X
RV RICHARD STILLf.
WHEN Napoleon sold to the United
States thnt vast territory tin n
Known as I,nuisiana and em
bracing most of the trans-.Mt.s issippi
country, there blossomed In the hrin
of John Jacob Astor a plan of develop
ment so magnificent in scope that it
fired the Imagination of Thomas Jeffpr
on nntfl he gnt to think of it as his
own Idea. Time has not dimmed btit
rather mellowed Its splendor, for it
crave to hs world one of the tragedies
that never will be forgotten and that
marks a. rugged chapter In American
history. Bp the camp flres In the Far
Northwest and the Canadian wilds the
tory of the Tonquln has been told and
Kretold until It Is a part of tne folk lore
kof the people of the forest and the
-plain.
Too bad that such a brilliant under
I talcing did not have a successful term
ination, but even if It did not fulfill the
expectations of its originator it brought
rto the name of Astor a fame that is
f-enduring. Measured by the conditions
century ago and those of today
-the project of Astor far surpasses
those of any latter-day captain of
trade, transportation or finance. He
planned a real winning of the West, a
peaceful conquest of a great region to
which the Nation's title was doubtful,
the establishment of a long chain of
trading stations that would blaze the
way for civilized man and open the
door of opportunity for countless mil
lions, and beyond the West Itself he
reached out to give to America the
trade of China and practically the con
trol of the raciilc. To do It all lie
asked no aid. Out of his purse he drew
the money to pay the cost.
The Immigrant From Waldorf.
John Jacob Astor had come to the
I.'nlted States In 1783, an immigrant
from Waldorf, a village on the Rhine.
He expected to become a piano eales-
Toan. but while the ship that brought
'him over was icebound in the Chesa
peake he heard enough from one of his
fejlow passengers to convince him that
in this country there were far more
possibilities for him as a dealer In furs
than as a dealer In musical instruments.
When he got to New York he started
In at once as a buyer of pelts. At that
time the business waa in sad disorder,
'In earlier days the French had con
trolled the trade. Through Canada, the
Ohio Valley, the Great Lakes and Mis
sissippi the French trappers ranged,
'and their product found Its way to
Montreal. When the English drove the
French from Canada and a new system
of trade came with a pew order of
men. the trappers found it difficult to
adjust themselves to altered conditions.
Hardly had affairs righted themselves
and the careless, spendthrift but hardy
French voyaguers become accustomed
to their new masters than the War of
the Revolution came on. and at Ha
close the business was in the same
state of disorder as after the French
war. Tn the northern part of Canada
the Hudson Bay Company was In con
trol, but tt was not aggressive at that
time. Far more business was done by
the Independent merchants of Montreal,
who, a little later, merged their inter
ests, formed the powerful Northwest
Company, and controlled the whole
lake Teglon and the territory west. The
men in the Northwest Company were
Scotchmen, and they were the real lords
and rulers of the Canadas. There waa
a smaller concern, known as the Mack
inaw Company, that operated in the
Tpper Mississippi Valley. New Tork.
1n the days of British control, had a
fair trade, but the Revolutionary War
had driven away the British merchants.
ratlentlr and carefully Aster went
about building up a trade on his own ac
count. He sought no alliances and looked
for no favors. He traded with tho In
dians, the French and the English. Oc
casionally he traveled to Canada and pur
chased pelts from the Northwest Com
pany, the Mackinaw Company or the
Hudson Bay Company. In good yeans
;and in bad years he prospered, for he
waa a genius aa a merchant. He waa a
trade economist. Most of the goods he
exchanged lor pelts he manufactured
.himself.
Bought Land and Bought Land.
By the close of tho 18th century he was
the richest man in the United States.
Then, as his wealth continued to grow,
he did a thing that many persons thought
waa foolish. He bought land. Most of
the land that he bought was on Manhat
tan Island, far beyond the developed sec
tion, and did not seem likely to be en
croached upon by th little city for gen
erations to come. Occasionally he spread
a bit In bis land Investments. Once he
purchased an estate of 60.000 acres up the
Hudson. The wisest men in New York
aaid he was Inviting ruin, tieing up vast
sums in unproductive land that meant
nothing for him but taxes. But be kept
on buying land.
