STEPHEN Eo WEEKS 
 
 cuss OF 1886 ; pa D. THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY 
 
 yeiRAW 
 
 OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSimY OF NdDEffl CAMDUNA 
 ME WEEKS C(D)IL]LECTni(D)N 
 
 
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 UNIVERSITY OF N.C. AT CHAPEL HILL 
 
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 00032195945 
 
 FOR USE ONLY IN 
 THE NORTH CAROLINA COLLECTION 
 
 
 
 Form No. A -368 
 
ADDISON COFFIN. 
 
Life and Travels 
 
 OF 
 
 ADDISON COFFIN 
 
 WRITTEN BY HIMSELF 
 
 CLEVELAND, O. 
 
 WiiiiiiAM G. Hubbard 
 
 1897 
 
Copyrighted by 
 
 The Girls' Aid Committee of North Carolina 
 Yearly Meeting of Friends. 
 
 1897. 
 
GIRLS' AID COMMITTEE 
 
 North Carolina Yearly Meeting of Friends. 
 
 .. OBJECT ,,. 
 
 To assist worthy girls in obteiining an education at Guil- 
 ford College, by furnishing a suitable home for such as are 
 willing to board themselves and by assisting them in paying 
 their tuition. 
 
 Money required for home, six thousand dollars. Fi\e 
 hundred dollars already given. The work has been in oper- 
 ation in cottages ten years. About one hundred girls ha\c 
 thus been assisted. Over $8,000 have been spent in the 
 work. There are se\eral hundred girls who ha\e no otlier 
 
 means of obtaining an education. 
 
 Cost of Board in Cottages, per month, 84.00 
 Room Rent and Fuel, per term, 1.25 
 
 Stationery and Books, per term, So.OO to 5.00 
 Society Fees, per term, 1.00 
 
 College privileges open to residents. 
 
 Location for Home gix-en by the Board of Trustees of 
 
 Guilford College. 
 
 MARY M. HOBBS, 
 
 Trcas. of Com. 
 Guilford College, X. C. 
 
This work was undertaken at the earnest request 
 of several friends of the author, and by him was 
 donated to the Girls' Aid Committee of North Caro- 
 lina Yearly Meeting of Eriends, with the hope that in 
 Grod's hand it might be the means of procuring a com- 
 fortable and satisfactory home for girls who are en- 
 deavoring to educate themselves. In sending it forth 
 upon its mission we have the assurance that while the 
 cause for which it is published will receive material aid 
 from all who purchase the book, they in turn will find 
 both entertainment and information, and will receive 
 only benefit by contact with the spirit of one so thor- 
 oughly good and true as he who here gives us his 
 life's story. 
 
 Mary M. Hobbs, 
 O? behalf of the Girls Aid Committee. 
 
 ^ 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 For sometime past many of my companions of 
 early life have solicited me to write a history of my 
 life, and my knowledge of and connection with the 
 Underground Railroad, as I am now the last survivor 
 of those who entered the service of that mysterious 
 institution in or previous to 1835. 
 
 The thought of appearing as an author or writer 
 had not entered my mind at this period of life; I had 
 not kept a diary, or even notes of the passing events, 
 always depending on memory for reminiscences of the 
 past. My memory has become a wonder to many 
 people, and it is the impression it has made that 
 prompts the request of many for me to write a biog- 
 raphy. In regard to memory, it is but just to say that 
 it is not universal in its capacity ; things in which I am 
 interested, things that are striking, things that touch 
 and arouse sympathy, sorrow, joy, anger, disgust, ha- 
 tred, hope, and fear; things that arouse, excite, or 
 deeply impress; things that inspire, exalt, and refine, 
 etc., require no effort on my part to remember; will- 
 ing or unwilling they fix themselves upon my memory, 
 
 (7) 
 
8 PREFACE. 
 
 and cannot be forgotten. This peculiarity has come 
 down to me through a long line of tribal heredity 
 from pre-historic times, known in the past as second 
 sight, and the gifts of the bards. My ability to locate 
 and I'emember places was also' very good, which made 
 me peculiarly fitted for the dangerous position of con- 
 ductor on the Underground Railroad. I was not 
 above the average in the athletic sports of tlie time, 
 but had great powers of endurance, could ^'out wind" 
 in running any boy or man in the neighborhood, was 
 stout, but lubberly till nearly grown, then became 
 active and s\vift on foot, which gave me marked abil- 
 ity for my dangerous life. I also found it necessary 
 to assume and cultivate odd ways and odd ideas, in 
 order the better to conceal my real character and dan- 
 gerous employment. To some extent I was cut oil 
 from much of the social enjoyment common among 
 my fellows, my peculiaiities sometimes made me un- 
 popnlar with my lady associates and school mates, 
 this was wounding to inner sensitiveness and caused 
 me to shed many bitter tears, but above all and 
 throngh all there was a conviction and o'ermastering 
 impnlse in my heart that always said, ^^Go forward, 
 fear not, I am with thee." The threadbare escapes, 
 the feats of agility in running, the doors that were 
 opened for escape when all seemed closed in, and it 
 appeared as though T won Id pay the forfeit by a y\o- 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 9 
 
 lent death, are too startling for even this generation, 
 and as they are not essential to the upbuilding of hu- 
 manity, will soon be buried with me. 
 
 Now that age and infirmity are weakening my 
 faculties, the memories of childhood come back with 
 startling vividness; whole chapters could be written 
 about the little family, incidents of every day life, 
 and the details of one day at school would fill many 
 pages; with the memory of the incidents come back 
 the faces, forms, dress and voices of the children, mak- 
 ing a wonderful panorama. It was so with my 
 mother; in her ninety-third year she could call up the 
 names of her childhood associates, give their histoi7, 
 where and when they died, etc., etc., etc. So it is 
 no great wonder that my memory is retentive and 
 distinct; yet all through life I have felt a conscious 
 defeet in many ways, and many times would gladly 
 have exchanged my memory for other abilities that 
 I lacked. 
 
mTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 
 
 It is becoming papular in writing biographies to 
 give the genealogy of the person and family^ Ac- 
 cordingly I will give a brief sketch of my ancestry 
 as kept in the family record on the Island of Nan- 
 tucket, and as found among the old records of South- 
 ern Sweden in i^orthern Europe. My father, Vestal 
 Coffin, was the son of William, who was the son of 
 Samuel, who was the son of John, who was the son 
 of Tristram Coffin, who was one of a company of 
 nine who, in 1660, purchased the Island of Xan tucket 
 from the Indians, the deed being signed by two chiefs, 
 Wanackmamack and Nickan(X>se. 
 
 Beyond Tristram Coffin the line is unbroken back 
 to Sir Richard Coffin, who came to England from Nor- 
 mandy with William, the Conqueror. Then still 
 back beyond Sir Richard it c^n l)e traced to the ar- 
 rival of the Danites in Denmark in the second cen- 
 tury, and through the Danites through the wandei*- 
 ings of the ten tribes of Israel to Samaria in 72(5 B. C, 
 and then back to Abraham. 
 
 From the sixth to the tenth century the Coffins 
 
 (11) 
 
12 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 bore an active part in all the conquests of the old 
 Viking kings and rovers who terrorized Western En- 
 rope for many centuries. 
 
 Mv mother's maiden name was Alethea Fluke, 
 a direct descendant of the Albanoids (ATOite Race; 
 of Ireland, the last of the prehistoric race. When 
 the first colony of Hebrews came to Ireland .1200 
 B. C. the Albanoids were in possession of the island^ 
 and had been for an unknown period; they were 
 highly civilized, had a regular alphabet and written 
 language, and knew many arts unkno\\m to the He- 
 brews — who were suppose<l to have known all the civ- 
 ilization of Egypt at that time. 
 
 Soon after the landing of the Hebrews, strife 
 arose between them and the Albanoids, which result- 
 ed in open war. which continued much of the time for 
 2000 years, when the latter were almost exterminated 
 in a sanguinary battle, followed by an indiscriminate 
 and merciless massacre. In 1784 there were but fif- 
 teen of the Albanoids alive in all the earth. They left . 
 Ireland and came to America. AVhen my grand- 
 mother, Mary Fliike, died in 1827, my mother an([ 
 her four children, even the last of one of the surviving 
 families who ever had any children, and one other, 
 lacks but two of being extinct to-day. 
 
 Here I will say that when in Ireland in 1892 1 
 found the ruins of the last stronghold of my ances 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 
 
 13 
 
 tors. Thirty-six centuries ago there was a large. Driiiii 
 temple in what, is now County Down, or Doon, built 
 for worship and defense; when St. Patrick came he 
 turned it into a Christian church. Successive sieges 
 had destroyed nearly all the outer, defenses and its 
 final capture and destruction 800 years ago left none 
 to rebuild; yet a portion of the walls were too strong 
 for the destroyers aiid remain to tell a story of blood 
 and death not excelled in all Ireland. 
 
 The Albanoid language was distinct from any 
 other in Europe and had legendary traditions that 
 go so far back that one could easily suspect. Ignat us 
 Donnelly of drawing largely from it, in weaving his 
 pleasing, plausible, wondrous story of ''Lost Atalan- 
 tis" that carries us back into the antediluvian world 
 and to Adamic time. 
 
 With such ancestry it is little wonder that I in - 
 herited peculiar traits of character, and managed, to 
 hold a place amid . surrounding difficulty. . On my 
 father's side the spirit of adventure manifested itself 
 in the Underground Kailroad business and love of 
 travel; on my mother's side a wonderfully retentive 
 memory and fluent tongue, with the singular second 
 sight, or mind reading. 
 
 My father died in 1826, leaving my mother with 
 four little children, one daughter and three sons; my 
 sister Elizabeth was the oldest one, Alfred next, then 
 
14 LIFE AND TRAVEL^ 
 
 myself; Emory was the youngest. My sister was gift- 
 ed and beautiful above the average of her associates. 
 My brother Alfred V. is living yet in Kansas, broken 
 in constitution and almost helpless. His life has been 
 one of unceasing storm, struggle and conflict. He 
 entered the Underground Railroad service early in life 
 and was one of the chief managers in North Carolina, 
 from 1836 to 1852, when he had to flee for his life, 
 being betrayed by one whom he least suspected, in 
 aiding fugitive slaves to escape. He reached my home 
 in Indiana where he and his family resided till New 
 Year 1863, when he was called into the medical ser- 
 vice of the government, for he was a physician. He 
 was given charge of the refugee tribes of loyal In- 
 dians in Southern Kansas, where he finally settled. 
 During his connection with the Indians he had some 
 terribly narrov/ escapes and desperate struggles for 
 life. On one occasion he was assailed by bushwhack- 
 ers twuce in one day, and saved his life each time after 
 a desperate hand-to-hand encounter. The first as- 
 sault was by two men who suddenly attacked him, 
 the next time by three; he had no firearms, but his 
 only weapon was a picket stake, like a policeman** 
 club, which he wielded with such frantic energy that 
 he saved his life. For three years he was m the 
 midst of murder, assassination and bloodshed. By 
 riding through what seemed certain death he saved 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 15 
 
 the lives of 250 Union soldiers and a valuable con- 
 voy of supplies. For all of which he was never rec- 
 ognized or rewarded by the government, and he 
 scorned the idea of asking for that which should have 
 been given as doubly due, and he will go to his grave 
 with bitterness of heart, toward a thankless govern- 
 ment, which pensions deadbeats and frauds. 
 
 Brother Emory died the Fourth of July, 1863, 
 at my home in Indiana. He was on his way to Kansas 
 to look for a new location. He left a widow and 
 seven children. He was the most gifted In judgment 
 and business ability of any of the family, could read 
 the character of a man almost at sight, but was un- 
 usually kind and generous, especially to those in dis- 
 tress. 
 
 The day of his death was a dark day at my home. 
 William Thomas, who married my niece, Miriam A. 
 Henly, died in the early morning, and he in the even- 
 ing, and I was worn out and broken down with watch- 
 ing and loss of sleep; and as I look back to that time 
 I feel that a special Providence alone carried me 
 through. 
 
 I was born January 22, 1822, cx>nsequently was 
 not four jeam old when my father died, yet I can 
 remember his foiin and face, sometimes with, strik- 
 ing vividness, and in my dreams am still a child as 
 v\^hen he was alive. He ajid my mother little thought 
 
16 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 that mj memory was at that time taking impres- 
 sions of words and deeds; many times in after 
 years mother would be astonished at my re- 
 citing events with unerring precision that happened 
 when a mere infant in age; but dwelHng on this part 
 of my life seems bordering on the supernatural, so I 
 will only mention one other item here. I learned to 
 read looking at the words as my sister would read in 
 a book; learned the words before I knew how to speli 
 the most simple ones, and the result was I never did 
 learn tx) spell anything like ordinary people, and in 
 our literary societies it was next to impossible for any 
 but my immediate asso(iiates to decipher my compo- 
 sitions. 
 
CHAPTER FIRST. 
 
 Events of Early Life. 
 
 My father was born near New Garden, Guilford 
 county, X. C, in 1702, and died in 1826 in the house 
 in which he was born, and on his birthday, October 
 10th. His mother, Elizabeth (Vestal) Coffin, was left 
 a widow with four small children, one daughter and 
 three sons, who grew to man and womanhood under 
 many privations common to the lot of the widow and 
 the fatherless of that age of southern civilization. At, 
 an early age my father entered the anti-slavery move- 
 ment, and his ready, natural ability soon brought him 
 to the front. When Benjamin Lundy visited North 
 Cai'olina in 1816 he was among the first to join the 
 Manumission Society organized by that celebrated 
 man. In 1818 he was the only man who had the 
 courage to attack the then domineering slave power in 
 the South. It came about in this way. A young 
 free negro, named Benjamin Benson, was kidnaped 
 in the State of Delaware, and brought to Greensboro, 
 where he was sold f/> a very wealthy and influential 
 slave-ow^ner named Thompson. A slave owned by 
 
 (17) 
 
18 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 General Hamilton learned the facts concerning Ben- 
 jamin Benson, and gave the information to my father, 
 who interviewed Benson, then wrote to Delaware, and 
 got sufficient evidence to get out a writ for Thompson 
 requiring him to produce Benson and show cause why 
 he should not have his fi^eedom. The officer who 
 served the writ gave opportunity for Thompson to 
 conceal Benson, and on the hearing denied ever having 
 such a negro in his possession. The case was dis- 
 missed and that night Benson was run off secretly 
 to Georgia and sold. This notorious outrage on law 
 and justice caused much excitement and intensified 
 the spirit of opposition to slavery. 
 
 My father was now joined by Dr. George Swain 
 and Enoch Macy, and determined to push the caso 
 to the end. They wrote again to Delaware and en- 
 listed the anti-slavery men there to the extent that 
 the State Legislature made an appropriation of money 
 for expense, and made my father and his two friends 
 l^al agents to push the case, and sent a man to iden- 
 tify Benjamin Benson. In the meantime, the slave 
 of General Hamilton, known as Hamilton's Saul, had 
 been secretly listening and learning all the plans of 
 Thomj^son and the slave powder, which information 
 was invaluable in the case. 
 
 When all was ready, another writ was sei-ved, 
 in which it was ordered that lienson should Ixr pi'o- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 19 
 
 duoed in open court. This brought things to a crisis. 
 Thompson had to go to Georgia, where the man to 
 whom he had sold the negro made him pay $1600 
 before he would give him up. At the trial Benson 
 was mixed up with a score of negToes to test the man 
 from Delaware, but he identified him at sight. The 
 evidence was so conclusive that the negro was set at 
 liberty at once, and he returned to his home and cor- 
 responded with my father up to the time of his death. 
 
 This case naturally placed my father in the front 
 rank of anti-slavery men, and he was an object of 
 hatred among the more violent and vindictive slave- 
 holders. Seemingly, without being conscious of how 
 it came about, he was expected to do all the danger- 
 ous work, to take all the responsibility and leadership ; 
 others were ready and mlling to share the cost, do all 
 the business, fetch and carry, if he would be the leader 
 in the hours of trial. 
 
 In my History of Friends in North Carolina I ,^ ^-^ 
 give the origin of the Underground Railroad, and will /^^^^T. 
 not repeat it here, excepting to say, that father origi- ^ 
 
 nated and operated the first of the kind in America, 
 in 1819. His cousin, Levi Coffin, who in after years 
 became famed as an Abolitionist, took his first les- 
 sons under my father, and many were the secret con- 
 ferences they held after night, never meeting in the 
 
 2 
 
20 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 same place the seeond time, to prevent espionage or 
 betrayal. 
 
 A negro named John Dimery was freed by his 
 master in the lower part of the State; he married a 
 freed woman, who had been owned by a neighbor. 
 They came up to New Gai*den for safety, where they 
 lived in peace for several years, and liad seven chil- 
 dren. The old master of John died; immediately 
 two of his sons came secretly to Xew Garden on pre- 
 tense of buying stock; they located John Dimery's 
 house, stopped over night at a near neighbor's; some- 
 time after midnight they slipped quietly out, went 
 to the house, called Dimery out and pretended to have 
 l>een hunting and were lost. Xo sooner was he out of 
 the house than he was seized and a desperate struggle 
 ensued; the wife, Aunt Sally, ran out, but was knocked 
 down, almost senseless; then Dimery shouted to hi^ 
 oldest daughter to run for Mr. Coffin, my father, 
 which she did like a wild deer. Father had just step- 
 ped out to get wood to start a fire; without stopping 
 for coat or hat he ran at full speed, providentially 
 meeting Isaac White, a special friend. He just said, 
 ^^Come," and they both ran like the wind. The kid- 
 napers had finally overpowered Dimery and taken him 
 to the neighbor's, bound securely. In spite of threats, 
 Dimery told the neighbor that Mr. Coffin would soon 
 be there and begged their protection. The kidnapers 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 21 
 
 and neighbor weire ready to oome to blows, when 
 father and Isaac White nislied in; then the scene 
 changed; the kidnapers were told that tliey would 
 be taken before the nearest magistrate and prosecuted 
 for their crime. This brought them to a standstill, 
 and while they were debating the case, the lady of the 
 house had been quietly untying the rope, and before 
 any one knew it Dimery sprang out and made for 
 the woods;. the kidnapei-s rushed after him, calling a 
 large dog and setting him after the fugitive, but 
 when the dog came near, Dimery clapped his hands 
 and hallooed as though there was game ahead; the 
 dog went tearing into the woods, and the fugitive close 
 after, when they both disappeared. Father and Isaac 
 White now renewed their threats, of aiTest, which so 
 alarnied the men that they soon mount-ed their horses 
 and galloped out of the neighborhood and were seeii 
 no more. John Dimery was started on the Under- 
 ground Railroad that night and soon landed at Hich- 
 mond, Indiana, where he worked and sent money +o 
 his family for their support for two years, and then 
 had them sent to him. 
 
 There was mrvre of this kind of business done ai 
 that period than in assisting- real fugitive slaves. In 
 1772 the friends of North Carolina freed their slaves, 
 as did many Methodists and other conscientious peo- 
 ple. The number amounted to thousands thus lib- 
 
22 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 era ted, and it was frequently the case that heirs would 
 try to re-enslave those freed people ; this constant har- 
 assing and kidnaping finally di-ove thousands of the 
 negroes across the Ohio river into free territory. The 
 mountaineers in Virginia were so used to seeing ne- 
 groes going westward that it wa^ less dangerous for 
 fugitives to escape that way than through Kentucky. 
 
 After my father's death many fugitives contin- 
 ued to come to the old home, and my mother would 
 advise and counsel with them as time and opportunity 
 offered, until brother Alfred and I were old enough 
 to take the post of danger our father occupied; but 
 this is anticipating history, and we will go back to 
 ■earlier days. 
 
 My mother died November 3, 1891. Soon after 
 her death. Dr. Nereus Mendenhall of Guilford Col- 
 lege, wrote a short aucconnt of her life for the ^'.Guil- 
 ford Collegian,^' which was copied in "Ohristinn 
 Worker'- for January 14, 1892, which may come in 
 place here. 
 
 "Alethea Coffin was born at Big Spring, two 
 miles west of Greensboro, Guilford county, N". C, 
 on the 16th of April, 1798. Her husband's name was 
 Vestal Coffin; her marriage with him was on the 27th 
 of November, 1817. In the fall of 1826 they were 
 both sick, and up(m his death she was left with four 
 small children, the oldest eight years old, the young- 
 
ALETHEA COFFIN. 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 25 
 
 est two. Greatly weakened by sickness and the 
 shock given by her husband's death, the fall work not 
 done, the winter clothing not prepared, com not gatli- 
 ered, the prospect before her was, indeed, a gloomy 
 one. Some of her children yet remember many a sad 
 day of that winter; many a time of shivering by a 
 small fire, the mother sick, the oldest boy hardly able 
 to carry wood, the daughter not able to do much in the 
 way of cooking, no wonder that sometimes they all 
 cried until late at night. 
 
 "It was in this dark winter that the Lord a.n- 
 swered her prayers for help. Ever after she never 
 doubted, never faltered, never stopped for any mis- 
 fortune, failure in crops, loss of stock or betrayal of 
 trust. She never hesit-ated to divide her scanty means 
 with the poor and hc^meless; many a sick and homeless 
 boy was taken in. washed, nursed and cared fox, 
 clothed with the garments of her own children, whiie 
 she washed and mended his, 
 
 "Her own faith and trust in God were the means 
 of drawing to her for advice those in darkness and 
 discourageme^nt, especially the widows, the fatherless 
 and the motherless. Her education was in advance 
 of the women of her generation, and the severe school- 
 ing of necessity made her a wonder of economy and 
 business management, hence she was consulted by hei 
 neighbors in making calculations in warping, striping, 
 
26 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 reeling and all the arts of cloth, making and house- 
 hold matters; and to this advanced education and 
 home ability, her children wei^ indebted for much of 
 their education; they were started early in general 
 reading; all had read the Bible through before they 
 wer sixteen. 
 
 ''The nullification excitement in 1830 caused 
 many of her neighbors to move to Indiana. She and 
 her children entered into the spirit of the emigra- 
 tion, and measures were taken to secui-e a home in this 
 ^Far West.' With her limited means it seemed a 
 hopeless task to save $100 to pay for 80 acres of land. 
 The matter was presented to the Lord in prayer; the 
 answer was, ^Gro,' and by rigid economy $50 was saved 
 in two years, and Job Cofiin (brother-in-law), fur- 
 nished the other $50 on long time, so in 1833 in com- 
 pany \\dth Elihu and Jane Coffin and Aunt Rhoda 
 Gurley — she putting in a horse as her part of the out- 
 fit — she started to Indiana. Among the mouutains 
 everything was so grand and new, she and Rhoda 
 Gurley walked more than half the time, preferring 
 it to being jolted in the wagon over the rough stones. 
 At Richmond, Ind., she boiTOwed a saddle, took her 
 horse, and set out to find her old neighboi-s 100 miles 
 away. Alone, following the roads and by-ways, she 
 found her old friends settled at Spiceland, in Henry 
 county. Walnut Ridge in Hancock, and in White lick, 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 27 
 
 in Hendricks comities, and tinallj reached lier old 
 neighbor, Asahel Hnnt. He and other old neighbors 
 turned out through the thick, tall forest, and soon 
 found a lot of good land still vacant. Early nexi 
 morning in a continuous rain, she set out for the 
 Land Office ^at Orawforclsville, 25 miles further on. 
 She entered the land, remained over night and the 
 next day returned to Asahel Hunt's. Her joiu-ney 
 was now accomplished, and she was the owner of a 
 home in the free West. In the ride to Graw^forda- 
 ville there were no roads, only a blazed horse path, 
 with settlements sometimes five miles apart; yet the 
 trip was made in safety with no fear of danger or 
 accident, for she felt the presence of the Lord with 
 her all the time. Resting and visiting a few days, 
 she was ready to st-art on her long journey home. 
 
