The Seattle Grocer Who Died Chasing Central American Trade

The news of the terrible loss of life by the foundering of the steamer Colima is of mournful interest to many citizens of Seattle, because among the lost was J. E. Chilberg, one of the best-known, most popular and most energetic young business men of the city, who was just opening what promised to be a lucrative trade between the city and Central America. The sailing of the barkentine Eureka for Acajutla with a miscellaneous cargo was the initial step in this direction.

The Eureka left this port May 12 for South America, in charge of Capt. Paulson, and the following day Mr. Chilberg departed on the Umatilla for San Francisco, from which port he sailed on the Colima May 19. Before leaving he wrote a letter to Mrs. Chilberg in this city, in which he told of his intended departure, and stated that by reason of the vessel stopping at several way ports it was expected that about twenty days would be consumed in making the trip. The Eureka was expected to reach Salvador eight or ten days later.

Mr. Chilberg came to this city from his native state, Iowa, when a child. He attended the old Central school here, and afterwards entered the University of Michigan, paying his way by setting type on the old Intelligencer. He would have graduated with the scientific class of 1883, but dropped out and entered the grocery business with his father, Nelson Chilberg, in this city. They were in the old Reinig building, on Front street, for a time, but afterwards rented a portion of what is now the Union block and formed a corporation, taking in among others C. G. Perkins and N. H. Latimer. The business flourished until the great fire, when it went up in smoke. They had failed shortly before to renew the insurance of the stock, and as a result lost that much. The corporation went out of business, and Mr. Chilberg, encouraged by the financial assistance of friends, went into the wholesale grocery business. He closed that out a year and a half later, but kept up a flour business. He organized at the same time the Seattle Crockery Company, which had quarters in the Noyes block, on Front street, but later resigned as its manager and devoted all of his time to looking after his flour business. In the early part of the year he became bookkeeper at the city water works office, and in March of the same year resigned and went to Central America to see what he could do in a business way.

He long had had an idea that Seattle should enjoy some of the great trade of that country, and had endeavored to establish relations when he was in the flour business. Mr. Chilberg stopped in Guatemala, and met many of the leading business men of Central America, who said that, if properly looked after, a good business could be created between that country and Puget sound, and as evidence of their sincerity gave him orders for several thousand barrels of Washington flour, as against California flour, which at that time controlled the Central American market.

Mr. Chilberg interested several capitalists in other American schemes — for instance, equipping the mule street cars with electricity and introducing the incandescent electric light in Central American cities, and secured their promises to aid in the establishment of a flour mill so that the heavy duty on flour could be saved. On his return to Seattle he reported the result of his trip to the C. C. Milling Company and the Washington Water and Electric Power Company, both of Spokane, who promised to take hold of the proposition. They went so far as to get figures and plans and make some arrangements for entering into the work. The Guatemala government took favorably to the propositions and gave Mr. Chilberg valuable concessions, which would have enabled him to carry his plans into successful execution had it not been for the panic and financial crisis which struck the city about that time.

In the middle of June, 1896, Mr. Chilberg, accompanied by his wife, returned to Central America as the representative of the C. C. Milling Company. He received several thousand barrels of flour from the mill on each steamer. Mr. Chilberg was working up a fine trade and meeting with great success when news came from the C. C. Milling Company that it would have to suspend operations for some time so as to introduce improved machinery in the mills and that no more flour could be shipped. Mr. Chilberg cabled to Seattle and had a large cargo of potatoes sent to Central America, which he sold at a handsome price per 100 pounds, they being regarded in that country as a luxury.

Not satisfied to do business on a small scale, Mr. Chilberg returned to Seattle, determined if possible to establish permanent business relations between the Sound and Central America by means of a line of steamers or sailing vessels. His hope on several occasions seemed about to be realized, for he went so far at one time as to open negotiations for the purchase of a British tramp steamer which could carry heavy cargoes and consume little fuel. The stringency in the money market balked his plans, and he finally arranged to have the barkentine Eureka loaded with a mixed cargo for San Salvador. The cargo consisted of lumber from the Stimson Mill Company of Ballard, flour from the C. C. Milling Co., lime from the Roche Harbor Lime Company, and other small consignments from the Seattle Brewing and Malting Company, Calhoun & Co., Stomr Co. and Whetter, Fuller & Co.

Mr. Chilberg's prospects for the success of the present trial were very flattering, inasmuch as prices have generally advanced throughout the country on the commodities which he had aboard the Eureka.

Mr. Chilberg was married in December, 1888, to Miss Anna M. Rinehart, daughter of W. V. Rinehart.

A. J. Sutherland, a carpenter by trade, who had been living at the Seattle Central hotel, was the only other Seattle passenger aboard the Colima, and according to the press dispatches he was saved. Sutherland made up his mind to go to Central America after a conversation he had concerning the country with Mr. Chilberg the day before the Umatilla left for San Francisco. Mr. Chilberg told Sutherland that Central America was a splendid country in which to locate, and the latter went with him next day.

U. H. Griffith of this city was probably the last Seattle person who saw Mr. Chilberg before he sailed on the Colima. Mr. Griffith was in San Francisco when the Colima left port and had a talk with him.