Then. In the first decade of the 19th
century. Louisiana was purchased from
France, and John Jacob Astor, sitting In
his office in Pearl street, studied the new
map of the United States and marveled
over the possibilities the newly acquired
empire opened to the Nation. The re
gion beyond the Mississippi was less
known then than Is the Interior of Africa
today. A few years before the Columbia,
that mighty river of the north, had been
discovered. The Rocky Mountains were
a barrier hard to cross. A great domain
In the far Northwest would become the
territory of the Nation whose people first
-&ca.blikheU. -temttlvc there and raised
v- e-. c Tn tahlLsh a chain of tradin
stations along tlfe Missouri to its head
waters and then from the headwaters
of the Columbia on the other side or tn
onPtM iinu-n to the mouth of the bi
river on the Pacific shore would open 'a.
highway to trade and settlement. The
station at the mouth of the Columbia
Klver would be a depot from which a
fleet might trade along the northwest
coast 'to the Russian possessions In Alas
ka. and also with the rich markets of
China and the whole Pacific.
It must be understood that thus far the
whole Columbia River country was open
territory. If the British got there first
it would be theirs. The northern limits
of the Louisiana country that Jefferson
purchased were vague. And what made
the situation acute was the fact that the
Northwest Company had pushed across
the Canadian Rockies and established
some trading posts in a section it called
New Caledonia. It was nearing the Pa
cific and approaching the Columbia Val
ley. ,
The Charter.
To "Washington went Mr. Astor to get
from the President the sanction of the
Government for the magnificent plan he
had in mind. He got the enthusiastic
support of Mx. Jcfrerson and the Cabinet.
No doubt Mr. Astor saw great protit for
himself In the enterprise, but. far more
than profit, he sought tho fame the
project would bring to him.
There was a lot of work preparing prop
erly for the expedition. First of all, Mr.
Astor organized the American Fur Com
pany. That company got its charter Just
IflO yeans ago. Unable to get In the
United States the voyageurs he thought
necessary, he recruited a force from
among the attaches of the Northwest
Company. For his lieutenants In the un
dertaking he also drew mainly on the
men of the Northwest Company. These
men he made partners. He gave to them
60 per cent of the Interest, retaining the
other 60 per cent himself. They were
under no financial responsibility. He put
up KoO.OOO. In his selection of men he
exhibited exceptionally bad judgment.
The plan was to send two forces, one by
ship around the Horn, the other through
Canada and down the Mississippi and
then up the Missouri, over the Rockies
and down the Columbia. The land force
was to establish posts along the route
and meet the other force at the mouth of
tike Columbia.
A fine ship, the Tonquln, was equipped
for the sea trip. ' She carried in her hold
the frame of a schooner, which was to be
employed in the Pacific coasting trade.
The Tonquln was commanded by Jona
than Thorn, a Lieutenant in the Navy,
on leave of absence. Nearly all of the
Northwest Company men Mr. Astor had
taken Into partnership were British sub
jects, and before the Tonquln sailed two
of them went to the British Minister
to the United States and advised him of
what Mr. Astor was doing. Hardly had
the Tonquln left port than trouble began.
Captain Thorn was a martinet, honest
and punctilious, but with an abiding con
tempt for landsmen. Duncan McDougal.
the-partner to whom Mr. Astor gave his
proxy to act In any disagreement, was a
peppery, flamboyant creature. Thorn
and McDougal clashed at once, and there
was a condition approaching mutiny on
the Tonquin from start to finish.
Tho Tonquin.
On September 8. 1810. the Tonquln left
New York. The frigate Constitution con
voyed her to sea, there being a British
warship outside which, it was under
stood. Intended to stop and search her
and take off such British subjects as
were aboard. The Tonquin gotN away
without molestation, but there was tur
moil aboard every day. Many times the
captain threatened to put the partners,
the clerks and all the voyageurs in Irons.
