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Show { i t THE . WESTERNMOST OUTPOST OFg OF OPA ASTORIA ASTORIAo I : g . FAR-FLUNG FAR FLUNG AFAR-FLUNG AFAR A - EMPIRE OF FUR I I ' I By ELMO SCOTT WATSONa WATSON a , NI NE ; hundred hundrcd and twenty-five twenty five tsventY-five tsventY - years ago this month , , an 4 4event t tevent | event of historic histonc importance occurredm occurredin occurred in m what is now nowthe nowthe 9 9NE the state of Oregon . On April 12 , 1811 , the little ship , Tonquin , dropped droppedi . of the which wluch form the mouth of i x xv i < : ianchor /v v / , anchor in 111 one bays . , 34 w i-I i iIthe - the t e Columbia river . Seven months earlier she had sct set setsail setv . . . . , _ _ . _ _ < Sail sail III in 1\ 1 1V Ncw New - \ - < -V V - * York - AUltk - . harbor tldt uui . and i * " i j.w.fw jw.fw jwfw pomted pointed . . . . . 1 1i her . . > - - . prow . ? - - . - . - toward . -----i i - . - . - - .u u . - Cape / _ - 1 ) r Horn . Now , after a voyage filled with danger and dissension , , . 'p p ' she hadreached had reached her objectivei objectiveOn objective i On board her was a strangely-assorted strangely assorted str.angely-assorted str.angelyassorted str.angely . - companyof company ofmen of men vv \ who ho hoY Y had come on an important mission n115SlOn . Here on the distant shores shoresof shoresof shores4 shores4of of the Pacific theywere they were about to establish the westernmost outpost outpost out- out outpost - < post In the far-flung far flung - empire of fur which \ w \ hich hlch John Jacob Astor , merchantprince nlerchantprince mcr- mcr mer- mer nler- nler mcrchantprince - chant-prince chant prince - - of New York , was building butldmg throughout NorthAmerica North America party men .already already already'gone . i iA 'gone gone ' . gone ashore andwhen and when the Tonquin Tonquin Ton- Ton Tonquin - , , quin came tQ tp anchor , she was"saluted was was"saluted "saluted saluted " "salutedwith ffsalutedwith "saluted saluted ffsaluted " with three volleys ofmusketry of'I of ofmusketry 'I I 'Imusketry , ' musketry -musketry - and three cheers She SheI Sheit Shereturned it itreturned ! . ( returned the salute with threecheers three threecheers threeI ' I I t cheers and three guns . . " Thus Thuswrites writes writcs Washington Washmgton Irving , . the'Iearhest the 'Iearhest Iearhest ' ' + . ( < earliest chronicler chrol11cler of this incident incident inci- inci incii - " . i dent in American history . He Hecontinues Hecontinues continues : 1 1"All "All All " hands now set to workcutting work ! cutting cuttmg down trees , cleanng clearing cleanngaway clearingaway clearingj clearingjaway cleanngt t away thickets tluckets and marking markmg out outJ outthe outY outthe outythc J Y the place for the residence , storehouse and powder magazine magazine maga- maga magazmc - J magaJ < zine zmc , hichwere whichwere \ which \ hich were to be built oflogs of ofjlogs i barki jlogs Jogs logs andcovered and covered with barkOthers barkOthers bark | ( Others landed the timbers mt inl in- in m- m intended - t ' ' l [ tended for the frame of the thecoasting thecoasting coastmg coasting vesseland vessel and proceeded proceededto proceededIr to put them together , whIle whIleothers whileothers whileothers Ir Irto others prepared prepareda a garden spot spotand ' 1 1and [ andsowed and sowed the seeds ofvanous ofvarious of various vanous 1 1vegetables ( : vegetablestuThe vegetables tuThe . ! "The The " next thought was w.as . to to.fgive to.tgive to'give togive .fgive fgive .tgive tgive . ' a name to the embryolmetropolis embryo lmetropolis { metropolis ; the one that natur- natur naturf naturally natur-ally natur ally - - f : ally suggestedItself suggested Itselfwas itself was that ofCf off of Cf f i ie e erabid e rabid breed who presently com corn comenced cornt corn'enced cornenced ' t enced ended to shout : 'Manifest Manifest ' Des Desyl Desyl Decnyl yl ' By which whJch cryptic utterance