Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-05-01

~
Nh TO HONDURAS. only chance for an
No prising death was by water, so
a4eG fell in, on my journey back from
liz A!nes, with a jolly Irish Colonel who
lad spent several years i'll South and
entral America. listened to what he
ladto say, and when he pretended to give
acts and figures on the money to be
made out of the fruit-carryng trade be-
wpcn Bay Islands and New Orleans, |
began to ponder.
determined to know the truth of the
matter, studied Sluire's works on
South and Central America and came
70 the conclusion that although the Colo
nei had stretched the truth in some par
ticu,arS, his account was in the main
correct.
"As my friends who had thought to do
ne kindness in electing me President
Of the shaky mining company, into
which we had been drawn by the wiles
Of pous old Quaker, had nearly sue
:eeded in losing my head for me- deter
mined to do a little fnanceering on my
avn account. So l scraped together
what property the panic had left
me, and raised enough additional
funds on my life insurance policy to
undertake, in company with an old
friend, who had tired of railroading and
wanted an ocean trip, to lease and fit
'ut sail vessel for trade between Cen
5ra America and our Southern ports.
ut was agreed that certain part of
'he profits was to go to the Irish Colonel,
VINO was to chapcron us among the
'ayages and sand-bars of the Gulf.
AT New Orleans, we chartered
'center-board' schooner, which I after
ward discovered was an old lake craft,
about as fit to put to sea in as skim
mer The owner of the vessel also fur
aished the crew, which we provisioned,
paying so much month for the use of
'he vessel and crew.
I'VE loaded the old tub with dry goods,
lotions, sugar, and salt pork in barrels.
The idea of carrying sugar across
me Gulf to a country which produces
me finest sugars in the world seemed a
little odd, but such is commerce.!
The ships stock of boots and shoes
were comical beyond description, the
sllmaS being reached when we came to
'ie white satin slippers Of huge dimen-
SONS, which, we were told. were the
'aVorlte if 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
u the Irish Colonel, French physician,
MS wife and three children, her father
ina friend, and the latter's wife and
laughter.
The Doctor was as genial as only a
cultured Frenchman can be. He had
oeen educated for the priesthood, but
uau experienced a complete change OF
views, remodeled his faith and taken him
,eii to scientific investigation. His
mission on board the Harriet Gardner
was TO go to Central America, where he
loud Iould utilize the thousands of bushels OF
,iMes' which there rotted under the lime
ssees' In the manufacture of ouinine, by
secret process, by which he held it
quo be made ,for fraction of what it
sosC 10 make itin the States by the usual
process,
s we had beautiful weather for the
urst two days of our voyage, and spent
much time on deck singing familiar OLD
1nongs' of which In the Sweet BY and
'y was a favorite.
), About 4 o'clock of the afternoon OF
i ysie third day the captain pointed to a
io''s procession of dolphins training on,
VI single file, towards the horizon, ana
marked that the sweet by and by
VA was not far distant In about three
Aoors we began to realize the meaning