San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-08-15


"Once in a while, however, these
hardy fortune seekers would have a
tilt with the authorities, always COM
ing out victorious, being superior in
numbers and better armed, and l re-
member of one occurrence where
party even drove a body Of troops
from garrison and occupied it for
some time, until they heard that lar
ger body of troops had been dispatch
ed to eject them, then they boarded
their ship and sailed away.
These land troubles were not the
only ones experienced. There was
continually trouble aboard the ships
conveying the men. Rushes were al
ways made for the departing vessels
with the result that they We're all al
ways crowded which caused a contin-
uous uproar on board. The first to
apply were of course assigned to cab
in passage and the last to the steer
age. This was not satisfactory TO the
late arrivals and they were continual
ly fighting about their quarters.
Il remember one instance where the
captain attempted to draw the line be-
tween the two apartments and even
make difference in the food This
Immediately brought forth an open re-
bellion and the stewards quarters
were stormed and the food divided
equally.
ION the same voyage some of the
stokers became rebelliouS and refused
to feed the furnaces until self-or-
gained party called upon them with
their pepper box pistols, the modern
revolver then being luxury of the
future, and ordered them to go to
! work, with the threat that the next
occurrence of the same kind meant
death. The rebellious stokers took a
tumble and Immediately went to
work and never said quit any more I'M
til the voyage was completed.
In several instances the fuel would
| give out, when, without asking ques-
| tions of any one, the sturdy pasSen-
gers would fly in and rid the ship of
all her unnecessary inside woodwork,
with which they kept the fiery furna-
ces going.
Il tell you, those times were live
ly and money flowed freely. 1t was
nothing like now and the funds for
making the venture were easier secur-
ed than they are for a journey to
Alaska during these times of depres-
sion.
Everyone who went was of the
| opinion that he was going to get rich
| and return TO some large eastern city
in few months and live in brown
stone mansion, but in these fanciful
illusions hundreds of hopes were
crushed and as many lives were sac
rificed, as a result, hundreds of men
giving up everything in order to reach
| this tabled Ell Dorado and failing in
their undertaking, sacrificing their
own lives rather than return empty
handed.
There was, however, ludicrous
as well as a business or sad view of
the situation. 1t was indeed ridicu-
lous to hear the expressions of the
| n,an oS +bax xrant nvar n G 70 HON, thaIy
would keep their gold and advance
ideas for transporting it.
lone man advanced the theory of
leather bags and Immediately pur-
chased all the old boots on board
which he converted into bags, selling
them at ridiculously high prices. An
other secured an empty pork Darrell
which he had double strengthened
with iron hoops, in which to hoard his
treasure. He had an idea that he
would return with his keg full of the
yellow stuff in a very short time, but
alas, for the poor fellow, the last l
saw of him he was corpse, having
died by his own hand about twelve
months later, having been disappoint-
ed in his expectations.
Il was among the number who were
disappointed but l did not end my ex-
istence over it, as you are aware, but
after about IS months fruitless search
| returned home a sadder, but wiser
man, as the saying goes and / will
never go on another gold hunting ex-
petition. I'll remain satisfied as long
as | can make good living in a
civilized country as l am doing at
present.
"In those days the reports of the
gold. just as were the reports of the
bloodthirsty Indians, were exaggera-
ted by the transportation companies
and in my opinion that is just about
the size of the Klondike situation.
at is true there has been gold