Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1873-07-26
THE CUIPR4SS/E".S CRIME.

Some eleven years ago Mr.. Frederick
Wilson, the Himalayan sportsman, had
entered into a contract with the Calcutta
and Delhi Railway Company for u large
supply OF slcepers. In carrying out his
contract, he cut down large numbers of
pine and deodar cedar trees on the
slope overhanging the Oranges river,
near its source, there called by the ma
tives the Baghrati. These trees, rolled
into the river, were hoated down it's wild
and turbulent waters for IL distance of
$50 miles, and were picked up and land
ed at Hurlwar-a lovely spot, where the
the Gangcs, bursting through the noun
tain barrier of the Himalayas, cmerges
on the plain, and changes it's character
from mild and turbulent mountain
torrent to Il broad and stately river
Many of the trees thus trusted to the
waters were dashed to splinters against
boulders and rocks, or damaged i'll the
whirlpools and cddes of the river but
enough were saved to render the specll-
latlon good one. The greater part of
tho timber was fellcd about fifteen days
march from the Missouri, the nearest
British hill station the road from which,
then as now, was u mere footpath lead
ing over precipitous mountains, through
wild gorges, across rapid torrents, tribu-
tarles to the Ganges, and was passable
only, 1,
employed by Mr.. Wilson in telling and
rolling the timber into the river and
in order to pay them, he was obliged to
send periodically to the bank at Mus
souri, for money. The Indian currency
is silver-bags of rupees had therefore
to be carried some fifteen days journey
on the backs of trusty natives. The
mountaineers of the Himalaya are
fine, honest and trustworthy race, and
Mr.. Wilson entertained little fear for
the safety OF his occasional valuable
cargoes of rupees, which had, for up
wards of year, arrived with great reg
ularity and without accident but vet
he never relaxed the strict precautions
he had at first adopted for the safe con-
veyance of his treasure.
1t happened that about this time Mr..
Wilson required 1000 rupees. He
therefore dispatched two hill-coolies of
noted honesty, twin brothers, much at
tached to each other, in charge of con-
idential head man, there called chu-
2ordssie, or belt-man, which means an
overseer, who wears brass belt in token
OF authority. The money was drawn
from the bank at Missouri, and the
party started on their journey, adopt
ing the prescribed precautions, which
were rs follows : Every hill-man, in
travelling any distance, carries with him
a supply of flour for his meals, which,
in the evening, is baked into cakes or
sconcs, heated stones being used instead
OF an oven this flour is carried in bag
made of goat-skin, tied at the mouth,
and the goat-skin bag is usually secured
III hcmpen net on the back, the ends
OF the net securely tied over the shoul-
ders and under the arms, like KNAPP
sack. Each of the coolies had bug of
thousand rupees placed inside the
four-bag, with a sprinkling of -four
over it, the bag secured as usual in the
netting, and presenting the ordinary APP
pearance OF provisioning. Their
orders were always to remain together :;
never to rest or pass the night in vii
lage, but to bivouac in some unfrequent-
ed and sheltered spot when it became
necessary to purchase provisions, one