The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-02
WAS AN ARGONAUT AT Il.
4 NEW FORK NEWSBOY'S VOYAGE
TO CALIFORNIA IN 1S49.

TO CALIFORNIA IN 1919.
John L. Morton Sold 100 Papers at Panama
Mt 81 Each-His Trip Up the Pacific Coast
with n Captain Who Lost the Chronome-
ter GambIing-Early San Francisco Days.
John L. Morton went to California in 1910.
has been back In the East only a few months.
and in the interval has had many adventures.
Now he is living at the home OF his brother.
92S Lafayette avenue. Brooklyn.
Many Others" he said to a SUN reporter.
have had adventures just as thrilling as
mine. but few can boast that they passed
through what I did at my age. l was born
In New York and was soon left an orphan with
my three brothers. I was put into an orphan
school. which didn't suit me. and l ran away
and came back tc the city. l worked for a
time In the city. in a paint store and as q news
boy. In lS49 the gold fever was at its height.
and although I was only IA years old l caught
the fever and resolved to go to California and
the gold fields by hook or crook. l finally
shipped as a cabin boy on the schooner Chero-
kce for the isthmus. Itook along about a hun
dred newspapers to sell down there. We got
to Aspinwall. or Chagres. as l think 1t was
called then. after a trip OF eight days. There |
was aided by a friend I had made-an old Mr..
De Within getting over the side. You may be
sure that l didn't go back to the old boat. l
stayed at A%spinwall a few DAYS and then
started barefoot across the isthmus with a big
bologna sausage in my pocket and a bundle OF
Herdlds and SUNS In my hands. When | got to
Panama l sold every one OF the 100 papers for
a dollar apiece. | soon needed the money. for I
cam down almost Immediately with the
ChaGres fever.
1T was three months before I recovered.
Then l went to work for United States Consul
A. b. Corwin at Panama. I witnessed In March.
1854 a riot tha obioot ~ ubIrh urac IN fharata
a white man named Johnson. who had been
put into the stocks on a charge Of robbery
made by a negro hotel keeper. The Governor
nj Panama came out to calm the crowd OF
whites who were In front OF the Jail demanding
Johnson's release. Mr.. Corwin also came out
in his uniform. and when the Governor got up
on "A platform to speak Corwin took of his hat
as IA matter OF politeness. The Governor didn't
take his hat of. and Dutch Charley Charles
?. Duane was his real namel. who was the
leader OF the riot. jumped up and knocked the
Governors hat off. Then the crowd made q
rush for the jail. shot the guards and got John
son out.
Tho Consul wanted me to stay In his en-
ploy. but | wanted to so to California. and
told him that I couldn't take his offer. On
April l l started for San Francisco on the bark
AIGoma. Capt. William Pray. The owners gave
me the Job Of surercargo for the voyage.
There were many others that were anxious to
go to the gold fields. and we took with us 1lS
passengers. Well. the Captain proved to be n
lent temper. to which he often gave full sway.
While We s were at the pier pier w ,hn to GO he
loaded pistol. and gave us an indication of
what we might e1pcct later.
days, but We soon ran short, When We hal
been out twenty-eight days we were hecalmed
eiEht'esssn lays. They cut the water down. Hir to 5o a
pint II day and each man had only one biscuit n
II" boat that the Captain was afraid to go TO
San Francisco because ther" were peopl" there
wh0 %1H 16 sas to th SsS MIN Hfts mq a Few m% GnSs than Ms ,a he
in with a New Bedford wnaler and got from her
some water. cheese and hard bread. Then we
caught some wind and started again
The Captain gambled every night with one
Of thu, passengers and one night | saw him
cards. In those days kept a journal, in which
I put down everything that came under my
s"'T"-night, whiie at a game Of cards. the
CAPTAIN lost the ships ,chrnn9meter to his on:
many and q man who does such an act ought
on my berth, aud when tn" Captain came in he
Is that your w]ritinE?' he asked. pointing at
told him it was. although l was afraid OF
=" You little devil he shrieked, IL you ever
come in This cabin again I'll brain your And
he shook his fat in my face.
one Ot the passengers was a Capt. Cook OF
Ohio. who had taken a fancy to me. and when |
ran from tn" drunken Captain | went to Cook
and told him the story.
Pay no attention to him. he said. We
will lOoK out for him
When i went down to cat in the cabin
Capt. Pray sp,rd mo and rot up and started
for me. Threw my plate Of hot pea, SOUP into
h. face and ran fer u" deGk and hid under
long boat that night | heard Capt. Pray order
the mate 70 change his course SO that they
sell the cargo and leave, the ship aud the pas
SenGers IN the lurch. When ! got nv chance
the passengers got Capt. Pray on deck and
told him pretty plainly To make the best posi-
couple Of times. and when we were two days
ont from the Golden Gate the passengers put
him in irons and Cook took command OF the
bark by vote OF all on board. We made the
voyage in eighty-one days instead OF the thirty
Ave days taken usually.
when we got In the harbor Capt. Pray was
liberated. and I. who had been under the long