Others
soon began to arrive and before evening a goodly number of those expected were
present. They were closeted in the room until late Tuesday night, again all day
Wednesday and until after midnight Wednesday night, the result being the
organization of the company with a capital stock of $50,000 with the
determination to have built a combined transportation and dredge boat with which
to go up the Yukon and its tributaries in Alaska and dredge the rivers for the
gold deposited in the basin of these rivers. The company is to be known as the
Missouri * Alaska Dredging Co., and is to consist of twenty-five men, the stock
to be divided into 500 shares of $100 each.
Capt.
D. C. Basey of Brunswick arrived Wednesday. Capt. Basey is the promoter of the
scheme to dredge the gold bearing water ways of Alaska, and although six other
companies to wit, two in Chicago, two in St. Louis and two in Seattle have been
organized with the same object in view. Capt. Basey is the originator of the
scheme and those companies have been organized since Capt. Basey first began to
talk of his ideas and place them before the public., so that it may be truly
said the other companies have stolen his thunder.
The
company, which was organized in this city Wednesday night, conforming to the
ideas promulgated by Capt. Basey, expects to have built especially for a steamer
100 foot long and with a 26 foot bean, with a capacity of 125 tons easily. This
steamer will be built so as to be suitable for transportation of passengers and
freight and provided with dredging machinery with which to dredge the Yukon and
its tributaries. This boat will be built at Seattle, Wash., estimates on the
cost of same already having been secured and the contract about ready to be let.
The dredging machinery with which the vessel is to be equipped, will be built
and furnished by the Missouri Dredging Machinery Co. of Kansas City. The company
also expects to take a large quantity of provisions, etc., to sell and also to
purchase and take with them to these fields, which are also inexhaustibly rich
in timber as well as gold, a saw mill.
The
organization affected is only temporary and to continue until the company is
regularly incorporated, and was made so that business of the company can be
begun at once. The capital stock $50,000 will be ample to have built and
fitted up, and purchase the provisions, etc., to stock the boat and have some
money left in the treasury ready for any emergency that may arise. The boat will
be in Alaska and ready to go up the Yukon by the middle of May, 1898. The
company as organized is composed of Obe. H. Snell, of Middle Grove who was made
chairman; B. G. Webber of Kansas City, Secretary; Dr. J. T. Dewy, DeWitt; W. T.
Uric, Kansas City; Abe Hill, Holliday; G. P. Grimes and Gus Hecker, Madision; T.
G. Bassett, R. O. Osborn and J. B. Davis, Paris; Capt. D. C. Basey, the
projector of the scheme, and James Laughlin, Trainmaster of the Wabash Railroad
Co., both of Brunswick; Dr. G. O. Cuppaidge and G. P. McRoberts, of Moberly; H.
K. Samuels, Chicago; Charles Thompecs, Tulip, and several conductors on the
Wabash railroad who do not wish their names made public at present.
J.
A. Merchat, cashier of the the Chariton & Donaly Exchange bank at Brunswick
was selected as temporary treasurer or recaim and the subscribers are called on
to pay in to him at once ten per cent of the amount the have respectively
subscribed and signed for. The company expects to pay large dividends and will
have two different kinds of stock, one will be what is to be known as treasury
stock, which will be issued to those who wish to take stock, which will be
issued to those who wish to take stock, but do not wish to make the trip, ant
the other will be the active membership stock taken by those who not only are
willing subscribe but who are also willing to go with the company, endure the
hardships and privations of the trip. The company promises to pay thirty-three
and one-third percent of the dividend declared to those holding the treasury
stock, and sixty-six and two-thirds percent of this dividend to the active
membership stockholders. Capt. Basey and his co-workers in this scheme are
greatly encouraged in the work of getting in readiness to reach the Yukon at the
earliest possible moment in the coming spring.