The Fur Traders. 27 



prise also ended in failure; i\Ir. Astor soon regained the 

 ground he had lost, by taking advantage of the Act of 

 April 29, 1816, by which the Northwest Company, as well 

 as the South West Company, was compelled to relinquish 

 its interests on American territory. He secured control of 

 the American business of both of these companies by 

 establishing a new coast to coast connection through the 

 operations of the Pacific Fur Company, and the western 

 department of the American Fur Company at St. Louis, 

 which at that time was the starting point for all expedi- 

 tions to the far west, and the transfer point for freight 

 shipped into the remote regions from the east, as well as 

 the merchandise and skins sent from the Pacific slope, the 

 Great Lakes, and the mountain country to the eastern 

 market. 



Among the articles of trade that were exchanged for 

 the furs of the Indians liquor was at all times by far the 

 most important. It is impossible to exaggerate its im- 

 portance at that time, and it is only by understanding the 

 conditions of the business that one can account for the 

 almost frantic appeals that were continually pouring into 

 the office of the American Fur Company at St. Louis for 

 more liquor. "Liquor we must have, or we might as well 

 give up" is a sample of the complaints that burdened the 

 correspondence of the traders. Chittenden says, "It was 

 impossible to conduct the trade without it if one's oppo- 

 nent was provided with it, the only alternative being to 

 retire from the field. 



"The Act of July 9, 1832, prohibiting absolutely the 

 introduction of liquor into the Indian country, was there- 

 fore simply appalling to Mr. McKenzie, who was in charge 

 of the company's trading interests. He had no confidence 

 that the small traders would be held to the law by the in- 

 spectors, and he knew that if they Avere, they would 

 smuggle liquor by them. He had learned from experience 

 that the great commerce of the American Fur Company 

 made such clandestine work impossible, especially as they 

 were operating in the enemy's country where there was 

 a spy at every turn. McKenzie 's first move was to go to 

 Washington and New York and see if he could not affect 

 some modification of the regulation for enforcing the 

 liquor law. He was entirely unsuccessful in his mission, 

 and returned to St. Louis with gloomy forebodings for the 



