The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-18
Government Assay Office Will
Fasten Miners Trade Here.
GREAT sEnEFiT TO SEATTLE.
Views - Dsstsess Men - she S.-
r,xass<e Of sh- Gssy-s victory
Wea In Halls ~ cssgres.-sssse
VIII Flow 10 This city Ia ~ In-
cessfsn stream-TraAe With MIN

No single event In yssrs II Of anea vital
importance 70 Seattle as t4ae estabiisa-
sasnt BY the general government u an az
say office IL sYassIs This II the general
o,dnson OF banker. merchants and pro-
fsssional men wi1o haze given The matter
study. note OF triumph and VI graft
Sicas.on Is sounded b. tsaew Ia series OF
interviews obtained yesterday by a Poet
intelligence reporter. l. IL Eiae esases.sas
Ut opinion shat tss location ~ the govern
uaent assay orgee In Seattle constitutes the
c.inen:ng pin ahicil viii forever sasfsn 20
this city the great volume 81 oeasaess
fransactea nsth ths mining dIsis.s-se %
Alaska, the Northwest Territory aud al
q large part OF British Colombia.
Tire vIesory woa IN the halls Of congress
by the friends Of Seattle WAS not an easy
one. The dekgltsoH from Washington
that advocated early ard lata tass estab-
1shmant Of the assay office, az wei ~ the
private eirl1ns vino contributed their. m
ergies and time IN the good woYa. were
Sompiimsntad by all classes Of citizens
who discussed the matter.
posted men. was Tot one mefsly local in
character. II was. on the other hand, re-
gsrsied az afwiss move tnad. ~ The gov
srnment at Washington 10 Offset he ef-
forts ot the government Of the Dosninion
parisame1G TO divert not alsns the flow ~
gold from .ns yukon and interior districts
OF Aiaska,and Northwest territory 20 cau-
adam citss and ultimately to the mother
country, bat TO dam the strelm OF COM
mercs wisca has flowed full; and free
through ihe gates OF Seattle for 50 many
years past. and direct Y TO the cities aeross
tho borders. Ana this feeling thar the
government has enabled the American pro-
ducers. manufacturers and merchants 10
compete on equal terms with those af Can
Tancor or OF jealousy toward tile British
Columbia merchants.
s.Oppua ton and competition from our
cousins acraSs the tlne Is simply a healthy
stimuiant for American energy and enter
prise" ssid a wen known merchant yes-
5ersiay. 't1uae empire Of the North. com
prising that vast region from the northern
extremity OF the Rocky Mountains IL Ber-
ing sea. * a free avid open Held for Angle
Saxon Drawn ana BRAN and the industry
of people formed Of one blood The SIG
cesses of each viii stimulate the other to
genewed Efforts. Our British friends Will
not begruase 10 Seattle the benefit which
we will gan hy the location here OF an
assay Office which n 10 br The means ~
CentralIsxing In Seattle large part Of the
golden stream that has already set Ia from
the North"
How the Movements Hogan.
Tia movement looking TO the establish
ment of government assay Office in Sc
stsie had its inception IN the Seattle clear
sng house tn the fan OF 1895 This was At
the time when the steamers from the
North began 10 bring in the yellow har-
vest OF the placer of Cook tnist. One
steamer asrcslgsit slgsnh In dust and mug
gets. the first ready large amount that
was shipped from tfe inlet after the mines
were opensd. The miners on the steamer
carried their gold to the banks and asked
to receive ife exchange for Il the stamped
enibiema Of value from the mint, The
hanks were not prepared az that time 10
handle any large amount OF geld dust.
They tol5 the miners that they would
snake advances Oh the gold and send IL 10
fan Francisco. paying the remainder Oh
receipt of the returns of the mint
II may be we'll understood that this
p,opo~ Aien waA aot takers mp hy The min
ers ~ Z. rul. far al were anxious TO
change tte.r dasSs ia coin of the realm
with all speed possible. The result was
that number Of tha Cook Inlet miners
took Their g,ld 10 San Francisco. Others
shipped IL by express delaying their
departure 10 their homes oHly until they
could tbsan returns from san Francisco
from IN ssr shipments. Thus a large vol
uue Of money was lost TO circulation IN
Seattle.
III was not long before the bankers and
merchants al sea = II began TO realize tnat
measures must Ae taken 20 hofi tae trade
that was thus heAag driven away from the
city nv adverse influences Tae almost
universal rule tsrat u miner spends hts
money where ha exchanges MS gold for
coin was quickly recognized as factor
which. brought 10 bear ia favor of Seattle.
xssnaid esentuaie IA an added volume OF
f,asnass NJ n IL I.atimer. manager OF