Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - May 3, 1920, Winnipeg, Manitoba 6 Manitoba free press Winnipeg monday May 1670 the Story of the Hudson s Bay company spirit of Romance has Ever been associated with the company of adventurers which two and half Cen Turies ago was Given title to a territory larger than the continent of trading corporation had its beginning when King Charles second ust ened to amazing life Story of Radisson a Young Frenchman from the new Bay posts today As in time of Rupert Mark outposts of Empire written for the free press by prof. W. T. Allison. T ittle that is Good has been recorded of the character or life of Charles the second of eng land. During the Long years of his exile in France he fell into Idle and dissolute habits and in 1660, when he regained the throne of his fathers his Puritan subjects viewed with extreme Dis favor the Gay doings at Whitehall the French plays the French fashions the French companions favored by the merry Monarch. But while historians declare that the importation of follies did much to Debauch English society during the restoration period it is almost certain that if Charles ii. Had not been As much French As English in speech and temperament the Hud son s Bay company would not now be celebrating its 250th anniversary. If the Gay Monarch had not been Able to speak French and if he had not a flair for Romance the great company of gentleman. Adventurers whose operations in the new world added to the British Empire a Terri tory larger than that of Europe might never have been formed. Prince Lupert has always been Given credit for the inception of this vast Enterprise but recent research tends to show that it i was the King rather than his dashing Cavalier Cousin who gave the first impetus to the daring j scheme which to be successful beyond the dreams of a Jarice. Two canadians visit King Charles. If King Charles had not been fond of French gallants and had not been Able to speak French like a native is it Likely that he would have interested Hii self in two Canadian explorers who visited him at Oxford Early in 1g66? the great plague Waji then ravaging London and the King a fugitive from the stricken City was having a Dull time of lit in the University town. The Coin ing of Young Pierre Esprit Radisson and his Middle aged companion and brother in Law Houart Des grosses liners with their Story of Long years of adventure in trapping and trading with the indians of Canada and their assurances that vast fortunes could easily be won by engaging in the fur in the Hudson Bay Region must have been a Welcome diversion to the jaded King. Charles listened spellbound to the animated French of Young Radisson As he related the amazing Story of his life. He told the King that when lie was sixteen years old he was kidnapped by the Iroquois. He was adopted by a Mohawk Squaw lived with the tribe for some time even went on War expeditions with them but eventually escape Al to the dutch settlement of new York. His taste of adventure however made it impossible for him to Settle Down when he regained his Home in three elvers. In his Early twenties he and his brother-iu-1-aw set out for the wilds and penetrated to the upper Mississippi. Going North again they fell in with the Cree indians 031 the shores of Lake Superior and heard them talk of a sea to the North. Later on in the Winter of 1659, he and grosses liners returned to Trade with the Cross. They persuaded a party of five Hun dred warriors to carry them and their enormous cargo of furs to Quebec. The arrival of their Fleet this Rich Harvest of the wilderness exc or the envy and cupidity of the governor of new Franco who forbade them to do further trading unless they would share the profits with him. This embargo upon their Enterprise kept them at Home for four years to rfcs defying the governor s orders they slipped away into the Forest revisited the Western country were guided by the indians far northwards towards Hudso Tibay and a year later returned to three Rivers with another flotilla manned this time by seven Hundred braves. Once More however they were robbed by the unscrupulous governor. Charles pays their Board Bill. J f to was not because King Charles fell any sympathy with these men who had been cheated at. Home and deceived at court when they repaired j looking for Justice and to Hudson Straits. The with Rad i Sou in command was driven in gland by a terrible storm. Tout grosses liners the English sailors called him or. Gooseberry after a had passage through Hudson Straits reached the Southern Shore of Liay in August 156s. They beached the ship at the Mouth of a River 1 they named Rupert. They built several log huts and a Palisade and named these Winter quarters tort Charles in Honor of their Royal Patron. All that Winter