The Argonauts of California: being the reminiscenses of scenes and incidents that occurred in California in the early mining days

by Charles Warren Haskins

“Now you may depend that this news to us was not very pleasant at this particular time, and if we had known it we should never have mentioned his name, but Tex was in for it now, and of course I was bound to stand by my pard.

“One of this man’s friends, who was present and heard the statement from Tex, went over and informed him at once that a man at the hotel, right from California, had stated all the particulars of his connection with The Hounds, and of the reward offered for his

capture. Well, we expected, of course, to receive a visit from the gentleman, and we didn’t have long to wait, for in a few minutes the door was thrown open and in walked a large, powerfully built man who was every inch a Hound, and he showed it in his black, glistening eyes. He walked right up to Tex, who was sitting in a chair, and demanded his authority for the statement, or instant satisfaction for the foul slander, at the same time placing his hand upon the handle of his weapon. Tex drew his weapon instantly, and, rising to his feet, replied in a very quiet manner:

“‘Well, sir, you can have both if you wish, and first here is my authority,’ at the same time taking the handbill from his pocket he shook it out, and stepping backwards a few steps to the side of the room, fastened it to the wall, remarking: ‘There, sir, is my authority for the statement I have made, signed by the Governor, and now if you demand satisfaction you shall have it at once, but if you make the least motion to draw your weapon you are a dead Hound.’

“The man immediately left the house, and that night left the town upon finding that his friends had all deserted him.”

One of the boys asked Tennessee what steamer he sailed on when he returned East in ’51, and if there were many other forty-niners who went East upon the same steamer? He stated that they took passage in the steamer “Sierra Nevada” from San Francisco, and upon the steamer “Illinois” from Chagres to New York, the latter commanded by Lieutenant Herndon, who was lost when the steamer “Central America” foundered a few years later in the Caribbean Sea. There were about 700 passengers on board the steamer when we left San Francisco, and as near as we could judge at that time about 500 of them were Forty-niners. Some were going East to remain, but by far the greater portion were going to see their friends, relatives, and the girls they left behind them, and with the intention of returning soon again to California.

It was while crossing the Isthmus that another little incident occurred, in which Tex took an active part. It illustrates the character of the man, and how ready he always was to help any one in trouble. In crossing the Isthmus at that time we traveled on foot or by mule power to the small town of Golgona, which place is at the head of navigation, and from here down the Chagres River by boat to the town of Chagres. Now, Tex, myself, and a few others, arrived at Golgona ahead of the crowd of passengers from Panama early in the afternoon, intending, of course, to take passage immediately down the river. But as we were upon the point of starting we were informed by one of the passengers of the steamer, John L. Stevens, that a friend of his, who was also a passenger upon the same steamer, was confined in the calaboose there upon the evidence of one of the natives, who swore that the American had refused to pay him for transporting his trunk from Panama. Upon this accusation the American was arrested and confined in the native prison, a large log house near the town. Upon investigation we found this man to be a Forty-niner, a man about 60 years of age, and from the State of Ohio. We were allowed to converse with him through the iron-grated window, and he stated that he paid the native in advance at Panama one ounce, as agreed upon, for transporting his baggage, and didn’t think it right to compel him to pay it again upon the evidence of the native.

To leave this old Forty-niner locked up was not to be thought of. Tex proposed, therefore, that we wait until our passengers had all arrived in the place, then make a demand for his release of the Alcalde, and in case of refusal, to release him ourselves and take him down the river with us.