The record-union., 1892-10-20
IN THE DAYS OF old.
An Early GoId-Seeker's Eventful Trip
to the States"
Lt Was Almost as Much as Ones Life
Was Worth to Make the Jour-
ney in Those Days.

EDS. REcoRD-UNIoN: On the 1st of
October, 1852, accompanied by a couple of
friends, one of whom had crossed the
plains with me two years before, ] took
passage from San Francisco on board
the steamship California for Panama, en-
route for New York, thence to my home
in the State of Ohio, for the purpose of
bringing my family to this State. The
ship called at Monterey to leave the mail;
we also stopped at Acapulco for the same
purpose, and to take in coal and pro-
visions.
We arrived at Panama in due time,
after pleasant voyage and without incl
dent, except for the whipping to death,
by brutal second mate, of an old man
who was without money, and had agreed
to work for his passage. The officer had
ordered him to go out on the bowsprit
5or some purpose, which he declined do
ing on account of not being a sailor, and
also because he was old and sick, and de-
clared if he did so he would certainly fall
Off and be drowned. The officer beat
nim with a heavy rope's-end, and after
putting him in irons threw him in the
lock-up, and in a few minutes thereafter
the old man was dead. This caused
tuuCu 6AClLeNleHJ among lne passengers,
who made many threats against the Off
Ger, but there was nothing done. We
entered
THE BAY OF PANAMA
In the night, and the ship came to anchor
a mile or more from shore, as there was
no wharf of any kind, and we We're
obliged to go ashore in small boats and
pay our own fare to the natives, who ap-
peared to have monopoly of the bust
LESS. They carried us i'll their boats as
far as the depth of the water would per-
NIT and the rest of the way upon their
backs, with the addition of another fee.
After viewing the old Spanish city and
taking dinner we started on foot, with
many other passengers. for Gorgona on
the Chagres River, distance OF about
twenty-five miles. When we had
reached the summit of the mountain
which was about half way, we saw lying
by the side of the trail an immense ships
anchor, the shaft of which was about Is
feet in length aud six inches square 1t
was said to have been dropped there by
Bolivar and his men many years before
Whoever it was had evidently attempted
TO pack It across the mountains and failed.
About sunset of the same day we came
10 small log cabin that stood near the
trail, which we were told was a stopping
place for travellers. We found the pro-
prietor, who was native, engaged in
cooking supper over small lire built
upon an earthen floor in the middle OF
the only room in the house, and sue
ceeded in making him understand that
We wanted supper and to stay all night
and were accommodated. When bed
time came he showed US to our room
overhead, which we reached by means of
a ladder. Our beds consisted of rawhides
spread upon round pole floor, with
some blankets for a covering.
ALONG ABOUT MIDNIGHT
We heard great Gathering on the ladder
below, which sounded much like a trooD
of cavalry. l looked out from under my
blankets and saw the head of our land
lord just emerging from below, with a
tallow dip in one hand and loaded down
with various kinds of weapons, consist
ing of two or three old Spanish cutlasses
and as many long Spanish knives, be-
sides some antiquated firearms. / was
frightened at first, but on making in
quiry learned that he was armed for our
protection, when l turned over in my bed
and went OFT in a sound sleep.
When we awoke in the morning and
went outside we found the express COM
panY's pack train had camped there dur
ing the night loaded with many heavily
1ron-bound boxes filled with gold dust
There We're ten or twelve pack animals
which bore heavy loads, and as many
heavily armed native soldiers to guard
the treasure. We arrived
AT GoRGoNA
About 10 o'clock, and Immediately hired
some natives to convey us down the river
IN an open boat to point where the PAN
anna Railway had been completed, a dis
lance of eight leagues, the natives said
We arrived there the next day about
noon, and there | saw for the first time a
railroad and train of cars The natives
had short time before burned the tim
bers which the company had brought
there to construct bridge across the
river. 1t was said the timbers were
burned in order to stop the building of
the road, so they might retain the carry
ing trade. We went aboard the cars and
We're soon in Aspinwal NOW Colonl, a
distance of twenty miles.
TERRIBLE DEATH-RATE.
After stopping at AspinwalI two days,
We took passage on board the steamship
Ohio for New York. l met on the shin a
foreman of gang of graders working on
the railroad, who told me that the num-
Der of deaths among his men was enor-
NOUS; that the first thingto be done every
morning was to go the rounds of their
quarters and bury the dead, and that the
company were determined to complete
the road if it took dead man 1or every
tie, which it would nearly do.
LOOK THROUGH KINGSTON,
We had a pleasant trip to Kingston, on
the Island of Jamaica, where we were de-
tanned twenty-tour hours while coaling.
hNe arrived in the morning, and my com
Nsg,v,e, = A.