(Taken from the Oregon Sunday Journal.)

Local Men to Develop Coal
Portland Capitalists Invest in British Columbia Field

SUNDAY, October 10, 1909.

Extensive development work is about to be commenced
on a large tract of coal lands located on Graham Island,
near Prince Rupert, B. C., by a group of Portland capital-
ists who during the past three or four years have accumu-
lated coal land holding in that district. Other Portlanders
interested with Mr. Hartman are Charles E. Ladd (of Ladd
and Tilton, bankers), Theodore B. Wilcox, R. L. Durham,
Ry W Baltes;-W./H. Hurlburt and A. B-Crossman é€ at

J. C. Merrill, a prominent Chicago banker, has recently
become a heavy investor in the enterprise. O. P. Merrill,
a son of J. C. Merrill, left for Prince Rupert a few days
ago to superintend the opening up of the mine and the
installation of a cargo of machinery that was shipped from
Vancouver, B. C., about ten days ago. Mr. Hartman, who
recently “returned from: -Vantouver, says that a—larce
quantity of machinery and supplies have been shipped to
the Island and that more will follow shortly. Mr. Hartman
spent a portion of the summer on Graham Island. The
coal company is planning to build large coal bunkers and
wharves on Graham Island and will also build extensive
bunkers at Prince Rupert where the’ steamers plying be-
tween that port and Vancouver and other Sound ports will
call. It is also proposed to supply the Alaska steamships
with coal from these bunkers. A townsite will be laid out
on Massett Inlet which will be called Merrill in honor of
the president, who is one of the largest stockholders.

O. P. Merrill, who has been made superintendent and
general manager of the Company’s operations on Graham
Island, will remain there all winter looking after the devel-
opment work. The climate of Graham Island is said to be
as mild as that of the west of England, snow rarely fall-
ing in winter time and never remaining on the ground for
any great length of time.

(From the Portland Evening Telegram.)

Portlanders Open Alaska Gold Mine

Local People Interested in Fuel Bed on Graham Island
October 7, 1909.

“Portland people are to mine coal on Graham Island, one
of the Queen Charlotte Group, 80 miles west of Prince
Rupert. A purchase was recently made of 6,400 acres of
coal land on the northern part of this island by a ‘local
company. Two diamond drills have been shipped to the
properties and boring will be prosecuted rapidly during the
fall and winter months. As the formation is soft, a very
easily worked sandstone forming the superincumbent
stratum, the drilling will proceed rapidly.

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