USA > Oregon > Sources of the history of Oregon > Part 10
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WYETH'S OREGON EXPEDITIONS.
which is to be invested in goods to a small amount to take with us by land, camp equipage, wagons, horses, &c, and in vessells and goods to be sent out to us so as to arrive there within a few months after us. Each man will be required to furnish his own equipments and pay his passage as far as Franklin in Missouri which will amount to 405 and the surplus to be paid for him from the capital if it amts. to more. In case any very good men apply to you you can engage them on these terms especially Coopers, Blacksmiths, Founders, and ingenious persons of any trade but having nothing to do with any persons who are not industrious and temperate men and of good constitutions and peacible dis- positions, and in case you engage any their equipments will be brough[t] on with me to Balto. where they can meet us at the same time as yourself by equipments I mean arms and clothing They may therefore come as scantily provided for clothes as pos- sible with the exception of a great coat which should be ample in order to sleep in it. We may be expected to arrive in Balto. by the roth March but when I leave Boston I will advise you more particularly In the mean time please write and give me any par- ticulars which may transpire.
I remain &c N. J. W. XXI. Cambridge Jany 18th 1832
Broth. Jacob
Your favor of 6th inst. is at hand enc[1]osing a draft on C. Wyeth for $600. Of this sum so much will be spent as is requisite for surgical instruments, medicines, your own equipments and cloths and travelling expences as far as St. Louis. The residue will be left in Charles hands at interest and for your benefit or if used by me int. at 6 per ct will be paid you. Your 2 shares are for your professional services and also for all other services which you may render the Co. in any shape for you will be required to do all and everything for the common benefit. If you persist in returning befor[e] the 5 years expire there will be ample opportunity by means of our vessells but you will loose your share of profits during the time that you are ab- sent from duty
Ys. &c N. J. W. XXII. Cambridge Jany 23d 1832
Capt Dixie Wildes
(Boston)
Dear Sir Having examined your proposition I have-satisfied myself that to enter into an arrangement on these terms would be to ruin myself and injure every one concerned in the undertaking and to deprive you of that eventual profit to which you should look as the reward for engaging in the undertaking and incurring
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its risques. In regard to risks I have to say that all you in- cur is merely the risk that the goods which you send out to me to be used on a particular part of the coast may be unsuitable for the general trade of the Coast. So far as this is likely to happen you run some risk, but this is the only risk you incur as all the other risques are insured against at our cost. Even if we should never arrive on that coast your vessell would have the same chance of making a good voyage that she would have if ex- pressly fitted out for a N. W. Coast voyage with the exception of the risk above stated which as you have the selection of the cargo need not be great.
With regard to the items of proposition I have to say that it is not my wish to assume specific sums as the cost of the voyage and then cast you[r] per centage on them. For instance you as- sume that the vessell will cost Sooo$. Now altho. this is about what a vessell of 160 Tons might cost yet it is probably not the exact sum. Insurance at 4 per cent may or may not be the exact sum paid and 18 months will not be the exact length of the voyage and thus of all the other items. My intention was to propose to you to find vessell and cargo and to agree upon a certain per cent upon their actual cost as your profits in the buis- ness. And as far as goods and cost of sailing are concerned in- cluding insurance and interest at the legal rate there would be no dificulty but for the vessell some other arrangement must be made. I would propose that a certain per cent on her actual cost be agreed upon and the amt. of this per ct. be considered as the cost of her use or charter and on this sum your per centage of profit cast, and making the per ct. on her cost sufficiently great to cover insurance wear &c. In short my object is to arrive at the actual cost of everything and pay a certain per cent of profit on it to those who will furnish me with the accommodations which I am in need of to carry on this buisness. There is a natural impos- sibility in my complying with the terms of your proposition, you ask at least 12000$ profit for the first voyage which is in itself as much nett profit as the best voyages have given when no larger an amount of capital was used. In your recent voyage 2 vessells and 12000$ worth of available goods and 2% years time was consumed and about 18000$ made whether including int. and insurance or not I do not know but supposing that that amt. was including these items there would have been not a dollar re- maining after paying you 50 per cent on 18 mos. The ex- pences of the voyage were about 18000$ as I understood you and would have been 20000$ had you not bought your vessells when they were low and sold them when they were high if you had had 50 per cent on the disbursements of that voyage for 18 mos and in proportion for the extra time it would have amounted to 16000$ and more.