utteranceey ey Implied a conviction that DI DIne DIno DIne [ ne no Providence favored the exten extenon extenon extenon , on of the Eagle's Eagles Eaglc's Eaglcs ' ' sway the lengtl length lengthd lengtlid id d breadth of the continent . . We Weve Weye W . ve ye them with us yet " - L'he Lhe 'he he ' story of John Jacob Astor Is Isfamiliar isfamiliar is'amillar isamillar , familiar : ' one to most Americans Amerlcans- Amerlcans Americans- AmericansW AmerlcansW Americansa - a ' W the sixteen year i ear e'lr elr ' old son of n a ntcher ateher atchcr tcher teher In Inaldorf 11 \\aldorf aldorf \ \ aldort aldorf , , G Germany .rmany rmany < . , left leftme leftme leflme me in 1770 Ii7D , and worked worb.ed worbed . In Loun Lon Lou Lonn Loua n a for four years before be he hnll had hnllugh hadugh hacough ugh money to buy a steerage toItitnore t.Itltnore tItltnore to toItlrnore ' > . Itlrnore Ititnore ; hohe how ho\\ ho ltow \ he 1m Invested estcd thl the thet thit ' ( t of 01 ' his money moner , . after paylne paying hh hbn hbnsage hitusage > . sage . , In .cven cven f.even feven ieven . . flutes utes , from thl the thle . tinlo e 0 hyfoundnUon layfoundation of wlilch which he expected to h\y h y lay In \ ; B foundation foundnUon of or his fortune In Innew innew lie new country : ; , how the vc&se vcse vessel V vesselt & 8l'1 8l1 ' . t . t was delayed by Ice In Chesapeakp Chesapeake Chesapeakpbay Chesapeakebay Chesapeakebay bay for several weeks wceks and young youngAstor youngAstor youngAstor Astor lmpro\ lmpro Improved lmproed \ ed the time by talkInl talking talkingwith talkingwith : wItb with a countryman , who was In the thefur thefur thefur fur business , and learning all nU about aboutthat aboutthat aboutthat that Important Industry . Arriving In New York Astor be became became became came a clerk for a fur dealer . . After Aftera a while whl1e he VI was as sent seat Into the Iro Iroquois Iroquoin Iroquols quois quoin country to buv buy from the In Indians Indeans Indians dians deans , , and soon he was in businessfor business businessfor businessfor for himself , . first handling musical musicalInstruments musicalinstruments musicalInstruments Instruments , . then musical Instru Instruments instrumeats instniments ments meats and fnrs furs , and finally finany furs fursalone fursalone fursalone alone . . . At first he went on foot footwith , . with a heavy pack on his backcamping back , camping out or living lhlng lying In the lodges lodgesof lodgesof lodgesof of the Indians lie went to Mon Montre'll Montreal Montreal tre'll trell treal ' and from Montreal fo11o\\ fo11o follow fo11ocd followedthe \ cd ed cdthe edthe the fur traders westward , pushing pushingbe pushingbeyond pushingbeyond be beyond ; ' ) ond Lake Superior Into the pml prat pmlde pratrte pralrie de rte country . In the year that Astor sailed s1l1ed from fromJngland fromEngland ] ngland Jngland several of the pllnclp'll pllnclpll pllnclp'llmerchants plancip plincipalmerchants ' tl tlmerchants merchants of Montreal had h'1d h1d ' organ organIzed organIzed organIzed Ized the Northwest company to com corn compete cornpete cornpete pete \ with Ith the powerful Hudson'sBay HudsonsBay Hudson's Hudsons Hudson'sBay Hudson'sBay ' Bay company comp1ny , , . and soon had a vir vlr virtual vlrtual virtual tual monopoly over the fur busl busi buslness business buslness ness In the Great Lakes region regionTheir regionTheir regionTheir Their success encouraged the found foundIng foundlag foundIng Ing lag of other companies and resulted resuU result resuUed resulted ed In the organisation organl7atlon of a new newassociation newassociation newassociation association of British merchants to . . - - - - - ' - - - - . . . , y.yr yyr . . . . , . . , . . , . . .y.k- y.k .y.k yk . .y.k.z.v.a . . . - . - , . . - . . .z.v.a zv.a zva . . . + , . y . t i - I It r V .t t . .tyf 4 yf E Ed d " k > 4 4b 4a 4 , b a I 3 3s s . , l r rI I ' & ' 4- 4 444Xscr " - 44Xscr- 44Xscr 44XscrASTORIA * - ' . . j : , - - " ASTORIA AS IT WAS IN 1813 . t the he projector andsupporter and supporter of ofIf ofthe If Ifhe 1the 1 the he whole enterprise enterpnse It wasaccordingly was wasaccordingly Ilaccordmgly wasIlaccordmgly ( accordingly called cared ASTORIA " . \ r They little dieamed dleamed dteamed how short shortiived shortlived shortUIved lived this " "embryo embryo " metropollsas metropolis metropolls ' ' \\as as was wasto \ waspo asto iived to be nor tliat that history would write writeown writeown writellown | own tlie the Astor project as a 'mag.mificent mag.mificent magmificent 'mag mag 'magr 'mag.nlficent 'magJliflcent ' . .nlficent nlficent Jliflcent . failure failureto to " toIf If It had bad been a aauccess asuccess aSuccess r auccess success the course of American his hisory hisary bistory ory ary miglit mIght have hlue been profoundly af of afected ofected atifectcd ected b bi ) } their labors . . For ror , . [ In n the theords theords theJftords ords of a recent historian hlstonan-Ar hlstonan Ar historian-Ar historian hlstonanArbur historianArhur - Ar.hur Arhur | . bur hur D Howden Ilowden Smith mlth , author of oft ofi ol t i John 'John ' Ja Jacob .ob ob < . Astor-Landlord Astor Landlord Astor - Landlord of ofew ofNew ollew New ew York " ( Lippincott-the Lippincott the Lipplncott-the Lipplncott Lippincolt ) - the slg slgIflcance slgficance sigilflcance Iflcance ficance [ of Astoria AstorLa \ was as this : a " 'There There "There ' r IS a tinge of epic quality qualityj qualitn ) j n the affair , all the more human humanind , nd rid therefore the more Interest Interest"g interestng Interestig "g g ng " , for the failure which dogged It ItJle it it'he ithe . ' Jle he stake v/as v as was / the coastlands of oforth oforth olorth orth America , from the border borders bordersf borderst ; ; f t the Spanish Crown to the flordif fJords fiords fJordsf fiordsf i f Alaska , where Count Baronhoff Baronhoffled Baronhoffled Baronhoruled led for the czar . . Had Astor won wonCanada , , anada would have been barred barredom barredam barrecrom ] om am the Pacific , yd .ind ind jnd . who can say sayhat sayhat sa ; ' fhat hat might have been the resultig result resultng resultnil ng nil effect upon the relations be beteen beseen beween teen seen the United States and theJr their theJrorthern theirorthern theliorthern orthern neighbor ? y \ ' , 'Canada.denicd Canada.denicd Canadadenicd Canadadenied Canada . , denied a western seaport seaportlust , , ust have been urged to closer ties tiesIth tiesith tie ; nth Ith American Industrialism : all the theealth theealth thi/ealth thi ealth / ealth of timber , minerals and agrl- agrl agri- agri agrlulture agriulture agriulture - . ulture that flow t to Vancouver con conIbutlng conibuting conributing Ibutlng ibuting to American prosperity ; a aBroad aS ailroad ; i S lilroad Broad ilroad linking Puget Sound with withlaskathe withlaskathe willlaska i laska-the laska the limitss laska-the laska the - the possibilities are limit limitIS ss IS s and fruitless to discuss For Forator Forstar Fo r ator star tor didn't didnt ' win win"But win"But winf"But winfBut despitee "But But " even In falling failing , and despite despiteerrors despitie s e errora errors of his ht course , he estat estab estabahed estabshed ahed shed hed the American title to Ore Oreon Oreon Or Oron < on and its hinterland , . and so helped helpedure helpedd hetpcpcurc d ure an empire sufficiently sufflcJently ample amplesatisfy ampi ) . satisfy most Americans except t e exploit eeploit lolt the region south of the Great GreatL11 GreatLakes GreatLakes L11 Lakes es , an almost untapped reser reservoIr reservoir reservoir voIr of wealth In peltries peltrles . . . The prln prlncipal prlncipal principal cipal post or "factor factor "factory factory " ) ' , of this com corn company cornpany cornpany pany was historic Mlchlllimackinac 1Wchillirnackinac Michllllmacklnacfrom , . from \ which blch place the necomp'lny ne\v ne v ne\\ new \ \ comp'lny complny