The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-12-16
TO CALIFORNIA IN 1852.
a EoMAS,s ADVENTURES CRossINs
TINE ISTHMUs or PANAMA.
rh,. we. n.cer. tas R.nrO.s we. B.n,-

seq City. and In i've days you leave the car in
San Francisco, having had n restful time, with
all your creature comforts looked after as we'll
~ II you had loafcd away those few days In q
New York hotel. There are no d~iscomforts, no
danger, not even my Inconvenience, for you
not only eat and sleep we'll, but your morning
bath and shave can be had ne you spin along.
and n cocktail before dinner and q cold bottle In
the evening are at your elbow II you express a
desire for them. To people who know the jour
ney TO Callfornia only under such conditions, IL
does not seem that anything so far removed
from them In kind and degree a. was the trip
across the Isthmus could have been the best
method OF reaching the Golden State within
the experience OF any one living. IL Ia not the
trip across the 1sthmus as IL Ii now made Ivy
rail that is referred to. but the trip as II was
made before the railroad was built. This has
recently been described Interestingly by Sarah
Merriam Brooks in a little book called Across
the Tsthmus to California in 80" The hard
ships and actual perils involved in that journey
would deter any one from going In search Of
anything In the world. except that ono thing
which the Furty-niners sought gold. That n
woman of refinement could tako such a trip as
Mrs. Brooks has described would he doubted
these days II It were not observed that many
such make the trip around the Union square
cable curves and still suryive-as many do.
Mrs. Brooks left Boston in 1852, when. as she
graphically describes 1t, Boston presented more
Inducements for remaining there than at any
time since. Theodore Parker. William Lloyd
Garrison. Wendell Phillips, Ralph Waldo EN-
erson, and james Russell Lowell. sho writes,
were all In the lecture field; Kossuth was there.
stirring up the question OF Intervention: Jenny
Lind was delighting the music lovers and Anna
Goa Mowatt the theatrcgoers: tho Parkman
murder was satisfying the sensationalists;
Gyyndn nh bnruin nIStu Iptnmonutbv nun v-,tnnn'a
rights were being wildly discussed; mes
merism was delightlng tho mystics; Re
publicanism had It's LoCofOco plank to
stand upon; Shadrack. the slave, had been
rescued, and the Fugitive Slave law discussion
had reached such n point that Dr. parker's an
nouncement from his pulpit, "Shadrack Is de-
livered from the hands of his enemies" was
greeted with tumultuous cheers. From such
associations and surroundings ! was suddenly
to California. My first thought was,
'Impossible!' My next, Can | do IT. and tho
next, Yes, this is Just what | want-a new land;
n chance to live what | have learned; TO be an
actor MTs IN R SnS Wo sai,t Snf fr6 mot t = Ma Si,y is soI Iho mn.
nOis on April 20. 1852. and so great was tho de-
mand for passage then that berths and state
rooms were sold over and over by dishonest
agents, u wrong, by the way, that Mrs. Brooks
was Instrumental in Fighting. through, infucn-
fornia. After experiences which can be I'm
agined. with 900 people on n steamer licensed
| came known as the Boston Nbolitionist." be.
cause she hnd a copy OF Uncle Toms Cabin"
having Dr. Mott of this city as an escort FOR hcr:
and her little daughter. Al the end OF ninc
miles Of railway, passengers and baggage were
Our boat took twenty people and the bag:
gage: which was piled in The centre in a sort o.
bottomed affair, with a seat which ran all
around the inner edge; The outer edge was
sort OF promenade for the boatmen. They had
long poles, which they stuck from the prov of
there while they trntted back, and the boat
glided along under their feet. we had eight OF
S nsksd. 0I pH ! IIiEi uri pi"G in locke iSt.oT ,hcv n mI1nSsdI
equally sn In character. For the first hour or so
4 was cool End the river was shaded by trecs s;
caused the perspiratIon to pour OF The hoatmea
In copIous stream1. and eventually made them
umbrellas. whereup6n the gentlemen com
u stormy scene ensucd, with the result that ut
the first hut we came to on the bank of the river
excuse was that they wanted breakfast. but after
waiting an hour for them. and being nearly suf-
men sought them out and found them fast
asleep under the trees. They were yelled at and
hard work to waken them. After much threat
ening with knives aud pistols, they sullenly
came down TO the boat, our men bringing upthe
rear with their weapons very much in EVIDENCE"
They stopped that night at Tayencer. The
boat was run up on a little gravclly beach, and
we all got out, 80 rrnrnped. sore. and miserable
altogether as 10 make walking, even the short
SPACE required. almost nm mpossibility."
After a supper. which they could not eat. had
been offered tothem, tho travellers Of 5. climbed
a ladder intoa loft; After we were all up tine
and 10 and behold! there was only The one
garret for us all. The beds were single cots
10 40 pillows, blankets, or bedding Of my Kind.
and children. so the men had 10 take the floor.
III crying OF children with fever and thirst.
tha Rluft AT an 40 I ma YIA GlFanE M nlEl
owls, and every form of expression possible for
paroquets made night hidedus; 1t seemed as II
surrounded was the home OF beast or bird aud
teeming viii, life which had hidden away or
silent rs ii every living thing had been struck
dumb"
But :" tree, fern, and flowers failed 10 draw orr
minds from our exhausted bodies-eXnGusted
from heat and want OF proper food and starved
u dreadful consciousness of those conditions
and a hHif-stupid realization that the day was
over and that some ono was encouraging Inc 10
make an effort 10 leave thc boat ana climb the
steep path at GorgOna."
There was another %slceplcsS night, which was
divided into watches for lighting. " tho numbers
OF dying and creeping things which. attracted
by our Fight, would swarm IN the mOmen' u dnnr
was open. Tho morning light showed us many
dead things that made US shiNCr, slain 10y - viz
orous hand welding a woman's hoe-oar only
The next days journey WINS made on mule
bnrk but for this some friends OF the writer had
made special arrangement. 30 beyond the lUss
OF one pack mule loaded with her baggage and
the ,dlsComforts OF dining, where n brisk
our food. which wns uninviting enough
without that addition" the travellers fnTed
as well as the conditions made possible. The
third night was passed la Panama, where. by
the e~Sertion Of a strong i%ntiueEce and the aid Of
excusAble bribery, Mrs. Brooks secured q room
and "A pitcher of water!
The next morning my breakfast consisted
OF some black liquid IN "a coffee zap and n piece
OF dark bread. Dipping the bread IN the cup,
we ate what we could, hoping for nothing but TO
sustain life until we could reach the s,eaiueT.'
IL was n novel experience. that reaching the
steamer, There was no wharf or landing
place. All about in the water were natives, big
and little, old and young. and among these little
boats were tOssing idly ABOUT, Further out,
nearer the steamer, many large Oarges or light
ers were hurryiug along, each one trying 10 get
its human freight first on bosrd. | saw all this,
but still thought. how are we u get thsref All
at once, without a word of warning. wa
grabbed from behind. One black arm WAS
around my waist. another under my knees.
and was, lifted up and carried straight
out into the water. wanted Ia scream,
but n laugh from the Doctor and
a shout from Lena, who were treated the same
- nhau1aA ~. mind Tln syutar t4at,n.