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WYETH'S OREGON EXPEDITIONS.
You have estimated that the product of our first voyage would be 40000$. This would be more than I think would be be real- ized but allowing that this sum should be realized from the 4000$ worth of goods which I shall take with me. The arming and equiping of 28 men and their time and the disbursements con- tained in your proposition and your 50 per ct. Let us cast all these up and see what each one would get. In doing this we will take first those items which must be paid in any event viz.
The estimates of your proposition and 50 per ct. 29885$
Disbursements by myself. 4000
Int. on same 18 months. 360
Arms and traveling expenses out for 28 men a 755. 2100
Wages for men a 5$ per month 2520
Which deduct from 40000$ $38865
There remains profit to us II35
To be divided among 28 persons which would leave me who have 16 pr ct of the nett profits about 200$ for 18 months.
In your first proposition your estimates of the disbursements of the voyage were about the same, and of the product about the same and according to that the profit would have been 20000$ 011 which you asked 25 per cent as your profit this would be 5000$. In this you ask almost 100005.
It is undoubtedly the interest of both parties to give the other a good chance. If you have all the profits, I should very soon be unwilling or unable to carry on the buisness. If I should get more than my due proportion you would not continue the buisness and whether the one or the other happened both parties would be the loosers by it in as much as the buisness must be discontinued whereas if the profit should be more equally divided the buisness would be carried on for a long time to a mutual ad- vantage. I think that you would do well to consider that in case the buisness is good to all concerned it may be extended to almost any amount and your profits 5 years hence may possi- bly be cast on 200000$[?] yearly. To the great increase of the buisness I think that you may fairly look for your increased prof- its. I do not think that in employing only one vessell you could make as much as in the ordinary course of the trade but in the common method it is difficult to extend with advantage in this way an unlimited extension of the buisness may be safely attempted.
I am in hopes that you will alter your proposition as it is abso- lutely impossible for me to accept this. It would be far better for me to go out without any arrangement. I could in that case in one year gain the required experience, and product of the goods which I carried out would if shipped homeas well might be done in almost any of the vessells which go there, for they return
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but partly filled, produce the requisite capital. At the end of the first voyage I should have collected here all the capital which I should want and should have gained all the requisite experience for directing it. You cannot but see how much better this would be for us than to make an arrangement on your terms which would bind us during the whole 5 years to pay for the capital and ex- perience which we only want for the first voyage almost the whole of all the profits we could make even in case of the great- est success.
I am however very desirous of coming to an agreement with some one previous to going out and think that I shall be able to do it on terms which will offer a fair chance to all concerned. I am particularly desirous of making it with some one already in the trade. I beg that you will reconsider this ground carefully and soon for the time grows short with me and I do not wish to apply to any other persons until all hope of an arrangement with you is at an end.
Wednesday or Thursday next I will call and see you.
Respy &c N. J. W.
XXIII.
Cambridge Jany 23d 1832
Brother Charles (Baltimore)
Your favour of the 16th inst. is at hand. I note what you say of the note of Morton and Co. nevertheless please forward it as at first proposed. Most of my goods must be purchased at St. Louis, which is the great mart of the Indian trade at which I can not only get what articles are wanted but the knowledge requisite for selecting them and there I shall make all my purchases with the exception of a little Iron and Steel which will be got at N. Orleans and the residue of this and other money I shall draw for from St Louis.
If you cannot get a tobacco man please put me up some to- bacco seed sufficient for a considerable crop and have it well dried and soldered up in tin cans. Would it not be well to advertise in some country papers for a man stating generally that he is wanted for a foreign voyage. In this matter do as you think best.