 ''On arriving at Richmond she found Elihu Cof- 
 fin ready to return but anxious to buy a very fine, large 
 hoi'se if there was any w^ay to get him home. She 
 told him if he would get a good saddle she would ride 
 the horse; this he did at once, and she rode all the dis- 
 tance from Richmond, Ind., to 'New Grarden, N". C, 
 over 500 miles. She enjoyed the ride and stood the 
 trip better than in the wagon. When it rain-ed she 
 put on a waterproof overcoat and was safe from storm 
 and blast. It was springtime, and to the day of her 
 
28 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 death, that grand overland mountain ride was one 
 of the bright spots in her memory. 
 
 "She died on the land then purchased, and it was 
 tlie only tract in Hendricks county that had not 
 changed hands. The last tax receipt bore date a few 
 days before her death in her own name. Her inten- 
 tion was to move to Indiana in two or three years, but 
 in the fall of 1833 at Xorth Carolina. Yearly Meeting 
 she was appointed on the committee to consider and 
 perfect a plan for New Garden Boarding-School, and 
 becoming deeply interested in the school determined 
 to stay and give her children some of the benefit of 
 the school. Of this school she subsequently was ma- 
 tron for some time, in which capacity her manage- 
 ment was a model of carefulness and economy. After 
 moving to Indiana in 1852, she was for nearly nine 
 years assistant matron of Earlham College. This 
 connection with the two colleges gave her a very large 
 acquaintance, and at Earlham the children of the N'e^Y 
 Garden Boarding-School pupils were often under hev 
 care, and she would give them reminiscences of their 
 parents, and tell more about them than they had ever 
 known. 
 
 "Though she attained a great age her hair did 
 not turn grey, nor did her sight fail, as is usual ^\^th 
 age. Up to ninety she could read ordinary print with- 
 out glasses, and large print up to the time of her 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 29 
 
 death. She conld not bear t(» he idle; if nothing else 
 could be found for her tc^ do, she would get some wool 
 or flax and sit down and spin thread and yam, and 
 then knit it into stockings for presents to her grand- 
 children. She would at other times take the prun- 
 ing-sheai's a.nd go among tho fruits and grape vine?, 
 or into the orchard, and take delight in trimming and 
 pruning for hours at a time. Her long life as a far- 
 mer made her an expert, at all kinds of work within 
 her strengtli. 
 
 ''She was not a birthright member of the Society 
 of Friends, but joined them soon after her marriage. 
 She attended Sandy Spring Meeting till 1817, when 
 she removed to New Garden. 
 
 ''About a year ago, when called upon by the His- 
 torical Society of Henry and Wayue Counties, Ind., 
 she was able to give the names of more than 300 fam- 
 ilies that had moved from Guilford county to Indi- 
 ana between 1805 and 1835. Did time and space 
 permit, many interesting and thrilling incidents of 
 her life might be dwelt upon ; as of the handkerchief 
 given her in 1852, on her depajrt.ure for Indiana, as 
 a keepsake by her friend Asenath Clark, which she 
 sent to her son, Nathan H. Clark, with the message, 
 'The two mothers will soon be together again.' Also 
 of the photograph, hundreds of which have been 
 called for^ and more still in demand, a photograph 
 
30 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 of herself sitting at work at her little spinning-wheel. 
 Of the family reunion a year ago in which a gTeat^ 
 great-granddaughter was presented to her by the 
 child's grandmothea\ A grandmother presenting her 
 grandchild to her grandmother, a rather impress! v-j 
 scene. Again, of the discourse which in her 90th 
 year she made to a large company of small children on 
 Children's Day; when she stepped out before them, 
 she drew from her pocket a primer alx)ut four inches 
 square; holding it up she said: 'This is my first primer, 
 bought in 1804;' then gave to the little folks a deeply 
 interesting account of education from that day up to 
 1890, the whole discourse a surprise, not only to 
 others, but herself, for she was carried back to child- 
 hood again, and looking along the life journey saw her- 
 self, now old and worn with age, standing before tho 
 little children and saw herself restored to childhood 
 in them; but this sketch must come to a close. 
 
 ''Her greatest objection to moving West was a 
 wish that her remains might repose in N^ew Garden 
 burial ground beside those of her husband, mother 
 and daughter. Her son, Addison, promised her that 
 if practicable her wish should be complied with. She 
 gently passed away on the 3d of November, 1891, and 
 her son with filial love and true to his promise made 40 
 yeai"s ago brought the remains and saw them deposited 
 by those of her husband. The burial on the 5th was 
 attended by the students and officers of Guilford Ool- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 31 
 
 lege and her old neighbors who still survived. Tes- 
 timonials as to the excellence of her character were 
 given by Mary C. Woody and Rufus P. King (and 
 Kerens Mendeiihall, added), and the latter part of the 
 31st chapter of Proverbs was read as appropriate to 
 the occasion." — Nereus Mendenhall, in Guilford Col- 
 legian. 
 
 In spite of hardship and privation, my sister and 
 brother were strong and healthy, and we grew like 
 other children, and mother's fund of knowledge 
 helped to keep us interested and thus our minds were 
 taken off the unpleasant struggle to make ends meet. 
 We soon made conmion cause in all home interests, 
 and resolved within our young hearts that we would 
 make a living and one day be independent, not de- 
 pendent ; and this resolve our favorite guardian. Uncle 
 Job Coffin, always encouraged us in, and let no op- 
 portunity slip to hre our zeal on that line of aspiration, 
 and with his care, counsel and help we succeeded. 
 
 As heretofore stated, my memory was a part of 
 my inheritance, an inseparable part of myself, and in 
 early infancy was active and gTew with my growth; 
 but that other inheritance also manifested itself at 
 an early date. At six yeai-s of age the tii'st clear, dis- 
 tinctive manifestation came. I was alone in the or- 
 chard, when suddenly I seemed surrounded by a soft, 
 warm influence that seemed lifting me up in the arr, 
 
32 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 then all at once an infinite expanse opened to my eyes, 
 so fnll of wonderful, and to my young mind awful 
 things, that I was teiTified, and ran screaming to the 
 house. Mother met me and at firet sight comprehend- 
 ed the terrible reality. Second-sight had come upon 
 me, and it filled her mth sadness and suffering, for 
 she knew too well by the tribal tradition that all who 
 inherited it went to an early grave, unless they had an 
 iron constitution. From that hour life to me was 
 full of hidden teiTor; I was too young to comprehend 
 the situation; every effort was now made by the few 
 who knew about this condition to arrest the further 
 development, and I had a sore, sad life of it until T 
 was twelve years old. 
 
 This strange clairvoyant state came more vividly 
 upon me in sleep; then there was no limit; space and 
 distance vanished, and for a time I could not shut out 
 the awful scene. One time, when eight years old, 
 mother went to see a dear friend, ^aomi Stephens, 
 who had just been left a A\adow, leaving us children 
 at home. After playing outdoors until tired, we went 
 in to the fire; my younger brother and I lay down on 
 the floor and went to sleep. Suddenly a vision opened 
 to my mind ; I saw mother sitting weeping by ^aomi 
 Stephens, who was wringing her hands as if her heart 
 would break. It was over two miles away, yet I saw 
 every feature, every movement and gesture of both. 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 33 
 
 I sprang to my feot and started to run in a straight 
 line to mother, and it was all my sister and brothei' 
 conld do to overtake and liold me from running on, 
 and the vision would not fade until mother returned 
 and took me in her arms. That vision has never 
 faded, it v\^as as I saw it; the two were sitting as I de- 
 scribed at that very moment. 
 
 In after yeai*s I took the bearing of the line 1 
 started to run, and it was as unerring as a surveyor 
 could run a line, and yet I had not seen the place. 
 Efforts were now redoubled to watch me at all times, 
 and Uncle Job was untiring in filling my mind and 
 taking my attention with stories of hunting, fishing, 
 pioneer life, and getting me interested in learning to 
 shoot at a mark, etc., etc. Uncle Joseph Hubbard, 
 then quite old, did much in telling stories of hunting 
 and travel, and with my own intense desire to escape 
 such fearful things, the visitations became less fre- 
 quent, and ceased altogether in their first intensity, 
 though there has not been a year of my life in which 
 I did not feel the influence, in what some would call 
 hmirs of inspiration; to-day it is called mind-readims, 
 and at times when these clairvoyant visions would 
 have come, a remarkable consciousness comes 
 over me that gives the mind-reading ability; but 
 enough of this; this materialistic age has no faith in 
 anything that it does not know; yet with my experi- 
 
34 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 ence I can understand what gaye rise to the belief in 
 the supernatural, and the power to the seers in the ohl 
 Runic times, that became liereditarT in the course 
 of many centuries. I inherited the condition, or gift, 
 or what it may be called; if it had been cultivated, it 
 would bave increased, and could have been turned 
 to good or evil. 
 
 My first day at school was in the spring of 1828, 
 and it was a. bitter day to me, for all seemed strange 
 and unnatural; the result was I cried nearly all day, 
 A girl, some older, Betsey Portis, took pity on me 
 and took me under her care and protection, for which 
 I thanked her ever after. She lived until a few weeks 
 ago (October 15, 1894), and died in peace. There 
 were thirty-two children at school that day, and but 
 three are now li^dng, Elam Benbow, Phebe Ross, and 
 myself. The larger number emigrated West, and I 
 have met their children in every state and territory 
 north of the Ohio and west of the Mississippi River. 
 
 I could read in a little primer, and it was some 
 days before the teacher, Lewis Hobbs, found I did 
 not know the letters of the alphabet, and he had hard 
 work to get them fixed in my mind as at all essential 
 to reading. From that time on thTOUgh boyhood T 
 attended school two to three months each year, and 
 as much of the teaching at that time developed mem- 
 ory more than thought, I had no difficulty in stand 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 35 
 
 ing well to the front in all things but spelling; was 
 always foot in that; other l>oys and girls felt safe from 
 being foot the '^last day of school," for they knew 1 
 would be there in my regular place. There was one 
 branch I excelled in, that was geography; it w^as no 
 trouble to locate and remember places and boundaries, 
 and I early began reading histories in which I soon be- 
 came interested, and have never grown w^eary up to 
 this day. 
 
 One time mother and a neighbor woman were 
 talking on Scriptures and spoke of Caleb and Joshua 
 as being the only men of six hundred thousand who 
 reached the promised land; it so interested me that T 
 began asking questions. Mother told me to read the 
 Bible and I would find may things far more wonder- 
 ful. I beg-an reading at once, and read every word 
 dbefore the summer ended; though I could not pro- 
 nounce half the names and many of the words cor- 
 rectly, I got the substance clear and distinct, and that 
 summer's reading was the foundation of my success 
 in life, such as it has been. ,-,.•' 
 
 The home life had its peculiar and special fea- 
 tures; mother went out with her children to work on 
 the farm in the day-time, and then all joined in the 
 housew^ork at night, sometimes working till a late 
 hour. Wlien frujt drying was in season we Would peel 
 and cut. the fruit, at. night, and work in the fields in 
 
36 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 the daj. Tli€ tii-st crop of com w€ cultivated our- 
 selves, my bix>tiier held the plow, and I rode the horse; 
 the horse knew as much about driving as I did, and 
 more than one time I fell asleep and fell off. At nine 
 years of age I began plowing alone, and did more or 
 less of it for sixty yeare. In like manner necessity 
 required me to leam all kinds of work at an early 
 age. Thus in my youth, yea almost infancy, I par- 
 took of the bitter lessons of life, for there seemed 
 nothing ahead but hai-d labor; other boys of my ago 
 who had fathers, could go hunting, fishing, swimming 
 and enjoy other amusements, while with me it was 
 work, work, work. At the end of forty years I was 
 astonished and thankful to learn that those bitter les- 
 sons were blessing's in disguise; for the schooling in 
 childhood had prepared me to meet and overcome op- 
 position, had made me an expert in many kinds of 
 farm and mechanical labor, which gave me confi- 
 dence and self-dependence, while my childhood asso- 
 ciates, who had an easy time, were not prepare^l to 
 meet the stern realities of everyday life, and many 
 of them failed and went down in the struggle; though 
 I remember those sore days of trial and heartache, and 
 the bitterness is all gone, and a sweet memory now 
 illuminates the clouds that hung over me then. 
 
 In the latter part of the summer of 1835, an 
 event occurred that had much to do with all my after 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 37 
 
 life. 01(1 General Hamilton had died, and his slave, 
 Solomon, or Saul, was sold to a slave dealer, Ike 
 Weatherby, and taken to Southern Georgia and sold. 
 It was he who had aided my father so much in secur- 
 ing the freedom of Benjamin Benson, and he had also 
 helped Cousin Levi Coffin in many similar cases. 
 When Saur was taken south a heavy iron colar was 
 ri\>eted around his neck, and he was chained in a coffle 
 (a chain-gang of slaves). Saul w^as looked upon as a 
 dangerous slave on account of his intelligence and 
 judgment, so he was closely watched for a year by his 
 new master, a.nd often chained at night. When the 
 vigilance slackened he began planning his escape, and 
 finally succeeded in eluding the surveillance of the 
 overseer and driver. He had carefully noted the road 
 a« he was taken south, had kept thie names of rivers 
 and towns and many of the camps. When he escaped 
 he had provision for a few days, so he pushed on each 
 night Avith all his strength, and was making good 
 headway when one day he was startled at the sound 
 of bloodhounds, and he knew the danger at once. He 
 was still strong and active, though past middle life, 
 and was brave to a fault, so he armed himself with a 
 good club and started to run in the hope of reaching 
 a creek or river. After an hour's run he reached a 
 large creek with steep banks, and too deep to wade, so 
 he swam across and ran on again with some hope that 
 3 
 
38 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 the horseman in pursuit could not easily cross the 
 creek, and he could have a fair fight with the hounds. 
 It proved as he thought; the hounds came to the creek 
 and swam across, but the horsemen in pursuit could 
 not cross, so went some distance up stream. In the 
 meantime, the hounds came upon him, but he had 
 chosen his position on a large stump about four feet 
 high, from which he defended himself with the en- 
 ergv of despair. S<X)n he killed one of the three, 
 but the other two were old in blood, and were both 
 fierce and wary. One time they both assailed him 
 at once, and he was nearly dragged to the ground, but 
 one fell beneath a single blow, and the other was 
 wounded. He was now becoming fearful that the 
 horsemen would come up, so he determined to risk all 
 in a desperate attempt, so he leaped from the stump 
 and attacked the surviving dog; the brute seemed to 
 understand it and also fought for life; for a few min- 
 utes the conflict was savage and furious, but the dog 
 soon lay dead. Saul was almost breathless, was badly 
 torn and lacerated about the legs and left arm, but 
 he had no time to lose, so started again toward a tan- 
 gled thicket not far away, into which he rushed re- 
 gardless of briars, thorns and bramble vines. In a 
 short time the horn of the hoi*semen was heard call- 
 ing the hounds; as their baying had ceased they sup- 
 posed they had overtaken and killed their victim; after 
 
OP ADDISON COFFIN. «$« 
 
 calling and hunting for some time they found the 
 scene of conflict and the dead animals. Their furious 
 cursing was heard by Saul in the midst of the thicket, 
 where he was safe from further pursuit without 
 hounds. 
 
 As soon as twilight fell Saul came out the way 
 he entered the thicket and took the back track to the 
 creek, when he plunged into the water and swam and 
 waded down stream several miles, for he feared a 
 relay of hounds would be brought and the pursuit 
 renewed. At last he landed and pushed on again; 
 his lacerated limbs were very painful and swollen, and 
 but for the bath in the creek, might have been dan- 
 gerous. It is enough to say that weeks later he startled 
 us by suddenly appearing at our house in a deplorable 
 condition; his wounds were not all healed, but were 
 frightful ulcerated sores; his clothes were in tatters, 
 and he was almost famished with hunger. The sight 
 was too much for me ; I found myself beyond the power 
 of restraint. When the tears ceased to flow a new 
 impulse seemed to fill my whole being, and then and 
 there I "vowed eternal hate to Rome." In all my life 
 that vow was kept amid sunshine or storm. 
 
 When Saul's master returned from the pursuit 
 he wrote immediately to Greensboro, giving notice of 
 SauFs escape, and offering a large reward for his cap- 
 ture; soon there was espionage in all parts of the 
 
40 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 county, and it was dangerous to assist him in any way ; 
 so great was the danger that all shrank from it. In 
 this hour of emergency I felt a call to action, and 
 without question or hesitation resolved to take all risk, 
 brave all danger and trust God for help. 
 
 From that moment a new life seemed born with- 
 in, and my young mind began its life effort. Saui 
 was concealed and fed until his strength was restored ; 
 then one moonlight night at midnight he gave the; 
 signal of his presence and I joined him and started 
 Jiim on the Underground Railroad. At parting he 
 embraced me, with streaming eyes, saying, ^'God bless 
 you forever for this,^' then disappeared in the shad- 
 ows and was gone. 
 
 In that hour it seemed to me the w^hole future 
 of slavery was opened to my mind's eye, and inspira- 
 tion entere<:l my heart that ever after sustained and 
 guided me in all my contact and conflict with slavery. 
 This act established my fitness for the post of dan- 
 ger, from which I never shrank. My brother Alfred 
 was as brave and determined, but his ability was in 
 the direction of general manager, instead of conduc- 
 tor, and soon we were in council with old men around 
 many a midnight fire in the dark forests, laying plans, 
 devising ways and means and essential preliminaries; 
 even now I see the strong contrast between the beard- 
 less bovs and the errav-headed men. Yes, and the 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 41 
 
 eagerness with which the old men woukl listen to uiy 
 reports of success, in spite of danger and difficulty. 
 
 Though my tendency to second sight had been 
 measurably overcome, yet the spirit of the inheritance 
 enabled me to read the faces and capacity of fugitives 
 with almost unerring certainty. If we saw a fugi- 
 tive had not the mind or judgment to imderstand the 
 secret of the business, he or she was sent back to his 
 or her master, for failure and recapture meant "'Geor 
 gia and the rice swamps." I will say here that at 
 no time or under no circumstance did we solicit or 
 advise a slave to leave his master; that was no part of 
 our business. Others did that, we only looked after 
 those who came to us asking help. 
 
 It would fill a large book to give the principal 
 events connected with the Underground Railroad 
 from ^orth Carolina from 1819 to 1852. Mother 
 was familiar with and knew all that transpired up to 
 the time brother and I filled father's place. One of 
 the romantic features was the white slaves that came 
 to us for help, and those put in our hands to be sent 
 away by their father-masters; many of those whitft 
 slaves grew to man and womanhood ignorant of theii 
 parentage, or origin; others were only known by us 
 after they crossed the Ohio River. Some revelations 
 that could have been made would have been more 
 than a seven-days' wonder, but a few years more, and 
 
42 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 all secrets will be sealed up forever in death, so far 
 as this life is concerned. Sometimes in spite of facts, 
 of faces and things, in thinking on this part of life, 
 I seem to be living in a new world, walking among 
 a new race of humanity. When I go back to the 
 scenes of those eventful days, and look into the bright, 
 kindly faces of the grandchildren of men who sixty 
 years ago would have shot me down at sight if found 
 on my secret mission, it fills me with emotions that 
 cannot be expressed, and I thank God that my heart 
 is full of love and kindness to those young lives, who 
 are all unconscious of the events of the past. I walk 
 about saying in my heart, thank God, thank God, 
 thank God. 
 
 About this period of my life another event trans- 
 pired that was far-reaching in my memory, and was 
 a severe test in after years. From 1832 to 1835 there 
 was much discussion and excitement about the re- 
 moval of the five Indian tribes from Georgia and Up- 
 per ^NTorth Carolina. Soon after a '^treaty of re- 
 moval" was agreed upon. John Koss and William 
 Lewis, chiefs of the Cherokees, were deputed to go 
 to Washington to settle the details of the cession of 
 lands for other lands in the Indian Territory, etc., etc. 
 The-se two chiefs came to Xew Garden to counsel with 
 Friends, and get Jeremiah Hubbard, who was one- 
 fourth Indian (Cherokee), to go with them to Wash- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 43 
 
 ington. When thej came to New Garden they at- 
 tended the regular meeting on the Sabbath; at its close 
 the chiefs went out in the yard, and the people formed 
 a half -circle in front; the object of their journey was 
 explained and discussed at length. During the dis- 
 cussion John Ross drew a paper from his pocket and 
 read a paragraph, which was an expression of Presi- 
 dent Andrew Jackson's opinions on the Indian ques- 
 tion, he being hostile to all Indians. Dr. George 
 Swain asked what paper it was. Ross replied, '^Thc 
 National Intelligencer, published by Gales and Sea- 
 ton." 
 
 Jeremiah Hubbard was an eloquent and gifted 
 minister among Friends, and was then in the prime 
 of manhood, and personally acquainted with President 
 Jackson. The council resulted in Jeremiah Hub- 
 bard's going with the chiefs. He proved of great 
 value to the Indians. Jackson recognized him at 
 once, and gave him a kindly reception, and in the end 
 granted all he asked, remarking to some politicians 
 "That it was so eminently reasonable, and at the same 
 time just." The most interesting, important and far- 
 reaching portion of the treaty was the proviso that no 
 spirituous liquors, or any intoxicating drink, should 
 ever be imported, distilled or sold in the Ten"itor\, 
 with, power to forever enforce the proviso. 
 
 More than fifty years passed by. The Cherokee 
 
44 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 tribe of Indians proclaimed to the world that they 
 wanted all people everywhere who had Cherokee 
 blood in them, to come home, establish their geneal- 
 ogy and become citizens of their beautiful and fertile 
 country. Among the many who presented them- 
 selves to claim citizenship were the descendants and 
 blood kin of Jeremiah Hubbard. In theii- hunt for 
 evidence it developed that I was the only living person 
 who could give an account of the visit of the two chiefs 
 to ]^ew Grarden. I was called on to go to Tahlequa, 
 the Cherokee capital, to give evidence before the coun- 
 cil of tribal officei*s. The trip to and from Tahlequa, 
 the strange combinations of events, the experience be- 
 fore the council, and the week's sojourn among the 
 Cherokees. was another ch)sing up of episodes in my 
 sti'ange life. 
 
