The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-02-15

The trouble over the location OF the
AtSE toRnsits, which Is one q the mast
interesting stories q the Ear Forth. $
about 70 % finally settled Al Victoria. T
J. Watson. 81 Ssagwav and Portland. the
mar Who lost a fortune Or the opportun-
its - make one. s abouG 10 receive from
the British Columbia government the
amount - Enoney which he expended IA
improving the p!ace-
y have Just been told By Mr. SealIu,
% the lands and works department said
Mr.. Watson ~ the Hotel Butler last
nisht. that the government viii retura
me s. ~. ~ which / expended On the town
site. and viii give me- The first right 10
purchase a lot u tEs town upon which
my building IS located. shall not re p4sd
to- ray- tine. I had thought for - time
that Z might find some way 10 hold The
property. BAT now there IS no hope"
Mr.. Watson has Just returned from Vic
toTta. where his attorneys did all they
could for him The most that could be
accomplished was the agreement 10 re-
turn 20 him his money and permit him
10 purchase the lot On which his building
IS located. which Is probably the NEST
valuable IL town. There IS hardly any
doubt that lots n Atlin viii sell for fancy
prices this spring, and that the owner OF
The f0wnslte would have made nuca
money. The place IS located IL the head
% A44S atm tOAsaklE on fsES CREEK. <@IiJ
every one going In must pass through II.
AS high as 500 and 500 are being paid
now for locations If lots. The ten blocks
cleared by Mr.. Watson are covered with
buildings. cabins and logs. The idea ex-
lists by those n possession that the Brit
ish Columbia government Will consider
occupation q right 20 purchase. and on
this Iiirnsy hold men VIII put up 500 or
s1tza
y NA - r-rEft ~ I'm
Gated on August by Norman A ]. Rant.
tha son q Gold Commissioner Rant az
Lake Bennett. These two and r. j. Smith,
Of Skagw3y, each had one-thiri.
Rant being the only British subject, the
application was made IN his name for ld9
acres. But Watson was 70 furnish the nee.
essary expenses. He wen. over from
Skagway with surveyors and men 10 Lay
out aud clear the toWns.:e. They worked
there until they had surveyed an3 graded
streets covering ten blocks Later on came
the news that the government. had made
reservation Cf five miles about the shore
OF Lake Atiin.
Il read an interview in the Post-Intelll-
gencer some weeks ago" said Mr.. Wal
son, IN which Rant declared that he had
made no claim 20 the townSlie. That SCI r.
ed 10 me- a most preposteroas and remark
able statement. in view 0. the fact that
-
expenses ] DO .sot kuow whether or rot ne
meant 20 throw ne down. but his actions
seem very suspicious.
The governments action got me into an
aRfu lot OF trouble. We had after CITY an
piicauon sold five or six lots AZ prices
ranging 5rom $50 20 $50. ard al tins money
had % ne returned. We had given receipts
for Il and promised that we would make
out deeds as soon as va could secure our
title from che government. Way j came
Near being killed up there. After the news
cane taat We had no title a half dozen per
sons Jumped NY lut, or Tie ore on which
! put Up the best building IL the town.
They built cabins and piled hogs on il. hop
Ing IN yhat way 10 acquire some shadow ~
d u'ie: on. man vas going 70 shoot rae
when I tree 70 put him of
4 have heard that seQ9 and S11e are be-
ing paid for such titles. but they are. alb
solu;ely worthless. was told plainly III
Victoria that all lots would be sold Al anc
Uon, 50 that occupation win amount 20
nothing. These figures serve only 70 in
dicate what / lost by the action os the
government. / havsn't any doubt what
ever IGat ! could have sold those tan blocks
To- s25a.fso- Then there was he remainder
- the 100 acres from wac7 W. would have
realized & handsome return. I have agElr-
- that had ID not b~rn fer the passage e
TIE Atln exclusion }2w ana had we held
he toBHsite. AZ least $50 80 could have
been ma9e ou; ~ The scheme.
'ore o. the curious things about the az
fair is ma; we could have secured ana
BTtiah Columbia law. Had We :ilsss pre-
eupfien cia II fer the 80 acres We might
have held ti'e property. And really We
lest tbs fortune simply because % our
NJ watson viii - North on the psrieo
or Friday. From Sk8gway he wi'I take
into Attn City office furniture and VIII
start a mining stock exchange. He Is con-
@dent that stock companies can he orran-
tied and that speculation VII run high