Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-01-18
RELATES EARLY TRIP
H. L. WATERMAN SPEAKS INTER
EsTINeLY BEFORE BROTHER
HOOD OF ST. PAUL

E1SSO VT FHSL
In Lengthy Paper Speaker Gives Re-
citaIs Of Trials, Hardships and Ex-
periences Encountered in Crossing
Country in the sos.
From Wednesdays Daily
Across the Continent by Sea and
BY Land Forty Odd Years Ago" a
paper filled with interesting happen
ings and picturing the trials and hard
ships met with travelling from New
York to San Francisco, was deliv-
cred by H. L. Waterman before the
Brotherhood Of st. Paul meeting Mon
day night at the home of Rev. H. w.
Hargett Mr.. Waterman's narration
Is complete as follows:
MIR. Waterman's Paper.
President and Members of the
Brotherhood Of st. Paul
Since promising 12ittee Oh
program, some two :, oyf TO give
my recollectiQtfffs aiiys
p me happenings come, 80 Ss''.,-4p41 some o.
my early wanderings, have been
constantly oppressed with the idea
that the burden of what could say
would largely be made UP of occur
ences wherein the personal equation
was undiily prominent But in view Of
our long acquaintance I am satisfied
that you will patiently listen to my mar
ratiye even If relate those youthful
experiences with the garrulousness
which is often the accompanim ent of
declining years.
"On May 5, 1858, went on board the
steamer Moses Taylor in New York
harbor, having secured a steerage pas.
sage to San Francisco that country
whose golden sands had been constant
ly present in my boyish dreams during
the previous nine years. From 1Sd9,
when the discovery of gold in Call
fornia was first announced, many
whom knew had left our little New
England community to seek their for
tunes there. Letters from some of
these, reporting rich discoveries, and
and the return of others with
the real gold in dust and
nuggets, fired my Imagination, re-
sulting IN a determination to go there
as soon as l was old enough Before
reaching New York City had never
seen any place larger than fair
sized New England village. had been
duly warned before starting to look
out for sharpers generally, and particu.
larly for those who would have bogus
tickets Cor sale Why | was especially
sharpers am unable to say, as I had
u hnfn Ice no
home.
'fOn my way to the dock | passed
numbers of persons who were offering
to sell tickets for passage to Cali.
fornia. When l approached the wharf
smart fellow stepped UP and took my
valise, saying that he would show me
my berth, which he readily found
charging me $1.50 for having made il
ready, as he stated. had dimly
formed impression that l was some
how being buncoed but did not fully
realize 1t until had parted with my
money
"The voyage to San Francisco was
rather llneyentful, but decidedly dis
agreeable. The luxury of steerage
passages on ocean steamers should be
limited to one in a lifetime for any
human being.
"The recollection of the suspended
tables. on which was placed the dali.
meals, violently shot back and fortl
in the storm off Cape Hatteras, o
swayed by the steamers struggle tt
climb the succession Of waves, raised
by the trade winds along the Pacifi,
coast, are still fresh in mind. Thu
food served was anything but attrac
tive to boy reared on New Eng
land cooking AS | now recollect,
had not to exceed twelve good meals
during the entire voyage of twenty
four days. six of them during the tw'
days spent on the Isthmus of Panam;
and the other six partaken from
familiar New England cupboard, il
my dreams Since then | have passe,
off Cape Hatteras three times but en-
countered no storm to compare wit
the one on my first voyage.
"A view of the eastern coast of Gu
ba, along which we steamed for an er
tire day, was a pleasing sight, bu
when we landed on the Isthmus of As
pinwall it seemed like veritabl