 My memory was a sui-prise to the Cherokee Coun- 
 cil, and they put it to a severe test; they tried to shake 
 me up on the names of the two chiefs; they^ were 
 brothel's and both named Ross, but I persisted in call- 
 ing them John Ross and William Lewis. After all 
 efforts to confuse my line of memory had failed, the 
 President of the Council said, *'\Ye will have to ad- 
 mit that you are certainly correct in your evidence, 
 and I compliment you on y^our firmness in adhering 
 to what you believe to be true ; the names of the chiefs 
 were John and William Lewis Ross." I further 
 learned that the Cherokee records confirmed everv 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 45 
 
 essential fact I lia<l lieanl from l^nele Joseph Hub- 
 bard, the father of Jeremiah, whose first wife was a 
 half-blood Cherokee. 
 
 As an item of history it may be proper to add that 
 the Hubbard blood gained the right to citizenship, 
 but not to a share in the annuity from the United 
 States government. They have a very beautiful and 
 prosperous colony at Afton in the northern part of 
 the Cherokee nation or tiibe. 
 
 There was a free negro named Arch Curry, liv- 
 ing near our home, who died a few years after father. 
 His widow^'s name was Vina; she was the washer- 
 woman for the boarding-school for several years. She 
 was shrewd and discerning, and would suffer her 
 husband^s free papere to be stolen. This was done 
 fifteen times to my knowledge. When an intelligent 
 fugitive presented himself, who would fill Arch Cur- 
 ry's standard, and there were one or more families of 
 trusty emigrants going West, the free papers were 
 stolen, and the fugitive sent through as a free man to 
 liCvi Coffin, w^ho returned the papei*s in safety. This 
 was done occasionally with other papers, but none 
 were ever used like those of Arch Ctirry. 
 
 Another secret trick my brother taught the 
 slaves was to take dropsy, rheumatism, erysipelas, etc., 
 and to appear as diseased or unsound, so they would 
 not sell on the market. The dropsy was brought ot\ 
 
46 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 by bandaging the limbs until they were swollen and 
 purple; it is true this was quite painful at first, buc 
 the slaves were willing to suffer to escape being sold 
 south. Rheumatism was produced by bandaging 
 above and below the joint on arm or leg, and erysipe- 
 las by rubbing any part of the body a few times with 
 hot burdock root boiled down to a very strong tea; this 
 latter was the most severe, but most deceptive and 
 effectual. Strange as it may seem, these tricks were 
 never detected nor divulged until after the war, when 
 it caused quite a sensation in some families. 
 
 Whether providential or natural, probably both, 
 from the night I started my first passenger on the I^n- 
 derground Railroad, my growth in body, strength and 
 activity was very remarkable. At the age of sixteen 
 I weighed 162 pounds, and have never varied ten 
 pounds since, excepting in long sickness. Ever after 
 that my poAvers of endurance and swiftness on foot 
 were my distinctive characteristics; I could also staud 
 long privations of sleep and rest, which fitted me more 
 and more for my post of danger. 
 
 The establishing and opening of New Garden 
 Boarding-School opened a new world not alone to me, 
 but to all my young associates. All the preliminary 
 arrangements, the begiuning of the work, the sknv 
 progress and final completion of the building was 1o 
 us a source of deep and lively interest; it opened up 
 
OP ADDISON COPFIN. 
 
 47 
 
 to us a new field of imaginations, aspiration and ambi- 
 tion. Though the circle of our lives had been very 
 small, we could unders^tand that the school could and 
 would have a great influence upon our future lives, 
 and when the school was opened the first day of Sep- 
 tember, 1837, we all felt the inspiring influence; imag- 
 ined in our minds that we too would one day be in- 
 mates of the institution, and then enter on a higher 
 and grander life, and the larger portion did live to 
 attend at least one session, but we had to learn that 
 life was still intensely real. 
 
 I entered the school midwinter of 1841, and was 
 there three months, until the spring term of 1842. It 
 was, indeed, a new life to me, and my mind was so 
 hungry for light and knowledge, that I studied as 
 a half-famished man devours food; all my time was 
 spent in studying and reading, discussing and specu- 
 lating. In figures and algebra I was second grade, 
 but geography, chemistry, philosophy, astronomy, 
 surveying, geometry, mensuration, construction, me- 
 chanics, etc., etc., it required little effort to master. 
 Brother Alfred and I were the first to study and finish 
 Burritt's ''Geography of the Heavens," though we 
 had no help in starting; we soon obtained a thorough 
 knowledge of the system, often staying out until mid- 
 night, tracing the constellations and naming the prin- 
 
48 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 cipal stai's, and we never lost our interest in this sub- 
 lime study. 
 
 After leaving the school, the balance of 1842 
 and the early part of 1843 was spent at home on the 
 farm. My younger brother had arranged to manage 
 the farm and go to school at the same time, and T 
 worked diligently to get everything in good shape for 
 him, and made especial effort in repairing fences and 
 building new ones. All the time, niffht and day, I 
 was thinking and planning my future in the great un- 
 known world, for with the exception of one direction, 
 I ]iad not been more than twenty miles from homo, 
 and consequently my territorial knowledge was very 
 limited. The life of anxiety and extreme danger 1 
 was leading was rendering me nervous, excitable and 
 suspicious of all my surroundings; there was a con- 
 stant sense of danger resting on my heart, a presenti- 
 ment of impending peril, that made it clear to my 
 mind that a change must be made; this, with my life- 
 long desire for travel, made it a matter of serious 
 thought. 
 
 During the winter I formulated a program for a 
 part of the coming year, namely, to go to Indiana, 
 spend the remainder of 1843 in that State among rel- 
 atives and friends; then in 1844 join Col. Fremont's 
 exploring expedition and go with him until he 
 reached the Pacific coast, and from there go to Ore- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 49 
 
 gon, and if satisfied with the country, make that my 
 futnre liome, where 1 would he forever beyond the 
 influence of slavery, and possibly spend the rest of 
 my life in peace; besides, Oregon had a peculiar fasci- 
 nation for me. I had purchased Washington Irving's 
 work entitled ^^Astoria," or "The History of the Free 
 Trade," in which was related all the adventures, tri- 
 als, and disaster of John Jacob Astor's attempt to 
 colonize Oregon in 1812 to 1814. I had also read 
 the '^^arratives of Captains Clark and Lewis' Explor- 
 ing Expedition in 1804 to 1806/' "Gosses Journal," 
 "Greely's Adventures," etc., etc. 
 
 A special friend, George Bow^man, who had bf^en 
 to Indiana before, was expecting to go again in May, 
 and to go on foot; this met my ideal, so preparation 
 was made for my departure. Although a moment- 
 ous event to the family as well as to me, the prepara- 
 tion consisted in making a good suit of home-made 
 clothes, a few extra undergarments, a good pair of 
 shoes and hat, all home production, except the hat. 
 The clothes were put in a little knapsack made of cot 
 ton drilling, with straps so as to hang on the back. 
 This, with thirty-seven dollars and fifty cents, was my 
 outfit and fortune. 
 
SECOND CHAPTER 
 
 First Year of Travel. 
 
 Trip to Indiana — Crossing tlie mountains — First 
 steamboat ride from Charlestown to Cincinnati — 
 Seeing the lii*st large city — Walking back into 
 Ohio, and then to Richmond, Indiana — First Im- 
 pressions — Attending first x\bolition convention. 
 — Going to and stopping at Spiceland — Trip to 
 State Abolition convention in Grant county — 
 Return to Richmond, and Indiana Yearly Meet- 
 ing — Giving to Bloomfield on the Wabash — 
 Winter school — Going to New Orleans on a flat- 
 boat in the spring of 1844 — Return to Indiana - - 
 Life program broken up — Return to North Car- 
 olina in the fall. 
 
 On the morning of May 3d, 1843, I stepped 
 out of my home, with a heart full almost to bursting, 
 with a storm of contending emotions, which I have 
 never been able to describe. My traveling compan- 
 ion was a man of superior ability, kind hearted, 
 (50) 
 
OP ADDISON COFFIN. 51 
 
 thouglitfiil and prudent, yet withal a jovial, enter- 
 t-aining chara(iter. lie at once saw my pent-up emo- 
 tions and kindly, but wisely, diverted me away from 
 my^lf by initiating me into the art of traveling, and 
 the reality, as well as the wonder and beauty, that 
 lay in the land to which we were going. The first 
 day and night wa:^ a sore trial with me; the second 
 day we came in full view of the Blue Ridge Moun- 
 tains, w^hich were so wonderful and new that the in- 
 tensity of my feelings was somewhat relaxed, and the 
 third day I began to let go of home emotions and en- 
 ter into the new world of beautiful, wild mountain 
 scenery that lay before and around me. My com- 
 panion, with his kind discernment, still led me on and 
 out of myself, until he had me wholly absorbed witli 
 mountains, the mountaineei-s and our interesting jour- 
 ney. We took the Blue Mountain route as better j 
 suited to horsemen and footmen, than to loaded wag- : 
 ons. In crossing Peter's Mountain we left the road 
 and climbed to the highest summit, from which there 
 is one of the finest mountain scenes in the world. 1 
 have been to the place since that eventful trip, I have 
 also been in every state, territory, province and coun- 
 ty on the continent, and visited every nation in Eu- 
 rope, and yet can say that scene from Peter's Moun 
 tain, in West Virginia, is one of the most beautiful 
 and sublime that I have ever seen, lliere are many 
 
52 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 more fearful ajid terrible, many more sublimely loiie 
 and desolate, but tliey lack the sublimity of beauty. 
 
 We also passed through the gorge of Xew River, 
 known as Xew River cliffs, which compares well with 
 anything of the kind in any part of Europe. We 
 crossed the Kanawha River at the falls, and went 
 down on the east side to the celebrated salt work- at 
 Molden, twelve miles above Charlestown. 
 
 Though 1 have seen many new and interesting 
 places since 1843, that trip has not lost its fresh- 
 ness, nor its events faded from recollection. There 
 w^ere 'many wayside incidents that were interesting 
 and amusing. It was bright, spring Aveather, very 
 pleasant for walking, we were stout and healthy, and 
 oft'Cn indulged in fording creeks and rivers instead of 
 ferrying; we would pull off shoes and stockings, coal 
 and vest, and hold them above water and cross the 
 swift streams, enjoying the cool bath and the excite- 
 ment of stemming the swift current and stumbling 
 over the sticks and stones on the bottom ; a brisk walk 
 in the sun would soon dry our clothes, and we would 
 push on with light hearts and nimble feet. Forty 
 miles per day was our regular day's walk. It was ex- 
 ceedingly interesting to stop over night with the moun- 
 taineers, and we often talked until a late hour with 
 them. George Bowman was an old school teacher, 
 with pleasing and Avinning address, and could charu) 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 53 
 
 the cliildren and young folks with his anecdotes and 
 stories, while I was somewhat speculative and knew 
 how to antagonize their opinions and prejudices in '^ 
 way to get up a discussion or argument. Many times 
 we were not charged for our night's lodging, our host 
 saying we had more than paid our bills in talk, and 
 invited us to come again. This experience and lesson 
 in talking my way through was not lost on me, but 
 has been improved on up to this date, and I shall 
 ever give George Bowman credit and gratitude for the 
 lesson learned in my first start out in life. We would 
 sometimes become so interested in the grand scenery, 
 the geologic fonnations, the vast upheavals and dis- 
 placement of the rock strata that we would forget all 
 about time and distance, and find ourselves at the 
 close of the day mthout seeming to have been con- 
 scious of the day's walk. 
 
 At Charlestown we found a steamboat ready to 
 start for Cincinnati; and my curiosity was wrought 
 up to such a point that I wanted to take a ride. Tt 
 would take me out of my route and make more walk- 
 ing in the end, but w^ould not discommode my friend; 
 so to my intense delight we went aboard. T had 
 never seen anything of the kind, and was worse than 
 an eager child, because I anticipated and could un- 
 derstand more. I was soon running, climbing, 
 scrambling and aisking questions, much to the amufle- 
 4 
 
54. LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 meet of the crew, and old river men, yet my unre 
 strained eagerness, and simplicity soon won the good 
 will of all on board. AVhen night came there was no' 
 sleep for me, the night scenes and work was as inter- 
 esting as those of the day, so my excitement knew no 
 stop until we landed at Cincinnati ; and there I stepped 
 off into a still greater wonder, it was the fii*st city I 
 had ever seen; its rush and roar, and the crowds that 
 thronged some of the principal streets was perfectly 
 bewildering. The hundred steamboats moored at the 
 landing, and in motion was astounding to my bewail - 
 dered senses; the immense piles of merchandise and 
 products of the country, the thousands of pork bar- 
 rels in sight and boat loads of bulk meat were almost 
 past belief to me. My friend had been to the city 
 before and was much amused at my whole perform- 
 ance and staring about, but he determined to spend 
 an extra day in showing me the Queen City, as it was 
 called, which was adding to my already over-charged 
 head almost more than it could hold; but under his 
 guidance and judgment I came out safe, but w^ell nigli 
 exhausted in body and mind. 
 
 At Cincinnati I parted from my friend for a time, 
 he going direct to Greensboro, Henry County, Ind., 
 where his mother and two brothers lived. I started 
 northeast into Ohio to find friends and relatives, who 
 lived there. Mv walk of one hundred miles was ih 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 55 
 
 vain, for my relatives had moved to western Indiana, 
 where I afterwards found them; but in this walk, new 
 revelations canie to me at every turn. Many settle- 
 ments had been made in thirty years, and many beau- 
 tiful fanns had been opened in the vast forest, the 
 fields were clear of trees and stumps, and were green 
 with grass and grain, presenting a picture of bright 
 home life in such striking contrast wdth the old wasted 
 sedge fields and gullies of the slave states, that it 
 seemed like walking in fairy land, and gave promise 
 of what it now^ is. I remember well as I walked along 
 the road between Dayton and Eaton among beautiful 
 farms, bright happy homes, amidst life and activity, 
 that the sad tears would fall that in the midst of such 
 a scene I was a homeless, wandering boy, wholly with- 
 out knowledge of the spirit that seemed to animate 
 the people among whom 1 was moving: but while my 
 tears were falling I made another resolve, to have a 
 home somewhere at sometime like those around me, 
 and forty years from that time I had a home as bright 
 and green as they, and from the depths of my hear) 
 thanked the Lord for strength to make it so. 
 
 T arrived in sight of Richmond, Ind., near sun- 
 dowm tired, dusty, and worn, but the sight seemed to 
 reanimate my ^veary body. '^Richmond, Indiana," I 
 had been taught from childhood, was the great center 
 of Carolina emigration, and the Jerusalem of Quaker- 
 
56 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 ism for all the northwest, and at last I had lived to 
 see it in all its quiet sunset beauty. I walked with a 
 light step down into the town and put up for the night 
 at a Carolina Hotel. Next morning early I was out 
 inquiring for relatives and fnends, and soon found 
 them; they gave me a warm shake of the hand and a 
 kindly welcome to their home for my father and 
 mother's sake, in every instance they referred to my 
 f athei'^s fame as a manumissionist, and frequently said, 
 ^'We need him so much now." 
 
 Sometimes T was kept talking all day and until 
 a late hour at night, rehearsing the adventures of the 
 UndergTOund^ Railroad, and the present situation of 
 the south ; and I began to learn, and to take note of the 
 location of my father's co-workers in the past; after 
 .spending a week around Richmond, I hastened on ro 
 IS'ewport, now more celebrated than Richmond. There 
 had been a separation in Indiana Yearly Meeting of 
 Friends, about one year before, on the subject of abol- 
 ishing slavery and the Anti-slavery, or Abolition 
 Yearly Meeting was established at I^ew}x>rt; and be- 
 i^ides that town had become the headquarters of all 
 the Underground Railroads, with Levi Coffin as pres- 
 ident, hence my anxiety to reach that point, and it was 
 with a swelling heart that I entered the town and 
 found the depot. The reception given me by Cousin 
 Levi Coffin and wife was as though a long absent son 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 57 
 
 had returned Kome to see fatiier arid mother, and for 
 many days it was a feast of souls. I could give the 
 situation at the old home, and in turn take new les- 
 sons in the new life and surroundings, for all, all was 
 new. I was kindly received by all classes, and by 
 both the anti-slavery and pro-slavery part of the people, 
 for it was a time of intense excitement, both in church 
 and state, though the anti-slavery party was in the polit- 
 ical minority, they more than made it up in energy 
 and ability, they were largely Nantucket emigrants 
 from North Carolina, and the older ones were manu- 
 missionists from the C/arolina scho<:>l of Benjamin 
 Lundy, and being whale fishermen in the past, they 
 were now fishers of men, and it was exceedingly inter- 
 esting to hear the contending, (]el>ating, declaming, 
 denouncing, \dlifying, swearing, and vulgarity that 
 filled the community. It was still not uncommon foi' 
 abolition speakers to be mobbed and abused; even 
 ladies were grossly insulted by the ruffian pro-slavery 
 element: egging speakers was common. 
 
 Even to-day I look back to my first introduction 
 into Hoosier politics with bewilderino- astonishment. 
 The pro-slavery portion of the community treated me 
 kindly, and seeme<l anxious to hear my st^tement^^ of 
 the spirit of the slave power in the south. One pomt, 
 that T could always get the better of them, was my 
 abilitv to give their Carolina genealoi>v, which many 
 
58 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 times put them to the blush by contrast. It was al- 
 most universal for ministers of the gosj^el to run into 
 the subject of slavery in all their sermons ; neighbors 
 would stop work and argue pro and con across the 
 fence; people traveling along the road would stop and 
 argue the point; at mills, stores, shops, everywhere it 
 was abolition, pro-slavery, nigger, amalgamation, nig- 
 ger wives, and all other such words were fully indulge<I 
 m. Beside all this jx>litical turmoil there were a scor; 
 of isms and ologies proclaimed abroad; mesmerism, 
 Fourierism, phrenology, non-resistance, Grahamism, 
 etc., etc. The whole country was like a huge pot in a 
 furious state of boiling frothing over; and it would 
 have taken more than human sagacity to have fore- 
 seen the final or even probable end. Yet violent agi- 
 tation did not prevent the steady gi-owth and develop- 
 ment of the country, which was rapidly recovering 
 from the panic of 1837 to 1839, everywhere new fields 
 were beins: cleared, new houses built, large commo- 
 dious bams were erected, orchards were being planted, 
 good roads were being constructed from the interior 
 to the Ohio and Wabash rivers. Chicago was begin- 
 ning to be known as a place of trade, the Wabash and 
 Erie canal was building, and when compared with 
 I^orth Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky, what I saw 
 was truly a wonderland to me, and I could feel new 
 thoughts, new ideas, new aspirations entering my soul 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 59 
 
 and opening up to me, a new life. I was, indeed, away 
 from slavery, but not from its agitation and vehement 
 discussion. 
 
 Making Levi Coffin's home my stopping place 1 
 visited at least lifty of the old manumissionists, and 
 enjoyed the kindlv hospitalitv. and took in new lessons 
 of Hoosier life ; with the Whig and pro-slavery portion 
 of the community, I was a welcome visitor for I could 
 lead out on new lines of argument, and interest them 
 in my Underground Kailroad experience in spite of 
 their violent prejudices. 
 
 On the second day of June, 1843, there was to be 
 an abolition convention held at Dalton, a little villago 
 in the northwest comer of Wayne County, and I was 
 invited to go. In company with Levi Coffin, William 
 Starbuck, Daniel Pucket and Dr. Henry Way, 1 
 started on the interesting trip, listening with eager at- 
 tention to the conversation of those stanch representa- 
 tives of the coming revolution. When we reached 
 the convention I was pleased with its make-up, there 
 were about two hundred people assembled from the 
 neighboring counties, all substantial looking men and 
 women, four-fifths of them Carolinians and of Caro- 
 lina descent, and over half bore l^antucket names, as 
 Coffin, Gardner, Worth, Starbuck, Folgier, Macy, 
 Swain, Hussey, etc., etc., and all had a look of deep, 
 unflinching pui*pose in their eyes. To my surprise the 
 
60 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 subjec'te discussed were almost identical with those of 
 the mannmissionists in N^orth Carolina twenty years 
 before, and some of the speakers when young men had 
 discussed them in the south. "Immediate and Un- 
 conditioned Emancipation of Slaves'' was the burden 
 of all discussion, and the watch-word was "Free 
 thought, free speech, free soil, free labor, and free 
 men." Some of the discourses were grand and in- 
 spiring, and the few Pro-slavery Whigs in attendance 
 sat in silent thoughtfulness, and at times mnced un- 
 der the seething denunciation of northern freemen 
 affiliating with southern slave-holders. At the end 
 of three days the convention closed, and all went home 
 strengthened and edified. 
 
 From Dalton I went to the town of Milton to 
 some neighl)ore, who emigrated a few years before, 
 and to see some special friends of my parents. While 
 walking through the thick forest on the way, I met 
 my friend, George Bowman, an unexpected, but glad 
 meeting to both; he was ^^siting friends in that part, 
 and turned out and went my way, and we made \dsits 
 together for two days. From Milton my steps were 
 turned toward? Spiceland in Henrs^ County, where I 
 found Louviea AVhite, the widow of Isaac White, who 
 ran with my father to rescue John Dimery from th(3 
 kidnappers; my mother could not have given me a 
 warmer welcome than she did, and I felt that I was 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 61 
 
 safe from danger. T was now in one of the most in- 
 teresting anti-slavery neighbor}ic»o(ls in that part of 
 the state ; it was largely made up of old neighbors and 
 friends from New Garden, N. C. : Whites, Unthank, 
 Hiatt, Stanley, Macy, Gordon, Meredith, etc., etc., 
 and everywhere I had a glad, kindly reception; I was 
 admitted into homes, family circles and kindly friend- 
 ship. In a Aveek, or ten days, an old neighbor, Eli 
 Unthank, was going to Cincinnati with a four-horse- 
 team of ])roduce and I was given the chance to go 
 with him; this I was very anxious to do, as it would 
 give me another lesson in Hoosier life. Eli Unthank 
 had been a teamster in North Carolina, and was a vet- 
 eran in the business. I was keenly alive to all that 
 passed on this trip of 100 miles, and had another op- 
 portunity of seeing the Queen City, and the bustli} 
 of its every day life. 
 
 While in the city I found John Thomas Moore, 
 who was huckstering produce sent him from near 
 Cambridge City, Ind. He and I had grown up to- 
 gether and were considered tolerably steady in some 
 ways, but we yielded to an o'ermastering temptation 
 and stole away one night and went to a theater, a thing 
 we had been taught was very wicked, so we felt giiilty 
 when we got up next morning, and tried to think u]> 
 many mitigating excuses to ease our guilty con- 
 sciences. But the memory of the scenes enacted that 
 ni^ht are as bright to-day as when I saw them }»er- 
 
62 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 formed. lu this connection I will say that I was sat- 
 isfied almost for life with theaters, in all my travels 
 never attended any more excepting once in New 
 Orleans, and once in San Francisco. 
 