The ship stopped at the Falkland Islands
and two of the partners bad a narrow
escape from being marooned there, the
captain sailing away without them. But
the ship became becalmed and the men
were able to get to her in a boat. On
Christmas day the Tonquln doubled Cape
Horn and on February 12 reached the
Sandwich. Islands. There some Hawatl
ans were recruited for service in the Co
lumbia River country, and the Tonquln
resumed her journey. On March 22, 1S11,
the Tonquin arrived off the mouth of
the Columbia. The weather was tem
pestuous and the sea waa high. For sev
eral days vain efforts were made to find
the channel. Eight men were lost in the
capsizing of small boats that the captain
sent out to find a way into the river.
At last, after ranch delay and trouble,
the Tonquin got inside, and an April 12 a
site was selected on a small bay for the
establishment of the station which waa
to be the company's headquarters on the
Pacific. A fortified post waa built, the
Stars and Stripes were raised and the
settlement was named Astoria. From As
toria parties were sent up the river to
explore the stream, establish stations at
advantageous points and opea up trade
with the Indians.
After all the cargo destined for Astoria
had been taken out of the ship, the Ton
quin departed to proceed up the coast to
trade for pelts the various harbors,
visit Alaska and begin, business with, the
TITC SUDAT OREGOXIAX,
Russians, Mr. After having sent, a repre
sentative to St. Petersburg and made ar
rangements by which the American Fur
Company was to supply the Russian
posts with goods and handle the bulk or
the Beal skins the Russian hunters gath
ered in Bering's Sea.
Hardly had the Tonquln left than the
people in Astoria learned from the In
dians that a party of SO white men hal
arrived several hundred miles up the Co
lumbia River. It was a party of North
west Company men who had established
a trading post on the Spokane River,
which empties Into the north branch of
the Columbia. The Americans had ar
rived none too soon.
The Insult.
It was on June 6 that the Tonquln left
Astoria. A few days later the ship ar
rived at Vancouver Island and ancnored,
much against the advice of the Indian
interpreter, who told Captain Thorn the
natives were the most treacherops of In
dians. But the captain, obstinate and in
tolerant of opposition, would not heed ad
vice. ' In the morning a great fleet of
canoes put off from the shore and
swarmed about the ship. The Indians
had sea otter skins to aelL The Indians
were headed -by two sons of Wicananlsh,
the Indian chief, and by on old sub-chiaf
named Nookamis. Captain Thorn ex
pected a profitable deal and had the deck
spread w-ith blankets, cloths, knives,
beads and fishhooks. The Indians had
some experience with Russian traders
and Nookamis was especially shrewd. He
scoffed at the offers -Captain Thorn made
and exasperated that choleric gentleman
to a high degree. When Captain Thorn
made a bid the chief demanded twice
what the captain offered, and when any
other Indian seemed about to sell his
skins Nookamis checked him and advised
better bargaining.
The captain, in disgust, waved Noo
kamis away, and, sticking his hands in
his pockets, began pacing the deck.
Nookamis followed him, holding the
skins before him, but unable to get
him to renew negotiations. Then Noo
kamis changed his method and started
to revile the captain. The captain,
white with rage, seized the skins,
whipped the Indian about the face with
thera and then, as Nookamis ran from
him, he kicked Nookamis overboard.
As If that was not enough, he kicked
all tne pelts of the Indians overboard
and drove the whole band off the ship.
It was In vain that the Indian inter
preter pleaded with the captain to
draw up his anchor and sail away. The
captain was an officer of the United
States Navy, and told the interpreter
to cease- his chatter. When one of
partners who had accompanied the cap
tain on this trip also urged immediate
sailing the captain taunted him with
cowardice. Neither would the captain
pay heed when it was pointed out t
him that Mr. Astor had especially
warned the party against admitting
more than three or four Indians on
board at a time.
