St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1904-05-21
RACE FOR FUR COUNTRY.
How It Was Started by John Jacob
Aston and Continued Against
All Opposition.

The purchase of Louisiana by the
United States had the same effect at the
beginning of the nineteenth century
that the opening of the new gold fields
has to-day All the restless spirits of
the day-such as have pioneered every
westward movement of the race-set
their faces toward a region as rich in
precious furs as Spanish Eldorado was
in gold, writes Agnes c. Laut, in 'The
Fights of the Fur Companies" in Cen
fury.
From St. Louis and Detroit and
Michilimackinac, which were the out
ermost frontiers of civilization in those
days, went forth an army of ragged
observation-disclosures and half-breed
and Indian, French, English, Spanish
mander, to conquer an empire the size
of half dozen European kingdoms.
And while the trappers set out to their
gigantic task as unaware of the value OF
their work in the progress of the race as
a lot of carousing students loose on a
planning for the exploitation of the new
territory and the organization of this
gypsy army, which, under disciplined
leadership, could render splendid serv-
ice
In New York John Jacob Aston had
already accumulated fortune as buy
er of furs from American traders and
as seller to Europe. Aston had fire.
quently met the principal fur traders OF
Canada at Montreal, and knew the
enormous profits which these traders
were making from their western field,
that correspondent with the newly ac-
quired territory of the United States.
What was to hinder American traders
from organizing as powerful COM
pany as these nor'westers had in Can
ada, engaging the hordes of free trap
pers now securing westward OF the Mis-
sissippi, and establishing fur posts to
which all trappers wouk come through
the American west as the nor'westers
had through Canada?
Astor was so enamored Of his plans
that in 1907 he laid them before the
shrewd fur merchants of Montreal and
proposed a partnership that would re-
move all rivalry. But beware of expos
ing profitable ideas to Scotchman!
The Scotch merchants Of Montreal took
the profits and left Aston his idea. In
other words, they rejected the partner
ship and at once set about anticipating
his plan.
For the nor'westers had schemes of
their own The downfall of France in
America in 1859 put an end to the IL
censes that had limited the fur trade to
favorites Of the court. More than 1000
"voyageurs, coureurs des bois, man
geurs de lard" Common raftsmen), IA
nous hunters, traders and trappers were
suddenly thrown on their own resources.
The Scotch merchants of Montreal were
quick to seize the opportunity. Unit
ing as the Northwest Fur company,
they engaged the entire retinue of cast
of Frenchmen, woodcraftsmen who
knew every path and stream from Lab
rador to the Rocky mountains. Within
a few years their forts were strung
down the St. Lawrence and across Lab
rador to the Atlantic, up the Ottawa and
Great Lakes, across the prairie to the
mountains, and down the Athabasca and
Mackenzie to the Arctic ocean. Their
headquarters were at Fort William, on
the north shore of Lake Superior. AL
ready Sir Alexander Mackenzie, lead
ing partner, had crossed the mountains
to the Pacific; and nor'west voyageurs
yearly reached further down the valley
of the Columbia toward the very ter
ritory which Aston designed for his new
companys hunting ground.
Rebuffed at Montreal, Astor turned to
the other great fur-trading center of
America-St Louis. St. Louis lay at the
gateway of the coveted land. Why
should ST. Louis ally itself with far
away New York for the exploitation of
territory in which the western city felt
almost proprietary interest? Astor's
overtures were again rejected, and their
only effect was to hasten the action of
rivals.
Rejection had on Astor's purpose the
same effect as blow-it hardened his
determination. If his plans reused jeal-
GUS resentment among rivals, they sure
ly were not fatuous.
Here, then, were three powers ready
to spring at one another's Threats for
the possession of an unknown land: one.
the power of a single master mind, John
Jacob Aston, of New York; the second
Nor'westers, whose partners, swift, in
domitable and irresistible, pushed into
the fur country; the third, St. Louis
ground than their rivals by the width of
half continent .
So the race for the fur country began.
Vatican Army Reformed.