 On the i-^tum trip we stopped one evening to 
 camp as usual as I thought, but I noticed my old vet- 
 eran fed and rubbed the horses with extra care, and 
 prepared an extra supper; and about the usual time 
 he told me to turn in. and rest, I did so and was soon 
 sleeping soundly; how long after I could not tell, a 
 violent shaking suddenly aroused me, and I realized 
 the wagon was in motion; looking out in alarm I saw 
 the old teamster in the saddle driving steadily along 
 the road, and a long log causeway had shaken me up ; 
 it was bright moonlight, and taking in the situation, I 
 lay down and knew no more until about daylight, I 
 was called to get up and have breakfast ; we got back 
 to Spioelaud that evening, and I was asked, ''How 
 many nights did Eli drive all night ^" for it was his 
 custom to do that on the return trip. 
 
 To my surprise a two months' school had been 
 made up for me during my absence. I entered on 
 my duties ; for here was another opportunity for me t6 
 learn, as' well as the children ; for during the time T 
 learned much of the spirit of the young people ; and to 
 some extent entere<i into their social hopes and fears, 
 loves and antipathies, prospects and aspirations. 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 63 
 
 Though, peculiar, untrained, odd and awkward, yet 
 my clairvoyant make-up enabled me to see and leani 
 as much or more of them, as they saw of me; friend- 
 ships f oi*med during those pleasant, happy days remain 
 wai*ni and fresh to-day, lapse of time has not changed 
 them. While teaching I made my home with Wil- 
 liam and Rebecca Unthank, who were friends and 
 neighbors of my parents. He saw that I needed 
 parental cai*e and took me in, yes, into their kind and 
 happy family, which deed of kindness will be amoug 
 the last things I shall forget. 
 
 Four miles from Spiceland was Greensboro, lit- 
 tle less notorious than Newport. One of the marked 
 characters of that generation, Seth Hinshaw^, lived in 
 the town; he was a man of great power of mind and 
 unyielding determination, once satisfied that he was 
 right, no human being could change him. He wa.^ 
 an enthusiastic advocate of abstaining from the use 
 of slave grown products, and had a sitore in which 
 free labor goods were sold; when customers complained 
 at his prices being above the ordinary, he would say, 
 ^'That will test thy conscience, whether it is worth any- 
 thing or not.'' The free labor goods were all a frac- 
 tion higher than slave; but Brother Hinshaw was tol- 
 erably well patronized. His house was the meeting 
 place of all grades of reformers, or setters forth of 
 new doctrines — Mesmerism, Grahamism, Spiritual- 
 
64 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 ism, Socialism or Foiirierism, etc., etc., beside being 
 headquarters for all abolition speakers and lecturers. 
 When the now celebrated Frederick Douglass first 
 visited Indiana in 1843,. Seth Hinshaw defied public 
 opinion and prejudice, took Douglass home with him 
 and treate<:l him as a white man,, and in the end put 
 his neighbors to shame. Such a character had a pow- 
 erful influence in and on the community, and as a re- 
 sult there was no place where the abolition sentiment 
 was deeper, or more firmly seated, for there was good 
 soil in which to sow seed, the town and surrounding 
 country were settled Vvy North Carolinians. 
 
 I made frequent A^sits to Greensboro and through 
 the surrounding country, traveling on foot, much 
 muddy road could be avoided and distance saved by 
 going from point to point through the tall forests, 
 which still covered more than half the country, and 
 in mid-summe" were delightful and cool; then, as at 
 this day, I always had a small magnetic needle to guide 
 me in all my wanderings. 
 
 At the close of my school I joined a party of six 
 young people who were going to an abolition state con- 
 vention at the place where Jonesboro, in Grant Countv, 
 now stands, about three days' journey from Spiceland, 
 part of the route being through an almost new country ; 
 there were often several miles drive through the forest 
 without a house, and over very stumpy roads. W':' 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 65 
 
 were in a good farm wagon, drawn by two strong horses 
 with a skillful driver, making altogetlier an interest- 
 ing and romantic trip. One night we stopped at a 
 large log house; on entering I was astonished and 
 greatly pleased to find the widow of Emsley George, 
 an old neighbor to my mother; they had moved west 
 several years before, and 1 did not expect to meet 
 them again. The widow and 1 sat up until a late hour 
 telling the history of the old neighbors during the in- 
 tervening years, and next morning she said I paid the 
 bill for all the company with talk. 
 
 The conventi(m was very interesting to me. There 
 I saw two or three hundred men and women, many 
 of whom had come a hundred miles over the rougii 
 roads, through the dark forests in a hot sun, with no 
 prospect of compensation, and with but little hop© for 
 anything in the near future but misrepresentation, 
 abuse, slander, contempt and possibly personal vio- 
 lence, yet they were there to discuss the constant 
 growth and aggressions of the slave power, and, if pos- 
 sible, to arouse their fellow countrymen to a realiza- 
 tion of the danger there was to the life of the nation. 
 There were two prominent al>olitionists from Massa- 
 chusetts, and Frederick Douglass, the freed slave, who 
 was the center of attraction. Even in his beginning his 
 hidden might was discernible to my mind and plainly 
 foreshadowed what a power he was destined to be in 
 
66 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 tiie nation. He did not know the hidden lire that 
 needed but an awakening hour to set it burning in his 
 heart. 
 
 During the discussions in the convention tho 
 declaration of James G. Bumey was repeated in con- 
 nection with the future of slavery, ''Slaver}^ was in- 
 stituted by violence, is maintained by violence, and 
 will die by violence." Several speakers did not ap- 
 prove of the declaration, and when it was embodied in 
 a resolution it was voted out; then an amendment was 
 offered, so as to read — ''and if not peaceably abolished 
 will die by violence," this was carried by a unanimous 
 vote. The whole procedure of the convention was a 
 revelation to me and I was learning beyond my ability 
 to store away in my memorv^, which resulted in neiwous 
 prostration, and I had to remain in the neighborhood 
 several days after the close, and my young compan- 
 ions reluctantly left me behind and returned home. 
 This was providential, otherwise, I should have gone 
 with Frederick Douglass to Pendleton, a town twenty 
 miles northeast of Indianapolis, where he was booked 
 to speak, and where one of the most exciting, disgi^ace- 
 ful, brutal, revolutionizing mobs took place that ever 
 occurred in Indiana. 
 
 The public speaking was held in the open air, q 
 slight platform was raised for the speakers and for the 
 elderly ladies. Soon after Frederick Douglass began 
 
OF ADDISQN COFFIN. 67 
 
 to sjx'ak, a half dniiiken mob of several hundred bnital 
 men and boys came on the ground armed with com 
 cutters, clubs and stones, and began swearing, shout- 
 ing and using foul mouthed language. As soon as 
 the stone-throwing began, the men in the audience 
 hastily surrounded the women, to protect them from 
 the missiles; but the mob rushed upon them like 
 demons, knocked many down, and rudely pushed 
 women over and backw^ards, and in one case, brutally 
 kicked. Frederick Douglass was the object of their 
 great-est fury, he was defended for a time, but his 
 friends w^ere overpowered, and he attempted to save 
 himself by flight, but was pursued by howling devils, 
 for eighty or one hundred rods, then knocked down, 
 beaten and left for dead. Some young men who were 
 there, afterwards went through the war of the rebel- 
 lion, and they say thev never saw in all the war a more 
 brutal, murderous scene in any battle anywhere. 
 There w^ere many seriously hurt; many bore the marks 
 of their wounds for life. The news of this outrage 
 spread like wildfire over Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and 
 Michigan, and aroused a spirit of indignation among 
 all honorable people and caused hundreds to join nl 
 once the abolition party. 
 
 Was it Providential I was left at Greensboro? 
 I am at least thankful I did not see the sight. 
 
 It was now the fall of the year, and Indiana Year • 
 
68 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 Ij Meeting of Friends held at Richmond was near at 
 hand, so my stej>s were turned in that direction, the 
 journey was through new counivj, much of it thinly 
 settled, but full of interest. One place especially had 
 then and afterwai-ds much interest to me. It was an 
 ash swamp two and a half miles across and several long; 
 there was a causeway made of split logs, and poles 
 across it straight as a line, a person standing at either 
 end could see across as through a tunnel. In the 
 swamp the timber grew so thick that it looked dark 
 and forbidding and j>art of the year was covered with 
 water. Thirty years later I passed that way again, 
 the swamp was gone, and in its place were beautiful 
 farms, and homes, a country not to be excelled for 
 beauty in the state. The land had been ditched and 
 drained, it wsls so fertile that everv square rod had been 
 cleared and was under cultivation, to me it seemed like 
 magic, and it was hard to realize the marvelous change, 
 but the old log hotel was still standing, with an un- 
 broken record, and it was a reality. 
 
 Indiana Yearly meeting was associated with the 
 memories of all my life, and was the embodiment of 
 all that was great and good, the larger portion of my 
 relatives were amone* its members, more than half 
 the people I had ever known in life had removed and 
 settled in its limits, besides its membership was scat- 
 tered through Ohio, Indiana, Illinals, Michigan and 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. by 
 
 Iowa and at its annual gatherings there were people 
 from the extremes of six to eight hiinch*ed miles apart, 
 many of them making the journey on horseback; 
 women oftentimes rode one hundred miles on horses 
 and thought it no hardship. AVith all this on my mind 
 it was little wonder that I expected it to be one of en- 
 during way marks in my future, and when the thou- 
 sands assembled on the public days my ideal was fully 
 realized. 
 
 During the business sessions I watched with ob- 
 serving interest the spint which animated the vast 
 audience. There was splendid talent, f ai-seeing judg- 
 ment, with high intellectual ability stamped upon the 
 faces of many present, but the greater number, though 
 above the average of their generation, were not above 
 the influence of human passion, human prejudice and 
 preference. It was evident that the meeting was still 
 agitated by the effects of the separation, that had taken 
 place one year before, when a large number of the 
 more sanguine abolitionists revolted from the pro- 
 slavery element as they characterized them and set up 
 an "Anti-slavery Yearly Meeting," at I^ewport. For 
 four days I attended the sessions, and watched, saw, 
 heard, felt and read the minds of the prominent actor<=, 
 and stowed in memory enough for a small history. 
 No one for a moment dreamed that the awkward Caro- 
 lina boy in his home-spun clothes was reading and re- 
 
 5 
 
70 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 meinbering eveiything that was said, done and in some 
 cases thought. 
 
 One of the hundreds of incidents of life was con- 
 nected with my attendance at the Yearly Meeting. 
 While stopping at Spiceland the summer before, there 
 oame several young people from Flat Rock east of 
 there to attend Spiceland Quarterly Meeting; they 
 stopped at Uncle William Unthank's Sabbath after- 
 noon. They were of the high toned, wealthier class, 
 well dresvsed and very nice looking, Init woe to me with 
 my home-spun clothes and home-made shoes, etc. Thr; 
 youngsters from Flat Rock made life bitter for me 
 that day with their fun and heartless jokes, rough 
 sport; making a virtue of neceSvsity I did not resent or 
 retort, though it was very galling to my nature. I 
 took, however, a lasting imprass of their featurf^'^, 
 forms, words, and gestures and stored it up in my mem- 
 ory. At Yearly Meeting I met part of them again and 
 received similar treatment, but it was less trying. 
 Twenty years from that time the leader of that Flat 
 Rock party drove up to my house in a one horse hack 
 containing tin troughing for houses, which he sold for 
 his emplover; he was threadbare and looked dejected 
 At first sight, all the memory of the past came to mind 
 like a burning fire, but it passed in a moment, and when 
 I took him by the hand, it was with difficulty the tears 
 of sorrow and sympathy were restrained, and I thanked 
 
OP ADDISON COFFIN. 71 
 
 the Lord for putting it in my heart to forgive the past 
 and return kindness for unkindness. Misfortune fol- 
 lowed that man through life, and he died poor and 
 afflicted, but it was a lesson not to be forgotten to me 
 and mine. 
 
 After attending three days of business sessions 
 at Richmond, I went to Newport and attended two 
 days of the Anti-slavery Yearly Meeting to see and 
 learn its leading spirit, and, as at Richmond, was alive 
 to all that transpired. Though in the midst of con- 
 genial spirits and old friends, it was apparent to my 
 mind that the anti-slavery friends though in the right 
 and full of enthusiasm had made a serious mistake in 
 separating from the pro-slavery Friends. Thoy had 
 mthdrawn all the leaven from the body that needed 
 leavening, and had a surfeit where little was needed. 
 They should have remained with the church and suf 
 fered, prayed, pleaded and reasoned on until the whole 
 lump was leavened. All parties saw this in a few 
 years, and were again united, but the labor of half q 
 generation was lost in the unhappy separation. Among 
 the most noted was Martha Wooten, a minister, and 
 the second speaker in eloquence at that time in Amer- 
 ica. Lucretia Mott was admitted by all people to have 
 been the most sublimely eloquent preacher in the 
 English language, when in her prime, and Martha 
 Wooten was next and to my ear and heart, was the 
 
72 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 equal. 'Tis said that Tom Corvvin caught his highest 
 touch of eloquence while listening to Lucretia Mott in 
 Philadelphia. 
 
 While at Richmond I met Alfred Haldey, from 
 Bloomfield, in Parke County, who was an intimate 
 friend and co-worker with mj father in their young 
 days; he invited me to go to Bloomfield, now Bloom- 
 ingdale, and teach their winter school ; this was condi- 
 tionally agreed to — provided I got there in time. 
 
 Here I want to say, while attending the Yearly 
 meeting at Richmond, I met and f onned an acquain c- 
 ance with Rowland T. Reed, then just grown, In- 
 diana's most gifted and most neglected poet. I had 
 seen and memorized his poem, '^Autumn Evening 
 Thoughts," published in the 'Tree Labor Advocate" 
 1841, and had an especial desire to meet him. When 
 we met it was as kindred spirits, and we formed a 
 friendship that was never broken, until his untimely 
 death some years ago; he married my Sister FrieuLl 
 Drucilla A. Unthauk, and through her the friendship 
 still lives. 
 
 Returning from Xew^port to Spic eland I spent a 
 few days and then started westward, going by Carth- 
 ag'e and Walnut Ridge where many friends and ac- 
 quaintances lived; from there I went to Whitelick, in 
 Morgan County, going through Indianapolis, then :i 
 small town. Late one evening, footsore and tired T 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 73 
 
 reached Benjamin White's iiouse, near Mooresville, 
 one of my heels had been blistered and was quite 
 painful. Aunt Mary White, my father's cousin, and 
 sister to Levi Coffin, acted the part of a tender mother, 
 took me in, poulticed my foot, and took oare of mo 
 until in traveling order. This stop wa^ especially 
 pleasant and lasting in the friendships fonned with the 
 family, the evenings being spent in stories from the old 
 home land and lessons in pioneer life, and Hoosier 
 characteristics. 
 
 The next journey was to Spring, in Hendricks, 
 my home county, where some of the nearest Carolina 
 neighbors had settled, with a large acquaintance, a 
 week was spent there then the last stage of forty miles 
 was begun. There were several large creeks to cross 
 with no bridges, or boats, and the weather was getting 
 oool, but the old habit of fording was again practiced 
 and no bad results followed the cold baths. A part 
 of the trip was through what was then new, rough 
 country, in many places the road was poor even for 
 walking, but now a beautiful pike, straight as a line 
 runs through a succession of fine gTazing and grass 
 lands, with the streams all spanned with steel and iron 
 bridges, built by the state and counties, a marvelous 
 change. 
 
 Annapolis, north of Bloomfield two miles, was 
 then a village of some note and business; my arrival 
 
74 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 at the town was about sunset and I went directly to 
 my old teacher, neighbor, and friend, Dr. Horace F. 
 Cannon, who bid me a joyous welcome, and my jonr 
 ney for the winter ended; but I soon learned 
 that the people, the business, the lay of the 
 land and all the envu'onments were differenc 
 from the central part of the state. Espe- 
 cially was there a marked change in the business of 
 the people. The Wabash river with its tributaries 
 was then one of the busy marts of the northwest; it 
 furnished an outlet to a large portion of Indiana and 
 Illinois; there was a fleet of river steamers on its 
 waters, and thousands of flat boats were constructed 
 on the bank of the river and the creeks holding from 
 60 to 200 tons of freight, all of which were loaded and 
 floated down stream each spring to New Orleans. It 
 was the ambition of nearly all the boys to take at least 
 one flat boat voyage to l^ew Orleans, and return oy 
 steamer. Many of the middle-aged men were as 
 familiar with Xew Orleans as their home towns, and 
 with the 3000 miles of river as with home county 
 roads. This condition of business and line of trade 
 gave the whole population a strong local character, 
 like sailor language and phrases of seaport cities, so ii 
 was on the Wabash; there were many boatmen words 
 and phraser in common use among all the people uf 
 which thev were unconscious. The wild, free life of 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 75 
 
 a boatruan gave tone and impress to the business and 
 business people, there was a broader, higher impulse 
 in their characters that was distinctive to a stranger, 
 and it was the character of the people on that river 
 that first originated the term "Wild West." In those 
 earlj days there was magic in the name in any river 
 town anywhere between the mouth of the Wabash 
 and New Orleans ; if a boatman was in trouble or dan- 
 ger he only needed to raise his voice and shout "Wa- 
 bash, Wabash, Wabash," three times and then pause 
 a moment, then repeat it and in an instant every Wa- 
 bash man within hearing caught up the cry and rushed 
 to the rescue, and soon there would be a throng of 
 fearless boatman on hand, and woe be to the evil- 
 doers, who fell into their hands; they were not only 
 brave, but honorable and just, and 50 of them could 
 defy municipal law in any city. One time in New 
 Orleans, a Wabash man was arrested on a fraudulent 
 claim, and was being taken to the lock-up, when he 
 shouted Wabash, and in five minutes a hundred men 
 took him from the oflftcers, and aboard an up-river 
 steamer nearly ready to start. The civil oflftcers sum- 
 moned a posse of 80 armed men, and attempted to 
 retake the man, then the cry of "Indiana, Indiana, 
 Indiana" was raised, and in fifteen minutes 500 In- 
 dianians and other up-river men were on hand. Th'^ 
 posse was scattered like wild deer, and the boatmen 
 
76 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 cleared the wharf until the steamer sailed, then dis- 
 persed as quickly as though nothing had happened. 
 People animated with this spirit, and engaged in this 
 kind of life were the kind I now found myself sojourn- 
 ing among. My old neighbors who had emigrated 
 from five to twenty years before had fallen into the 
 same spirit, and did not seem to know they were 
 changed; to me it was interesting to note and study 
 this transition, and I gave them the name of Hoosier 
 Carolinians. 
 
 Some days were spent visiting before my school 
 began ; there were several relatives on the Cofiin, Ves- 
 tal and ^ewlin side of the family and all were living 
 within a few miles of Bloomfield and Annapolis. Al- 
 fred Hadley's house was the Underground Railroad 
 station on the Wabash route, so I was among old neigh- 
 bors, old friends, and in connection with some old bus 
 iness, making new surroundings very agreeable. 
 
 The school was large and consisted mostly of 
 growTi up young people, w^ell advanced, which made 
 it very interesting, and responsible for here again 
 memory was taken for superior ability, and I was con 
 scious of it, consequently was in trouble in mind much 
 of the time lest the students should be disappointed 
 in their anticipations, but the vschool seemed to give 
 satisfaction to all parties. There was a literary so- 
 ciety connected with the school that was well attended, 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 
 
 77 
 
 tlie public debates were especially interesting when 
 the subject of slavery was under discussion, the spirit 
 of the county being strongly pro-skvery, and hostile 
 to public discussion, but the school sympathized with 
 me, and freedom of speech was secured. Female 
 suffrage was fii*st discussed that winter and it raised a 
 stonn of opposition, and I had to face the storm alone, 
 at the beginning. Mrs. Swishhelm was then publish- 
 ing her Woman's Rights paper at Pittsburg, Pa., and 
 quite a number of copies were secured for the occa- 
 sion, which sowed seed that has borne abundant fruit. 
 
 As the spring of 1844 opened the wdiole country 
 was astir with preparations for the boating season. 
 Thousands of barrels of flour had been packed by the 
 millers, wheat had been put in barrels, thousands of 
 barrels of pork were ready for shipping, hundreds of 
 thousands of pounds of bulk pork were in the packing 
 houses, and another article entirely new to me — thou- 
 sands of dozens of chickens, ducks, and geese were 
 collected readv for the southern market. Every in- 
 terest was looking after its own progress, which made 
 lively times; hundreds of men had been busy all win- 
 ter building flat boats to float this immense surplus <-o 
 market — and above all, all along the river banks were 
 com pens with an almost unlimited supply of corn 
 ready for any market that opened. 
 
 Amid all this stir and push it was little wonder 
 
78 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 that I caught the fever and determined to take a trip 
 ^'Down the river'' and see the wonderful ''Door to the 
 sea." So at the close of my school I booked as a boat- 
 hand at the bow, or foi-^vard oar, on Washington Had- 
 ley's flat boat, which was 80 feet long, 16 wide and 
 drew three feet of water. The load was 300 baiTels 
 of flour, 90 barrels of pork, 40,000 pounds of pork, 250 
 dozens of chickens and several barrels of eggs. An- 
 other man, Joseph Battard, was also loading a boat 
 that was going as consort, and the two to lash when 
 they reached the mouth of the Ohio. The boat was 
 loaded in Sugar CVeek, near Annapolis and pulled out 
 into the Wabash, and down a few miles to Montezuma 
 where the ship supplies were taken aboard, and then 
 
 on , 1844, we cast loose and were afloat 
 
 for a 3000 miles' run, which to me was another new^ 
 phase of life, and another life lesson. The Wabash 
 at that time was far more picturesque and charaiinfi: 
 and had nearly twice the volume of water that it has 
 to-day; its banks were clothed with magnificent for- 
 ests, which cast their deep shadows over its dark water, 
 like a cloud at noonday, and at night was weird, solemn 
 and terrible. To-day the forests are gone, and the 
 river looks dwarfed and lifeless, few boats of any kind 
 are seen, and the grandfathers tell of boatman stories 
 of the past. In a few days my hands and shoulders 
 learned the art of heaving at the oar, and T was soon 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 79 
 
 equal to the best, and in addition soon learned to row 
 a skiff on the roughest waves, or strong-est wind that 
 came. 
 
 Everything was so new and charming that for a 
 week I slept but little, was on deck listening to stories 
 of the pilot, or steersman, and learning the art of steer- 
 ing. The boat was steered by an oar 24 feet long, 
 nicely balanced on an iron pin in the middle of the 
 stern, the blade or water end was nicely shaped like an 
 oar with the blade six feet long and eighteen inches 
 pivot to give it great strength; a strong skillful man 
 could exert an immense force with this long sweep, 
 and turn the seemingly unwieldy boat in a very small 
 wide; the beam was ten inches in diameter at the 
 circle if it had headway. There was an oar amid- 
 ship on the right hand side, and a bow oar on the left 
 hand side about twej^^e feet from the bow, this was my 
 oar, about 14 feet long, the other oar was 18 feet. 
 One hand worked the bow and two amidship. 
 
