The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-02-14
considerable amount OF experience. A
business hereabouts for some time to
AVoyage to the West Indies.

mented in venture on his own account,
or rather on account OF himself and
the late W. W. Shriver. They two load
ed steamboat in partnership, COM
manded by Captain Henry Mason. with
Hour for New Orleans. Said -four was
milled by Richard Waugh, OF Brooke
county. and cost 50 so per barrel at
Wellsburs. The freight to New Orleans
was nearly halt as much more. viz, 81 80
per barrel. TO which was added quite a
charge for insurance. There was no
such cheap steamboat freight In those
days, "as two mills per ton per mile"
Ten barrels OF flour constituted a ton
and the distance to New Orleans was
1000 miles, and the rate OF freight.
three-quarters OF q cent per ton per
mile, cargo at the risk OF the consig-
nee" Mr.. Botsford went along with the
shipment as supercargo. and Mr.. Shrly-
er remained at home to listen FOR the
good news OF a prosperous voyage and q
handsome profit that should come to
him in q twenty-five cent letter from
his partner. Well, he did not receive
any such letter-not from New Orleans
for the market was glutted with flour
and away down In price on the arrival
OF the snpercargo. But the supercargo
was equal 10 the, emergency. There was
no time to telegraph the Wheeling part
ner, and no telegraph in existence, even
II he had had the time He had. there
fore, like "Old Hickory" at the same
city en- the Sth day OF January, 1915. to
assume the responsibility" Hearing
OF clipper that was just putting out
for Kingston. Jamaica. he concluded 10
transfer his flour ut once from the deck
OF the steamboat to the hold OF the
vessel, which he did, and after putting
up 81 80 per barrel more for freight, and
adding some more insurance money he
set sail down the Mississippi and across
the Gulf OF Mexico. out into the trop-
ical Spanish main. He was twenty long
days on the route, having encountered
all sorts OF weather, and between his
hopes and hts fears, remembering the
fate of Mr.. Yarnell. he all the time felt
a good deal like Sheridan when en- route
for Winchester. that something was go
Ing on Of possible serious moment and
he thousand miles or more away. 1t
was the price of flour dropping at
Kingston that he seemed to hear all the
time through the roar OF the pillows
that swept over the deck. And. sure
lars per barrel In those twenty days,
or from SIG to sl2, but even at 81 he was
enabled to get out OF his venture, after
paying port charges and all expenses.
with net profit OF two dollars per bar
rel. So. after selling his cargo. and
converting his funds Into New York ex-
change. he made his salaam to the al
calde OF the town and took passage on
schooner for Savannah, Ca. from
whence he Zig-zagged up the coast on
his way north, first 10 Charleston. S.
c.. and then to Wilmington, y. c., and
from thence on almost the first train OF
the newly completed road between Will
minGton and Petersburg, and from
thence on to Baltimore, and. finally.
from there by stage. (price slS), TO
Wheeling. All this and much more for
the sake OF the thousand dollars net
that fell to him as his share OF the pro-
ut on the thousand barrel shipment Of
flour. Men "tusged at the oar" a good
deal in those days to make 4 thousand
dollars. and considering the novel time
that he had had, and the additional ex-
perience he had gained. he did not be-
grudge all that he had passed through.
which included about three months of
time and 4 sight of worry, seeing that
DIT last ne was Saie pack III Inc Ola
'o"h once more ana thousand dollars
aheau OF the game. however. lie mad
ny TINS "Trip ABOUT saiished ms amoition
ior an aquatic lie. he dld not care 70
ne an arsonaut any more. he concluded
u WOO fortune on dr5 iaro' "hich ne
ald ~ empafklhs IN tae retail grocery
business ana prosecuting II successfully
ior Humper Oh years, emerging hhaliy
into n whplpSQ1a octu b1i qhp1nDt
An Enviable Period ofIIife.
At ninety wears of age Mr.. Botsford
,oo,. h,o,. T., ,,..,. .,,o
'e0N" '"tN :" 'e''''pe.' we '"e 'oNe
ROAD mat ne mas traFeieo' ana, IN COM
mon with mankind generally, sees many
things that he cnuId do djffore,tIv and
ho,,ou TO 10 ..,,,.., -,
oe''es a he was pei"''''eo " ie-Ha'ei
the distance. but ne has no desire to
retrace ms steps ana is satlshed with
MS modest anu honest achieFements HE
is reconciied 10 be on the retired list
ana aehshtS IN "reminiscences OF TIE
thrcc generations through when re mas
nearly passed. beginning away back
with tae visit ~ a br!tish cruiser TO
Long 'S'ahu So'inc ID Inc war OF u,
When ne was child or iiVe years. That
~ MS earnest fcSoliection. ana, Just 10
think OF Il, II goes BACK over four subse-
Iuens Tars-riE.-t seminole war OF
florica. the Black Hawk war Of the
west, the Mexican war. and the war OF
the Hrcal Repellioh. 1t also goes back
over m!ShtE SIGHT else OF great pith
ana moment III the history oi this
country ana the world. His century Is
the most remarkable FOR achievements
IN me arts ana science since time be-
gan. In 1t steam and electricity have
been brought to their development-al-
most invented. We may saT-certainly
born again. II was In the year of his
birth that Fulton launched his expert