The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Adventures of a Forty-niner, by Daniel Knower potx

[...]... in safety The early pioneers of those two years immediately after the gold was discovered (of which I am writing) are passing away As Ossian says, "People are like the waves of the ocean, like the leafs of woody marvin that pass away in the rustling blast, and other leaves lift up their green heads." There is probably not five per cent of the population of California to-day, of those days, scenes and... express across the Isthmus and get there ahead of the other passengers and secure tickets for the five, and try and be the first to land at Chagres We came to anchor in the bay The captain announced that no passengers would be permitted to go ashore until the government officials had inspected the vessel A boat came from shore with the officials After a short stay the officials went down the side of the. .. steamer to their boat to return to the shore There was a guard to keep all but the proper persons from getting into the boat I had a small carpet bag in my hand, passed the guard, slipped a $5 gold piece in his hands, and took my seat in the boat, and, of course, passed as one of the officials, and was the first passenger to land from the steamer The first point to be made was to secure a boat for passage... on the Pacific side By the time I had all my arrangements made, Lieutenant M made his appearance He said he was the second passenger that landed from the steamer Then behold us in what they called a dug-out, a boat somewhat similar to a canoe, with a little canopy over the center that you could crawl under to lay down with the two naked natives, with the exception of a cloth around their loins, neither... $300 for the first cabin, and $150 for the second, from Panama to San Francisco; but a fraction of the passengers had a ticket for the Pacific side The objective point was to get to Panama to secure a ticket, so I made an arrangement with four others; three were to take charge of the baggage of the five, and take it leisurely, and Lieutenant M., of South Carolina, and myself were selected to run an express... last, in the ceremonies in the marching of the procession through the streets of the city, they were received with the greatest enthusiasm and cheers, which was a marked manifestation of the veneration in which they are held by the people of California THE ADVENTURES OF A FORTY-NINER The writer was practising his profession in the city of Albany, his native place, in 1848, when reports came of the discovery... side of the ship by such a date and the other half at a subsequent date I delivered the first half of the houses on the time agreed, sending them down the Hudson river by a barge on a tow I sent the second half on a barge to get there on the day they were due, apprehending no trouble, I going down myself a few days in advance They commenced complaining at the ship that they would not have room for the. .. was organized for the purpose of perpetuating the memory of the events of those days and for the benefit and mutual protection of its members No person was eligible for membership except he had arrived in California before the 1st of January, 1850, and the descendants of Forty-niners when arriving at the age of twenty-one are eligible At the opening of the World's Fair in San Francisco in January last,... were having a dance on the square in the village After we had been there an hour, we thought our men had their rest, and it was time to go on according to our contract, to be rowed night and day In the meantime it seems the natives had taken some offense at Lieutenant M.'s familiarity, and they appeared with handles of long knives projecting back of their necks in a threatening manner We likewise learned... complete and ready to put up on arrival at San Francisco The venture is a costly one, the freight on the material approaching the cost of as many frame buildings in this quarter, and the projector, we think, has managed the speculation with great foresight and judgment The best timber has been selected, and the best work men employed, and a plan of architecture pursued, which is supposed to offer the greatest . city, they were received with the greatest enthusiasm and cheers, which was a marked manifestation of the veneration in which they are held by the people of California. THE ADVENTURES OF A FORTY-NINER. The. arriving at the age of twenty-one are eligible. At the opening of the World's Fair in San Francisco in January last, in the ceremonies in the marching of the procession through the streets of the. of the ocean, like the leafs of woody marvin that pass away in the rustling blast, and other leaves lift up their green heads." There is probably not five per cent of the population of California