 Pulling at the oar was not a regular business, the 
 boat was always intended to float with the current, the 
 oars were to avoid drifts, snags, sand bars, skirt land ^, 
 eddies and cross currents, and in time of "liigh wind it 
 was no child's play to keep from being driven ashore, 
 yet it was all a wild, free life, there was a feeling among 
 all boatmen that they were cut loose from all the world 
 
BO LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 and beyond all human law, much like a sailor out on 
 the limitless sea. 
 
 Often, under favorable weather a boat would not 
 touch land for many days, though the crew, or a part, 
 of them might land every day; -oft times it was their 
 pastime to take the skiff and row ahead many miles, 
 land in the cane break, at the cotton fields, the town.-^ 
 and immense wood yards, where steamers stopped 
 to take on wood for fuel. It was also a favorite amuse- 
 ment to visit neighboring boats, that were always in 
 sight, the salutation being, ''Where are you from?'' 
 and the name of the river was always given,, and by the 
 time we had reached the mouth of Red river w^e had 
 seen boats from fifty, or more rivers. This naturally 
 brought the boatmen in contact wdth each other from 
 widely separated points, and gave them a breadth of 
 geography and business knowledge that was surpris- 
 ing to eastern and southern people. Here in this wild, 
 free boating, was reai^ed and prepared a race of hardy 
 men, ready w^hen the time came to march westward 
 and take possession of half a continent and finish the 
 foundation of our wonderful nation. 
 
 Soon after starting I was installed as cook on our 
 lx)at, and always managed to have plenty to eat, what 
 it lacked in style was made up in good appetites. The 
 supplies were all we could ask. There were chickens, 
 eggs in abundance, any amount of ham, two or three 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 8! 
 
 barrels of apples, potatoes, and all other vegetables, 
 bntter, cheese, kraut and all that hnngry men could- 
 think of, and that, too, in every form that any or all 
 our mothers had ever devised. Washington Hadley 
 was an excellent carver, and we all took lessons in ar- 
 tistic cai-ving. Eggs were eaten in every form be 
 tween raw and egg-nog. Coffee and tea were made in 
 all the strength and weakness of which these two bee- 
 erages were capable. Both sides of the bread were 
 sopped in home-made maple molasses; when a fresh can 
 of home-made butter was opened there was no stint in 
 its promiscuous use, etc., etc. Yet in the living there 
 was as much difference among the boats, as at th^ 
 homes of the boatmen, on some the food was scarce and 
 poorly cooked, and frightfully dirty. So it was in 
 personal habits, some were nice and clean while others 
 did not change clothes during the voyage. It was 
 quite a job to feed the chickens each day, to water and 
 wash out the coops and see that all was going well: nor 
 was there silence at any hour aboard our boat, for there 
 were hundreds of mouths all crowing or cackling at 
 once, but in a few days the ear became accustomed 
 to it like the noise of machinery ; being cook exempted 
 me from any of this work. 
 
 We floated out of the Ohio into the Mississippi 
 just before daylight, and according to universal cus- 
 tom jBred off all the guns loaded to their utmost ca- 
 
82 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 pacit J, with muzzles held close to the water to inten- 
 sify the concussion, and in ten minutes we recognized 
 the report of our Consort Boat close behind and we 
 gave an answering shout. As soon as daylight came 
 they pulled up and lashed the boats together with 
 strong ropes, the inner oars on each being taken up and 
 moved to the outer side ; my oar was not moved and my 
 chum, Aleck Armstrong, was put right behind me, 
 and from that time we swung our oars on time like 
 clock work. The united crews now made a company 
 of ten jolly, active fellows, our stearsman being the 
 oldest, in middle life, sober and steady, and a good 
 riverman. Our consort had a variety load, but the 
 principal was 500 dozens of chickens and 100 turkeys, 
 beside oats, flour, wheat, etc., and drew the same water, 
 so the decks were even, and our territory was now 80x 
 32 feet; the windows to our cabins came together, and 
 we had to close and cut new ones; but the music of 500 
 dozen more mouths can better be ima^ned than de- 
 scribed. 
 
 With the addition to the companv, with the new 
 surroundings, and the wonderful river, my memory 
 was kept to its highest tension. There was scarce an 
 hour but there was a steamer in sight or sound. They 
 were from hundreds of different ports, Pittsburg To 
 the northeast to far up the Missouri in the northwest. 
 In a note-book I took the names of over one hundred 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 83 
 
 steamers that passed in the daytime, which is very in- 
 teresting to look over after a lapse of fifty years, and 
 after the railroads have nearly destroyed river traffic. 
 
 Everything went well with us on the voyage; to 
 me every turn in the river had a new sui-prise, every 
 night-watch was full of interest; the otherwise still 
 night was broken by the cry of the night birds whicdi 
 filled the cane-breaks, thousands of frogs and night 
 animals made the air musical with unmusical discord- 
 ant sounds; new constellations shown in the southern 
 sky and old ones more clearly defined; the songs of 
 lone boatmen who were keeping watch, sounded sweet 
 and low as he sang the grand old songs of love and 
 home. Sometimes the wild peal of a bugle-horn 
 would burst upon the ear, or some homo-sick High- 
 lander would give the air of ''Bonnie Doon," or "The 
 Campbells are Coming," sometimes elevating his horn 
 and sending the music fioating off over the placid 
 water, then holding down close to the water would 
 make it roar like coming thunder, when his soul and 
 heart were in the melodv. 
 
 We stopped at ISTew Madrid, Memphis, Vicks- 
 burg, ^N'atchez, Baton Rouge and Ft. Washington; 
 fifty miles below Iberville we encountered a head wind 
 that increased to a gale, and we took refuge in a bend 
 for several hours ; during the delay a part of the crew 
 landed and climbed the levee and found we were on tho 
 
84 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 border of a very large sirgar cane farrri. with immeii'^c^, 
 live oak trees standing over the area in beautiful artis- 
 tic order; one was near us, to this we hastened and 
 were soon clambering among its wide spreading 
 branches, from which we could see the far end of th o 
 rows of cane more than half mile away and a dozen or 
 more slaves plomng with slow going mules, coming 
 our way. I descended and rowed to meet them; the^; 
 seemed astonished to see me and began looking un- 
 easily towards a beautiful mansion in the distance; 
 a voice cried out, ''Halloo, there," looking up there 
 was a man galloping towards us across the field, who 
 soon came up and in a gTuff voice demanded what I 
 was doing there; without any hesitation I told him, 
 and said that tree was full of boys; he then turned 
 towards it and we walked on together; to the question 
 of where I was from, I said from North Carolina, and 
 without giving him time to speak, rattled on telling 
 of my trip to Indiana, my boating and futtire aspira- 
 tions, and before he was aware of it, had completely 
 captured him, and to his surprise, could talk of men 
 he personally knew^; instead of ordering us off his 
 ground he spent near an hour in pleasant conversa- 
 tion, and when the signal came from the boat he bid 
 us a very kindly good-by. I read that man at sight 
 and knew how to surround and take him, and did 
 sooner than expected. 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 85 
 
 We landed in the wonderful city in the forenoon, 
 had been 22 days afloat and were all well and strong 
 and in good working order. The crews of flat boats 
 were always paid off and were at liberty after three 
 days; then they usually did some trading, sight-seeing, 
 and ofttimes took a ride to the gulf. With our party 
 this was done except myself; I remained and watched 
 the boat until unloaded and sold, about two weeks. 
 During this time I was in the midst of Wonder Land, 
 had not seen a ship of any kind before; could hardly 
 realize there were so many ships in the world as were 
 in port; along the ship landing there was a perfect 
 forest of masts and spars, with a babel of tongues and 
 strange, foreign faces. There were 200 river steam- 
 ers at the landing all the time and 2500 flat boats; 
 there were four miles of wharf in front of the city, and 
 all the distance was a scene of life and bustle that wa=5 
 exciting and inspiring to my mind. There were hun- 
 dreds of flat boats alongside sailing ships unloading 
 their cargoes; there were ships alongside of river 
 steamers unloading their cargoes for inland shipping. 
 The wharf was everywhere piled with articles for ex- 
 port, or those imported and the babel of tongues and 
 the clatter and clang on every side was like the roar 
 of a coming storm. 
 
 Fifty years passed by, and then, I stood on the 
 self same place; again I looked in vain for the old land 
 6 
 
^6 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 •marks but ttey were gone; I looked for the old cliar- 
 -acteristics but could not find them ; instead there were 
 new sights, new sounds, new faces, new voices; in- 
 stead of the roar of the passing stonn there was heard 
 the rumble of deep tones of thunder, the gi'ound trem- 
 bled beneath my feet, and there were clouds of smoko 
 and steam around and over all ; and above the din was 
 heard the shriek of the locomotive, and the harsher 
 and louder bray of the ocean steamer. The levee had 
 been built a hundred feet wider out into the river; the 
 whole extent of the miles of wharf was covered with 
 railroad tracks ; there Avere hundreds of freight cars in 
 motion and other hundreds still; there was not a flat 
 boat in sight: a few lone river steamers were lying- 
 miles farther up the river, the sail vessels had dimin- 
 ished one-half, but standing out above all were the 
 huge ocean steamers into whose depths a constant 
 stream of all articles of export, were descending. In- 
 stead of the block and tackle and the He-o-heave, there 
 was the ceaseless rattle of steam derrick lifting its 
 tons of freight night and day without ceasing. 
 
 Across the river where the steamboat calabooses 
 used to be, and a small stragglino- village on the bor- 
 ders of the swamp were now a forest of smoke stacks 
 and many acres were covered with large tugs; there 
 were immense steam ferry-boats capable of taking a 
 railroad train without delay, hitch, jolt or jar. The 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 87 
 
 swamp was covered with beautiful gardens and su- 
 burban homes. All, all wa® clianged! In the city 
 itself all was changed, instead of the lumbering old 
 omnibus and lazy-going coach, the street car glided 
 along the level streets amid new^ scenes of life and ac- 
 tivity; the Xew^ Orleans of 1844 w^as gone forever; a 
 new spirit had entered into its innermost life. The 
 haughty, slave-holding autocrat no longer rode in 
 haughty pride through the street; the slave now 
 walked a free man and a citizen. The haughty power 
 of slavery was broken and gone forever; a new race 
 of men were busy in its marts animated by a new im- 
 pulse and full of higher, broader aspirations and am- 
 bitions. 
 
 While in the city I was taken with the river fever, 
 which weakened me very much and at the end of two 
 weeks took steamer for return to my nearest friends. 
 Landing at Evansville, in southern Indiana, I started 
 to walk 120 miles back to BkH:)mfield, Ind., but I found 
 the fever had weakened me so much that walking was 
 difficult. Calling at a farm house I asked for a drink 
 of milk: the kind-hearted lady looked me in the face 
 a moment and said, ^'You look weak, my son," and 
 brought me nearly a quart of good, pure milk; I drank 
 it like a hungry child; it was like an opiate and I felr, 
 relief all over, then thanking the lady, who would noL 
 receive pay, I lay down on the grass in the warm sun- 
 
m LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 shine and slept soundly for several hours. On awak- 
 ing I felt weak, but refreshed, and brave at heart, and 
 started on my journey. One day a teamster overtook 
 me and pressed me to get in his wagon and ride, but 
 the shaking and jolting hurt me so I thanked him for 
 his kindness, and started again on foot. At the end 
 of a week, I reached Alfred Hadley's home brave and 
 cheerful, but still weak, though improving every day, 
 I had been gone nearly two months, and was now in no 
 shape for joining Freemont on his exploring expedi- 
 tion ; unforeseen events had changed my program, and 
 as it proved for life. 
 
 Alfred Hadley and family all bade me welcome 
 to and into the family, for as mother Rhoda afterwards 
 said, I looked like I needed a mother and a home ; my 
 Aunt Ann Hill, who lived close by was not unmindful 
 of my situation and gave me much kind attention. I 
 had now passed my first year in the school of the 
 World, and probably ^'ew students ever learned f aste? 
 or remembered their lessons better. Though nothing 
 sensational had occurred, and no startling adventure 
 had fallen to my lot, yet I had seen and heard mucin 
 that in a few years was to move and influence the whole 
 world. The summer of 1844 was spent in the family 
 of Alfred Hadley, and though not able to make mo'-e 
 than half a hand at work, I was all right in the Under- 
 ground Railroad ; the Wabash line was getting in good 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 89 
 
 ruDuing order and passengers very frequent, and in 
 spite of the violent and almost mnrderous hostility of 
 a majority of the community, especially Rockville, 
 the county seat, the fugitives came and went like fleet- 
 ing shadows, defying all efforts to detect or prevent. 
 It was less difficult to find the way from one station 
 to another, the roads were gradually being put on the 
 land, lines though rough and muddy, were straight and 
 easy to follow, beside the stations were nowhere more 
 than 20 t^ 30 miles apart and often friendly homes 
 between. It required more shrewd management than 
 courage and daring; the pro-slavery Hoosiers invari- 
 ably spent much time in swearing what and how they 
 were going to do, and they sought the fugitive when 
 he was gone, and we quietly smiled and kept still. 
 
 The political campaign of 1844 was an important 
 one to anti-slavery cause ; Henry Clay was the Whig 
 candidate, and James K. Polk, the Democratic, for 
 the presidency; during the contest it was brought out 
 and proved that Henry Clay had publicly said, '^Two 
 hundred years of legislation has sanctioned and sancti- 
 fied negro slavery. I am opposed to gradual or im- 
 mediate emancipation." The Abolition orators made 
 that their special line of attack, and made the woods 
 of Ohio and Indian a echo with their vehement thunder. 
 That was the death knell to Henry Clay; where is he 
 to-day? He has dropped out of history, while the 
 Tiame of Cassius M. Clay, his Abolition cousin, w'ill 
 live through all coming time as the bravest of the 
 brave. 
 
THIRD CHAPTER. 
 
 Revisiting the Carolina home and friends — Second 
 trip to Indiana — Married in June, 1845 — Learn- 
 ing to farm — Purchase of land in Hendricks 
 County — Moving to the new home, and begir^- 
 ning life anew — Death of my wife — Return 
 again to N'orth Carolina- — Bringing my mother, 
 two nieces, two cousins and boy to Indiana — Be- 
 ginning again — Brother Alfred's amval — Sick- 
 ness and death of my youngest child — Married 
 again to Ruth Hadley — Exciting political times 
 — War of the Rebellion — Events commenced 
 with the war — Sickness of Brother Alfred, and 
 death of Brother Emory, and William Thomas. 
 
 Amid the excitement of the political campaign, 
 of mass meeting, pole raising, illuminations, etc., etc., 
 another unforeseen event occurred, wholly unexpected, 
 and against which no precautions had been taken. 
 Alfred Hadley's oldest daughter, Emily, and I came 
 to the conclusion that we would try living together. 
 Though by using a little exaggeration, imagination 
 (90) 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 91 
 
 and sentiment the event might have been called ro- 
 mantic, in the eyes of others it was similar to all such 
 events. 
 
 This was another decided break in my life pro- 
 gram, calling for some reconstruction and change of 
 outline; accordingly it was settled that I should re- 
 turn to mv home in Xorth Cai'olina, get what little 
 was due me on final family arrangement, bid good-by 
 to home and countrv, and return to Indiana. 
 
 In the fall Milton Hadley, brother to my intend- 
 ed, and I started on foot; he to spend a year at Nevr 
 Garden Boarding-school. I had measurably recov- 
 ered my health, and we started out with hearty good- 
 will. The Madison and Indianapolis Railroad, the 
 first built in Indiana, was then building, and a con- 
 struction train was running to Edenburg; we reached 
 that point and took the box cars for Madison, and then 
 took steamer for Point Pleasant, and then set out on 
 foot, taking the route by way of the ''Hawk's N^est" 
 on 'New River and Red Sulphur Springs, striking my 
 former route at Peter's Mountain, then followed it 
 back home. 
 
 My return was looked upon as quite a noted evenr 
 among my young associates; it was a custom in those 
 days to measure people's popularity by the number 
 of hundred miles they had traveled, and the number 
 of states they had been in. I had gone beyond the 
 
92 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 most popular, and accomplished it without money, or 
 wealthy family influence. This was cause of offense 
 to the children of some slaveholders, who had trav- 
 eled through Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee and 
 called themselves w^ealthy; for one unknown injthe 
 higher social circles to accomplish so much, and do it 
 almost entirely on foot, was an insult to their respecta- 
 bility, and I had to suffer scorn and contempt for the 
 offense, but to my intimate friends it was cause of real 
 joy, and it did my heart good to receive their kindly 
 greeting, and the kindness was returned by rehearsing 
 my adventures, and all the new, beautiful, and won- 
 derful scenes through which I had passed. 
 
 About three months were spent at home, and then 
 arrangements were made to return to Indiana. My 
 mother had given me a colt, which was now grown 
 to be a fine, young mare ; she also gave me a small one- 
 horse wagon; with this I prepared to make a wintei 
 journey across the mountains. On the second of Feb 
 ruary, 1845, I again bid adieu to the old home and 
 loved ones, and had nice weather for three days, but 
 on reaching the mountains, met a severe snow storm 
 that lasted three davs, and the weather turned very 
 cold. The snow drifted very much and there was a 
 great deal of ice in the creeks and rivers which made 
 it difficult and dangerous traveling; in crossing the 
 Big Suel Mountains I was three days and nights with- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 93 
 
 out fire, though I did not suffer with cold; I walked 
 before my horse all the time. She would follow me 
 anywhere, sometimes the drifts were four feet deep 
 across the road, making cold wading, but finally the 
 range was crossed, and a safe descent made to the banks 
 of the Kanawha River, where the snow was melting 
 rapidly, and the mud soon became more serious than 
 the snow. It took four days' hard traveling to go 55 
 miles from the Salt Works to Point Pleasant on the 
 Ohio River. There I took steamer and landed at 10 
 P. M. in Cincinnati,, the 21st. No journey in life has 
 been more exhausting, or really more dangerous than 
 that one, as I look back upon it now, though alone, 
 and surrounded with ice and snow there was no fear, 
 hesitation or doubt; there was a secret voice in my 
 h^art that always answered, go, all is well; and my 
 trusty animal seemed to have the same spirit ready to 
 plunge into the cold stream, and flounder through the 
 snow drifts, in fact, to follow wherever I would lead. 
 
 Notwithstanding, the 22nd of February was a cold, 
 blustery day, the city was all astir with martial pomp, 
 and all a-flutter with banners and flags, celebrating 
 Washington's birthday; the big guns on the wharf 
 bellowed, out their hollow boom over the water, and 
 si:ormy drums shook the freezing air, and from gray- 
 headed sires to almost babes and sucklings were utter- 
 ing shouts of glad acclaim. All this soon ceased to bo 
 
94 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 interesting; there was another and higher attractiou. 
 further on, and at 10 A. M. the journey westward was 
 resumed ; two days' travel along the line pike road now 
 finished, took me to Richmond, Ind., and one more day 
 back to my Spiceland home with Uncle William and 
 Rebecca Unthank and their children. 
 
 Here one cvcle of events was completed, and was 
 on the eve of another, the events in which were as un- 
 known as those of the past had been, but still that 
 silent voice was whispering go. 
 
 I know not what the future hath, 
 
 Of marvel or surprise, 
 Assured above that life and death 
 
 His mercy underlies. 
 
 A week's re^st and again the journey was resumed. 
 The roads were so muddv that it was slow traveling; 
 the National road was so bad that I avoided it by going 
 aside and traveling more private and parallel roads. 
 Twenty miles was a hard day's travel, over pole 
 bridges, log causeways and lx)ttomless mud slashes. 
 The thaw-out was on hand, and in those days it took 
 a strong attraction to pull through the nearly impos- 
 sible country roads. One thing this generation cannot 
 understand about the travel fifty yeai*s ago; the roads 
 were cut out through the dense forest of large trees 
 and were full of stumps in many places, three to five 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 95 
 
 feet in diameter; it was impossible to every time go 
 around them; with a one-horse wagon, the horse had 
 to go over the stump, or one set of wheels go over it, 
 so it made driving a constant succession of ups and 
 do^vns, and sometimes a turn-over, but is was a part ot 
 every day life, and had to be met and overcome. 
 
 About the 20th of March I arrived at Uncle 
 Joseph Hill's safe and sound, but tired of mud, rain, 
 and snow; and at once began looking after the practical 
 side of life, by renting Uncle Joseph's farm and going 
 to work. Here came in my first trial and perplexity; 
 Hoosier farming was very different from Carolina; 
 the climate, soil, season and way of cultivating was all 
 different, and people had to bestir themselves when 
 spring came; there was no winter plowing; after the 
 ground thawed out and settled, the plow had to go 
 every hour of daylight to prepare the ground, and then 
 to cultivate the crop till harvest came. Then every 
 hour was necessary to secure the grain and grass; '*ri 
 many places the stumj^s were so thick the wheat was 
 still cut with the reap hook, and hired help was hard 
 to get, so nearly all were cropping in the summer 
 time. All this was before me and made me a little 
 nervous as to how I might succeed, and still more per- 
 plexed as to what people would say. 
 
 On the 25th day of June, Emily Hadley and 1 
 were married at Bl(X)mfield, Parke County, India naj 
 
96 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 after the order of the Society of Friends, now Friends 
 Church. Of course it was a wonderful event in our 
 lives, but verv' much like other similar events before 
 and since. We saw and began life from the practical 
 side; next day after the marriage I did a good day's 
 plowing, and the second day after my wife walked 
 over with me to Joseph Hill's, and from that day we 
 were one. 
 
 I fully realized my situation, and was keenly 
 alive and sensitive to what might be said. My wife 
 had elected to marry a poor Carolina boy instead of 
 wealthy suitors, and for me to fail was more than T 
 could bear to think of. One former suitor had said of 
 her, ''She has married a pcK)r Carolinian, and will 
 have to dance in the hog trrtugh the rest of her days." 
 T said to her when I heard it Iwould make a living 
 for her, or shorten my days at hard work. 
 
 My farming was a success that year, and that 
 winter I taught school again. The next year my 
 farming was again a success, but I wanted a home of 
 my own, but I was not able to buy land in that pari: 
 of the country. The wonderful Wabash and Lak.,' 
 Erie canal was being built from Toledo to Evansville 
 on the Ohio River, which, when completed, would 
 be one of the longest in the world : land on the line of 
 its construction increased in value very fast. Water 
 navigation was the idea of national prosperity at that 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 97 
 
 time, railroads as yet being in tlie background and in 
 the experimental staire. With a sad heart I had to 
 turn away from this future great improvement and 
 home market, to seek a home where land was cheap. 
 It was 40 miles east to the land my mother had en- 
 tered in 1833, and it was considered 40 miles from 
 market. She gave me privilege to (x^cupy and culti- 
 vate as my own, but that would not be mine; but Iwenr, 
 to see it and found an 80-acre lot alongside for sale for 
 $537.50; this I bought and rented the cabin and a 
 small piece of land on it for the season. This event 
 seemed to give us new energy and new life ; we had 
 something to work for; a spot of earth we could call 
 ours; a home. 
 
