Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1916-10-05

from cocoanut husk, to which long
cords had been attached. With these,
he explained, we could dip up water
without dismounting. We found them
most convenient.
Shortly after we had left town and
before we had really begun our jour-
ney in earnest we passed a most as
tonishing caravan going the other
way. This consisted Of sixteen mules
and donkeys under sole charge OF
three men armed with antiquated and
somewhat rusty muskets. On either
side Of each mule, slung in rope and
plain to see, hung a heavy ingot OF
gold! Fascinated, we approached and
stroked the satiny beautiful metal and
wondered that on road SO crowded
with travellers Of all grades SO precious
train should be freely intrusted to
the three ragged, lazy natives. So curl
GUS did this seem that Talbot inquired
of the leader why it was allowed.
whittier would a thief run to!
How could he carry away these heavy
ingots?" the man propounded.
Often around subsequent campfres
we have in idle curiosity attempted to
answer these two questions success
fully, but have always failed. The
gold was safe.
We arrived in Panama in the after
noon, and we were all eyes, for here
was a city taken directly from the
pages of the Boys Own Pirate"
Without the least effort of the mag
ination we could see Morgan or Kidd
or some other old swashbuckler, cut
lass in teeth, pistols in hand, broad
sashed, fierce and ruthless, rushing
over the walls or through the streets,
while the cathedral bells changed wild
~ and women screamed. Everything
about it was Of the past, for somehow
the modern signs Of American inva-
sion seemed temporary and to be
blown away. The two story wooden
houses with corridor and veranda
across the face of the second story,
painted In bright colors, leaned crafty
out across the streets toward each
other. Narrow and mysterious alleys
led up between them. Ancient cathe-
drals and churches stood gray with
age before grass grown plazas. And
in the outskirts of town were massive
masonry ruins Of great buildings, con-
vent and colleges, some Of which had
never been finished.
We stopped over one day at the
Fonda Americana and then, realizing
that we were probably in for long
wait. found two rooms in house off
the main street. These we rented
from a native at fairly reasonable
rate. They were in the second story
of massive stone ruin whose walls
had been patched up with whitewash.
Outside the walls of the city was a
large encampment Of tents in which
dWelt the more impecuniOus OR more
economical Of the miners. Here too
had located a large hospital tent.
There was a great deal Of sickness,
due to the hardships Of the journey,
the bad climate, irregular living, the
overeating of fruit, drinking, the total
lack of sanitation. In fact, only the
situation of the city-out on an 18TH
mus in the sea breezes-1 am con-
vinced, saved us from pestilence. Ev-
cry American seemed to possess pat
ent medicine Of some sort, with which
he dosed himself religiously in and out
Of season. A good many, l should
think. must have fallen victims to
these nostrums.
Each morning regularly we went
down to harass the steamship employ
ees. Roughly speaking, some 300 OF
us had bought through passage before
leaving New York, and it was an
nounced that only fifty-two additional
to those already aboard could be
squeezed into the first steamer. The
other 24S would have to await the
next Naturally every man was de-
termined that he would not be left,
for such a delay in such place at the
time Of a gold rush was unthinkable.
The officials at that steamship office
had no easy time. Each man wanted
first of all to know just when the ship
was to be expected, thing no one
could guess. Then he demanded his
accommodations and had a dozen rea-
sons why his claim should be pre-
ferred over that of the others. l new
er saw a more quarrelsome, noisy dog
kennel than that steamship office.
Why no one was ever shot there
could not tell you.
In the evening the main street was
a blaze of light, and the byways were
cast in darkness. The crowd was all
afoot and moved restlessly to and fro
from one bar or gambling place to an
other. Of the thousands Or so Of stran-
gers we came in time to recognize by
sight great many. The journey home
through the dark was perilous. We
never attempted it except in company,
and, as Johnny seemed fascinated with
a certain game called Mexican monte,
we often had to endure long waits be-
fore all our party was assembled.
One morning our daily trip to the
steamship Office bore fruit. We found
the plaza filled with excited men, all
ta1linp ond ooStioI1Ia ting The much