or. Goose Pierry made Snowshoe expeditions into the Interior where he found the in plans and invited them to brins their Jurs to the fort in the Spring. When Winter was Over a Fine season of so. That the English Commerce of All those seas Straits Lime to come. The King was not the kind of person to disappoint his friends. Accor Klingly on May 2, 1gto, to put his hand and Seal to the fam Ous charter which was to establish a Feudal system of government Over the Empire of the North and to con Fer absolute commercial and political rights upon a Small band courtiers. Who sanguine As they were could not have dreamed they were found ins. a. Speculation a mighty organization which was to continue with unabated vigor through Long centuries of Success. The charter of abundant Grace. The Long and honorable history of this famous company which still de lights to Call itself by its first name Tho governor and company oif adventurers of England trading into Hudson s causes us on this anniversary occasion read Tho some what a quaint and very phrases of this Royal document with an interest which it never have inspired in tha Good citizens of Lon Don in the year 1670 the charter signed by King Charles of our am ple and abundant Grace certain know ledge and Mere granted to the gentlemen adventurers and their successors the we j Trade and other Christian of this re Gifu they were to be and absolute this Sovereign lordship gave them monopoly of Trade and settlement the right to appoint local governors with the despotic Power of Kings the right to extend their pos sessions indefinitely the right to build forts to use firearms to pass Laws and to punish Law Breakers. Perhaps the most remarkable of All these sweeping Powers was the right to make War against other Prince or people whatsoever that Are not for the Benefit of the said company Ana their Trade. For would Combine against him and his score of. Mutinous sailors. Radisson was in a tight place but not for the first time in his adventurous career. To was full of guile and Fertile in stratagems. Lighting a big Bonfire further up the coast of the Bay such a fire As indians built to signal an English vessel that they desired to Trade Radisson was delighted to see that the company s big ship was making for the Shore just where he wanted it to cast Anchor. Next morn ing he boldly visited the new govern or of the company on Board the ship also old Zechariah Gillani who Hap these truly Royal favors which hand i Frozen another amusing re famous colonizer ply of sack and Claret. Prising that we find duo ordered to bespeaks a cask of can opened to be the Captain and informed Ary for be governor or a hog ahead of Claret for be captains sailing from Gravesend to whom be committee i wished a god Speed a Good wind and a Faire handsome presents were also at annual meetings in years when Beaver skins were plentiful. Silver tankards sold plate purses of cold Saver Stock Ings and cat skin counterpane Fig ure in the minutes As gifts to personages at court who performed poli tical services that were appreciated by Tho company. It must also be Sata to the credit of the gentlemen adventurers that they were usually Erous in their treatment of those who took such great chances for them on the High seas and in the Frozen wild erness. Frequently a Bounty of was ordered to a Captain or a Gover nor. Even the humblest servants were Given , the most comi Cal entry of All being the Consolation prize of smart Money for a that Radisson had committed a Gross of Fence by taking the englishmen prisoners. He promptly released them confiscated the big cargo of furs and insisted that Radisson and Gros seilers should report their outrageous conduct to Colbert the prime minister an Paris. Robbed once More by their own countrymen the two adventurers crossed the sea to plead with Colbert not to ruin them. But when they arrived in Paris in 16s4, they found that their Friend was dead and the French King though secretly applauding their action did not dare Reward them for fear of offending England. It is not there fore that Groa Seillier retired to Xis Little farm Rivers having forsworn ail further ruinous fur trading. Nor is it to be wondered at that when eel Over to the company a title to a territory which extended from Alaska to Mexico and from the great lakes to the coast and North to the pole All that the gentlemen adventurers had to give in return was a Promise t pay As Token of allegiance to the King whenever he pleased to enter Rupert s land As these wide Domini Oha were called two. Elks and two Black we have a shrewd suspicion however that his. Gracious majesty had Lively Hope. Of receiving year after year a tidy share of the Large profits accruing to Cousin Rupert and Brothel James who were As a matter of fact the first Gover nors of this