The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1890-07-03

make a man not only gray-headed
but bald-headed. / was in one a few
years ago that scared me more than
/ was ever scared before, or ever
want to be scared again"
My friend was a mining engineer,
and had been in the employ Of the
Siamese government. Only a few
weeks before he had landed in his
native country, and at this, our first
meeting, a jest of mine, to the effect
that it was getting to be time for US
to show gray hairs, called forth the
above remarks, and being myself
fond Of adventure, insisted upon his
explaining himself at length.
WELL" he began, ssIt was up the
Kao Donreh mountains, a few miles
to the north of Kabine, a city Of
Central Siam, that the adventures i
have alluded to occurred.
Il was there in May, 1886, com
missioned by his royal highness,
Prince Ang Nor, the siamese. minis
ter of the interior, to look into the
practicability of opening up an old
gold mine belonging to the govern
ment.
"This mine had quite history Of
it's own. It had formerly belonged
to a Sjamese nobleman, who had de-
veloped it to some extent, and was
evidently making it pay no small
revenue, when he was suddenly ac-
cused of plotting against the reign
ing monarch.
mo evidence seemed sufficient to
convince the government officials of
his innocence, and he was beheaded,
his family disgraced and his property
confiscated.
The government then attempted
to work the mine, and for a time
quite extensive operations we're car
ried on there. A second mine was
opened a few miles from the first. a
railroad was constructed between
the two. and two engines and several
truck cars of American manufacture
were actually placed in operation up
on the road.
"Then the mines were suddenly
abandoned, whether through the ex-
haustion of ore, the inefficiency of
the officials in charge, or for some
other cause, / found it difficult to
learn
Ny commission at this time was
simply to visit the. mines, make a
thorough examination and report
to the interior whether, in my Judge
ment, it would pay to reopen them.
| left Bangkok. therefore, with only.
two attendants, my Chinese cook,
Heng, and a Siamese Interpreter. Nh
timili.
My route was by a small steamer
down the Menam river to the Gulf of
Siam. thence along the coast to, the
mouth of the Bang Pa Kong river,
and up this thirty-five miles to the
city of Petrine.
AS the steamer assembled the river
no further / called upon the governor
" WV p1ON llSC3 SuOWCQll ll1l lily fOVtl
passport and requested othim trans
portation to the next upper prov
| ince.
He promptly granted my request
and had ready for the next morning
his own official barge and at an ear
ly hour we started up the river.
We travelled continuously for two
days and two nights, through q
mostly open and thick y-settled coun-
try, to Pachim, the capital Of the
province by the same name.
Here my journey By water ended,
but the governor of Pachim furnished
me and my attendants with two buff.
falo carts-large, rudelv-built vehi-
cles, without springs. but having
coarse tops to protect their oc-.
cupants from the hot rays of the
sun lin which we were iolted
across the district over which he
ruled to q large village ut the from.
tier OF the next province, called Chan
du Cram.