Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-07-29
FUR TRUST WAS THE FIRST
Famous Hudson Bay Company the
Oldest Monopoly in North
America.

In 1927 Frenchman named Du Pont
set up a little trading post at the juno
ton of the Saguenay river with the ST.
Lawrence. He sold his merchandise to the
Indians and took his pay in furs. A few
years later the French Fur company was
organized. In 1851 two employees were
sent to the shores of the Hudson bay
and from there to Lake Superior and Lake
Winnipeg, They reported fur-bearing ami
mails in abundance, but their employers
were not impressed by the business pos
sibilities of the enterprise which they
suggested.
They went to Boston, where they
aroused interest, but were unable to raise
funds. They went to England and then
to France. After three or four years of
effort they were brought into contact
with Prince Rupert, who agreed to finance
preliminary expedition. In 1868 little
vessel of fifty tons, named the Nonsuch,
left England for parts unknown" The
expedition passed the winter in Hudson
bay and returned to England in the sum-
mer of 1869 with a full cargo.
Early in 1870 King Charles II granted
to Prince Rupert and seventeen others a
charter as the Governor and Company
| of Adventures Trading into Hudson
]
whales timber, minerals. furs and numer-
Gus other things Throughout all the ter
ritory tributary to Hudson bay. The
name of Ruperts Land was given to the
district, and, although this title was long
since dropped officially, it is still beard
and the Church of England still has a
bishop of Ru?erts Land.
The company was practically authorized
to establish and maintain a government
throughout territory of hundreds OF
thousands of square miles in extent. This
was held until its transfer to the do.
minion government in 1869, in considera
tion of Sl,5OO,OOO and the reservation tC
the company of certain lands and priv
ileges.
| If the right man could have access Il
the records the legends and the campir
tales of this remarkable institution,
series OF books might be written whicl
by comparison would make the Leather
stocking tales seem almost insipid an
Mayne Reds stories almost tedious
Many lady's mum has cost a mans lif
and many collar has been sent to mar
ket at the price of suffering and danger
In 1888 a charter was obtained by tn
Northwest Fur company of Montreal o
the ground of a claim that it was tn
| ANBaA SuCNtsHoI OF the Olu fFencn com
pany. For nearly forty years a bitter an
often bloody contest was maintained be
tween this and the old company. In 1871
the site of the present city of winnipe
was the scene of a pitched battle. Tn
two companies were consolidated in 1872
because both were convinced that a cor
tinuance of such hostilities meant ruin {
| both.
The Hudson Bay company has been on
of the most important advance guards c
civilization on this continent. Aroun
many Of the forts and ports from whic
the hardy and coura geous "voyageurs
and "coureurs de bois" brought the bale
OF pelts by dog sled and canoe there hay
grown up prosperous towns and elite
Victoria Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmor
ton were originally trading posts OF th
company.
About twenty-five years ago the con
pany put steamboats, on the Saskatchewa
and the Mackenzie. But even now Il Ia
stations in the far north, where mail
received only once a year. York Factor
established about 1870 and Fort Churchill
both on the western shore of Hudson ba
will some day be thriving cities. shippir
points for millions of bushels OF graI
and thousands OF cattle by direct steam,
lines 10 Europe-Chicago Chronicle.