The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-07-15
ARGONAUTS STALLED.
Gold Seekers Stranded at Seattle
and ST. Michael.
They Paid Chase For transportation but
Boats Did Not Sail.

Among the prospective gold diggers
now assembled at Seattle, Wash, are
several Providence men, and many OF
them would like to meet the man to
whom they turned over various sums
of money. ranging from $50 to 500
each. for passage from Seattle to Daw-
son. When the sailing time came, how
ever, the man I'm whom they had placed
confidence was missing. But, accord
ing to latest advices, there is even more
Indignation among the Providence peo-
pie at st. Michael.
These prospectors were given TO un-
derstand on leaving Seattle that the
sectional pieces of two fine steamers
for service on the Yukon were loaded
into the bark's hold, together with ma
chinery and outfits. The hull of the
steamer City OF Boston is on board. but
no machinery was ever purchased.
The other steamer. which bears the
name City of Providence. Is lying on
the other side of Puget Sound. never
having been taken of the builders
hands. The story Is not a long one and
shows the Providence people trusting
themselves to n man about whom they
knew little. w. Miller Chase Is his
name, and that is about all he had out
SlQt OI BpOQ ClOtuCS did aOiity w
talk business.
HE WAS A HUSTLER.
Chase was evidently hustler, for
he cut rates by the all-water route at
a terrible rate and gave receipts and
ticket orders to a number of persons
from the east, who In return gave him
their money. Sailing dates ,for the
steamer Hermosa, which Chase had
chartered on wind, were changed sew
eral times, but at last date was set
and loading commenced. On xsiat day
Chase disappeared, and has not been
seen since. People with Klondike out
fits swarmed the wharf at which the
Hermosa was loading. The owners or
the vessel appeared, and after unload
ing the freight already on board took
their vessel back to San Francisco.
CHASE THROWN DOWN.
Several Providence men then began
to think about finding out who and
what Chase was. and they now claim
that he had chartered the bark Henry
Willard, and after trying to fill her up
with passengers had given II up as
bad job. They found that he had been
connected with the swindle Of Chi
cago Klondike company. but that he
had acted honorably in that instance
They found that he had put the pas
sengers he had secured for the Willard
on the bark Haydn Brown with the un-
derstanding that two fine river steam
ers had already been put on board. He
had an agreement with the passengers
TO work on the boat at st. Michael as
part payment for their transportation.
II Ia said that he secured the steamer
Hermosa by charter on the strength OF
letters from a party of "a Boston peo-
pie, who agreed to go on his boat at
800 each. The Boston people soon sent
word that they had made other ar
rangements, and Chase was thrown
down."
In addition to the 45 persons he sent
to the north on the Haydn Brown with
out means OF getting up the river. and
the many people who bought Hermosa
tickets, there is n saloon man who
claims that he paid Chase $25OO for bar
privileges on the City of Providence
and City OF Boston. and he would like
to see Chase. Most of the Providence
people have secured additional funds
and gone to st. Michael by other COM
panies.