
relative OF some well-known family in
nearly every city in the country is in the
Klondike or on his way there, and We feel
quite certain that if this ag ia ton is be-
gun in the manner we propose the project
will have the Endorsement of the entire
country.
"It is no more than right that our
! Government should take hold at once.
| We all know that the Canadian Govern
ment shows no hesitancy under like cir
cumstances, and stops at nothing to as list
! its people when they are in distress. We
feel here that the only effective manner of
handling this serious affair must be
! through the Government. If the War
| De epartment takes the initiative and begins
a movement to relieve the distress in the
mines it will receive the Endorsement of
the people all over the country. We do
not expect to act alone, and are simply
making the first move in the right direc-
ton. Not only Pacific Coast cities but
cities in he Middle and Eastern States
are alike interested in this cause, which is
nothing other than one OF humanity. 1t
is our intention tc act as quickly as pos.
sible, to communicate with the War De-
partment by wire, if necessary, and we
are now only waiting to decide upon the
manner of ldressIng our petition ana TO
get our Leading mem bers together so the
movement may be one OF unanimity, so far
as We are concerned"
Further inquiry into the proposed move
ment develops that represen lative men
| in all lines OF business are preparing to
push this matter Included in the list
here are Robert Moran, president of
Moran Bros, shipbuilding establishment;
David E. Durie, capitalist; John Leary,
Judge Eben Smith, Erastus B,ainerd,
Harold Preston, ex-Postmas:er Griffith
Davis. J. w. Pratt and Thomas W.
Prosch, prominent newspaper man of the
| Northwest; Samuel L. Crawford, III. c.
Henry, E. 0. Graves. president of the
Chamber of Commerce; Jacob Furth,
president OF the Puget Sound National