Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1916-08-02
SYNOPSIS

Il
Talbot Wards challenge to Frank Mum
roe to personal encounter to determine
whether Munroe Is fit to make trip to
California In search Of gold is accepted.
Munroe gets hammerlock on Ward and
wins the bout
They choose the Panama route. Ward.
It develops, is an old campaigner. On
board ship they meet Johnny Fairfax and
Yank Rogers. The four become partners.
Arriving at Chagres, Talbot Wards
knowledge OF Spanish and his firm treat
ment OF the native boatmen help wonder
fully. The party enters tropical forest.
They reach Gatun, and, after passing
through several villages where Ward al
ways automatically handles the natives.
they arrive In Panama.
Ward forces steamship agent to refund
passage money because ship isn't availa-
bic.
Yank has provided accommodations for
all on board sailing ship. They arrive
in San Francisco.
CHAPTER VII.
The Golden City.
YE stood in between the hills
M that guarded the bay Of San
wv Francisco about 10 o'clock
Of an early spring day. A
fresh cold wind pursued us, and the
sky above us was b1uer than had
ever sen it before, even on the 18TH
mus. 10 our right some great rocks
were covered with seals and sea lions,
and back of them were hills of yellow
sand. A beautiful great mountain rose
green to our left, and the water be-
meath us swirled and eddied in numer.
GUS whirlpools maSie by the tide.
Everybody was on deck and close to
the rail. We strained our eyes ahead
and saw two islands and beyond q
shore Of green hills. None Of US knew
where San Francisco was located, nor
could we find out. The ships COM
pany were much too busy to pay at
tention to our questions. The great
opening out of the bay beyond the
long narrows was therefore surprise
to us. 1t seemed as vast as an inland
sea. We hauled to the wind, turning
sharp to the south, glided past the bold
point of rocks
Then we saw the city concealed In a
bend OF the cove. It was mainly Of
canvas, hundreds. perhaps thousands
~ tents and canvas houses scattered
about the sides Of hills. The fat was
covered with them, too, and they ex.
tended for some distance along the
shore of the cove. A great dust borne
by the wind that had brought us In
swept across the city like cloud OF
smoke. Hundreds and hundreds Of
vessels lay at anchor In the harbor. a
vast feet.
We were Immediately surrounded by
small boats and our decks filed with
men. We had -Four first sight Of the
genuine miners. They proved to be as
various 90 the points of the compass.
Big men, little men, clean men, dirty
men, shaggy men, shaven men, but all
instinct with an eager life and energy
have never seen equaled.
They addressed us eagerly, asking
thousand questions concerning the
news of the outside world. We
could hardly answer them in our de-
sire to question in return. Were the
gold stories really true? We're the dig
gings very far away? Were the dig
gings holding out? What were the
chances for newcomers? And so on
without end, and the burden always
Of gold, gold, gold!
We were answered with the enthu.
siasm of an old timer welcoming a
newcomer to any country. Gold, plen.
ty Of 1t. They told us in GREATNESS
snatches the most marvellous tales.
One sailor had dug $4,000 in week
Another man, a farmer from New