Spokane's Citizens Buy Themselves a Road to the Gold Fields

When the suggestion was first mooted that the people of this city should combine together and form a joint stock company for the purpose of putting on a line of stages and freight wagons between the Falls and the mines, and that the capital required to carry out the project would amount to $20,000, many made light of the proposition and thought the sum never could be secured.

But they were ignorant of the spirit that animates the Spokanite when once aroused. We never had the good fortune to live in a community where liberality and a willingness to contribute to objects having for their purpose the promotion of the public good stood out so prominently. During the past twelve months businessmen have been sorely taxed to meet the draft upon them for financial aid in fostering projects that were not on foot to hazard in some important scheme destined to work to the interest of the community as a whole, still they have never murmured.

That the broad thought cast upon the waters, so to speak, has recalled many told, no one can deny, and we consider that the good to come out of the last venture will be of a kind that will recompense the public many times. It became evident that something had to be done, and that promptly, to provide transportation for the many hundreds of people about to flock here who would stop here on their way to the mines, and also a means for putting the ton of goods purchased in the city directly into the control of the population at the new camp. If effort were not put forth this travel would drift elsewhere. Our citizens recognized the fact and have made themselves masters of the situation. In response to the first call for a public meeting it was readily apparent from the ring of the speeches made, many of them rich in profanity and fragment, that the people were in earnest and meant to take hold with a will and vim of purpose.

Well, the meeting was held, and hot with the desire to accomplish something worthy of the city, a Board of Trade sprung into existence. At the same opportune moment, when the charter members of that important organization were ripe for anything that promised to fix a way for securing a means of bringing the Falls prominently before the world as the point adjacent to the mines from whence that attractive route could be easily and cheaply reached, it was proposed that a joint stock company should be formed, the capital to be $20,000, represented by 100 shares at $200 each. The proposition met with universal favor and approbation. On the moment a paper was drawn up, and in fifteen minutes one-fourth of the desired sum was signed for. A committee was appointed to solicit subscriptions and a meeting of the stockholders was called for last Saturday night.

On that evening the shareholders met in Cannon's Hall, electing J. N. Glover chairman and H. C. Hayward secretary. At that time all the shares excepting 32 had been taken, and before proceeding to business the books were cleared up entirely. The meeting then proceeded to elect a Board of Directors to consist of nine members. The ballot resulted in the following choice: J. Glover, A. M. Cannon, H. Taylor, Jr., Geo. T. Crane, B. Gove, Chas. Sweeney, F. R. Moore, J. J. Browne and Dr. J. E. Gandy. At the first meeting of the Board of Directors the following officers were chosen: President, J. N. Glover; Vice President, J. J. Browne; Superintendent, D. M. Drumheller; Secretary, T. C. Griffiths. Articles of incorporation have been drawn up, submitted and adopted.

At a meeting of the Directors held Monday evening the President was instructed to proceed to Helena for the purpose of purchasing two Concord coaches to run on the route, and others will be added as the travel increases. It is estimated to have everything in working order and the vehicles making trips next week.

The value at this time is beyond computation. Before the formation of the company there was no certainty of making the trips between here and the mines. While Spokane Falls may be said to hold the key to the mining district, yet there has been no definite arrangements made beyond the pack train for carrying goods in from here, and as parties going to the gold fields are always desirous of taking the most expeditious route there can be no doubt that the bulk of the travel would have taken another route. But that drawback has been removed by the prompt action of our citizens, and parties from abroad will find accommodations at this place that cannot be met with elsewhere. There need be no fear that the charges made by the new transportation company will be excessive. Every stockholder is a resident of the Falls, and the list embraces our most substantial and leading citizens. There was no thought of making money off of the investment, and we doubt if a single individual subscribed for a dollar's worth of stock with the expectation of receiving a particle of return in the shape of dividends. The company was organized for the sole purpose of supplying a public want that might be made to pay mining capitalists. People are not invited to take this route for the mere hope of making a fortune by 'ringing' them on fares and freights. It is not an individual experiment entered into with the aim of money making, taking advantage of every opportunity presented, and carrying the company to win popularity so that when once patronized the patron will never look elsewhere for a route over which to travel.