As it regards Jacobs affair it is only requisite that I bring on with me an order from father to pay the ballance of account to me, and I will then take what I have expended for Jacob say 100$, and leave the residue in your hands subject to my draft in case of accident as proposed in my last or to remain as the case may be. The draft as you say can be examined when I am there.
I am well aware of what you say in respect to the number of men I think however there is no danger of being troubled with too many. All the other matters contained in your letter either will or have been attended to. Please in your next write me the names of some of the best mercantile house[s] at St.
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WYETH'S OREGON EXPEDITIONS.
S2]
Louis and if possible procure me letters to them these letters keep but the names send me as soon as possible.
The reveries at the end of your letter are proof that you let that liar and thief "hope" cheat your better senses with idle dreams, the sober truth of life is that man was made to mourn to fight and die at last disapointed and broken hearted
Vr. Aff. Bro. N. J. Wyeth
XXIV. ,
Cambridge Jany 23d 1832
S. K. Livermore Esq. (Milford N. H.) Dear Sir
Your letter of the 20th inst is before me. I beg you to believe that I have used no means to induce Thomas to engage in this undertaking with the exception of the letter which I wrote you on the subject and which I read to him. He heard of the expedition elsewhere and came to me for information. I should conceive it very dishonorable in me to interfere in his
I plans of life otherwise than through his natural guardians. have in this instance rather held forth to his view the dificulties of the enterprise than its inducements. I shall not even now write him on the subject being content to leave the matter to you and him. If he goes he should be here by the 20th Feb. He wants nothing to bring with him but one good suit of cloths which are decent to appear in in the cities through which we pass. The company dress will be made her[e] as also his arms and equipments. No chest is necessary as our baggage wagon will answer that purpose as far as to Franklin, where we take horses and then bags must be used. As few articles of baggage will be carried with us as possible their transportation costs more than their value and they can be purchased any time before leaving the settlements at one of the last of which St. Louis our final arrangements will be made. The bugle of which I spoke to him should be of the plainest kind and the most simple to use and the least liable to get out of repair or broken. It will be used chiefly as a signal for parties at a distance, and sometimes in marching a little music will enliven us. We propose that one should learn it well and then teach all the rest. We shall have as much as ten and to be used alternately so as not to be tedious to any one. I am ut[t]erly ignorant of all kinds and uses of music but have thought that we could march by a number of bugles but if we cannot they will at least do for signals which is in fact their only es[s]ential use. If Thomas will make himself master of the bugle and determines to go please write immediately on the receipt of this, as in case that he does not I must engage some other person to do it. In addition to what I stated to you in my last I will only observe that in case the undertaking should prove unsuc- cesfull it would be abandoned by mutual consent in a much
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shorter period than 5 years and in this case Thomas would come home having a good knowledge of the hardships of life and consequently more willing to put up with its unavoidable priva- tions and disappointments than he now is, and I question wheth- er it would not be as profitable knowledge as he could acquire, for as you say, "there is plenty of buisneas here for which he is suitable" if he can only bring down his mind to its dull routine. But I should be sorry to have him go against the inclinations of his parents not to say their positive disapprobation in which lat- [t]er case he certainly should not go with me. In case he should go I will comply with your desire in regard to religion. It is a subject which in a peculiar sense rests with each one and his ma- ker, and if I have sometimes agitated the subject with you, it has been more to test and correct if possible my own views of the matter, than any hope of proselitismor which I am not desirous.
I beg to be remembered to your good lady and children and wish them all kinds of happiness.
Yr Aff. Neph. N. J. Wyeth XXV.
