, 1923-05-10

In 1891 he went to England to live. He be-
came a naturalized British subject in 1899. bought
several London newspapers and magazines, pur-
chased Cliveden from the Duke of Westminster,
struggled hard to get into high-up British society
and contributed so enormously to charitable en-
terprises that George V created him Baron Astor
In 1916 and later Viscount. He did not live long
to enjoy his title. The present Viscount Astor
married in 1906 Mamie Langhorne Shaw, a widow
who was born in Virginia; she is the Lady Aston
VINO visited us not long ago to scold US for not
Joining the League of Nations. There are other
Astors In America. The family holdings in New
York real estate total hundreds Of millions.
The history of the North American fur trade of
course begins with the Hudson Bay company-the
old saying was that the I'll. b. c." on its blood
red banner stood for Here Before Christ and
that the company's motto. pro pelle cutem,"
meant "a skin for a skin" Anyway, Charles ii
in 1870 granted a royal charter ITO our dear and
entirely beloved cousin Prince Rupert, Count Pala-
tine Of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria. etc.
constituting the Governor and Company of Ad-
venturers trading Into Hudson's Bay" The Mer-
ny Monarch turned over to the company practically
all Of North America north of the Great Lakes,
with power Of life and death over all present and
future Inhabitants. lnasmuch as Canada was
then admittedly French, there was war to the
knife until the Treaty of Utrecht In 1713 CON
frmed TO the company as a part of the shore of
Hudson Bay. The Treaty of Paris In 1853 of course
wholly confirmed the charter of the company. since
all Canada thereby became British territory.
III tit hhN III luhsDH BhJ Company nnu
been sitting tight; working In secrecy; keeping
missionaries. school teachers, agriculturists and
all strangers out Of the country extending its
chain Of trading posts; making the Indian bring
the furs TO the posts, reaping enormous profits and
building up the biggest and best-managed monopoly
In the worlds history. In 1884 was organized at
Montreal the Northwest Company, which entered
into a mighty struggle with its older rival. In
1921 the younger company was merged In the Hud-
son Bay Company. In 1870 the British govern
ment forced the company to surrender its charter.
Now the Hudson Bay Company, probably richer
than ever. is engaged In selling or the 10000 900
acres left TO 1t out OF 100000 square miles and
running a chain Of mail order houses and depart.
ment stores.
The Louisiana Purchase OF the land between
the Mississippi and the Rockies was confirmed in
the spring OF 1904. Thereupon the Lewis and Clark
expedition started from st. Louis to see what we
had bought for Si5.O00OOO. 1t went up the Mis-
souri, and spent the first winter on the site of Bis
marck, N. ID. The second winter was spent on
the site OF Astoria at the mouth Of the Columbia.
1t returned to st. Louis In the fall of 1906. after
having been given up for lost.
The Lewis and Clark expedition reported unlim-
tied numbers OF beaver. That was the beaver age.
Canada and the West lived on the beaver. Trap
pers swarmed on every frontier. Beaver skins were
the medium Of exchange.
Astor was quick to see the chance for fur opera
lions on n big scale. He had already got control
of the Mackinaw Fur Company and had practically
cornered the fur trade OF the Great Lakes region.
He planned n chain OF trading posts across the
continent from st. Louis to the Pacific. He planned
to ship a part OF his furs to China. then ms now a
good market for fine skins. He planned return
cargoes of silk and tea to New York and Boston.