Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-04-01

very duAlOuS 10 see Gbo uioihiCS'i"S
process and so went along myself. AT
ter hasty supper of hardtack and
canned beef, we commenced loading
the baggage on the steamer that was
to take it down. There was an i'm
mense amount of it, mostly heavy
boxes but the men went at it at run,
working like niggers at a corn-shuek-
ing, and soon had it aboard but the
ship did not leave.
One of the custom house officers,
who seemed very anxious that the de-
tail should not go with the baggage,
came to us and said that the ship
would leave it there that night and
bring it back on its regular run the
next night; that it was entirely un-
necessary for us to go, as they had
men to handle it; that we would have
to spend that night and the next day
on an uninhabited island without food
or shelter, etc. but we told him that
we had been Sent to rush the baggage
through and that we would he held
responsible if we did not get it back in
time for the special train, already de-
layed one day, to leave the next morn
ing, 80 we prepared to remain with it.
The captain Of the ship then came
to me and said that if I did not have
written orders from some grand mogul,
chief high muck a muck, he positively
refused to take a single man. I told
him we were sorry to differ with him !;
but we had orders to remain with the
baggage and would certainly do so.
Things were getting pretty squally, so
| sent one of the men for Colonel
Thompson hut before he returned.
plump little DR.. Aldree. of the board
of health, came tripping down the
gangway with his three assistants, and
with his genial "Boys. the ship is ours !
Take charge and let's have a good
time," everything changed, and
thenceforth we were honored guests.
Very soon the ship started on the
40-mile run at clipping pace. making
it in about two hours. .and-a-half.
Soon after starting. the genial little
doctor came to me and said that he
had little treat for the boys. and if
I would arrange table and call them
together, he would hiring it out. When
everything had been arranged, he
came smilinelv forth with two quart
bottles of "Old Oscar Pepper" in
which the men drank to his health
with hearty good will. Then Senior
Garcia, a cigar manufacturer, brought
out box of his choicest cigars. and the
men smoked to Senior Garcia. Cuba and
the cigar trade, and then the captain.
who. though gruff. turned out to he an
A No. 1 good fellow, set us bountifnl
spread to which the men, who had had
only hasty lunch for supper, did am
pie Justice. And then again, just be-
fore starting on the return trip. the
little doctor. who was not going back
with us, brought out two more quart
hotties of "Old Oscar Pepper" which
the men quickly disposed of.
When we arrived at the quarantine
station. the gangway. which was about
Is feet long and 6 feet wide, was
quickly fixed; hut as the dock was
much higher than the deck of the ves-
ael-it was AT an angle, of fully 45 de-
grpes - made the unloading very
difficult; but we had picked men. able
and willing. and they soon surmounted
all difficulties. Taking one of the
heavy trunks or boxes upon their
shoulder, they would make dash up
the gangway. and generally just reach
the dock before their impetus gave
out; but sometimes came sliding back
to chorus of hearty laughter.
The knapsacks. blankets and valises
were packed in an air-tight room, the
door tightly closed and the aldehyde
gas turned on until it was thick and
dense on the inside. The cots were
stacked in a long swinging carrier
which was run into the hig, round
boiler, about 9 feet high and 80 feet
long. A current of steam was then
turned on until they were dampened,
and then the temperature of the hoiler
raised to $50 degrees Fahrenheit-38
degrees above the boiling point of wa
ter. The leather straps around the
cots were ruined. as would have heen
any buttons, wooden goods, etc, that
had been subjected to the high tenn.
perature. The trunks were set on end
in long line end the boxes neatly
stacked, so that each could he readily
gotten at. Several Of the men were
then given braces and bits, and set to
work boring small holes into the bot
toms of the trunks and toward the
lower edge of the boxes. The doctors
assistants followed with their little
chemical engines, and inserting tube
in the holes, turned on the sitting
aldehyde gas until it began to escape
through the cracks of the boxes and
trunks.
The stuff was thoroughly fumigated.
The most thorough disinfection, one Of
the assistants told me, that had ever
been done at Tampa. The baggage
was then quickly reloaded, and we
gave three lusty cheers for the genial
little doctor as the boat started on the
return trip. A few of the men stretch
ed out cots and lay down while the
rest gathered together in warm little