Cambridge Jany. 27th 1832
Mr. I. P. Hughs
Sir Your letter of 19th inst. is at hand. As to dificulties in the undertaking each man must judge for himself and also what his prospect of gain. What my own opinion is on the subject may be judged of by my giving up for it a salary of I200 per year and a buisness that brought me as much more. My own opinion of this thing must be good or I am an arrant fool. To say more on this head would be useless. Examine for your- self, look about in Boston and see how many independent fortunes have been made in this buisness. As to giving you every partic- ular of this buisness it is quite impossible. Two days would not suffice to write such a letter. The outlines I have given you. As to Capital as much will be invested as I deem requisite and 110 more and what is invested will be in outfits say 4000$, these we will take with us across the land, then a vessell to leave here and arrive there near the time that we do Cost of sailing there and back 5000$, goods sent out by her $Sooo these amts. are the smallest sums that will be invested. And I shall increase them as I think proper in the course of buisness. The conditions of my furnishing this and all capital which I deem requisite are my receiving 16 per cent of the nett profits. The surgeon will have + per cent and each person will have. 134 per cent or nearly these different shares make 102 per cent and as there can be but 100 the 2 per ct will come out of the 48 shares which amts. to less than 1-50 of I per cent deduction from each mans share. The amt. of all is that each man gets as near as possible of 8-10 of a full and equal division of the profits and the other 2-10 go to pay
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WYETH'S OREGON EXPEDITIONS.
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me for my services as head of the Co. and to furnish Capital and Surgeon. I am to be sole director of the movements of the Co. and its agent in all transactions of buisness. I will come un- der no bonds to the Co. Conceiving that the fact of my carrying out with us 4000$ is bond enough because if I do not send the rest this would be all lost. The reason of the case will shew that if a bond is necessary anywhere it is from the men to me, that they shall not after my property is invested in this thing desert me which would occasion a sacrifice of all I am worth but I ask no other than that of expending in the buisness 40$ which they will loose if they do not pursue the plan. I think you said that T. A. Livermore mentioned this thing to you. His father writes me that he may go and the young man is determined to go and is learning the bugle. I hope that this will also be your determina- tion.
Vr Obt Servt N. J. W. XXVI. Cambridge Jany 28th 1832
Mr. Geo. Cripps (New York) Dear Sir Your fav. of the 12th inst was received in due course of mail. The receipt should have been acknowledged before but the pressure of buisness and the want of a little time to think the matter over induced me to wait. I should be extremely happy to have you join us if it were only for the benefit of your society, for in an expedition of this sort most of the persons must be not of the same class with ourselves the society therefore of even a very few well informed persons is an object. You are undoubtedly as fit for the enterprise as most men but do you wish to place yourself upon a par with such men as must form the bulk of our band? It appears to me that it would be unwise in you but in this judge for yourself. I can offer you no better terms than the rest have viz 8-10. parts of a full and equal division of profits. We leave here about Ist March next for Baltimore. I refer you to your partner for further information on this subject.
And Remain &c N. J. W. XXVII.
Cambridge Jany 28th 1832
Brother Leonard, (New York)
Your favour of the 24th inst. is at hand. The arrangements which you have made as to letters are well. The goods you name are used in indian trade but whether on that part of the coast to which we go is the question. All in- dian marketts are not the same any more than other marketts. Traps, guns, and amunition are all the articles which I should at present meddle with. I wish you would ascertain if Beaver traps
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can be had in your city. Those wanted should weigh 5 lbs. double springs, Jaws without teeth and chain 6 feet long with two swivells in it. Of these I want about 40 Doz. If you can find the article please write me as soon as possible. Also find if you can get the kind of gun used by the Amer. Fur Co. and at what price. There is also a certain kind of beads which is a kind of a cur[r]ency among the Indians and therefore an article in demand among all Indians. Please write me what you could do in all these articles. I can then tell better whether I will purchase in your place. My cash at N. Orleans I can trans- fer to this place at any moment through Mr. F. T. who is paying freights there all this spring.
