The San Francisco call., 1910-09-11

regularly in demand to remote min
Ing camps in the coast range noun
tafns. The enterprise prospered apace
and after another season he was able
to add another horse to his team and
to provide a more commojious vehi-
Gle. But one great drawback to "his
complete prosperity" as he often told
his wife, was that he had been able
to obtain freight In but one direction
and had to make his return trips with
an empty wagon. Sometimes he man
aged to bring a bag of wool or a bun
die of hides, which were handed him
by some of the native and Spanish
sheep and cattle raisers along his
route, but the returns were small on
this intermittent business.
BilPs principal place for marketin g
was at the New Idria quicksilver mine,
making the trip from San Jose about
125 miles. AT these mines a consider
able force of men were employed, most
of whom Were MexicanS, and it was
these latter that gave him the name
of "Azogue Cor Quicksilver) Bil''
owing to his later constant haul
ing Of the article. The hauling of the
ore, at the time of Bills arrival there,
required teams of six and eight horses
and this outfit Bill had not so it re-
side Of the superintendent. which he did
as we shall see later on.
The freight rates charged for the
transportation Of the quicksilver varied
according to the market price of the
article, which ranged then from so
cents to $1.5o per pound. Teamsters
were paid at the rate of from SIS to
$40 per ton laid down at Alviso and a
team of eight horses could haul as
many tons of the stuff at time Short
ly after Bilps arrival on his first trip
the superintendent had an urgent need
or getting to San Francisco and could
not wait for the regular stage. Bill
offered his light team and the official
accepted gladly and Bill loafed around
for the 10 or IL days that required for
the boss to make the round trip.
When the superintendent delivered
the team to its owner upon his return
he asked. "Bill, what can l do for you
in payment for the use of your lively
team?"
Il charge YOU" said Bill, shrewdly.
ito give me freight of quicksilver for
return trips when there happens to be
a surplus.
Certainly" replied the boss. that
means all the time,' and turning to
the agent he continued, 'Iet him have
the job as long as he is faithful and
honest"
And that" cried the lame teamster
hat In hand and marking time" as
usual. albeit gleefully. surely does
mean all the rest of my natural lifer'
All this has something to do with the
main event in this story for Bill never
forgot his promise.
In short time after securing this
addition to his regular custom. which
to him appeared bonanza, Azogue
Bill purchased another span of fine
draft horses. and then two more, and
more until his outfit consisted of IL
splendid animals, lively and strong. He
had two wagons, one large and one
small trailing after 1T, called in slang
the back action" With this outfit he
hauled regularly 10 tons of quicksilver
from New Idria to Tres Pinos, spur
terminus of the Southern Pacific, sit
uated about rs miles from the mine
and about midway between New Idria
and San Jose, for which he received $25
gold, per ton.
He established two intermediate sta
tionS, 20 miles apart, with food and
lodging for himself and provender and
shelter at each place. thus dividing his
entire freighting route into daily
drives, going and coming, of 25 miles
each. The company had constructed
the road through the mountains, but as
they had not expected to do the actual
freighting themselves, the wagon track
to New Idria was often over steep and
narrow grades. interspersed with many
sharp curves.
Azogue Bill, indeed. was the only
freighter who had successfully at
tempted to do business over it with
more than eight horses and one wagon.
Quicksilver makes a snug load. the 10
tons being secured in cast iron TASKS.
each containing about so pounds thus
the bottom of the big wagon was bare
ly covered with the load of mercury.
Bill usually made the round trip in six
days. so he had Sunday of each week
at home with his family at the railway
terminus.
For a term years his earnings