 On January 27, 1847, a son was born to us, and 
 like other parents we thought it a precious gift from 
 the Lord, and naturally began to dream of its future, 
 but alas! on the 12th of May succeeding it was taken 
 from us, which cast a cloud over our lives, and made 
 a shadow fall over our prospective home. 
 
 On the 2nd day of February, 1848, we arrive4 on 
 our land* after two days' hard travel through mud and 
 ice, and started the first fire at home. The cabin 
 was 20x22 feet, with regTilar cabin roof, made of 
 boards four feet long and held in place by heavy poles ; 
 the fioor was rough boards fastened down with wooden 
 pins, and the chimney was ''stick and clay'' with a 
 
^^8 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 fire-place six feet wide, with back built up with stones 
 three feet. We had no stove, for they were costly at 
 that day ; we had an outfit of skillets, ovens, pots, a tin 
 reflector, and a long-handled frying-pan, etc., etc., and 
 I soon rigged up a wooden crane to swing the pots 
 over the fire, for the boiling vas done in the pots, and 
 the baking done over coals on the hearth. There was 
 room for two beds in the back end ; for kitchen, parlor 
 and bed-room were all one; the table w^as made of 
 rough boards, the result of my own skill ; the cupboard, 
 of same material, w^as fastened on pins driven in the 
 wall. There was but one door and no window, but 
 another door and a small window was soon added; and 
 we were happy and thankful for all our surroundings. 
 In a few weeks sugar-making began ; there was a 
 fine sugar orchard of 400 trees, large and thrifty ; this 
 we opened, and w^ere busy with the work for three 
 weeks w^hen the season closed ; we made an abundance 
 of sugar and molasses for home use and some for mar- 
 ket. When I look back to what was before us the 
 spring of 1848, the wonder is that we w^ere not dis- 
 couraged and filled with despair; the fields that were 
 enclosed were thickly set with dead trees; many had 
 fallen during the winter; plowing could not begin until 
 much hard w^ork was done in rolling and burning logs ; 
 fences needed repairing, and worst of all we did not 
 have money to hire help, but we were young and hope- 
 
OF ADDiSON COFFIN. 99 
 
 ful, full of determination, and did not know what the 
 future might bring. We worked early and late, 
 studied, planned and prayed for patience, strength and 
 health, and did not lose a day, and as things began to 
 put on a home-like' look, and the crops grew and har- 
 vest came and rewarded our efforts; we were happy 
 in our simple, homely home, and gladness filled our 
 hearts. 
 
 The year 1849 was unusually dry and crops were 
 short, and we were rather straitened in making pay- 
 ments, but the county surveyor took sick and could 
 not work, and I took his place for three months, for 
 which service I received $44.00, quite an item in our 
 present condition; this surveying proved an advantage 
 to me in after years. It was a time of violent political 
 agitation; the Abolitionists were becoming a fixed 
 quantity in politics, and the pro-slavery elements were 
 hostile and abusive. Most of my surveying was laying 
 out and locating public roads in which all had an in- 
 terest, thus I was brought in contact with all classes, 
 and I never failed to defend abolitionism; and never 
 did my knowledge of the Bible and history stand me 
 more in hand, and I could out talk any opposition, and 
 make the old pioneers believe I was very wise and 
 learned, beside my knowledge of surveying was a sur- 
 prise to them. Many times I would amuse a large 
 company of them by marking on the ground, showing 
 
100 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 how to measure by triangulation both in height and 
 distance, and more than one boy caught the inspiration 
 to become a surveyor, and in time succeeded. This 
 contact with pro-slavery class had the effect to lessen 
 their violence toward me and my cause. I shourld 
 have stated that in September, 1848, another son, who 
 still lives, was born to us, which, in part, filled the 
 blank that was caused by the death of our first-born. 
 
 It may not be out of place to relate a very amus- 
 ing event that (x^curred in my surveying days, which 
 ^ives an insight into those pioneer times. In the 
 north corner of the county (Hendricks) there was a 
 new section being settled, and a road was wanted 
 through that part. There was a sturdy, old Ken- 
 tuckian who was clearing a field in the dense fore.-:i, 
 and had killed many large rattle-snakes, which were 
 dangerously abundant; he had killed a very large one 
 with sixteen rattles and a button; it being unusually 
 large he did not burn it as was his wont, but left it 
 lying where killed. A dandy lawyer, an old a'> 
 quaintance, from Kentucky, had come on a visit to the 
 "backwoods" and came out where the snake lay, he 
 was riding a fine horse, and was equipped with kid 
 gloves, spurs and riding whip. Seeing the rattles on 
 the dead snake (its head was cut off), he alighted, drev/ 
 off one of his gloves and with a stylish pocket knife 
 proceeded to cut off the rattles ; he squatted down, toolc 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 101 
 
 the rattles in his gloved fingers, then applied the knife ; 
 as soon as the knife entered the flesh, the snake strnck 
 back as if to bite and hit the dandy on his naked hand 
 with unerring precision with the bloody stub of its 
 neck, then writhed convulsively at the man's feet. He 
 wdth one mid shriek bounded into the air, then fell 
 backward in a dead swoon. He had to be carried to 
 the cabin, and it was some hours before he regained 
 consciousness, and three weeks before he was able to 
 start home;, and a year before he fully recovered from 
 the shock. He never returned to Indiana; he had no 
 use for a country where snakes with heads cut off 
 could still bite. Those large rattle-snakes are very ten- 
 acious of life, like the snapping turtle, and ^vill writhe 
 and strike for several hours after apparently killed. 
 The old pioneer above knew Avhat the Kentucky dandv 
 would get, but had not counted on the effect; his good 
 wife said she did not want any more such fun. 
 
 In 1849, my brother, Emory, who had married 
 a neighbor girl, Elmira H. Foster, moved to Indiana 
 and settled at Dunreith, which place he started when 
 the railroad was constructed. They came to see us 
 soon after, and thought it was rather a heavy under- 
 taking to make a living among the big trees, stumps 
 and brush; beside we were a half-way place between 
 Whitlick, in Morgan County, and Bloomfield, in Parke 
 County, and did more in feeding others than for our- 
 
 7 
 
102 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 selves. Many times we would cover our cabin floor 
 with beds for our friends to sleep, and if cold weather, 
 keep them and the house warm with a big log fire that 
 would burn all night. This was pioneer style, and 
 was quite enjoyable, though rather hard on beginner^, 
 and brother and wife protested against it; saying we 
 were doing more than our share, even though we did 
 it freely, and much of it was to traveling Friends. 
 
 With all our hard work and discouragement, the 
 Lord seemed to bless our efforts, and in 1850, we fiii- 
 islied paying for our home, and built a good log l>arn. 
 In spite of the violent pro-slavery spirit without, anrl 
 the negative opposition within the church, we held 
 our own by persistent agitation and discussion of the 
 alwlition subject. 
 
 But alas! we knew not v/hat was in store for r.s. 
 On the 2Cth of December, 1850, a third son was born, 
 and in 21 hours Emily showed signs of fever, which 
 increased in spite of medical skill, until the 2nd of 
 January, 1851, she passed away. 
 
 The shock and feeling of utter desolation that 
 overwhelmed me was such that it never wholly left 
 me; it seemed more than I w^as able to bear. Father 
 and mother Hadley arrived a few hours after she died. 
 Though she was fully resigned, and felt the glad as- 
 surance that she would receive the answer to her pray- 
 ers "Well done, good and faithful serv^ant, enter into 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 103 
 
 the joy of thy Lord," yet she had a strong desire to see 
 her mother before departing. When this was told her 
 mother it so touched her, that she never got over her 
 heart yearning to have heard her dying words. 
 
 Father and Mother Hadley kindly offered me a 
 home with them in my helplessness, so I rented my corn 
 ground for the season, and as soon as we could arranga 
 things returned to their home. During the summer 
 I made frequent trips to and from my home, for I 
 had a large wheat crop, for that time, and this I har- 
 vested and threshed. In the hot weather I preferred 
 traveling after night, and walked the distance twice 
 (40 miles) by moonlight, and enjoyed the solitude, as 
 I passed the silent homes by the way; but the longing 
 for my home became so strong, that in the fall I de- 
 termined to return to JS^orth Carolina for my mother 
 to come and live with me.' Some time in the begin- 
 ning of October, I started, going by rail from Amo to 
 Madison on the Ohio river, then by steamer to Ouy- 
 andot, Va. ; I then walked to Oharlestown, and took 
 the stage over the mountains which was covered with 
 snow, then on foot again to the old home in New Gar- 
 den, where all were taken by surprise, as I had not 
 notified them of my intent. 
 
 My mother at first declined to come away from the 
 grave of my father, for she wanted to be buried by 
 him; but she kindly consented on my pi-omising to 
 
104 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 take her back for burial when she died. When this 
 promise was made a A^oice in my heart said I would 
 live to do it. I remained through the winter, and 
 made arrangements for the return; in the meantime 
 my two nieces, Mary E. and Miriam A. Henly wanted 
 to come with their grandmother, also two cousins, 
 Esther J. and Phineas Coffin, and a half grown negro 
 boy; this was loading u:i rather heavily, but I bought 
 two old, cheap, blind horses and a light wagon, and 
 about the first of April, 1852, started on another over- 
 land trip to Indiana. 
 
 We presented a novel sight; our team was not 
 very showy, the wagon was full of provisions, trunks, 
 bales and bundles; the young folks were full of life 
 and fun, they had never been far from home, and had 
 not seen mountains, or large rivers, consequently, 
 were full of wonder and delight. All walked except 
 mother, and even she did quite often. I walked be- 
 side the horses all the time. Around the camp fire 
 at night there was life, fun, and story telling. The 
 tent was set with open end to the fire, mother and the 
 girls slept in it, while Sam, the negro boy, rolled in 
 his blanket, lay across the opening at their feet as 
 watchman. Phineas and I slept in th^e wagon, and 1 
 kept the horses eating all night when they wished 
 more food. Though things all moved on like clock- 
 work, it was rather an anxious time with mother, for 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 105 
 
 had anytliing befallen me, my company would have 
 been in rather bad shape among the mountains. 
 
 Many times the fording of rivers, and large 
 creeks was amusing and full of excitement, there was 
 not room for all in the wagon, so mother, one girl, and 
 Sam would go first in the wagon, then Sam would un- 
 hitch the horses, and bring them back, then the rest 
 would go, two on a horse; this was the amusing part; 
 the horses being blind, would stumble and flounder 
 about, if not guided well, and there would be shoutine; 
 and boisterous meiTiment, but all finally crossed over 
 dry. 
 
 When we arrived at Maiden, twelve miles abovo 
 Ckarlestown, on the Kanawha river, we took steamer, 
 and landed at Madison, Indiana. Thence we made 
 for my, home, arriving there about the 5th of May, 
 sound and well, the two old horses the better for their 
 feeding. It was a surprise to all that we had made 
 the trip without mishap or loss. 
 
 Phineas Coflin went to a cousin fifteen miles 
 away, and learned to be a locomotive engineer, with 
 Sam for fireman. Poor Sam was killed in a wreck, 
 Phineas quit the business, and finally fell at the Battle 
 of Stone River while fighting in the Union army. 
 Esther J. Coffin married Dr. W. F. Harvey, and is 
 still li\dng. Mary E. Henly married and settled in 
 Grant County, Ind., and is still living,. Miriam A^ 
 
106 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 Henlj married and is now living in Denver, Colorado. 
 All have grandchildren to whom is told the stoiy of 
 the wonderful trip from North Carolina. 
 
 A week was spent in planting a garden, and in 
 making other aTrajigements for beginning again, then 
 I went to father Hadley's and brought my children, 
 and the new home life moved on with the routine of 
 labor and care. I now had quite a family to look af- 
 ter, and my mother often said that surely there must 
 be something in the old Albanoid superstition, or sign, 
 at my birth, that I was to "Overcome-Triumph" or I 
 could not so cheerfully take such responsibilities, as 
 the looking after so dependent a company as we were 
 then; but we worked on, mother was the central regu- 
 lator, the girls went out with me into all kinds of work 
 to which their strength was adapted. I had several 
 young horses with which they amused themselves, in 
 training them to be ridden, and they soon learned to 
 drive a team, and took great delight in it. This saved 
 me much time, and more was done during that season 
 than if there had been a hired man. The spring of 
 1853 was a good sugar year; the girls entered into the 
 spirit of the work, and we did a goo<^l thing in the busi- 
 ness; besides the abundant family supply, sold over i 
 barrel of molasses at one dollar per gallon. 
 
 But there was a dark day ahead for us that came 
 net with crushing but heavy weight. My brother. 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 107 
 
 Alfred, had expected to move to Indiana in the near 
 future, but suddenly had to flee for his life from the 
 slave power. A companion of his early youth, a play- 
 mate of his boyhood days, betrayed him as to the Un- 
 derground Railroad business, and nothing but his cool 
 courage saved his life — with the loss of all his prop- 
 erty, he reached my home with his wife and two little 
 children — cast down, overwhelmed, but not crushed 
 nor wholly discouraged. Few can imagine our feel- 
 ings when we all met around the table the first time 
 after their arrival. The question came to our hearts 
 as a dark temptation. Had the Lord forsaken us? 
 Had we been following a false guide all these years? 
 Had we been risking life, limb, honor, yea, and our 
 very souls for an empty ideality ? Mother arose above 
 it all and assured us that it was nothing but a passing 
 cloud, and there would be sunshine beyond, yet we had 
 still deeper proving. In a short time brother's wife, 
 Mary Elizabeth, took sick, then their two little chil- 
 dren, with a dangerous flux that was in the country, 
 then my two children were taken, and we had five- 
 bad cases of sickness in a small house. It was but a 
 few days until my youngest child died, and 
 the others seemed sinking rapidly. Brother's 
 wife also grew worse and it, indeed, seemed 
 like we were having more than we could bear; 
 when we were alreadv at the point of breaking down. 
 
108 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 with overwork, anxiety and sorrow. Suddenly all 
 began to slowly recover, and in a few weeks we sat in 
 our little house with glad hearts and returning 
 strength and courage. We now made common cause 
 and resolved to live; there were several acres of dead 
 ened timber ready to clear up, that would yield boun- 
 tiful crops; after harvest was over we went into the 
 deadening, and by taking advantage of dry weather, 
 and steady hard work, soon surj)rised ourselves with 
 what we did. Many times for a week we would work 
 till 10 P. M., and then be out by daylight, for all the 
 feeding was done after night and before day. The 
 hai-d work that claimed our attention was not all at 
 home, for the political elements were stormy around 
 us. The old Whig party had been defeated and killed 
 for all time at the presidential election of 1852, and 
 the Freesoil Wilmot proviso movement was every- 
 where growing rapidly; the haughty, insolent boast 
 of the slave power, that they would carry slavery into 
 all the territories was arousing the freemen of the 
 north, and the "irrepressible conflict" was approach- 
 ing a crisis. Brother and I were not silent listeners 
 and lookers on, but were active, earnest workei*s, and 
 were expected to lead in the new awakening public 
 opinion. So with hard work and stirring political 
 surroundings, there was little idle time in the house- 
 hold. 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 109 
 
 I had beg-uii building a new house, and brother 
 and I did mucli of the work by candle light, dressing 
 and matching plank, making doors and windows, lay- 
 ing floor, lathing, etc., often working to a late hour; 
 this we did while keeping the crop and field work go- 
 ing. It seemed absolutely necessary for us to be at 
 the top of our speed all the time to keep from brooding- 
 over brother's wrong, as well as to start him up again 
 in independent support. 
 
 When the new house was finished, it was thought 
 best in mother's judgment that we should separate 
 and make two families. Brother remained in the 
 cabin, mother, I and the children went into the new 
 house, but work did not cease, though in two fami- 
 lies we were still one in purpose. 
 
 To keep up the record of events, it will be in or- 
 der to say that on the 13th of May, 1854, Ruth Hadley 
 and I were married according to the order of Friends^ 
 Church at Millcreek, Hendricks County, Ind. She- 
 was cousin to father-in-law, Alfred Hadley, daugh- 
 ter of Joshua and Rebecca Hadley. 
 
 There had been a friendship between the two 
 families since 1836, especially between her brother, 
 Job, and me, who with his wife, Tracy Hadley, were 
 among the first to come to my help when my wife died. 
 Ruth Hadley was a school teacher of nine years' ex- 
 perience, and was nOt afraid to marry an abolitionist. 
 
110 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 This j^ear, 1854, was one of the years that marked 
 the beginning of a great revolntion, that has changed 
 the moral sentiment of the whole civilized world. 
 
 It will be remembered that on the 22nd da}' of 
 January, 1852, Salmon P. Chase, Charles Sumner, 
 senators; and Joshua E. Giddings, Edward Wade, 
 Gerrit Smith and Alexander DeWitt, representatives 
 in congTess, issued an appeal to the people of the 
 United States, warning them of the intention of the 
 slave power to repeal the Missouri compromise, and 
 the extension of slavery into all the territories. Then 
 began the '^'Irrepressible Conflict" in renewed intens- 
 ity with dark threatenings and vindictive insolence on 
 the part of the slave power. 
 
 The Missouri compromise was repealed in 1851. 
 On the 20th of June all the above named men to- 
 gether with all the anti-slavery men in congress met 
 in Washington, and sent forth another appeal to the 
 people of the United States. The appeal was signed 
 by Solomon Foot, as chairman, and David Mace and 
 Reuben E. Fenton as secretaries. All parties op 
 posed to slavery regardless of party names and partv 
 preferences were called on to unite against the com- 
 mon enemy. This appeal ran like lightning through 
 all the northern states and territories, and the whole 
 land was in a ferment of excitement, indignation anr! 
 stern resolve; the sound of the fiT-st gun in the civil war 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. Ill 
 
 did not produce half the excitement. At last the peo- 
 ple were fully aroused to their danger, and the per- 
 fidy of the slave power. 
 
 The lirst response to this appeal came from Mich- 
 igan. The abolitionists of that state met on the 6th 
 of July at Jackson to discuss the situation. The sub- 
 ject of forming a National pai-ty with a platform on 
 which all people opposed to slavery could unite, was 
 discussed at length and finally adopted; then the name 
 of the party was discussed. ''Free Soil," "Free Dem- 
 ocrat," "Freemen's Partv," ''Anti-slavery," and some 
 others were proposed, but during the discussion John 
 P. Hale sent a dispatch suggesting the name "Repub- 
 lican," which was adopted unanimously, and then and 
 there the great political revolution began. The 
 watch-word was free speech, free soil, free labor, and 
 free men, and the motto. "A union with all men for 
 the sake of liberty." The platform adopted was the 
 same as that of the freesoilers during the AVilmot pro- 
 viso conflict, that resulted in the compromise of 1850, 
 wnth the new issue of the repeal of the Missouri 
 compromise and the extension of slavery. 
 
 In five days the whole state of Michigan was 
 ablaze with political excitement and never abated un- 
 til the last gun of the rebellion was fired. Indiana 
 was next in line. On July 13th a mass meeting was 
 held at Indianapolis, at which the name "Republi- 
 
112 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 can'' was adopted bv acclamation, and the Michigan 
 platform was adopted with a few local additions, and 
 Indiana was ablaze with excitement. The pro-slaver}' 
 Whigs joined the Democrats. The anti-slavery Dem- 
 ocrats joined the Republicans, and the w^hole political 
 elements were in violent motion, and in some locali- 
 ties there was danger of an outbreak. The abolition- 
 ists who had suffered insult, abuse, mob violence, 
 brickbats and rotten eggs, were ready to retaliate with 
 interest; but evei-y where wiser counsel prevailed. In 
 a few weeks eleven northern states had come into line, 
 and the revolution was complete and gave its last tri- 
 umphant shout of victory at the fall of the rebellion 
 at Appomattox in 1865. 
 
 There is a disgusting as well as an amusing phase 
 of humanity in recalling the stirring time from 181:8 
 to 1865. Men who from 1844 to 1860 could not 
 think of words vile and profane enough to express 
 their opinions of abolitionists, when the Republican 
 party became popular, suppressed the rebellion, freed 
 the slaves, reconstructed the south, etc., began to use 
 the term 'Sve" in all their jjolitical talk. "We" formed 
 the Republican party, "we'' suppressed the rebellion. 
 "We" did thus and so and all such talk, but in many 
 cases my memory retained many of their old time vilo 
 expressions, and even up to date I am cruel enough to 
 make them turn red in the face with confusion and 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 113 
 
 shame by calling to mind what 'Sve" did do and say; nor 
 were such characters confined to these old pro-slavery 
 days, the land is full of them to-day, and "we" are still 
 among the leading drones and dead weights in the 
 community. Alack ! for humanity with all its frailty. 
 This same Eepublican party that 1 helped form and 
 support, which has done so much good, has degen- 
 erated into a saloon, whiskey party, like the Whigs 
 pandered to slavery. 
 
 At this time central Indiana had advanced won- 
 derfully in improvements, farms were opened, the 
 dead trees and stumps were gone; nice, comfortable 
 homes were built and as a greater sign of success and 
 permanent gain, a multitude of large barns were being 
 built every season; sometimes fifty men and boys 
 would be at a barn raising, and there was no better 
 place to learn the political opinions of the people; 
 often two men would begin discussing the situation 
 and someone would cry out "hold up," meaning stop 
 work; "let's have a five minutes' speech," and all hands 
 would listen to the talk for ten, fifteen, or twenty 
 minutes, then the work would go on again, and it was 
 surprising how much reading and thinking were done 
 among the great mass of pioneers. The young people 
 discussed the slavery subject at their literary and de- 
 bating associations. Neighbors would meet neighbor 
 on the way and exchange opinions, not so mu^*h in 
 
114 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 angiy partisan discussion, but in earnest anxiety to 
 know what to do under the surrounding condition?. 
 The little dry weather-beaten mail sacks carried by the 
 postman across the country had to be oiled up and be- 
 gan to look like wool sacks with the increase of mail 
 matter. Men in some cases read more in one year 
 than they had read in half a life-time before, and no 
 one w^as astonished at the vote given for Freemont, the 
 first Republican candidate for president in 1856. 
 
 Amid all this intense excitement I could not be 
 idle; home life had its necessities that called for un 
 remitting exertion, and in the new political activity I 
 was naturally thrown forward to do nmch of the hard 
 work in talking at all the local contests. Everywhere 
 and at all times I had caiise to be thankful that I had 
 read the Bil le through when a boy,- and then had fol- 
 lowed uj) by reading history connected with Bible 
 events; this gave me an advantage over men far su- 
 perior in education and natural ability. I had a small 
 pocket Bible that became a terror to local politicians^, 
 and many a by-stander would go home and for the first 
 time set himself to reading the Bible, after listening 
 to a Bible argument against slavery. 
 
