Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-05-17
CALIFORNIA STORIES.
OLD DAYS OF is4e RECALLED BY A
MAN WHO WAS ON HAND.

A reaious Sail Around Cape Horn-Bat.
tline with wind and Tide In the Straits
Of Msssiian-T The Nystcrioas Box Of Hid.
den Gold Dust.
II was one night last week and o..
board the Fab River steamer in the
group of chance acquaintance smoking
and chatting amidships. The man with
gray hair and fine wrinkles around his
eyes was talking.
1T is matter of almost a years" HI
was saving. since the old brig Robert
laid her course between here and Beaver
tail in the September Of 1919. On board
her were lot Of us Fall River men VIII,
were going ont TO California TO the gol0
mines. There were one or two incidents
following that start that are worth tell
ing.
"Our wabbly. cranky cid craft worked
down to the straits of Magellen. and then
we were 60 days more i'll thestraits. TEt
old square bowed hrig--an awful slow
sailer-would spread canvas at daylight
ard sail all day in the straits and anchor
ut night about where she started from,
banging back and forth with the advers,
wind and tide.
One day we lost an anchor. and w
sent some men out i'll u boat. They
rowel up into ono of the inlets and III, II
came upon rakish. queer looking
schooner at anchor. They found Tie
craft was vrecking schooner ioolins
around for wrecks. She hadn't been If
any port i'll Il long time. When they
had got an anchor and chain from ia,
captain, he said as our men Were leaV
ing:
What the devil is the matter? I've
seen hundreds of sails going along int
the Pacific lately
When they told him of the discovery
Of gold i'll California he said nothing
and thought moment. with his fore.
head all pucSered up, and then he said
once made preparations TO sail 10 in,
| westward.
Before she sailed Captain Henry
Winslow, Edward Pratt and myself
changed ships in hope Of II faster pas
sage, going aboard the schooner, Whose
captain we paid 800 apiece We lay e.
waiting for favorable time for IL,
schooner to go out. One awful fo..N
night, with hurricane blowing, y.
saw vessel going through the lea.
lands. We put the glasses on her, ~,
it was the old brig Robert! We jus
made up our minds the lubherins al.
| tub would be blown down to Capo Horn
and never Ii, ard of again. But at Per
nambuco she turned up again all right
and the two vessels started out together
we on the schooner promising i,Iil
| in San Francisco for the Roberts com
pany before going up TO the mines. ",
did not see her again on tho voya.s@
After several weeks we arrived at TIE
Golden Gate and sailed up the bay OF
san Francisco. We saw lying at !
wharf an old brig, put the glasses q
her, found it was again tho Robert
been in port over two weeks. She wa'
hauled up side of the dock, and Sit
never was moved from there, but lic'
| there now, covered by some of the iinS
down town business blocks which art
standing on made land, quarter of :
mile from the water of today.
Ed Pratt and went up to the mines
located claim and went to work. Aftel
| Pratt had been working quite awhl,
and been pretty lucky, he was callcc
away on business to another mimi.
camp. We were so far away from Sa,
Francisco we couldn't get our gold dusr
changed, SO Ed took his and without
any ones knowledge put it in a tin boz
and one night rose and going out behin(
his cabin dug about four feet down into
the soil and buried it, marking tho spot
| by "A tree that stood by the side of it.
lie came back several weeks after t,
renew work on his old claim, and he toll
me about hiding the gold and that Ii
was going out to dig it up. He took his
spade and went out, | along with him
lie began to dig and very soon struct
the box, took ii up and carried it TO hi,
cabin.
THAT don't look like my box ht
said. 1t looks "A little bigger some way.
He opened the box. and, sure enough
| it wasn't his. for it had about three time
| the weight Of gold he had buried. W.
were just bewillered. l suggested IL
| must have forgotten or made II mistaE'
regarding the gold, hut he WAS dead sur,
about it. Then l said we ought to 81
out and dig around tho place, and /
took his spade, aud digging down aLort
eight inches lower found the box he ha
| buried.
The question was, whose box was IT,
first one 1t was put into the caIlp SIR
ply store aud il was advertised, but Ii
one ever came TO claim it. No one W.,
| missing from our camp, and WI con!
never explain the mystery of the strau",
box. After four months Ell Pratt g.
the gold, by right of declared owucrshi!
1t is supposed the owner who buried
rad either been killed by the Indians
murdered by joaquin Marietta + 81.
which was the terror Of mining Cai.
for1li1 at that time. - New York sun