The Tragedy.
The following morning parties of In
dians came out in canoes again and
made signs that they wanted to trade,
SPRINGFIELD, Or., Oct. 23.
Vltes, two miles from this city.
he noted that the women in the
Ing hops
t-T7rf"Mv"( ' L' J srv rtVV T" ' ' ' 'J 5
i! p-mUif fey 0mmm
5
PORTLAND, OCTOBER 24, 1909.
They were allowed on deck. Then more
canoes came out. and- soon Indians
were clambering tip the sides of the
ship until the deck was crowded with
them. They were willing to trade with tho
captain now on better terms. Once more
the Indian interpreter pleaded with the
captain. Once more the partner, McKay,
pleaded. It was no use. But more and
more canoes put out from the shore
until all the squaws were in boats
alongside and all the b'ueks were on
board. Possibly the fact that the in
terpreter persisted and explained, that
beneath the mantles the Indians wore
they probably had weapons concealed
at last influenced the captain. At any
rate, he gave orders to weigh anchor
and sent some men aloft to set the
sails. The Indians thereupon were
prepared to trade on any terms. But
they took knives and hatchets always
in exchange for their . otter skins.
Then, as the captain gave orders for
them to get Into their boats there was
a yell. Knives, clubs and hatchets were
drawn and the Indians hurled them
selves upon the whites. The first man
to fall waa Mr. Lewis, the ship's clerk.
He was a calm, determined man, un
obtrusive and quiet. He was leaning
over some blankets which he had been
bargaining with an Indian about when
he was stabbed in the back and fell,
mortally wounded, down the compan
lonway. The captain made a glorious fight.
He had nothing but a clasp knife. He
d.w this and cut and slashed until he
bat. killed one Indian and crippled va
rious others before he could free him
self from the lot of savages who made
the first rush at him.
Then he tried to reach the quarter
deck and he strewed his path with
dead and wounded. But now and then
a knife, a club or an ax struck him
and at last he fell. In an instant he
was hacked to death and then he was
tossed overboard onto the knives of the
squaws in the canoes. All over the
ship the battle raged furiously, but
HOPPICKERS OS RANCH NEAR SPRINGFIELD, OR.
(Special.) The above photograph was taken on the hop ranch ef Bruno
The ranch was leased this year by William Krlesel. of Portland. It will
party have adopted overalls
the most
the Indians so. far outnumbered the
whites that the crew was overpowered
and massacred. As a man fell his body
was cast overboard to the knives of the
squaws.
Kevengo.
' Four of the seven men who had gone
aloft managed to get to the cabin,
where they found. Lewis. They barri
caded the door and then with muskets
and pistols fired through holes in the
compauionway and cleared the deck.
As the Indians started away in their
canoes the four sailors went on deck
and used the deck guns with deadly
effect on the savages. With the In
dians went the Indian interpreter. He
had not been molested during the mas
sacre and he It was who subsequently
reported the tragedy. That night the
four sailors, unable to work the ship,
put off In a boat in hope of making
their way to Astoria. They wanted to
take Mr. Lewis, but he refused.
Soon after daylight a few canoes
put off from shore to reconnoiter.
Around and around they circled, but
the sails of the Tonquin flapped idly
and there -was no sign of life on board.
The canoes came close and then a man
appeared on deck. It was Lewis, the
ship's clerk. He made signs of wel
come and invited the Indians on board.
The Indians were unwilling at first,
but as hour followed hour they became
emboldened. Then one crept cautious
Iv aboard. There was no sign of life.
The deok was soaked with blood, but
Lewis had disappeared. Another Indian
climbed aboard and then another. Then
the canoes came out from shore in good
number. There were many beads, blan
kets, knives and trinkets about the
deck for any one to have who chose
to take thorn. Back to the shore went
word of the plunder that was so plen
tiful. Then the Indians came in hordes.