 So time went on with no relaxation from labor, 
 or abatement of political excitement. The campaio^n 
 of 1856, with, all its hurras and mass meetings, swear- 
 ing, drinking, betting and monomania, the distort- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 115 
 
 ed and exaggerated rumors of what the slave power 
 was conspiring to do, kept things at white heat; the 
 result of the presidential election of 1856 seemed to 
 give assurance of victory in 1860, which added to the 
 intensity of expectancy in coming events. 
 
 On June l'3th, 1856, a son was bom to us, whom 
 we named Job, after Job Hadley, and my favorit ; 
 Uncle, Job (tiffin. P]mily''s children were U'anKuI 
 Vestal, Trenmor and Miltoji. Vestal and Milton 
 died. Trenmor now lives at Carson City, Nevada, 
 an attorney-at-law and banker and is doing well. 
 
 During the time between 1856 and 1860, there 
 was great unrest in every part of social, political, re- 
 ligious and domestic life. Xew thoughts seemed to 
 suddenly come into the minds of every one. The agi- 
 tation of the slavery question had opened out new 
 channels of thought, and new powers of thinking, the 
 invention of labor-saving machinery was also trans- 
 forming every department of productive industry, 
 and especially home life. The spinning and weaving 
 of home-made cloth went out of use and the sewing 
 machine came in. The mowing and reaping machine 
 lessened by one-half the farm labor, the housewife wa5. 
 released from half her toil, the men and boys rloing 
 much that she and the girls formerly did. The 
 farmer with the same labor doubled his yearly prod- 
 ucts, and all had time to think; and the thinking was 
 
116 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 forming into questions. Why are all things as we 
 find them? Is there not a better way? Hov,- much 
 of our faith and belief is traditional, and not founded 
 on principles of justice and judgment? In the 
 churches the question was being asked, How much i? 
 the tradition of the elders, and how much is from the 
 Bible in our religion, belief and usage ? Everywhere, 
 in every channel of thought, active minds were ex- 
 ploring the surroundings. Especially was woman- 
 hood beginning to ask the question: ^'Why such a dif- 
 ference between man and wife, between son and 
 daughter before the civil law ? Why is woman looked 
 upon as inferior in all church matters ? Why pay ^\ o- 
 men less wages than men for the same amouni of 
 work?" 
 
 In the midst of all this cA^olution and revolution, 
 I was still working on the farm up to the limit of my 
 strength, and was slowly gaining headway ; every year 
 more land was cleared, the timber land sowed in grass 
 adding to the pasture land. One favorite business 
 was raising horses, and in time I had several young 
 horses for sale each spring, and made more money at 
 the business than any other. Connected with this 
 horse business was a very amusing pastime, especialh 
 for the neighbor boys, that of trainingcolts to be ridden, 
 and gaited for travel. Being an expert imm youth in 
 this art, it was mv custom to set an afternoon and in- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 117 
 
 vite the boys to join in the exciting scene; and it can 
 be said that we never failed in mastering by stratagem 
 the wildest colts known. My plan was the more dan- 
 gerous, but most sure; I always rode the wild colts with- 
 out bridle, or halter, and had an enclosure from which 
 they could not escape, by power of endurance, and 
 agility let them completely exhaust themselves in try- 
 ing to escape, or shake me off, and in time the boys 
 caught the knack, and the result was that my colts always 
 sold at a good price. In fifteen years I had sold a colt 
 to every boy for miles around for when they wanted 
 a horse to make a beginning, for as yet buggy and 
 pleasure carriages were not in use, all people trav- 
 eled on hoi-seback when going to church and on gala 
 days and on journeys, traveling horses were in demand 
 and sure sale. 
 
 Again a cloud fell on the household. On June 
 27 th, 1858, our little son. Job, passed away aged two 
 years. This was peculiarly trying to my wife, being- 
 her first born, and a child of unusual promise, and we 
 had begun to hope for a life of usefulness. My son 
 Trenmor had become strongly attached to his little 
 brother, and talked much of what they would do when 
 they were men. The loss of this brother had a 
 marked effect upon his young mind, which he did nor 
 forget, and it seemed to prove one of the way mark 
 of his life, 
 
118 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 My brother had resumed the practice of medi- 
 cine, and was making a success in business, was brave 
 and strong again, and entered into all the excitement 
 of everything pertaining to the slave power. Brother 
 Emory had settled into successful business at Dun- 
 reith, Ind., and was more quiet and mild in all his 
 w^ays. We had also taJ^en a little niece into our fam- 
 ily, who became as our own child, Euth Woodward, 
 daughter of my wife's sister, Susannah Smith, who was 
 married the second time to William Smith. 
 
 In 1857, Western Yearly Meeting of Friends 
 Church. was established at Plainfield, twelve miles 
 from my home. It was set off from Indiana Yearly 
 Meeting held at Richmond, Ind., and was a very large 
 meeting from the beg-inning. Father Alfred Had- 
 ley was one of the committee in charge of the locating 
 and building a meeting house, and he always stopped 
 with us going and coming from Plainfield, while the 
 house was being built; a neighbor, Dr. James Kersey, 
 was also one of the building committee, so I was toler- 
 ably well informed of what was the mind of the active 
 leaders of that day in the church, or ''The Religious 
 Society of Friends" as then called, and the name un- 
 der which the Yearly Meeting was incorporated. 
 
 At that time the standard of wealthwaslow,whf*n 
 comy)ared with the present standard; millionaires were 
 almost unknown. A man worth $100,000 was the 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 119 
 
 highest standard of weahh; so the })ropositic)n to build 
 a $12,000 meeting house seemed wonderful, and was 
 discussed long and earnestly before it was approved; 
 then it became a point of honor, and a spirit of enthus- 
 iasm took possession of the members to build the 
 grand, costly church. 
 
 I entered warmly into the building spirit, and 
 imagined, in advance, how nice it w^ould be to sit in 
 the congregation^, in so grand a house, yet not once 
 dreaming what w^ould be. my relation to that congre- 
 gation in a few brief years. The first Yearly Meet- 
 ing held was a sensational event in the community, 
 and, was the largest religious meeting ever held in cen- 
 tral Indiana; on the first Sabbath of its sessions there 
 were 10,000 or more people in attendance, and up to 
 the present time Quaker Yearly Meeting is a fixed 
 thing in the calendar, and used as a mark of current 
 events as occurring before or after, and year by year 
 its influence for good has slowly become a power of no 
 small moral and political interest. Its decisions on 
 temperance, peace, social, educational, and economi- 
 <'al questions has a deciding influence far and near. 
 
 The establishing of Western Yearly Meeting, and 
 the constantly intensifying agitation of the slavery 
 subject, made the life current run at almost fever 
 heat, the national awakening was something I had de- 
 spaired of seeing, but the hope that slavery could be 
 
120 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 checked, then restrained and finally abolished in my 
 day was so exciting to my excitable hopes that it is a 
 wonder I was capable of carrying on my regular busi- 
 ness. But for my wife's superior judgment and busi- 
 ness ability I would have failed ; but I was in the prime 
 of life and my early training had prepared me to meet 
 what it seemed the Lord intended T should pas4 
 through; nor did I have time to think of what migbt 
 come, the present was so full of work that it required 
 undivided attention. At this period events crowded 
 upon me so fast that they will have to lye taken sep-, 
 iirately though contemporary. 
 
 In the early spring of 1860 T met my intimate- 
 friend, Dr. Mark D. Stoneman, who was intensely 
 alive to all the surroundings, and a foreseer of coming 
 events. Among his first exclamations was th'ri, "We 
 are riglit at the beginning of a furious civil war, I 
 feel it in every bone and fiber of body, heart and mind. 
 Let it come, I am ready, this generation will see the 
 end of slavery, thank God." Of course his enthus- 
 iasm awakened a sympathetic cord in my heart, and 
 we prophesied until our reason called a halt, and we 
 came to more sol>er things. 
 
 The wonderful presidential campaign of I860 
 has gone into history as one of the most intensely vio- 
 lent of all our history, and resulted in the most fearful 
 consequences of anything the world had seen for cen- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 121 
 
 turies. Before it was over I found tliat T could not 
 endorse the spirit of \aolence, crimination, recrimina- 
 tion, threats of vielence and blood and destruction that 
 were heard on evers' side, especially among the pro- 
 slavery party. Before the day of election came it 
 seemed to be a settled conviction that the slave power 
 would fight if they lost the election, and the voice of 
 the Republican party seemed ^Tight if you dare," and 
 when the first gun was fired there was a secret thrill 
 oi joy in the hearts of thousands who longed for an 
 opportunity to avenge the insults received in the past 
 from slave holders, and the slave power, and to this 
 spirit belong many of the wanton acts of destruction 
 of property in the slave states. 
 
 When the war was really upon us with all il 
 meant, and all that it ultimately WDuld bring about, 
 the destruction of slavery, my neighlK)rs and the com- 
 mimity were astonished to find me not only holding- 
 back in the wild storm of patriotic indignation and 
 cry of vengeance against the rebels, but actively op- 
 jx)sing the war spirit, attributing it to pure love of op- 
 •position, they resorted to threats of perscaial violence 
 against me, and at one time an effort was made to or- 
 ganize a mob. That I should oppose a war that would 
 end slavery, against which T had been fighting all my 
 life, was more than some people were willing to tol- 
 erate. They could not understand that I looked upon 
 
122 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 all war as legalized murder, and that Christians could 
 not approve, or support it. At one time there was a 
 call for voluntary contributions to relieve the suffering 
 of the soldiers in the army. The call was very popular 
 and was universally responded to by all classes except- 
 ing Job Hadley and myself, we decisively refused t<) 
 contribute one cent in any form, or under any pre- 
 tense. We were tried on the plea that it would be 
 applied to assist the sick and wounded in the hospitals, 
 etc., but all to no purpose, we were conscientious 
 against all and every form of war. 
 
 At one time the county commissioners levied a tax 
 to pay bounties to men who volunteered in the armv ; 
 this tax we also refused to pay, and it was not collected . 
 Another form of contributing was for the support of 
 the wives and children of the men in the army, and 
 especially for the widows of those who lost their lives 
 in the seiwice. All this we refused to pay, and we 
 found ourselves antagonizing the opinions, and in 
 some cases, incurring the hatred of many in the com- 
 munity. We felt this keenly, but the Lord was with 
 us in the midst of all our trial of faith, but as the war 
 went on, and the very life of the nation seemed at 
 stake, we found that we must adhere unflinchingly to 
 our convictions of duty. 
 
 There was one thing we found to do, and we did it 
 faithfully without once thinking of l>eing credited for 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 123 
 
 it. There were luaiiy poor widows and orphans not 
 connected with the war, and in the intense excitement 
 over military movements in the terrible conflict, thib 
 class of the poor were entirely overlooked, and were 
 suffering. To them we gave the haiidof help, and their 
 heartfelt thanks more than repaid us. At the close oi 
 the war, when the comnumity again settled down to 
 real life, and accounts were cast up it was found that 
 Job Hadley and I had done more in charity than any 
 of the others, and we felt happier in having done so 
 than they seemed to feel. 
 
 Though not active in promoting and sustaining 
 the war, I was not idle, nor wholly disconnected with 
 it; many times I assisted parents in finding where their 
 sons were stationed in the army, or where they had 
 fallen; or in counseling how to get the remains 
 brought home for burial, etc. Sometimes a more 
 serious matter would come to light. Some poor boy, 
 homesick and tired of the hardships and horrors of 
 war, would come to me for help and advice, for it was 
 impossible for him to remain long concealed, and the 
 penalty for desertion was severe. Here was a trial of 
 human sympathy. They who aided, or concealed de- 
 serters w^ere alike guilty and had to suffer, but my ex- 
 perience in underground railroad came to my help, 
 and in every case the boy was saved from punishment, 
 
124 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 and the odium of being a deserter, and served out Lis 
 time. 
 
 As war develops all the darker and stormier pas- 
 sions of the human heart, so it was in our civil war, 
 every fojm of sin, vice and crime became active and 
 aggressive, one of which was ^ ^bounty jumping." Au 
 unprincipled man Avould enlist in the army, draw the 
 bounty, often $400, then desert, go to another place, 
 enlist again, draw the bounty and desert; this got to be 
 so intolerable that many were shot. One time I was 
 at Indianapolis assisting in getting a boy released, who 
 was drafted into the army; while there two ugly look- 
 ing boimty jumpers were brought in under arrest for 
 the crime ; they stoutly denied being deserters^ or hav- 
 ing any money, and demanded a fair trial. I was 
 standing not far away; the provost marshal called mo 
 to come and see the fellows examined. Their coats 
 were first inspected closely, then their vests, then they 
 were required to strip off their pants, but still no 
 money was found; then their underclothes, but the 
 closest search found no money, but at last the provost 
 marshal ordered their dirty socks to be taken off, th(3 
 guard thrust his hand rather reluctantly into one cf 
 them, but instantly his eyes brightenetl and when he 
 drew out his hand it was full of greenback money. 
 The money was handed over to the paymaster, and the 
 men taken to the guardhouse; there was a dark, re- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 125 
 
 vengeful look in their faces as they disappeared. 1 
 never knew their fate, but give this as one of the events 
 daily occurring at Indianapolis during the war. 
 
 During 1868-64 there was not a farmer in Hen- 
 dricks county whose parents or himself had emigrated 
 from the South, but had one or more deserters froip. 
 the Confederate army, or refugees from Southern 
 conscription: especially was this the case from North 
 Carolina and Tennessee, and they were of immen^^e 
 .benefit to the- country in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, for 
 they took the place of the men who had joined the 
 Union army; nor w^as the benefit all on one side, the 
 refugees received good wages, and when the war closed 
 were better off in money at least than if there had 
 been no war. 
 
 At one time a company of 400 Confederate pris- 
 oners were brought to Indianapolis from Louisiana. 
 They were all of French descent, and had been farm 
 laborers. They were not. rebels at heart, but were 
 conscripted into the Southern army. Learning the 
 wages farm hands received they wanted to w^ork. A 
 contract for cutting Avood was found, and they were 
 sent out under guard and did splendid work. In a 
 short time all the guards but one w^ould disperse to 
 have a good time. The prisoners needed no guard. 
 Tliey were doing so well they would not even escape. 
 Once wlien quitting time came the one guard was 
 
126 LIEE AND TRAVELS 
 
 drunk and lliey carried him in. Finally they were 
 suffered to hunt work anywhere, and only required 
 to report at stated times. At the close of the war 
 many of them settled in Indiana. These are incidents 
 that came up, showing the under current of life that 
 flowed on, while the war was raging in the South. 
 
 After a lingering sickness and great suffering 
 brother Alfred's wife, Mary Elizabeth C'offin, died 
 October 15, 1860, leaving him with his two little girls 
 in quite a helpless condition, so far as housekeeping 
 was concerned, but events soon changed the whole 
 situation. 
 
 The latter part of 1862 he was called into the 
 government service as. a physician, to take charge of 
 the refue-ee Indians in Southern Kansas. At the 
 breaking out of the rebellion a part of the Indians in 
 Indian territory remained loyal and were driven from 
 the territors' and took refuge in Kansas and claimed 
 and received government protection. Cousin William 
 G. Coffin w^as appointed superintendent of those 
 refugees, and he called brother to take charge of the 
 medical department. On Xew Year's day, 1863, he 
 started for his place of service, leaving his two chil- 
 dren with my wife, who was to have care of them; 
 this she did until they grew to womanhood. In tho 
 meantime my niece, Miriam A. Henley, married Wil- 
 liam . Thomas,, of. Wayne county, Ind., and they 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 127 
 
 moved into brotlicr's house, so as to cultivate the farm 
 while he was gone. 
 
 Finding his position in Southern Kansas a very 
 dangerous one, my brother returned home in June to 
 make a more satisfactory arrangement for business. 
 Brother Emory met him by appointment, intending 
 to go to Kansas with him, but in a few days brother 
 Alfred was taken with erysipelas, and was dangerously 
 ill, and it required all the care and skill possible to 
 save him. While he was yet feeble William Thomas 
 and brother Emory took the same disease in a mora 
 violent form. On the morning of July 4th William 
 Thomas died, and the same evening brother Emory 
 passed away. This was a trial to heart and strength. 
 We were all worn with waiting and watching, and 
 some of the neighbors were afraid of the disease, which 
 added to our trial. It was a dark time with us, but my 
 wife's undoubting faith and prayers kei^t us from fail- 
 ing. William Thomas was buried at Spring burial 
 ground nearby; brother Emory was taken home toDuu- 
 reith and buried at Spiceknd, Ind. As soon as able 
 Alfred returned to his post, and we were left with new 
 responsibilities and new soitows. Though (;are was 
 increased and the way seemed to darken before us, the 
 Lord gave us stmngth, an<l in the midst of that dark- 
 ness, there came to me a vision of hope and assurance 
 that reached beyond the present, on to the srmshinc 
 
128 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 beyond the war. jSTone beside my wife, mother and 
 Job Hadley were ready to hear and receive. We had 
 the faith, and time brought the sunshine and the end 
 was seen, but ere it came other stirring scenes crossed 
 our path that called the mind in part away from the 
 coming end. 
 
 To make coming events intelligent, it is necessary 
 to go l>ack to the situation in Indiana during the war; 
 as previously stated, there were many hundreds of 
 refugees and deserters from the Confederate army in 
 the StMe, those refugees had left families and friends 
 whom they wanted brought to Indiana. There ^vas 
 also an emancipated colored man near my home whose 
 wife and children had been slaves; now that they were 
 free he wanted them to come to him. This colored 
 mail and several refugees employed me to go to ^N'orth 
 Carolina and bring their folks out to them, and the 
 time to go was soon after the close of We-stern Yearly 
 Meeting. Now, when it was known I was going south, 
 there was much comment among many people, who 
 said the Lord in mercy was sending me away to die, 
 that my family might be spared from seeing the judg- 
 ment that was to strike me down. They little knew 
 what was in my heart, and what the Lord had prom- 
 ised. 
 
 The trip was made, but I had much trouble with 
 the former owner of the slaves, who at first refused to 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 129 
 
 suffer them to be taken out of the State, for he in com- 
 mon with other slave-holders had a secret belief that 
 slavery would be restored, or they would get pay for 
 their slaves, but he was out generaled, and I returned 
 to Indiana with a company of fifty passengers, mostly 
 women and children. 
 
 This trip to North Carolina proved to be the l>e- 
 ginning of my new life work. 
 
 The winter of 1867-68 I made a trip to the Island 
 of Nantucket to see the home of my American an- 
 cestors on my father's side; the route traveled was by 
 Philadelphia,New York, sound steamer to Providence, 
 railroad to Boston and to Hienas, then by steamer to 
 the island. Groing out the trip was very pleasant, until 
 leaving the port of Hienas; from there it was very 
 rough, a heavy gale was blowing and it was (|uite cold. 
 On arriving I sought out relatives of my name, and was 
 kindly entertained, and si>ent two weeks looking at old 
 ancestral relics, examining the library, museum, the 
 Coffin college, the city schools, the old windmill on the 
 hill, and had a good social time with the people. 
 
 Keturning from the island, two days were spent 
 in Boston visiting the celebrated historic places in the 
 vicinity, then two days in New York viewing its spe- 
 cialties, and none were more interesting than Central 
 Park. At that day it was a marvel of beauty to my 
 wondering eyes. 
 
130 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 Two or three (lavs were spent in I^hiladelphia 
 very pleavSantly, then the home run began. When 
 Hearing Lancaster, Pa., I was thinking of what the 
 Lord was doing for nie, and why one so utterly un- 
 Avorthy shoiild receive such mercy^ when, in a moment 
 of time, ^'that voice again'' spoke in my heart with 
 fearful distinctness, ''It is finisheil, henceforth thou 
 art as other men." In another moment it seemed a 
 horror of ^-reat darkness suddenly fell upon me, and it 
 was so fearful that I doubted- whether I could live. 
 For an hour or more my"condition was more depressing 
 than when lying on the gTass at Plainfield, and I was 
 ready to cry out to be released from such agony, when 
 as suddenly as it came, the great darkness vanished, 
 and a still small voice said, ''Thy life is in thy own 
 hands, as thy conduct, so shall it be unto thee," and the 
 glad light and life again filled my humbled and thank- 
 ful soul, yet the transition from the days of safety back 
 to ordinary life was not without its vivid contrast. 
 
 After returning home I worked on the farm until 
 June, when one of the laud agents of the Missouri, 
 Kansas and Texas railroad came to see me in regard to 
 sending emigrants to Kansas to settle on the railroad 
 lands, and he offered to take me to Kansas to examine 
 the outlook for settlers. I soon arranged my business 
 and was on the way, going by St. Louis and Sedalia, 
 Mo.; the land office was then at Xeosho Falls, Kan. 
 
0^ ADDISON COFFIN. 181 
 
 From that point Iwas sent out to tlie. South and West 
 across the wide, unoccupied praiiie seventy to eighty 
 miles, until every part of my body was in pain with the 
 rough driving; part of the drive was through the mag- 
 nesium limestone belt and very rocky. Returning to 
 Neosho Falls, I was taken to Emporia, and from there 
 driven far Up Cottonwood river and out to the Hog- 
 backs towards the Arkansas river, coming back by 
 Plymouth; here, in and around Emporia, I met many 
 of my old friends and church members, who were 
 anxious and curious to know all about my contest with 
 the chnrch, and it had all to be talked over many 
 times. 
 
 The next point was Council Grove, from where 
 another long trip was made westward ; then returning 
 to the railroad and bein^- nearly worn out, I went to 
 my brother Alfred's at Le Hoy, to rest. In this explor- 
 ation I saw much of the heart of Kansas, for beside this 
 vehicle travel, after resting a few days, I took quite 
 an extensive run on the railroads, for they all very 
 readily gave me passes everyw^here, and it was only a 
 question of ^Hime," when, or in what direction my 
 business, or curiosity called that put a limit to my 
 ttavel. One ride will not be forgotten, from Sedalia, 
 Mo., to Parsons in Southern Kansas; it was done on 
 top of a caboose car, so the ^aew would l>e unbroken on 
 all sides; it was grand and inspiring; so much so that 
 
132 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 sleep was impossible the next night. In fact, there 
 was but little sleeping done for a week; it was full 
 moon, and the night riding was as grand as by day. 
 Nearly all the trip was accomplished in this way until 
 Kansas was graven in my memory as boundaries on 
 an atlas. 
 
 When this journey was over it w^as nearly time 
 for Western Yeaj'ly Meeting, w^hen I should be ''like 
 other men/' and there was some anxiety as to how 
 things might turn. There was a rumor abroad that 
 another attempt would be made to put me out by force, 
 but when the meeting came, the spirit had softened 
 towards me ; my sudden and wonderful success in emi- 
 gration and traveling had satisfied all that 1 was not 
 a doomed man. When the caretakers met the idea of 
 putting me out was rejected, and I was respectfully re- 
 quested to withdraw and then recorded^ as an intruder. 
 Carrying this subject forward to its end in the Yearly 
 Meeting, the next ye^r the caretakers notified me that 
 they were not going to report me as an intruder, in- 
 timating that it was getting rather too much of a load 
 for the meeting to can-y. and my name was no more 
 mentioned in the meeting until I was a delegate from 
 Plainfield Quarterly Meeting. 
 
