The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-04-16
HIS POCKETS FULL OF COLD.
An interesting Interview With a Man
From Dutch Guiana.

- sfts0tHtO" Witt a NJ an
From Dutch Guiana.
fortland has seen some men and women
from strange lands, who had strange stories
70 tell, In times past. There have been visit
ors from Asia, Africa, Australia, India and
the Islands OF the sea, to say nothing of deni-
zens OF all parts of Europe in numbers, and
tneir stories have ceased. in measure, to be
Oh interest. Now we have man from a COM
paratively unknown land, although it is not
SO lar away by many hundred miles as Aus
tralia, or even Africa, where Stanley came
from.
Yesterday afternoon a reporter of the
PRESS had the pleasure of calling upon Mr.
j. FL. Abbott of Surinam (Paramaribo), Dutch
Guiana, who is temporarily in the city, and of
learning much that is interesting concerning
that country. Mr.. Abbott commenced his
story by remarking that it had been his sad
duty of late to bury several good Maine men
who had fallen victims to the deadly bush
fever that RACES there among foreigners in
the dry season. Mr. Abbott himself shows
the results of attacks of the fever, although
he has thus far preserved his health to a
great extent.
Mr.. Abbott lives In Surinam and is engaged
in the rubber business, and also in gold min
ing. He had no rubber about his person but
during conversation he pulled two Jumps of
yellow gold, weighing. perhaps, seven or
eight ounces each, from his pocket, and re-
marked, THAT is pretty to look at, but it is
inconyenient to carry around" This is vir-
gin gold. washed down from the mountains
in Venezuela, and requiring only to be freed
from the clay and grit it contains to be ready
for use. II suppose blasting and quartz
milling are not to be seen in your country"
said the reporter. swell, don't know" re-
turned Mr.. Abbott, I'VE don't need to grind
much yet. because there are thousands Of
ounces of free gold in the river that can be
secured without any work at all. There are
quartz lodges there In the mountains enough
to last good many years after we get
through with our gravel beds. but it will cost
| a good deal to get the gold out. Why, see
here" he said, diving into his pocket again
and producing another piece of the earth's
crust. Look at that. That's the kind Of
quartz lodges that we have. and that is where
our gold comes FROM" The rock was piece
of clear quartz, and stuck all over 1t, like
raisins In slice Of fruit cake, were Jumps of
virgin gold.
The thought went through the reporters
mind that perhaps this might be one of the
assay pieces that all miners carry around to
help sell their property. This thought was
| evidently communi cated to Mr.. Abbott's
mind. although no words were spoken, for he
said, THE country is full of gold; the rivers
are full of 1t, the sand, the clay and the
mountains. It's the richest country In the
world, and not alone in gold. I've found
diamonds and rubies in our sluices, although
we have never prospected for them, and our
copalgum and rubber forests are mines of
wealth in themselves. There is a negro there
in Surinam who cannot read his name, who
hardly knows what his name is, in fact,-a
common African negro, branded slave
who Is taking gold out Of the river at the
rate Of 125 ounces month, and storing it in
tin petroleum cans till he sells 1t to the
| Traders
How many Americans are there in Guiana
now?" "Only two," returned Mr.. Abbott
"a man named Davis, from Kentucky, and
myself The climate Is pretty hard on a
northern man. You see, we have the full
strength of the sun where we are, being so
| near the equator. For three months in the
year, along In the middle of your winter, we
have our hottest time. The sun never stops
shining and there is not drop of rain. The
water gets low everywhere and where vege-
tation falls into the pools and streams 1t pol
lutes them. This kind of water is what
spreads the fever and kills people off.
The town of Surinam is the only settlement
in the country and it is fairly healthy. When
you start back into the interior, going up
river In a little steam launch, in fifteen min
utes you are in the heart of the Jungle 1t is
smooth sailing for about sixty miles, when
you come to falls and rocks and rapids, and
there" he said. touching his pockets, sis
where our fun begins. We sluice all along
up and down on our property and make
hauls."
| Mr.. Abbott had something to say about
| steamer lines between Surinam and the rest
of the world. In his own trips back and
| forth he has gone to Hayti on a Dutch line,
and then transferred to the New York and
Brazil mail line for New York. While in
Port-au-Prince, at the time Of the Hippolyte-
Legitime troubles, Mr.. Abbott had an ex-
citing experience that, but for the happy
similarity of his name with that of the newly
appointed minister to Columbia, would prob.
ably have been his last experience ION this
| sphere.
Mr.. Abbott, in company with the ships
captain, was strolling about the forts, Mr..
| Abbott sketching some of the details of their
construction, for amusement, when he was
seized, accused of being spy of Hippolyte's,
or something worse, and thrown into prison.
His Yankee wit did not desert him, however
Hastily assuming all the dignity he could
command, he informed them that he was
John FL. Abbott and that il he was not re-
leased instantly their island would be a tar
get for shells from American cruisers. As
John 81. Abbott was the newly appointed
minister's name. the Haytians thought 1t all
over and concluded to let him 90.
Mr.. Abbott has been in Hayti since, but he
says 1t is good place to keep away from.