I have not yet closed with any person for vessells and goods but have raked up security enough with what you named to charter a vessell on as fair terms as could be done for cash. Have at command 4000$ in cash and have remain- ing from 2 or 3 M of security to give to those who will credit me for the goods which I want to send out by her. Amt. from 5 to 8000$. I think I could pay on account of goods to send by this vessell 1000$ down, and 2000$ security of one good name beside mine and to be paid in default at the end of the voyage say 14 mos. Would your firm for a certain per cent profit over and above their cost furnish this amt. Your partner being in England would furnish great facilities in procuring the goods. If I can get this done by competent persons my difficulties would be much dimin- ished, and I shall save giving away during the whole 5 years 25 per cent of profits to pay for assistance which I only want during one voyage. I shall work hard before I will give up so much. Is there no person in N. York who would do this if you cannot. I have some hope of getting it done here but have no certain offer better than the 25 per cent as above. Write me as often as you can
Tr. Aff. Bro. N. J. W. XXVIII. Cambridge Jany 27th 1832
Bro. Charles (Baltimore)
Since my last of 23d inst. I have been buisy trying to make arrangements with some men already in the N. W. trade for such vessells and goods as I shall want in the course of this buisness. The best offer is 25 per ct of profits to be paid them on my whole buisness for five years. Now if successfull in this buisness I should want neither information or capital at the end of the first voyage and even in furnishing me the first voyage they run no risque because if I never arrive there they have only to continue the voyage as an ordinary N. W. Coast voyage with just as good chance of profit as if expressly fitted out for that purpose. Under these circumstances I cannot
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WYETH'S OREGON EXPEDITIONS.
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think of committing myself in such an arrangement if there is any possible way of avoiding it. Mr. Tudor agrees to assist me in a certain amt. If you would obligate yourself to pay 1000$ as an indemnity to those of whom I might take up a vesell to be paid in my default at the expiration of the first voyage say 14 months from the I July next I think there is a chance that I can procure vessell and goods to be sent out to me on my own acc. and thus save loading my buisness with a nightmare. As all losses are to be insured against there will be no other risk in this matter than what appertains to me personally, of whether I get there and whether I collect articles enough to pay for the goods and vessell. If I get there it must be a hard buisness if all my own property and the full amt. of the securities are sunk. If you agree to do this I understand that all the accom- modations that you have promised are to stand as settled. Please answer soon.
Vr aff N. J. W. XXIX.
Cambridge Jany 31st 1832
Robt. H. Gardner Esq.
Dear Sir Having in contemplation a voyage to the Columbia where salmon are abundant I am desi- rous of information in regard to them. None of these fish being taken in our waters I am at a loss where to apply for this informa- tion. Your scituation near where they are found induces me to apply to you and your uniform politeness toward me induces me to hope that you will convey what information may be in your power or if not too inconvenient to collect what may not be within your own knowledge or indicate to me where I may obtain the same and of whom. What I wish to know is how salmon are pickled and how smoked and how taken. Any information on these heads will confer an obligation on
Yr obt. servt. Nathl. J. Wyeth
(Inserted) How to keep and when they go up and down the rivers.
XXX.
Cambridge Feb 5th 1832
Mr. Seymour Whiting (New York)
Dear Sir Your letter of 31th ulto. came in due time to hand proposing certain inquiries concerning my expedition to the country claimed by the U. S. on the Pacific Ocean, which I answer as follows. This Company go out for trade in such branches as may be found expedient the terms of agree- ment to last 5 years and to be rendered a permanent settlement if found practicable and agreeable. No families or other helpless people will be taken until this question is decided, which will not
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be until w[e] have been some time there and can judge from a bet- ter knowledge of facts. Young, active and industrious men are wanted and any number will be received that will comply with the conditions of the association. The precise conditions are not fixed the proposition has been that the capital and myself shall draw 8 parts in fifty of the whole profits the surgeon 2 and the remain- ing 40 parts to be divided among 48 persons. This will give 8-10 parts of a full and equal division of profits to each man. This proposition supposes that I shall furnish a suitable outfit from St. Louis for crossing the country and procure a vessell and cargo to go out to meet us on the coast and pay all the expenses for the arming and equiping and transporting the company to St. Louis which shall be incurred over and above 40$ There are here now 23 men who have paid in their first assessment toward the 40$ as above, and there is no doubt of our going before the Ist April, the Ist March is however the time set for starting. Our camp equipage is now almost finished and our arms and equipments are partly in the armory and the residue contracted for to be de- livered 20th inst. We deem 25 men enough for the enterprise but are willing to extend the number to any amt.
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