Evening star., 1926-09-15
HUDSON'S BAY CO.
HAS HUGE EMPIRE
Holds 1000, 900 Acres in
Most Fertile Land of
Canada.

Special Dispatch to The Star.


MONTREAL, September 15.-The
business romance Of Prince Rupert
and his gentleman adventurers, char
tered in 1870 by King Charles. End.
to trade in Hudsons Bay, is still a
romance although the fur-trading ac-
tivities Of the Hudson's Bay Co. have
become only a minor part of it's rami-
fiCatiOnS. Today ii is a romance OF
finance rather than of exploration.
The company now owns absolutely
1000. 900 acres of land in the most fer
tile sections of northwestern Canada,
4 chain of department stores with a
link in every town of consequence
from Fort Williams, at the head of
the great lakes. to Vancouver. and
control of much of the promising oil
bearing lands of western Canada. Ex-
citing and profitable as has been the
past of this unique company, its
future promises TO be even more
astonishing
Where log-bu:lt forts and rough
palisades once surrounded the early
posts OF the company whose factors
had 10 rely on their own muSkets and
the aid Of few friendly Indians for
protection against hostile tribes. there
now are huge department stores.
Have All Modern Devices.
In the old times trading stations.
guns. knives. tobacco and rum We're
the staDle articles Of exchange for
: furS brought in by the trappe1's. To
day the stores are equipped with every
modern device Manneduins parade
before patrons the fashions newly
originated in London and Paris.
Roauty parlorS have taken the place
of the medicine lodges of the tribes.
In spite of these marks of progress.
the Hudson's Bav Company still clings
70 traditions These big department
stores are known as "sales shops"
in the reports of the company In
cidentally the profits from these shops
IN the last fiscal year exceeded
81. .250 900
The company still has q close hold
on the fur trade. although the skins
of beaver. sable, otter and fox are
not usually exchanged for bacon.
sugar. tea. rum and ammunition.
Yielding to pressure of public and
political opinion. the company agreed
TO surrender the right to sole eN-
ploitatiOn of the fur trade of the
Northwestern Territories in return for
other concessions, which while they
ahated the grant of King Charles.
left the concern in possession of an
through a deed of surrender. whereby
the company was left in possession
Of the whole of sections s and 26 of
each fifth township. In every other
township the company retained pos
session of section 8 and three one
fourthS of section &c.
Sale of Land Profitable.
Every section measures $40 acres
and the territory includes the fertile
belt bounded on the south by the
United States line on the north by
the northern branch of the SaSkatche-
wan and on the east by Lake Winni-
peg and the Lake of the Woods water
shed. This vast tract. therefore. has
been selected from the pick of the
Canadian wheat lands,
The sale Of these lands has already
brought the company in over 81
mo 900. and only 1896 acres have
so far been disposed of. the average
price being S12 an acre. The revival
of immigration. especially from the
United States. is speeding up the sale
Of these lands. which last year en-
ahled the company to add IN extra
distribution of 312 per cent to It's
dividends.
The company not only has mas
terly hold on fur trading. but owns ITS
own Ocean-gOing and inland water
ways feet. The oil lands OF the COM
pany are being explored IN various
sections under lease. The manutnc-
+ure Of blankets alone keeps big
plant in England employed all the
year around.