exclusive company. Such was the origin of the famous Hudson s Bay company. Ward is registered in this order to j Jan Batiste Larlee a Peri wig to keep him the company s gratitude for faithful service was also expressed in pensions to wives. Sisters or children of its dead heroes and when an. Officer died while on Shore leave in London he was sure of a handsome funeral As is de in such an entry As this neral by torchlight and linemen to Saint Paul s churchyard company and Crew in attendance tit motto of the company pro Pelle for not carry a suggestion of amiability but no one can read the Story of the great without being impressed with the kindness and consideration shown not Only to the in up by the raging sea. However succeeded in d a Iberville. J getting Iii men safely to Shore and aided by the Crews of other French men of War which arrived a few Days later. Succeeded in besieging and capturing j fort Nelson. As a result of d bib Irr 1 Ville s Little War in the North Albany was the Only fort left ill Possession of the Hudson s Bay. Company at the signing of the treaty of Rys Wilc in 1637. Sovereign Powers of company renewed. As for the English company the shareholders were heavily in Zebi. J Stock had fallen away below Par i dividends had become things of the i to rate past. But their disasters server them in Good Stead in at least one respect. When the revolution took place and William Iii. Came to the English throne the House of commons de Bay company tempted him in Paris. Ter prising if he had Power of France in that part of the i pit Asa Wiiest duty i of r world. As a measure of Security i servants. Strict Yas lord Selkirk. Hudson s Bay shareholder founded the Selkirk settlement now Winnipeg. To declare War against them in Orde to convince them that they could not do without him. From this time for Ward he remained Loyal to the eng Lish company and died in its service. It is interesting to note that when he was at Home in London he lived in Seething Lane two doors from Sam Uel Pepys and it was among the papers of the famous diarist that Radisson s journal of his first Voy age was found two. Hundred years after his death. Co Reurs Des Bois raid company s. Forts. It was in 10s5 that the first blood was spilled in the struggle Between English and French on Hudson Bay. One of the. Company s ships was scuttled off Digges Island in july of that year. Fourteen of the Crew were Bayona Ted to death and the rest were off to be thrown into the Dun aeons a Quebec. Hostilities were j begun in Earnest however by the Chevalier de troyes and the Lej Ioyne. Who conducted an Overland raid against the. Hudson s who i Bay company forts in 16s8. One of therefore the old charter with a 11 its sweeping clauses was Conlis Mert unil the directors of the company rejoiced in lease of Sovereign Power. The paddlers and the patroons for Over half of the eighteenth Century the Hudson s by company enjoyed peaceful Rule Over All the North. With the Excog Tion of one Navai raid by Admiral la Perouse in 1782 the of was never heard at any Churchill to Severn House. Early in j the Century the company had. At cd j with eighteen the South panic 0-. Bans with thirty men Chni Miles up the House of s River Moose hesitate a moment but cleared his decks for action and manned his guns t aside therefore from the visit of for the desperate struggle. In the younp1 Henry Kelsey with returning hot action that ensued d a Iberville j Assiniboine to Manitoba and sask at lost ninety men. But he Sank one i Chowan in am the adventurous in 1704 of Anthony Heni iry to the third was obliged to flee to the he used Deer and the Western reaches Romance is in every detail of this Prospect. From the site Oid fort a our Lus Point Douglas of present c. P. R. The Reader gazes South Down the red is it 70 or. Lii Distant loft can be seen the famous turrets Twain of old St. Boniface Cathedral destroyed 1-iy tin in logo. In Tho Central fore ground is the Brid Geless River. On the Rig fit up on the Bank is fort Garry. Hudson s Bay company were the a shelter of the guns of Kelson which i of the blackfeet the company Chiron no i explorations until after Tjie com Niest of Canada. Xot until Sam iir-1 who Hus Beni called the m Ungo pork of on ing the Battle and was soon broken his journey to the Atha . I Region and uie Coppermine in Tiu Rozaily my area from its to Iii period of lethargy be tiie i its guns on t in daily routine of a trading Post before chronicling the cause its sudden Awakening it might be to Laiu cat the extent and character 01 the company s Trade at the close of period of undisputed sovereignty of the North. Andrew Gra Ham 1 or Many years a Factor in company s service wrote a Clear and account of the posts of 1771. Churchill a which mounted forty two Cannon and with a chief Factor ;