Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-04-23


sg1. To HONDURAS only chance for an
emtsuprising death was by Water, so
T1hen I fell in, on my journey back from
'the mines, with jolly Irish Colonel who
had spent several years in South and
Central America, 1 listened to what he
hx6f TO say, aud when he pretended to give
facts and figures on the money to be
made out OF the fruit-carrying trade be-
cEeen Bay Islands and New Orleans, l
began TO ponder.
= Determined to knew the truth of the
mattur, studied Sluire's works on
south and Central America, and came
To the conclusion that although the Colo
mel had stRatched the truth in some par.
SScr-lns, his account was in the main
4 correct.
~'eAs my friends who had thought to do
me a Kindness in electlng me President
Of the shaky mining company, into
wt15ch we had been drawn by the wlles
of a piuus old Quaker had nearly sue
u.eaded in losing my head for me, deter
mined 10 do little financeering on my
own account. So ! scraped together
what property the panic had left
rms, and raised enough additional
Funds on my life insurance policy to
szndertake, In company with an old
friend, who had tired Of railroading and
~ssspaoed an ocean trip to lease and fit
cut a sail vessel for trade between Cen
fral America and our Southern ports
1T was agreed that a certain part of
the profits was to go to the Irish Colonel,
who was to chaperon u' among the
-xavAges and sand-bars of the Gulf.
ar New Orleans, we chartered a
-Scsnter- board schooner, which | after
-ward discovered was an old lake craft,
- -. L.. Ill.
rner- The owner of the vessel also fur.
rzished the crew, which we provisioned,
paying so much a month for the use of
che vessel and crew.
I'VE loaded the old tub with dry goods,
motions, sugar, and salt pork in barrels
The idea of carrying sugar across
rfhe Gulf to a country which produces
the finest sugars in the world seemed a
little odd, but such Is commerce.
The ships stock of boots and shoes
-vcre comical beyond dess ripton, the
climax being reached when we came to
,1he white satin slippers of huge dimen-
3 'ous. which. we were told, were the
GSyarlte ii not the exclusive wearing
apparel of the dusky bellies of those
Southern isles on all festive occasions.
~Our company, which shared the three
apartments Of our little cabin, consisted
az the Irish Colonel, French physician,
MS wife and three children, her father
and a friend, and the latters wife and
daughter.
The Doctor was as genial as only a
.a>nltured Frenchman can be. He had
been educated for the priesthood, but
fnad experienced a complete change Of
views remodeled his faith and taken him
self 10 scientific investigation. His
mission on board the Harriet Gardner
vwas TO 60 to Central America, where he
es.Ould utilize the thousands OF bushels OF
ffmes, which there rotted under the lime
Fsrees. in the manufacture of quinine, by
"a secret process, by which he held II
rauld be made for fraction OF what II
.rost 10 make IL in the States by the usual
proccss.
I'VE had beautiful weather for the
first two days of our voyage, and spent
mach time on deck singing familiar old
songs. OF which In the Sweet BY and
ny wae favorite.
About 4. O'Clock of the afternoon OF
che, third day tho captain pointed to a
tong procession of dolphins training of,
- single file, towards the horizon, and
remarked that the sweet by and by
Was not far distant. In about three
,EaDurs we began to realize the meaning
OF his words, for IT blew-a perfect gale
snd, by o o'clock all but the crew were
down in the cabin, with the hatch bat
-nencd down.
I'VE were all deathly sick, and the ole
srswafd. who had been on the sea FOL
,wears, was nearly as helpless as any Of
rre. But he managed TO circulate among
nl,e wretched company with the ships
S.arsadpan, into. which each cast his con