The west shore., March 01, 1886, Page 83, Image 13

THE WEST SHORE.
83
Thorn and the Scotch partuors, the Tomin'ii reached the
Columbia ou the tweuty-secoud of March, 1811, and
after much difficulty iuiJ tho lOB8 0f part of the crow,
crossed in ami camo to anchor. A fort was erected on
the south aide of the Btroam, and waa called " Astoria,"
in honor of the founder of tho enterprise. This was the
first settlement of any kind on tho Columbia River,
and with the exception of Fort Henry, on Snako River,
and Frasor's post, on Fraser Lake, tho first west of tho
summit of the Rocky Mountains, except by Spaniards
in California add Russians in Alaska.
While the fort was being erected, Thorn and McKay,
tho only partuor who had possessed the good sense to
refrain froin wrangling with tho irascible captain, sailed
up tho coast on a trading voyage. A few days Inter the
vessel was destroyed and all the crew murdered, by Mm
natives on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Tho
only survivor was tho Indian interpreter, who escaped
to tell the sad fate of tho 2WmiVh crow to their com
panions at Astoria. On tho fifteenth of June, tho poo-
ple of Astoria wore surprised to boo a canoo with nine
. 1 1 . ll (111 .
wiuto men in u, uosconaing mo nvor. uioy proved to
bo a party sent out by tho Northwost Company, headed
by David Thompson. Ho had been dispatched over
land from Montreal tho year before, for tho pursmo of
reaching and occupying the mouth of the Columbia in
advance of the Astor party, but had been so much de.
layed by difficulties and desertion, that he arrived too
late to accomplish his pnrposo. Tho Northwest Com
pany held a warm place in tho heart of McDougal, who
was in charge at Astoria, and though Thompson was, at
best, a spy upon his hosts, McDougal entertained him
hospitably, and gave him a bountiful supply of provis
ions and other necossary supplies for his return jour
ney.
A party of sixty crossed tho continent on foot, head
ed by Wilson Price Hunt, tho managing partner, and
after almost inorediblo hardship, reached Astoria in
strnL'L'Hm? nartiea earlv in tho snriiitf of 1811 On tho
ro n i w
ninth of tho following May tho ship lUanr arrived
with roinforcements and supplies, and tho 1'acifio Fur
Company was now in a condition to enter upon a vigor
ous nrosocution of its business. Hunt took tho lUwvr
on a coasting voyago similar to Miat n which the ill
fated Tonnuin had been engaged Other parties jeno.
trated many miles inland, and founded sats on the Oil-
umbia, near the mouth of tho Okmagon, on the Sk
kane, and among tho Nez Forces. Tim various parties
returned to Astoria in the spring of lfiRI, having Is-on,
for tho most part, very sueeessf ul, and having well-estal
lished themselves among the Indians. They then learn
ed that war was raging Is'twecn Great Rritain and the
United SUites, and were greeted by tho unwelcome
sight of a small party of Northwest Company men, un-
In IKIO. Nathan Win.hlp. of Ht'H. aaraw.li.1 0 '..luml.ia la tl- A.
' aori bw 0 coiurtraFiiiin of !" at Oak I"""' U "m"'
)i,k f,.rtr nil,, hi. Ik. dm. and umtl iipimiI Hi nwl 0.k IVnl of
Triin. II.. I. nw anil h.tilil of II- liulwua I li'1"
UixloBlUvnurt until Uia wit r'. Wiim wliirU It llamalfla
uer ii. u. iMciavisli. The war interfered Willi llie am-
vul of expected supplies, and after much consultation
the partners divided to abandon the country the next
year and return overland, provided more encouraging
news l not received by that time. They sold Fort
Ssikane to MeTavish for IH-1S.00, and he tk posses
sion of it in the name of the Northwest Company.
In Octolsr he returned to Astoria with a party of sev.
euty men, and informed the partners that he was wait
ing for tho arrival of a vessel of war that had been sent
to capture Astoria. With this threat, and a promise of
a partnership in Mie Northwest Company for MeDou
gal, who was in charge during the nltsom-o of Mr.
Hunt, he purchased the entire stock of furs and miiv
plies, worth fully $100,(100.00, for IO,000.00. Two
months later the iuccoom arrived, and Astoria was for
mally surrendered to her commander, who raised the
Rritish ensign in the place of the Stars and Stripes,
and re-christened tho place "Fort George." A few
weeks later Mr. limit returned, and was filled with in
dignation to learn that the interests of Mr. Astor and
his loyal assis'iatcs hud Imiui sold out by the treacher
ous McDougal, who was enjoying the fruits of his du
plicity as resident partner of the Northwest Company,
in charge of Fort George, lie sailed away again in dis
gust The other partners, with eighty-five of the em
ployes, returned to the States, overland, while the re.
maiuder of the men continued in the employ of the
Northwest Company, whose servants the majority of
them had lscu previous to their engagement by Mr.
iVstor. When the war ended, after much negotiation
Is'twoon the two governments, Fort George was formal
ly surrendered to the United States, but it still remained
in the actual xissessiou of the agents of the Northwest
Company, subjects of Great Hritain, Mr. Astor never
received any coiiiHnsatioii from the (loveriiment for
his louses in this enterprise, nor any eiicourageiiient to
again attempt the role of pioneer of American interest
on the 1'iiuilic Coast
I'ihiii securing tsmsession of Astoria from the treach
erous McDougal, the Northwest Company had uiidisput.
od ioasession of the Columbia, though it was engaged
in a struggle with the old Hudson liny tympany lor
supremacy in the region east of the Rocky Mountains.
These two companies had grown too large to 1st tolerant
of each other, and one must go to Mm wall. When the
Northwent Company was first organized, the old com
pany, enjoying charter privileges and supreme iiioiion.
ly of a vaxt region, scouted the idea that a few liulepeii
dent traders could so combine as to Im-coiiio dangerous
rivals; but in a few years the aspect of affairs was
changed. The new company Is-gnn operations iimiii a
new and thorough system, which m rendered It a
most H.werful organization. In the height of its power
it gave employment to two thousand roynfeiirn, and it
ngeiits -iielrntel the wilderness in all dired'um In
search of furs, lining iiiterettlM partners, these agent
worked diligently for the company's interet. It es
tablished a general base of o.ralioii on the northern
H( eluuiinl Uw HpMt u( aflaira Uiat U pmt t'" l"