The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-01-02

The workings OF q highly imaginative
gentleman. whom some people would ecs-
ignate by the plain term CRATER" have
been exposed and brought TO light by in
vestigations and correspondence recently
carried on by railroad officials of Seattle
and the East and South. The man. who
appears TO be possessed OF many OF the
attributes credited TO Baron Munchausen.
and whose flights OF fancy and dreams Of
prestige as transportation manager have
not been excelled. travels under the name
of Alexander Macdonald His proposed
victims are people living In the territory
tributary to the Chesapeake d Ohio rail-
road. who were anxious TO get to the gold
fields of the Yukon and Copper rivers.
Macdonald has given it out to certain
railroad officials at Richmond. Va. with
whom he has been negotiating. that he 10
better known as the millionaire Klon-
diker' and that with his associates, To-
Gated at Seattle. Victoria, Juneau and
other points along the various lines of
travel to the Yukon. he intends TO control
all the main steamship companies operat-
A syndicate, he has stated. has been
formed. which has swallowed. In one fell
swoop. all of the great transportation
companies operating on the Yukon and
the North Pacific ocean.
A line OF railroad from tide water to
Lake Teslin has been. 1t IL alleged. repre-
sented by Macdonald as part of ris
fHrnt l{~A he, Gxy.t
route he offers to sell passage to Dawson
from Richmond for the low figure of $50,
OF which sum $40 is to DO deposited by
prospective passengers on the date Of
making application for tickets.
Macdonald. according to information
which has reached the Post-Iniell.gencer,
represented to the Chesapeake g. Ohio Of
ficials, So 1t Is claimed. that his company,
the British Yukon Transportation & Trad
ing Company. generally known as the
British Yukon Company. would after
January l, 1855. control the following
steamship lines: The Pacific Coast Steam
ship Company. the Alaska Commercial
Company. the North American Transport
tatIon & Trading Company. and the Bos-
ton & Alaska Steamship Company.
The "KlondiLe Millionaire"
1t is not surprising, In view OF the ex-
element over the wonderful gold finds i'm
Alaska and the Klondlke. that there have
sprung into existence, as a crop OF mush-
rooms over night. lot Of fake schemes.
developed by men who are by nature dis
qualified for legitimate business. but who
are skilled In the ways OF the crooked.
The Post-Intelligence has exposed a NUM-
Der of these people. and has, wherever the
matter has been brought to It's notice.
warned tho credulous and unwary
against their operations. The Macdonald
affair has been thoroughly investigated
by railroad men with whom he sought -
ally himself and by the post-Intelligencer
itself, whose agencies at Victoria and
other points have been brought into re-
quisitlon In the work Of sitting the matter
10 bedrock. with the purpose of ascertaln-
= ing the exact truth II Macdonald has
made the statements credited to him by
reputable and responsible railroad officials
his scheme is one OF tie cisverest and
most atroeious In its wicked scope yet de-
vised.
Macdonald was not averse. 1t seems, 70
having golden halo thrown about him
by representing that he was possessed OF
placer claims galore, located in the Kiofl-
dife, and indeed was better known In the
North the ''Kiondike millionaire" lie
asserted. 1t IS stated. that he had been
the agent OF the Alaska Commercial Com
pany at ST. Michael for a long period, ard
had beea engaged In mining and other
gold-producing avocations ON the Yukon
for four years.
The man displayed more than common
originality and cieverness In the alleged
sw!ndling line by srsS associating himself
with the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad
Company. through its agents at gich-
mond. Va. That he succeeded In Ingra.