Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1908-01-09
A STORY or EARLY DAYS


poses, and the sun 50 hot that th'
pitch in the cracks on deck was Like
oil. The captain ordered the ship L
take the full wind, which had sprung
up by that time, from the south, and
make land, Our vessel made a good
time with full wind and we landed al
San Blazo, Mexico, on the 63rd day
out. We stayed there three days.
All went well for about thirty days,
when fellow passenger, man about
! twenty-one years Of age shot and kill
ed man Of the same age. The cap
tain give the man over to the passen-
gers, as he would have to keep him
| in prison and as the old whaler was
under the old flag Of New Granada,
the authorities Of San Francisco
would have no jurisdiction over the
vessel. The dead man, was buried in
the Pacific ocean and the same day
the passengers organized court and
gave the murderer, a trial. The jury
returned verdict of murder of gull
ty Of murder in the first degree, and
the passengers by almost unanimous
I
vote sentenced him to be hanged.
which was accordingly done, this be-
| ing the twelfth person we had lower
ed into the ocean.
On the 1O2nd day we landed in
Honolulu, Oahu, Sandwich Islands,
to take on provisions as we were near
ly out. We stayed there one week.
Fifty Of our passengers left the old
whaler and hired a barge to take
them to San Francisco. On the 14Oth
day we ate the last provisions on the
old whaler, and we could then notice
change in the ocean water caused
by the current from San Francisco
Bay, and two days later the officers
from San Francisco boarded our YES
sci, took charge Of it and imprisoned
the captain. After the vessel was in
spected the passengers were allowed
to go ashore, the vessel being left a
quarter Of mile out in the bay the
first day and night. After the anchor
was dropped in the bay the first mate
and some Of the passengers went
ashore, and the mate brought quar-
ter of beef and a big barrel of
crackers and we had quite a feast
about three o'clock that afternoon.
If ever meal was appreciated by hui
man beings, it was that one Of beef
and crackers. AS soon as the crack
ers were on deck the mate bursted in
the head Of the cracker barrel, and |
can see him yet as he stood by the bar
rel, shouting, "Come on, boys; help
yourselves" Next morning the an
chor was lifted and the ship brought
to wharf and we were all allowed to
go ashore.
But our hardships we're not all over.
landed in San Francisco with $3.50
gold piece, which I had sewed in my
undershirt. A friend Of mine went
on shore the first day our ship was
anchored in the bay, and, there being
a number of gambling houses near
the wharf, he got to betting on cards
and had what they called good luck
and won $500, but he kept on betting
and finally lost every cent he had
$500 in also / divided with him,
giving him half Of what l had, which
left me 81 I25-and this in country
where you had to lay down a dollar
before you were allowed to lift knife
and fork to eat-so / was thrown on
the good win and charity Of my fell
lowmen.
Next day we went on board a
steamer tug bound for Sacramento,
reaching there next day. ! tried to
get work in San Francisco, but was
so weak l could just stand alone. |
had friend in the mines about fifty |
miles from Sacramento, to whom l
wanted to go and stay with until /
was able to go to work. So my part
ner and l started out on foot, after
buying some bread and ground cOf-
fee-our coffee pot we had brought
from the Isthmus. As we were very
weak we did not make much Roadway
1t took us about three days to walk
fifty miles. l found my friend, was
well received and stayed there about
a month and then went on TO Hang
town, now Plaeerville. I went to