Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1902-01-16

& Neumuller, In New York.
When I told them the size and weight
of the box, they said the charge would
be 80 marks, and l told them to collect
it in New York. 1 said l wanted them
to call for the box at 1 p. m. and that
they must be careful with it and keep
it right side up.
81 hurried home and put on two
suits of clothes. Their l told my land
lady that | was going out, but that
when the eXpressmen called she should
let them get the box from my room.
Then l went outdoors, but came in
again and reached my room without
being seen. | watched until the eX-
presSmen came to the house. Then
before they could climb up to my room
on the third floor l got into the box
and fastened the lid from the inside. |
The expressmen called early. l heard
them read the warning on the box lid, |
'Nicht sturzen.' which meant take
care They carried me down the three
flights of stairs with great care n
put me in the wagon without shaking
me up. | was comfortable in my box.
They put me down carefully on the
steamship pier.
"Vhe had lain on the pier a long
time, the box was suddenly pushed
over, and l could feel that a rope sling
was being fastened around it. Then I
heard a whistle, and l felt myself fly
ing through the air. Another whistle, !
and l was sinking fast. All my settler
bottles were along b floor of the left
side of the case, tucked in beside the
bedding, so as to save them, but when
the men raised me up in the hold and
piled my box on top of a big packing
case they rolled it over for a moment
on it's side and let it drop a few nch
The joIting broke three of my seltzer
bottles. That meant water for three
days, but l still had eleven pints left,
and I thought that would last. l don't
think the men saw the water that
leaked out. None of them said any
thing about it.
81 knew I was piled up high on b
top of the cargo of my deck. There
was still a little light in my box-not
real light, but grayness-that came
through the cracks of the wood. About
an hour after I was loaded on the ship
I heard the men close the iron door of
the bulkhead. Then l was in black
darkness. Still 1 vas comfortable. By
bending my knees a little l could lie
fiat on my back.
ST could tell when night came. The
noise of footballs ceased in the steer
age. When all was still, | could hear
the men on watch walking about. I
could heal them talking-that is, 1
could hear the tones of voices, but not
the words-When one watch relieved
the other. l invented a way to tell
time. I took the crystal of my watch
and felt the hands. When both hands
were together at the top right under
the chain ring, l knew it was II
o'clock. If there were many feet scuf-
fling about the deck, | knew it was
midnight. Soon l learned to tell the
hour hand from the minute hand. l
could always discover the time within
an hour or so.
Il was asleep most Of the time for
the first two days and nights. One
thing surprised me, the noise Of the
rats. l could heal them running over
the cargo, their claws scratching on
the wood of the packing cases. They
ran across my case, too, and scratched
at il. l suppose they Smeiled o in
side and wanted it. l was afraid to
make a noise to drive them away, be
cause 1 did not want any of the sailors
to hear me and drag me out. 1t was
CHASTITY to near the rats running
around and SQueaking While l was ~
ing there in the dark like a rat caught
in a trap. Still they did not gnaw at
my box or try to attack me in any way.
Glow did 1 spend my time? By build
ing air castles for Johanna and myself.
Johann l said, you must find
work in America 1t is a rich country,
and every man who is willing to work
hard can make a fortune. You will soon
be there. If you can get work at your
trade as a painter. good. If not, you
are young and strong. and you can
sweep the streets if necessary to make
a beginning. When you get 100 marks.
you can send for Johanna and marry
her, and then you will both work hard
and make a fortune, and some day you
can go home and visit Germany for q
few weeks, and you won't have to trav-
ell like this / was always building
these air castles when I was awake.
"It must have been on the thirteenth
day that I found that / had not one
drop Of water left. Immediately my
thirst began to torture me. L did not
dream of streams and fountains, but
was asleep nearly all the time-a sort
) Of dreamy doing. l was tempted to
crawl out Of my box and knock at the
! deck right above me for help. but ]
said: No. If you knock, they will catch
you and send you back to Germany.
You are almost in America now. Have
courage for a little while I thought
the voyage lasted fourteen days. but
the people tell me 1 vas sixteen days
> in the ship.
81 shall never forget the CLEAN of
gray that came through the Sits in the