The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-09

From This City-Purchasing Come
mfttee Compares Goods and Prices
i'm Portland. Tacoma and Cana
dian Cities-Finds seattle Rettcr
Than All Otherx-To Search for
Gold ON the stewart River nara.
The largest single party OF gold hunters
from the East to start for the gold fields
since the beginning of the seasons rush
to the klondike viii arrive in Seattle to-
day. Thirty-eght men from Iowa and
South Dakota are in the party. They
will purchase their entire outfits of Seat
tie merchants. incujing eighteen months
supplies. and viii sail from this city on
the steamer Cleveland February 20.
Charles A. Walsh. secretary Of the
Democratic national committee. Is a men,
ber of the party. He is secretary of the
cooperative company formed by the
gold hunters. Mr. Walsh is from OF
tumwa. and the great corn-growing COM
monweaith will furnish two-thrds OF the
| party. Mr.. Walsh Is now at the occi-
dental hotel. and with him are B. ID.
| Milan. of Miller. S. D.. and j. C. Corwin,
| Of Sheldon. Ia. Mr.. Milan is chairman
| of the purchasing committee sent In ad-
| vance of the party 10 arrange for secur-
| Ing their outfits OF clothing. provisions
| and miners hardware.
| Equipped with the very best means Of
| transportation possible TO secure. tho
| Walsh party will make for the upper
waters of the Stewart river and Its tribu-
| taries. They win travel down the Yu-
kon by steam barge and small boats.
| keeping well together they proceed.
| They will be able to ascend the Stew
| art river by using their steam barge 10
| carry their freight. Somewhere on the
| river they viii establish base of opera
| tions. and IL the stories of great river
| bars and placer beds lined with nuggets
prove true. they will find and develop a
| veritabe bonanza land.
Mr.. Milan is merchan: of many years
standing and experience in the East 1t
was on this account that he was chosen
to perform the responsible duty OF going
ahead Of the party and finding where their
outfits could be purchased TO the best ad-
vantage The expenditures 10 be made
in behalf of the expedition VIII approx!-
mate s50.0e1, Of which practically all will
be used in Seattle.
No higher compliment could possibly be
paid 10 the absolute commercial suprem-
acy enjoyed by Seattle than the tribute
willingly given by Mr.. Milan. The mere
fact that he decided. after thorough In
vestigation. both on the Pacific coast and
In the East. TO buy every single article OF
food, clothing and hardware needed by
the members of the party in this city.
furnishes the strongest and most con-
vsncing argument in favor OF Seattle ~
the only real Yukon Quitting point
seattle L. Supreme.
This Is what MIR. Milan said last night
TO "A Post -Iutelligencer reporter:
~ arrived in Seattle about three weeks
ago. being sent here to thoroughly recon-
noitcr the ground investigate the stocks
carried by the merchants Of Seattle and
ascertain in behalf OF the party that had
buy our goods. Immediately after be-
came settled here | set to work making
inquiries. securing price lists from the
merchants and Informing myself as TO
the kind and quality of the articles 10 be
found in the stocks OF the Alaska OUT
attefs on the Coast. | went TO Portland.
spending several days there ard getting
prices on al the staples. and letting the
merchants know that 1 wanted 20 buy In
large quantities I had no purpose save
TO find out tor myself where / could buy
the best and the cheapest. and left moth
ing undone IN my search after facts.
AFTER I got through with Portland,
went TO Tacoma, there pursuing the same
methods as sn Portland visited Van
eouger and Victoria, bearing in mind in
the inquiries / made there the question OF
duty and all thar.
''Then / came 10 Seattle. Here I made
a comparison from start 10 finish Of the
list OF articles needed by the Individual
members of our party. saw all of the
leading merchants here. ard by them I
WIS treated as eourteousiy as could ask.
They cheerfuliy exhibited their stocks 20
me. aror3iug me every convenience When
rad finished here. came 70 sbe eoaelas
sion taat seatTle is the proper place for
the party of which | arm a member 10
come TO ontat.
THE nunDer of anreslabIe stories tha.
are circulated IN seuae cities in the middle
West concerning Seattle IS almost past
belief The papers Of 81. Paul and chica-
so have printed columns in an effort
70 show that tho merchants cs seAttls