company comp'lnytook companytook companytook ' took Its name of the Macklna\\ Macklna Mackinaw Macklnacompany Mackinawcompany Macklnawcompany MacklnawcompanyIn \ company companyn companyIn ! In n the meantime young Jacob As Astor Astor Astor tor had been Industriously bUild bUildIng building buildIng Ing up his own fur business At Atfirst Atfirst Atlirst first he shipped his furs to Lon London London London don , but uut as soon as he be discoveredthat dlsco\ dlsco discos dlscoereu \ ereu erea ereuthat ereathat that China was a good marl market et for forfine forfine forfine fine peltries peUrles he lie embarked upon a aventure aventure enture venture \ Into the Orient He lle first firstchartered firstchartered firstchartered chartered , . then bought or built bunt ships shipsto shipsto shipsto to carry furs to China and bring bringback bringback bringback back tea until , as he said , he 'had had 'hada ' had hada hada a million dollars afloat aOoat which whlcb rep represented represented represented resented a dozen vessels vesselsto to " \ \ Whenthe \ hen lien henthe lienthe the treaty treatv of 17 1795 J : between GreatBritain GreatBritain Great Britain and America opened up achance achance a chance for direct commercial intercourse In Intercourse ! n ntercourse tercourse bet between " een Canada Can'Illa CanIlla ' and theUnited theUnited the United State Statcb States , Astor embarked .mbarhed mbarhed < . uponthis uponthis upon this trade tr.lde trlde . but soon found hImselfball himselfbalked himself ball balked ed by the power and Influence Influenceof Influenceot ot of the Macklnaw Mackinaw company . "So So " John Jacob Astor , . fur trader , gave place pl1ce to the American rur I'ur Iur rurc.ompany I'urcompany Furcompany ' c.ompany company . , . Incorporated In Ne New Ness " YOlkApril Yoik YOlk Yoib . April 0 , 1SOS 1808 1605 , . " writes his blog biog blographer biograpper blographer rapher rapper , Arthur D lIow Uowden Ilowden en Smith'The Smith'The Smith SmithThe The 'The ' capital of $1,000,000 1000000 $ , , , was entuel entirel en tuel tirel tirelj ) } subscribed by himself , which whichgh whichgives whichgives gives gh es an inkling InkUng of the \ wealth eaIth hehad hehad he had acquired . . . . It Is obvious , toothat toothat too that he still Intended to make his hisbusIness hisbusiness hisbusiness busIness a l : one-man one man - - affair . He had hadr hada a very definite plan In view . . lle'd lled He'd Hed lle'dstretch He'dstretch He'dstretch Hedstretch ' stretch out his chain of posts alongthe alongthe along the Great Lakes La1.es La1es , . to the Mississippias Mhslsslpplas Mhslsslppl Mississippi , as far as St 8t Louis Louts , . running a see sec secand seeond second ond and string strlnl : along the Missouri west west- we westward westward t . - ward to the Rockies Intermediate Intermediateposts Intermediateposts Intermediateposts posts lu III in the tbo mountains would linkthe linkthe link tlie the Missouri chain with a third thirdchaIn thirdchain thirdchain chaIn down the Columbia Uolumbia to thePacific thePacific the Pacific . "I I " . "l.he l.he lhe "ihe ihe " he main distributing and col- col collecting collecting col collecting - lecting center for the eastbound eastboundtrade east bound boundtrade boundtrade trade \ would ould be at St Louis A fort fortat fortat fortat at the mouth of the tbe Columbia CohDllJla Colunibla ! would wouldafford wouldafford wouldaITord afford a haven Im\"en Im "en en \ " for his China ships shipswhich , , which would load there direct foiCanton tor for torCanton forCanton Canton A po post t in the tbe Sandwichllanl1s Sandwichislands Sandwich llanl1sould Islands llanl1s ' ) \ would \\ould ould \ be a stopping placebotb placeboth place placeboth both botb on the \ voyage soage o , } age to Canton and andrrom andfrom from rrom New lork lorb fork . to the Columbia"Ibis Columbia Columbia"Ihls , "Ihls Ihls "Ibis Ibis " 1 ' his was v \ \ a as a grandiose grnndIose sc)1eme sc1eme scjleme |