The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-09-19
CHASING
FORTUNE
Finn Has Been to
All the Worlds
Eldorados.
FROM FINLAND
TO FAR SOUTH SEAS
Klondike to Africa, The Pearling
Fields and Elsewhere-A
Long RambIe.

w. Erickson, known at the Inter
Island Steamship Companys carpenter
shop as the new man." has been
chasing around the globe for twenty
two years in a search for fortune
which he has failed to secure. His
hunt has been filed with adventure
and several times he has been within
the shadow of death. Erickson's for
tune is not pile of treasure hidden on
some far away isle but represents what
he thinks can be made by the early
arrival in any new country.
Erickson is a Finn. At sixteen years
of age he ran away from his old
fashioned Finland home, joined a Nor
wegian vessel carrying "stock-fish" to
Spain and there hoped to make his
told him that every castle was a gold
mine and only waited the coming of
the fair haired people of the North to
give up its wealth. But his hopes were
blasted there by the captain refusing
him permission to go ashore. The yes
sci then sailed for Florida and on it's
arrival off the shores of the land of
the fountain of youth Erickson resolv-
ed on bold plan to get free from the
ship, He conffded in two friends and
the three sailors made up their minds
| 10 eet awav from the vessel hafora its
arrival at Pensacola. In the dead of
night and with the captain asleep in the
cabin the trio dropped boat into the
sea and made for the shore which was
in safety and fearing the consequences
| of their act Immediately scattered.
Erickson spent years in a roaming
from camp to camp in the newly dis
covered mining district of the West.
He reached San Francisco and was told
by d banana vendor of the wonderful
things that came from Tahiti. He went
there Immediately and searched the
islands about Tahiti for pearls. He
got but few. One day a vessel arrived
in port with news of the Klondike dis
covery Erickson was up and away
as quickly as sail could carry him. In
the Klondike he found little besides
starvation. On one occasion he was
journeying across the frozen north with
a team of six dogs. He lost his way
and being out of food came near starry
ms One day he fell on ice from ex-
haustion anu says the last thing he re-
membered before falling asleep was
that he was freezing. But on waking
on the following morning he was warm
and felt we'll. His dogs packed them
selves about him during the night and
saved his life. That day he reached a
camp and secured food. He was put
on the right track and soon got back
to standardization.
The breaking out of the war in South
Africa caused many stories to be print
ed of the wonderful richness of the gold
fields there. Erickson journeyed
thither. He never got any farther than
CapetOWn and spent some months lheTe
building boats. He saw no hope of
getting his fortune in the mad rush of
thousands of johannesburg and so took
so the briny again for journey to the
pearling grounds about Northwestern
Australia. In the dangerous work of
pearlfng Erickson did not find wealth
although others in the same trade
seemed to be able to get pearl shell
and make big finds whenever it suited
them He saw one mans find of a
pearl worth some fifteen thousand
pounds sterling.
Erickson gave the work up in dis
gust He rounded the Southern coast
of Australia and at Newcastle Joined
the coal laden ship John Currier under
orders to sail for Honolulu. On arrival
here he took job as carpenter in re-
pairing inter-island steamers.
He says he will settle down now and
try to gain wealth by easy stages in
stead of finding it in one big lump,
packed and marked ready for shipment
to him.