Norwich bulletin., 1909-05-08

ed it in about eighteen months. We
took the contract from the Central
Pacific Railroad company as II was
portion of the road which was to con-
meet the great transcontinental road
with San Francisco. But the company
had so worded our contract as to give
them the privilege of classifying the
work after it was opened and they
could form some idea of the kind of
material we had to move, so, after the
first MONTH they went over the work
and made a difference of six thousand
dollars in our estimate on the second
months work. Then, with a verbal
understanding we went to work on
the third month, and when the engi-
neer's estimate was sent in they cut
us down five thousand dollars on that,
after which we saw that it was no use
to try and bring them to any kind of
written agreement by which we could
hold them. SO we threw up the con-
tract and bent our endeavors towards
getting a settlement which would en-
able us to recover what we had in
vested in the work, if nothing more.
The trouble was that although the
company had built q great many miles
Of railroad themselves and. had cross
ed the Sierra. Nevadas, yet they had
never known what the cost should
have been, as 1t was the only railroad
ing they had ever done, and in that
they all had been for going ahead re-
gardless of expense So ii appeared,
they wanted to experiment with us
and find out the cost and then build
the road themselves.
In 1868 the first epidemic of small
pox visited San Francisco, and it was
surprising to see how uncOncerned the
people were about it. At the first out
break the victims were removed i'm
mediately to the pest house, but when
it became known NOV miserably they
were treated many who were afflicted
with the disease had such an uncon-
querable horror of the place that their
friends preferred to take the risk of
concealing the state Of the case and
nursing the patients at home. An ord
nance was passed by the board of
supervisors requiring that a yellow
flag should be displayed from all
houses where smallpox existed, and
it was a penal offefise to refuse TO
neglect to comply with the require
ment. Consequently, the little yellow
flags were to be seen in all parts of
the city, and II was nothing unusual
to see one displayed at the same en-
trance with a sign, ITO Rent" I
could not help thinking how different
ly such thinge were regarded in my
native town, where a single case Of
smallpox would be enough TO cause
This smallpox was curious affair.
People were scared enough but they
found precautions were no safeguard.
1t seemed to be sporadic, and in the
end they just trusted to luck to escape
it. Old country folks said it was not
like the disease they knew. 1t left
worse scars, and vaccination was no
protection. There wasn't any use In
getting scared or anything else. We
have had epidemics since, but nothing |
to compare with that one, either in |
extent or yirulence. Old and young, |
rich and poor. clean aKd filthy got 1t
alike and It was sort of 'eat, drink |
and be merry for tomorrow we may |
have the smallpox"
| have several Of the letters / wrote |
home about this time. but few Of the |
events recorded are of general interest. |
In contrast to my fathers ropewalk |
was one l visited in 1868 at the Po- |
trero. OF all the ropewalks 1 have |
ever seen this one was way ahead. II |
was about two thousand feet long and |
the spinning and laying was all done |
by machinery. They worked MANILA |
exclusively, and the Chinese, who |
formed the bulk of the employees, were |
as regular and precise as the ma
ehinery itself The engine room was
HE a parlor
In 1870 one of the mali trains bound /
east was stopped and robbed by sew
eral men. who, perhaps. had been dis
appointed in not drawing a big prize
in the Mercantile Library Lottery. The |
affair created quite a sensation then,
but do not recollect the particulars. |
The street sweeping machines that
were formerly used In San Francisco
were introduced by me. and as 1 Sc
cured the contract for sweeping the
city's streets. according to all caleu-
lations I should have become a very
rich man, but when my contract ex-
pired was by no means with a hun
dred xllila4 OF hsfnn khA sezs&t, ,are a