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Show FRENCH THE FIRST PIONEERS IN THE FUR INDUS-THY INDUS-THY IN AMERICA. As Fnr,IJack is IG27 One of Thnt Knee Began Dealing with the Indians Bitter Contests Over Territory. . In 1G27 a Frenchman named Du Pont sot up a little trading post at the Junction Junc-tion of the Snguenay liver with the St. Lawrence. He sold his merchandise to the Indians and took his pay In furs. A few years later tho French Fur company was organized. In 1CG1 two employes were sent to tho shores of the Hudson bay and from there to Lnko Superior and Uiko Winnipeg. They reported fur-bcarlng animals In abundance, but their employers were not Impressed by the business possibilities possi-bilities of the enterprise which they suggested. They went to Boston, where they aroused Interest, but were unable to raise funds. They went to England and then to France. After three or four years of effort thoy were brought Into contact with I'rlnco Rupert, who agreed to finance a preliminary expedition. expedi-tion. In 1CC8 a little vessel of BO tons, named the Nonsuch, left Kngland for "parts unknown." Tho expedition passed the winter In Hudson bay and returned to Kngland In the summer of 1GCD with a full cargo. Early In 1C70 King Charles 11 granted grant-ed to I'rlnco Rupert and 17 others a charter as the "Governor and Company of Adventurers Trailing into Hudson Day," with sole rights to trade in fish, whales, timber, minerals, furs and numerous other things throughout all tho territory tributary to Hudson bay. Tho name of Rupert's Landwas given to the district, nnd although this title was long since dropped officially it Is still heard and tho Church of England still has a bishop of Rupert's Land. Tho company was practically authorized author-ized to establish and maintain a government gov-ernment throughout a territory of hundreds hun-dreds of thousands of square miles In extent. This was held until Its transfer trans-fer to tho dominion government In 1SG9, In consideration of $1,500,000 and tho reservation to the company of certain cer-tain lands and privileges. If the right man could have access to the records, the legends nnd thi camp firo tales of thN icmarkable Institution a scries of books might bo written which by comparison would mako tho Leatherstocklng tales seem almost insipid in-sipid and Mayno Hold's stories almost tedious. Many a lady's muff has cost n man's life nnd many n collar has been sent to market at tho price of suffering nnd danger. In 1783 a charter was obtained by the Northwest Fur company of Montreal on the ground of a claim that It was the legal successor of tho old French company. For nearly 40 years a bitter nnd often bloody contest wns maintained main-tained between this nnd tho old company. com-pany. In 1S1C tho slto of tho present city of Winnipeg wns tho scene of a pitched battle. Tho two companies wero consolidated In 1821. because both were convinced that a continuance of such hostilities meant ruin to both. Tho Hudson's Hay company has been one of tho most Important ndvance guards of civilization on this continent. con-tinent. Around many of tho forts and ports from which tho hardy and courageous cour-ageous "vo: geurs" nnd "coureurs do bols" brought tho bales of pelts by dos sled and canoe there have grown up prosperous towns and cities. Victoria, Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton were originally trading posts of this company. About 25 years ago the company put stenmboats on the Sasknt-hewan and the Mackenzie. Hut even now It has stations In tho fnr north, where mall Is received only onco a year. York Factory, established alio'- 1070, and Fort Churchill, both on the western shore of Hudson bny, w''l some day be thriving cities, shlppt points for millions of bushels of g. l and thousands thou-sands of cattlo by direct steamer lines to Europe. l |