About the first of July 1869 we were packed up and off to California, going first to New York and then taking a Steamship for Aspinwall, Isthmus of Panama. Before leaving New York, mother made two canvas belts into which she sewed all our money which had been changed into gold, and father and mother each wore one of these belts inside their clothes.
The steamship "Arizona"upon which we took passage was a big three deck side-wheeler (it was the days before the propeller came into use) and was crowded to the limit by people in search of fortune in Golden California as this was only twenty years after the first discovery of gold in California and the general impression seemed to be that in California gold could be picked up anywhere once you got there.
Through the glowing description of the steamship agents and also influenced by the low cost we went third class or steerage as it really was, so all the women and children were stowed away in the forward end of the vessel in the lower deck which was closed tight at night so that you could neither get in or out and no men were allowed in there. On the middle deck just above the women's quarters were the men's sleeping quarters which were canvas stretched three rows high and which was taken down during the daytime when it was made into a dining room by letting down long tables that at night was hooked up to the ceiling but let down as hanging tables that would not spill when the ship tossed and rolled in the ocean waves.
The forward part of this dining room - without any partitions either - was filled with Cattle ; one day about noon a big long-horned steer got loose and went on a rampage tossing the tables and spilling everything all over the place; as the dishes were all tin none were broken.
Our Bill of Fare was "Hard Jack and Salt Horse". The Hard Jack was sea biscuits about the size of a saucer so hard that it took a hammer to break them. We had to soak them in tea to bite them. The Salt Horse was corned beef (and it was said horse meat too) so dry and salty that boiling it did not take the salt taste out. This without either milk or sugar was the fare for each meal day after day. The children and I think the women also got one slice of white bread once a day - some of us children used to hang around the kitchen where cabin passenger meals were prepared and the cooks would occasionally pass us out a piece of pie or a bun which was a great treat.
The men always ate at the first table - that is the first setting, then the women and children at a second and third setting - there were no seats so everyone had to stand up at the table and they were hung so high that I just could get my head above them - as a result the mothers generally had to feed their flock by handing down to them what there was, mostly Hard Jack that had been softened in tea.
After breakfast everyone had to go up to the upper deck where there were seats and also room to walk around and enjoy the fresh sea breezes. When passing Cape Hatteras there was a regular storm blowing when everyone was kept below with most of them seasick -several hundred women and children crowded into close quarters without any fresh air and sea sick in the bargain - however none died.
A few days after passing Cape Hatteras we got into the Gulf of Mexico, and the suffering from the heat began. At night below decks was just smothering and most of us boys used to stow ourselves away on the upper deck before being ordered below at night, hiding behind the smokestacks or under the life boats, and then pass the nights where it was cool. I think the sailors sympathized with us and they never tried to chase us down although they must have seen us in hiding.
It took about two weeks sailing from New York to Aspinwall, where we landed one morning and stayed until noon.
The steamship "Arizona"upon which we took passage was a big three deck side-wheeler (it was the days before the propeller came into use) and was crowded to the limit by people in search of fortune in Golden California as this was only twenty years after the first discovery of gold in California and the general impression seemed to be that in California gold could be picked up anywhere once you got there.
Through the glowing description of the steamship agents and also influenced by the low cost we went third class or steerage as it really was, so all the women and children were stowed away in the forward end of the vessel in the lower deck which was closed tight at night so that you could neither get in or out and no men were allowed in there. On the middle deck just above the women's quarters were the men's sleeping quarters which were canvas stretched three rows high and which was taken down during the daytime when it was made into a dining room by letting down long tables that at night was hooked up to the ceiling but let down as hanging tables that would not spill when the ship tossed and rolled in the ocean waves.
The forward part of this dining room - without any partitions either - was filled with Cattle ; one day about noon a big long-horned steer got loose and went on a rampage tossing the tables and spilling everything all over the place; as the dishes were all tin none were broken.
Our Bill of Fare was "Hard Jack and Salt Horse". The Hard Jack was sea biscuits about the size of a saucer so hard that it took a hammer to break them. We had to soak them in tea to bite them. The Salt Horse was corned beef (and it was said horse meat too) so dry and salty that boiling it did not take the salt taste out. This without either milk or sugar was the fare for each meal day after day. The children and I think the women also got one slice of white bread once a day - some of us children used to hang around the kitchen where cabin passenger meals were prepared and the cooks would occasionally pass us out a piece of pie or a bun which was a great treat.
The men always ate at the first table - that is the first setting, then the women and children at a second and third setting - there were no seats so everyone had to stand up at the table and they were hung so high that I just could get my head above them - as a result the mothers generally had to feed their flock by handing down to them what there was, mostly Hard Jack that had been softened in tea.
After breakfast everyone had to go up to the upper deck where there were seats and also room to walk around and enjoy the fresh sea breezes. When passing Cape Hatteras there was a regular storm blowing when everyone was kept below with most of them seasick -several hundred women and children crowded into close quarters without any fresh air and sea sick in the bargain - however none died.
A few days after passing Cape Hatteras we got into the Gulf of Mexico, and the suffering from the heat began. At night below decks was just smothering and most of us boys used to stow ourselves away on the upper deck before being ordered below at night, hiding behind the smokestacks or under the life boats, and then pass the nights where it was cool. I think the sailors sympathized with us and they never tried to chase us down although they must have seen us in hiding.
It took about two weeks sailing from New York to Aspinwall, where we landed one morning and stayed until noon.
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