Wiien the deck was crowded once
more, crowded almost as it had been
the day before, a man wounded unto
convenient costume While pick-
death crept along the floor of the hold
until he reached the magazine, where
four tons of powder were stored. Then
there was a report such as perhaps
never was heard In Vancouver Bay be
fore or since. The Tonquin in an In
stant became a volcano. Its timbers,
torn into ten thousand fragments, were
thrown high in the air and then scat
tered over the waters. Of the Indians
who were on the deck, the beach for a
mile about was strewn for days with
their dismembered parts. Lewis, ship's
clerk, had avenged the Tonquln's dead.
As If this grewsome tragedy were not
enough. It had a horrible aftermath.
The four sailors who sought escape in
the boat w-ere cast upon the beach some
miles away. They were brought back
to the ndian village., tortured and then
slaughV red.
Vdtouff8-''' Treachery.
Whatever courage McDougal pos
sessed seems to have departed after he
heard the fata Of the Tonquln. It did
not matter that the overland force,
after a series of remarkable and trying
adventures, reached the Columbia River
country and Joined the Astoria contin
gent. It did not matter that the
Beaver, a supply stiip sent by Mr.
Astor, arrived from New York and went
on to Alaska to trade. McDougal saw
peril and disaster everywhere. War
had broken out between the United
States and Great Britain and he feared
the British would swoop down upon
him.
As if Mr. Astor had not suffered
enough from the stupidity of his
agents, a new chapter now was added
to the story of their folly. The Beaver.
His Powerful Editorial
Proprietor of the Geeville Trumpet Blaat Learna of Its Effects
ii A TYPOGRAPHICAL craftsman on
f a professional tour of the coun
try after the manner of this kind." said
the ex -editor of the 'Geeville Trumpet
Blast of Freedom,' struck Geeville one
day and simultaneously struck the 'Trum
pet Blast' office for the price of two beers,
not necessarily to he charged on ac
count, but as an evidence of the office's
good faith in the promise of tho tourist
to come back after awhile and maybe
set some type. The Geeville beer seemed
to hit his palate with favor, for he actual
ly came back and said he would stay
with me for a day or so. provided the re
sources of the office warranted it being
worth his while, and if too mu.-h service
wasn't required.
"All the service I required Just then
from anybody was the seltlng up of a
half column or so of reading matter
for the week's Issue of the 'Trumpet
Blast,' as the ridding himself from that
stunt would let me loose enough to go
down the river 10 miles and get the I4.MI
that was coming from a sure pay but
tardy patron of mine, and let me come
back in funds sufficient to lift the C.
O. D. off of the bundle of paper then in
the custody of the express office, an em
bargo which present financial depression
had somewhat delayed the lifting of, and
on the lifting of which the promise of
that week's Trumpet Blast's' coining out
largely depended. The touring printer
allowed that he could take the chances
on me to the extent of that half column,
and, good old Deacon Plpher offering me
the use of his horse. I cut loose.
"A couple of hours later I putted up
at the house of my patron.
" 'Is Hiram homer I asked his wife
Hiram Westcotl being his name.
" 'Well, no,' said his wife. HJram
ain't to home just now. He druv to Gee
ville this morning by the hill road. If
you're riding up the river, though, you'll
more'n likely meet him comin' back.'
"I headed for the river road to way
lay Hiram or get back to Geeville while
he was still there. I met him before I
had gone two miles up the road. I pulled
up my horse and halted him. He recog
nized me, and without stopping his team
shouted to me:
" How de do? Bettled that atr H.50
with, your pardner this momln'.'
"On he went. "My partner'? Huh,
huh. And I couldnt help but think that
it behooved me to get back to Geeville
without tarrying along the road to ad
mire the scenery and listen to the w&rb-
afler visiting Alaska, went to China
with a cargo of skins. Opportunity I
was offered to sell the cargo at a pro
fit of $noo.000. but the fool In charge
dilly-dallied until the season had
passed and the cargo had to be sacri
ficed. Then the Lark, another supply
ship sent by Mr. Astor, was wrecked, 1
partly through carelessness. McDou- j
gal, worrying because the Beaver had j
not returned promptly from the Alas- '
ka-Ciiina trip, turned craven when he '.
heard a party of Northwesters were
bound for Astoria, and that a ship
sent by the Northwest Company and
escorted by a British man-of-war, was
en route for the mouth of the Columbia.
