Douglas Island news., 1919-01-31
GOLD DISCOVERIES
 OF NORTH AMERICA
Tribute to the Pioneers Who Carved Out Empires in Many
 Places

hl tue hINNN NIAI'lI' ' N''N 'i NlAN H'''
 sissippi river and Che territory o ! Alaska was thc rappcr Hc wal
 followed by Che miner and prospoctol and Che latter by the settler, with his family. his scauty stock ot mcr. chaudisc and his optimism. In Che primitive days Che above hardy pio. uccrs spauucd Che continent and pressed on into Che great white wastes of Che uorthland uudauutcd by hurdslips and marraid of Che uu- known dangers; ever n pursuit of thc precious metals. and when found pushing on after am iguis
 aus. thc search cudng only with with Che death or Che orgonaut
 Alaska wus no exception. And SO with Che west in general u Che mu Of lS3o-5O Che world at large vas electrified with che discovery of gold iu Che mill tail of suttcr's min m the Sacramento valley. The char actcr developed. the hordships enc durcd. Che many crimes committed
 u thc fcycrish search for treasure are stl matters of history. The old- time characters who played leading roles m Che great world-drama are long since dead. Following with am interval Of fifteen years we learn of Che richness of Confederate and Alder rulchcs m the territory of Montana. where later forts were cs- ublishcd for Che protection Of thc urronauts at Fort shaw Fort Ellis. Fort Logan and Fort MaginuIs and also Fort Mssoula Another lapse of score of years and wo hear of gold being found In Che Kootcuoi In Che Occur d'Alcuc mountains, which prccipItatcd another wild scramble. About this time vast fortunes were made and lost iu thc northwest ter ritory. Che adycuturcrs coming iu by way of Che Fraser river and swarm ing over Che mountains and plains by .thc thousands Cassiar. Dcasc creek. and last but not least thc ta- nous Klondikc. where George Car mack uncarthcd fortune by Che stroke Of a pick.
 m thcsc operations hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent m taking gold from che earth, and while fortunes smiled ou a few. thousands were disappointed after spending millions u prospecting cN- ploring and developing prospects into mines
 While at first it would seem that these millions have been sluaudcred in a vain cudcayor Co better thc nu- ancial condition of Che cmigrant such was not Che ease. as Che pion- ccrs who hunted vaiuly for the gold were thc homcbuldcrs Of am em- pirc greater than Che state Of Texas and number of other states thrown in.
 Towns sprung up over thc Tcrri- tory. many Of which were abandoned and others with moro advantageous locations surviving and becoming small cities iu the making with churches. schools and libraries clubs. lodges and other forermncrs of better civilization. In the wake of che stampcdcr always followed thc thrifty homcbuIldcr, who by his superior judgment. foresight and cn- crgy. rcapcd a golden harvest from Che efforts of the more eNcitablc and volatile prospcctor and miner. The gold seekers blozcd thc way for greater things. Their labor was never iu vain. They were thc van Of Che more prudent settler who to- day has scared the face of the earth with his cIe1rings, his cabins, and his villages. This is the manner of an national development.
 Following closely in the footsteps of che homcbuildcr came Che capital ist. ready Go seize on points of conn mcrcial value. and struggling hand m hand with the law Co penetrate .hc home 5C the aborIginc with tho steamship and locomotive.
 In thc rush Co che Golden West we find stcamboats and batcaus plying the broad Missouri as far as Fort Benton on the upper Missouri, sup. plying thc gold seeker with a shorter and more advantageous route Co thC gold fields. Following in thciI trend came Che great nnoncicr, Jay Cooke. who projected. with Che land given him in land grants, the great trunk line known as the Northern Pacific. The pioneer of the Atlanti, and the pioneer of the Pacific clasp ed hands across thousands of milcl of arid plain and fertile woodlands In tho north sailing ship was fol flowed by the steamship, and th' steamship of those days, such a' ! the Bertha. the Excelsior, the Elih' Thompson and the score of smalle
 craft plying from Sound and Sai
 Francisco ports with the palatia liners of the Pacific Steamship Com pany- -palaual compared to the yes
 sels designated as steamers in th
 days of '9S and '99.
 When the great west was cXplor cd and settled the true pioneer