When the party of Northwesters pad
dled down the river McDougal hastened
to greet them. Then using the proxy
Mr. Astor. had given htm, ho sold the
whole Astoria establishment tr the North
west Company for a song. The Stars and
Stripes were hauled down and the Kng
lish flag raised instead. 'As reward for
his conduct McDougal was made a
partner in the Northwest Company.
So ended Astoria and the great
dream of John Jacob Astor. For years
and years the British held sway In the
Columbia Valley. Then after dispute
and threats of onflict. the boundary
trouble was adjusted and America re
sumed control. But the winning of the
West had been delayed a docade If not
a quarter of a century, and the most
magnificent project for American trade
and American expansion that, ever was
fostered by one man had failed. ,
If John Jacob Aslor ever regretted; th
loss of his $400,000 he did not show It, but
he did lament that so many men should
die in a mission of peace. When, he
passed away, full of years and honors,
his fortune was colossal, measured as
it was by the standards of those days.
There have been three generations of
Astors since hlmsbut no one of the naro
to match him in courage. Imagination or
ability. And the Astor' fortune has
grown to be one of the greatest In the
world. But what would have been its
size if the Astoria enterprise had bean
as brilliantly successful as its plan ar-ranted?-Copyright,
1300, by Richard
Spillane.
'ling of the birds, as there was tolerably ;
good presumptive evidence that my tour- j
1st siiUstltiite had been acting in a certain
fiduciary capacity during my absence, and .
there was danger that he might be -moved J
to Invest unduly of that $4.50 tn Geeville '
hper. So 1 got back to town as fast as
the deacon's horse could take me.
" 'The Trumpet Blast' office was vacant
when 1 got there. Feeling that activi- :
ties had simply been removed from there
to the Geeville becrshop, I was about to
hurry over there, when an envelope ly
ing on my table addressed to me caught,
my eye. I opened it. It contained . note
front the craftsman I had left In charge.
Pinned to it was an editorial I had writ
ten on "The Ties of Home,' and which
I had left on the copy hook for him' to
put in type:
"Revered Sir: When I send you the
word how my poor old father and mother
welcomed 1hMr long truant and prodigal
son with tears and sobs of joy and how
grateful they were when I told them it
was this piece of yours. The Ties of
Home.' that turned me with Irresistible
longing back to the old farm, I think I
can see you overcome with thankfulness
that you let your genius loose in writing
it and with regret that the old gont from
down the river was only shy $4.30 on his
paper to fipeed me on my way back to
mother and the old home, 'he piece
broke me all up and moved me so that
I couldn't wait for the stace. And now
at last I know who wrote 'Where Is My
Wandering Boy Tonight?" and 'Beautiful
Snow.' It was you. bless you! If we
do not meet again on earth, siiall we meet
in but let that pass. It is too sad for
this occasion.
" 'Not au revoir. but faro you well!
Thine. JOHN SHAKIiSPEARB.'
'There are people in Geeville to this day
who do not know why. the "Trumpet Blast
of Freedom' failed to come out that week.
'Press ot outsldo work," I stated in 'the
next issue. And that was no lie, either."
Government Hotel Ruiine&s.
The Government Is going into the hot! '
'business, having agreed, through its in- )
sular branch in the Philipiunes. to taka '
J300.000 at par of the bonds to provide
money for a new hotel at Manila, which,
with its working capital, is to represent
an Investment of $4o0.o00. When the Phil
ippines have a centennial, or some other
hig celebration, will the insular govern- ,
ment put up its hotel rates on the visit-
iPK jublic?-i-TNew; York Press. -
J