 Note — Several references throughout the work to the deep trials and* 
 almost marvelous experiences of a somewhat prolonged struggle in his 
 own monthly meeting require a word of explanation. The account of 
 this period was written with hesitation and only at the urgent request 
 for his " whole life." Now remembering his seeming reluctance, we 
 withhold these pages from publication, simply saying that whatever the 
 merits in the case may have been there was left no bitterness in the 
 spirit of him who must have suflfered most. 
 
CHAPTEK FOURTH. 
 
 North Carolina Emigi'ation — Incidents of 1866 in 
 Connection With That Exodus — Opening Excur- 
 sions to North Carolina — Opening up Excursions to 
 Other Points — The Beginning- of More Extensive 
 
 Explorations. 
 
 Going back to spring of 1866, it is necessary to 
 say that unexpectedly the einigTation business sud- 
 denly presented itself to me, and in a way that was 
 rather startling, both in magnitude and responsibility, 
 but there came a satisfying assurance into my heart 
 that all should go well, and not one hair of the heads of 
 those under my care should be harmed. It was a new 
 and strange, yea, a fearful sensation to be free from 
 the ^'law of death," and it was still more astonishing 
 to know that others were to be in like condition while 
 in my care. I did not feel that it was my work, but 
 the work of a higher power, that it was mv part to be 
 as a dutiful child in tlie hands of a kind Father. AVith 
 9 (133) 
 
134 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 this feeling, and under this influence, the wonderful 
 work of 1866 began. 
 
 The fii*st company of emigrants went west in 
 March, and was made up largely of men and boys, 
 about one hundred in all. The April company in- 
 creased to two hundred, and was a surprise to the citi- 
 zens of Greensboro; it was at least half women and 
 children. The May company still increased in num- 
 bers, and the larger part were women and children, 
 most of them the families of refugees; by this time the 
 business began to attract attention at both ends of the 
 line of travel. There was also much trouble in hand- 
 ling the baggage, for it was in every form and shape, 
 from a regular trunk, down through boxes, bales, bun- 
 dles, to old fashioned saddle-bags and pockets, resem- 
 bling a double havervsack. The railroads would not 
 <:'heck half the unwieldy luggage; to meet the difficulty 
 I had tag's printed and numbered. A tag was attached 
 to every piece of baggage and the number written in a 
 l>ook, so I could identify them; this was a success, and 
 the railroads agreed to transport, though sometimes it 
 would look impossible to bring order out of a confused 
 lieap, or carload of my emigrant baggage. The June 
 ■eompanv numbered over 300, nearly all women and 
 children, and at starting many predicted that I would 
 not get so helpless a party through, but they did not 
 3<:now the unseen power that was supjwrting me, and 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 135 
 
 guarding the emisfrants. The business was now ex- 
 citing fi:en'eral attention ; tho raih-oads realized that new 
 aiTangements would have to be made to accommodate 
 the travel and carry the bagg'ag'e. I saw the necessity 
 of having through emigrant tickets, special baggage 
 cars, and the emigrant cars attached to the rear of the 
 trains, etc., etc. This was soon accomplished, and emi- 
 grant tickets were made from Greensboro to fourteen 
 points in the Northwest, in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, 
 Iowa, Missouri and Kansas. 
 
 By this time the business had assumed large pro- 
 portions, in fact, ''very" large in the imagination of 
 those not intimately acquainted with it. Railroads in 
 the West having land grants sent agents and passes to 
 me to solicit me to send some of my emigrants to settle 
 their lands. People in Xorth Carolina thought I 
 owned the train that took the parties West, and manv 
 boys and young men applied for a chance to work' 
 their passage West, and some even wrote to me asking 
 for ompiovment as locomotive engineers. All through 
 North Carolina, Coffin^s emi2:rant train became almost 
 a fixed institution, and in spite of all my explanations, 
 was not rightly understood by any but the railroad 
 managers, some of whom have manv amusing memor- 
 ies of the uncouth and untrained crowds that filled 
 some of the cars. The devastation of the war had left 
 the country threadbare in every sense, and many of the 
 
186 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 emigrants looked and were &o; added to this tlieir 
 eager, anxious wondering countenances, when they 
 realized thev had found Coffin's train, often made a 
 picture to be remembered. 
 
 From June the companies increased until they 
 made a train load. Through July, August and Sep- 
 tember the women and children outnumbered the men 
 and boys two to one, and my w^ork, care and responsi- 
 bility increased almost l>eyond my ability to manage; 
 sometimes twenty different persons in the Xorthwest 
 would send money to bring families and relatives to 
 them, and very often there was not enough money 
 sent, and I was called on for help; in this way I paid 
 out much of my earnings, and rarely ever received a 
 return. Many times there were mothers with four to 
 six children going to husband and friends. They had 
 never traveled l)efore, and they were full of anxiety 
 about their safety, and still more concerned as to hoAv 
 they were to know where to stop and what to do when " 
 they stopped; to some it was difficult to understand 
 how I could know when and where to put so many peo- 
 ple off, and tell them what to do. With several hun- 
 dred passengers of this kind, it was a severe tax on my 
 jK>wer of endurance, and often there was no chance to 
 get any sleep between Baltimore and Indianapolis. At 
 the latter place my obligation ended, after seeing all 
 on the diverging trains, though I had fre(juently to go 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 137 
 
 to St. Louis, Lafayette and other points to look after 
 misplaced baggage. My checks were always canceled 
 at Indianapolis. 
 
 There was much excitement at Greensboro the 
 latter part of the year about so many people leaving 
 the state and taking so much money away from the 
 business entei'jirises that were contemplaterl. Many 
 refugees had left debts behind, and now their families 
 ^yere leaving there was less hope than ever of a settle- 
 ment. Many absconding debtors took advantage of 
 the opportunity to get their families off wdth me, while 
 they went by private roads overland. One effort was 
 made to break up my business by having me arrested 
 for aiding absconding debtors in leaving the state, but 
 I had taken the precaution to gain the protection of the 
 military commander of the state, and I had authority 
 t-o take all who interfered with me to Kaleigh to the 
 military headquarters. Wlien this was known in 20 
 minutes the parties gave up all thought of stopping 
 me and were ever after silent. 
 
 In September, October and ^N'ovember there were 
 five to seven hundred souls each: time, and the train 
 and the change from rail to steamer at Portsmouth 
 was the beginning of wonders to both emigrants and 
 bystandei-s, then the march from the landing to raiL 
 road station, through the city of Baltimore was the 
 crowning w^onder and a great novelty to the emigrants ; 
 
138 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 all was amusement and delight; to the citizens it was a 
 procession so singular that hundreds came out to see 
 the apparition. The primitive homespun dress, the 
 anxious excited looks, and the odd bundles and packs 
 that nearly all carried w^as both intenselv interesting 
 and amusing. There was much trouble to keep them 
 from straggling in the march, but in time the police 
 force became vigilant in looking after stragglers and 
 returning them to the station before our departure. 
 At the different stations there w^as often much trouble 
 in preventing a rush and a panic ; everv one would be- 
 come excit-ed lest he should be left, or fail to get a seat. 
 After the train started it often took several houre to get 
 all satisfactorily seated, families together, companies 
 of neighbors grouped together, the aged and infinn 
 comfortably situated, and last, but not least, to make 
 the mean and selfish boys behave, though I can say to 
 the credit of the emigrants, that there were very few 
 who did not conduct themselves in an honorable way 
 while in my care, for I had authority in the South to 
 enforce good behavior, and by common consent it was 
 extended through the Xorthwest, vet it was not called 
 in question, or necessar)' to use but once. On landing 
 at Indianapolis, a dnmken fellow knocked a woman 
 down and pushed auother with a babe in her arms 
 over backwards, and was using vile language, when 1 
 called to him to desist. Then he rushed at me with 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 139 
 
 terrible oaths, but I caught him by the throat and be- 
 gan shutting off his profanity. A violent struggle fol- 
 lowed. Though he wat? much the stronger man I was 
 diligent to business until a policeman came to my re- 
 lief, and the brutal fellow^ was punished. This whole 
 affair w^as over in a little time, le^s than it takes to 
 write it, yet it had a good effect, for it became known 
 along and at both ends of the line of travel, that I made 
 people behave themselves while traveling with me. 
 
 When the work of 1866 was ended, ten trips had 
 been made between Indianapolis, Ind., and Greens- 
 boro, N. C, over 5000 emigrants had left North Caro- 
 lina and South Virginia. The travel was from Greens- 
 boro via Raleigh and Weldon, N. C., to Portsmouth, 
 Va., by bay steamers to Baltimore, and thence by 
 Baltimore and Ohio railroad and Pennsylvania Cen- 
 tral railroad via Columbus, Ohio, to Indianapolis, 
 Indiana. From there they were distributed by six 
 railroads to various points. This circuitous route had 
 to be made on account of the arbitrary rates demanded 
 bv the Richmond ( Va.) and Danville railroad. The 
 result of the year's work was a surprise to everybody 
 but my wife, who saw and felt from the beginning that 
 the Lord was in it, and that I was leading a life for two 
 years above the law^ of death, while others looked upon 
 it as a wonderful achievement on my part. '^We'' un- 
 derstocKl 'Svho" %vat; upholding me, but n(> one was 
 
140 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 ready to receive it. I had never shown myself to be 
 much above my neighboi^ in any way, and quite in- 
 ferior in some, and to have claimed that the Lord was 
 using me as a special instrument would have been more 
 than the community would have accepted, so with 
 hearts full of gratitude for all that was done for us we 
 were '^still." 
 
 There was one incident that occurred on the No- 
 vember trip that will illustrate our feeling. My wife 
 accompanied me on that trip, to be at N'orth Carolina 
 Yeaidy Meeting. On the return trip, there were sev- 
 eral old and infirm }>eople, who were trying to get their 
 children out West. They were so feeble they had to be 
 carried in a chair when changes were made. To 
 ordinary people it looked not only hopeless, but a 
 dangerous undertaking. It made the trainmen nerv- 
 ous to see them. Strange to say, they not only stood 
 the journey, but got stronger. After leaving Balti- 
 more a child that had l>een ailing was taken suddenly 
 ill and was pronounced dying, and the parents and 
 many of the passengers wanted the train stopped, so 
 it could be taken off and cared for, but I refused. This 
 created intense excitement; even my wife plead for the 
 child to be let off, saying-, 'Tt will die here." With 
 quite an excited company around me I said, ''This 
 child 'cannot die' while in my care ; if you take it off 
 death is certain." Instantly that well-known bright 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 141 
 
 light shone in my wife's face; she (quietly said, ''Give 
 me the child," then taking it in her arms held it close 
 to her for more than an hour; then it seemed to relax 
 and went to sleep, and from that moment began to 
 improve. The parents went to Emporia, Kan., and the 
 child grew to healthv womanhood. ''That" removed 
 all doubts from our minds. 
 
 The latter part of December I returned to Greens- 
 boro and went to Columbia, S. C., and extended the 
 emigrant rate to Greenville in that state, where there 
 were several hundred people who wished to go West 
 but there was much opposition to it; many seemed to 
 be alarmed at the thought of so many white people 
 lea\dng the state, lest the freed slaves should domineer 
 the whole state, for out of the 5000 emigrants who had 
 gone not more than 150 were I^egroes; but opposition 
 was no new thing, and the emigrants left Granville 
 like other places, but unlike many others they pushed 
 into Iowa, Nebraska and even to Minnesota. 
 
 In 1867 I made four trips, though small parties 
 of 25 to 50 went through alone. The business had now 
 become so well organized tliat it was no trouble for 
 small parties, as they were given the regular emigrant 
 rate of $21 from Greensboro to Indianapolis, and in 
 the same proportion to other points. This was about 
 half first-class fare. 
 
 In 1868 I made two trips, and in 1870 took an 
 
142 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 excursion to North Carolina Yearly Meeting, which 
 was a success, and was the beginning of a business as 
 unexpected as the emigration. AVhen the party re- 
 turned they ^ave such striking descriptions of the ef- 
 fects of the war, that hundreds who had emigrated 
 years before now wanted to revisit their old homes and 
 scenes of childhood. To meet this new want I ne- 
 gotiated at regular excursion rates, and soon, like the 
 emigration, it assumed large propc>rtions, and from 
 1872 to 1880, three to five hundred excursionists 
 would go each year, and a large company of emigrants 
 would return with me, and it became almost a regular 
 thing for excursionists to take home with them a boy 
 or girl to help on the f ann and in the house. Cousins, 
 nephews, nieces, tMuys and girls left without a home 
 in consequence of the war, were usually the ones se- 
 lected to be taken. In this way the emigration con- 
 tinued until about 1880, when it measurably ceased to 
 attract attention, but the excursion business kept right 
 on up to the present day, but there was this change, 
 instead of one party, there were two and three each 
 year; always one at Yearly Meeting time. In addition 
 to the Carolina excursions, there was soon a demand 
 for excursions to the border states to see the vast prair- 
 ies of the West, and to Iowa and Kansas Yearly Meet- 
 ing's, which also assumeKl large proportions, and at 
 length I found myself identified with a wide expanse 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 143 
 
 of business, and cpiite a. traveler, all of which had come 
 to me almost nncons<*ionsly. 
 
 When the wonderful spirit of expansion took pos- 
 session of the nation, I found myself in it without 
 knowing why. People wishing to emigrate to Ivansas, 
 Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Dakota, Colo- 
 rado, et<!., etc., applied to me to get emigrant rates and 
 freight ears for their property. I went on exploring 
 trips, first into the nearer border states, then on to the 
 Pacific coast. While the Northern Pacific railroad 
 was building, an exploration trip was made through 
 Dakota, Montana and Idaho to the Columbia, to see 
 the vast region opened up in that direction. I had un- 
 limited time and stop-over >irivile^es, which were used 
 to see as wide a range as possible. I stopped off at way 
 stations, large and small places out on the mde plain 
 where there was nothing but earth, grass and sky in 
 fifty miles, where men w^ere hunting and staking off 
 land claims, living in small tents and in large diy-goods 
 boxes turned down on one side, in every form of shelter 
 ingenuity could devise, all full of life and hope. In 
 many places the whole plain w^as checkered with deep- 
 ly-worn buffalo trails, and as far as the eye could see 
 sprinkled white wath their bones, which were being 
 gathered in enormous heaps along the railroad for 
 shipment east. 
 
 At Jamestown, N. D., I went up the Devil lake 
 
144 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 branch of the road past where the town of Camngton 
 now stands, out into the unexplored, unsurveyed and 
 then ahnost unknown. Everywhere there was the 
 vast unbroken, limitless expanse of sky and grass, with 
 a soil capable of limitless production, and I realized 
 that I was in the vast wheat field that is to bread the 
 world. Then I passed the Bad Lands, or Hell Put Out, 
 as the cowboys call it, where has been a lake of boiling 
 molten matter, and suddenly an ocean of water has 
 been jx)ured into it. It is beyond the power of man 
 to imagine the fearful commotion that would follow, 
 but there before and around us is the result; great hills, 
 mounds, ridges and almost mountains of cinder, scoria, 
 volcanic rocks and vitrified matter thrown, whirled 
 and contorted into a thousand shapes, literally a place 
 of utter desolation and desolate forever. The material 
 af which those mounds and hills are formed is so loose 
 that it is nearly impossible for man or animal to climb 
 them, nor does any one feel much desire to try the ex- 
 periment. 
 
 Though the scene is interesting and full of sug- 
 gestive speculation, yet few wish to linger long amid 
 such terrible surroundings. Passing on across a 
 broken rolling country with alternate, beautiful grassy 
 valleys and rock^^ barred ridges, we finally reach the 
 Yellowstone river and valley, which has long been a 
 wonder land, and in recent years become of all lands 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 145 
 
 of the (^arth the UK»st wonderful, since the National 
 Park is now accessible. To get a clear, intelligent 
 view of the valley, I rode the entire length on top of a 
 caboose car, with a good glass by which the whole 
 valley and adjacent plains were brought under re- 
 view. The valley proper is about 400 miles long; the 
 river is a strong, rapidly flowing stream, navigable 
 much of its distance in spring and summer, while the 
 snow is melting on the mountains. This valley is very 
 fertile, and destined to be of vast importance in the 
 future; there is unlimited water power, and it is near 
 the center of the great wheat field of the world, and be- 
 fore another generation passes the now world-wide 
 celebrated Minneapolis mills will be dwarfed by the 
 mills of the Yellowstone river. 
 
 To the south of the valley can be seen on a large 
 scale one of the unaccountable geological phenomenon 
 that baffles scientific speculation. There is an ex- 
 tensive level plain, covered with luxuriant grass, which 
 presents such an appearance as to lead one to believe 
 that the entire plain had once been 80 to 100 feet 
 higher than now, and that three-fourths of it had sud- 
 denly sunk down, leaving the other one-fourth stand- 
 ing in irregular hills, mounds and ridges, and some- 
 times there are hundreds of almost columns standing 
 thick like huge trees; to add to the wonder, the top's 
 of all those hills and ridges are perfectly level and hori- 
 
146 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 zontal with the plain, and the rock strata in them is also 
 horizontal and undisturbed by the sinking of the plain, 
 or their being ''thrust up" by volcanic action. One 
 day this will be a land of romance and beauty to the 
 now far-off noisy rushing world. These singular 
 plains are very fertile, with unlimited facilities for ir- 
 rigation. 
 
 A short stop was made at Big Horn river to ex- 
 amine that rich and promising valley. There were a 
 dozen families in tents, the wives and children, while 
 the husbands were off up the valley locating home- 
 steads. Here was one of the beautiful pictures of our 
 American home life and nation building; here were 
 cheerful, sweet-faced mothei's in the prime of life, with 
 families of bright girls and boys, away from civiliza- 
 tion, away from home camforts, in the midst of an al- 
 most unknown region and wild, rugged mountains, 
 ready to brave the dangers and privations of pioneer 
 life. Here I cannot refrain from adding what I saw 
 after fifteen yeai-s had passed. The eye could hardly 
 believe the vision that opened before it. That Big 
 Horn valley w^as a vast expanse of beautiful fields, 
 dotted all over with fine homes; the mothers' heads 
 were turning gray, but the sweet look was still in their 
 smiling eyes; and above all their girls and boys had 
 grown to noble man and womanliood, and were making 
 glad the now bright and prosperous valley. This is 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 147 
 
 but one of hundreds o£ such scenes I have witnessed in 
 twenty-five years, some of which cannot fade from 
 memory. 
 
 From the YeHowstone valley we cross the Boze- 
 man range of the Rcx^kies, and come out into the 
 Gallatin valley, ''which" after all I have seen of other 
 lands still remains "beautiful" among many pleasing 
 memories. The valley is about sixty miles long and 
 fifteen wide, completely surrounded with high moun- 
 tains, the summits of some of them so grouped to- 
 gether, that they form a charming and impressive pic- 
 ture. To the northeast is th-e celebrated Flat Head 
 pass, where the mountain range is cleft to the very 
 base with a grand view, not only through the range, 
 but to the wide region beyond. Baron Humboldt 
 passed through this cleft in his wonderful travels dur- 
 ing the past generation. About thirty years ago a se- 
 cession of several hundred Mormons came to this val- 
 ley and planted themselves near the Bozeman, and by 
 their skill in in^gation and industry were soon sur- 
 rounded with fertile fields and pleasant homes, so that 
 the place became a resting spot for wanderei-s through 
 that unoccupied region. N'ear the west end of the val- 
 ley lived a singular man named Frank Dunbar, from 
 ^orth Carolina, who had been there twenty-one years, 
 and had devoted most of his time to raising horses, but 
 all the time believed that s<jmething would "happen 
 
i48 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 for liirn" and ''that" valley; so when the Xorthern 
 Pacific railroad came to him and built the town of 
 Gallatin on his land it did "happen." 
 
 A short distance from Gallatin, the three rivers, 
 Gallatin, Madison and Jefferson meet and form the 
 Missouri. This point is destined to become historic, for 
 here Gaptains Lewis and Clark spent the winter of 
 1804 and 1805 on their celebrated exploring expedi- 
 tion from St. Louis to the Pacific. A\Tiile standing 
 near the spot I could but think how impossible it 
 would have been to have convinced them that inside of 
 16 years that place would be c»ccupied by white people 
 and a railroad, a thing then not thought of, ninning 
 close by that camping place in the heart of an un- 
 known region. Nor did I, when a boy, while reading 
 the narrative of Lewis and (^lark and Casse's Journal, 
 then used as a school reader, ever "dream" that I 
 would stand on the same ground in the van of civiliza- 
 tion that has now covered the continent, but the facts 
 were before me, and it filled my wiind with inexpress- 
 ible delight and enjoyment. The scene around was 
 grand and inspiring, independent of history, but when 
 nature and history united there, was a greater interest 
 to river, mountain, rocks and sun lit valley, and so 
 another i)icture was added to the tablet of memory. 
 
 What lies, beyond that point more properly be- 
 longs to the Pacific coast, and we will turn back and re- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 149 
 
 view the country as coming from the west. During the 
 outward journey many of the mountain ranges were 
 still covered with snow, now (about May 20th) the 
 lower ranges were uncovered, and all the streams were 
 in full tide, and the June flood of the Mississippi was 
 on its way to the gulf, and among the mountains and 
 hills, there was heard the sound of many waters, ra- 
 vines and fforges were raging fearful torrents, which 
 were dry three months later; logs were being floated 
 down from the hills where soon would be no water in 
 sight. All this gave continued interest to all the sur- 
 roundings. 
 
 When we returned into the Yellowstone valley 
 again it was full of new entertainment, new features 
 presented themselves at every turn ; the western slopes 
 of the hills and mountains, in many places, showed 
 new geological phenomena; there were traces of vol- 
 canic action unseen from eastward; everywhere was 
 the eroding mark of great torrents of water at higher 
 levels than the valley of to-day ; the twisted and con- 
 torted strata showed a succession of volcanic activity 
 that would be deeply instructive to observing scien- 
 tists and amateur geologists. There was also much 
 that was interesting in the signs of rural life; hun- 
 dreds of white tents and pole cabins were seen along 
 the river bank and small streams, and out on the broad 
 valley were hundreds of plowmen turning up the 
 10 
 
150 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 deep, rich, alluAial soil for the first time since the 
 world beg^ii. Around the tents and cabins were signs 
 of home life; the garden, with chickens enjoying the 
 warm sunshine amid their new sun*oundings, while 
 near by was a cow tethered to a stake, feeding on the 
 fresh, luxuriant grass. 
 
 Sitting on the caboose, all these things passed like 
 a magic panorama; even the people seemed as though 
 they too were moving and acting in a new world. 
 Sometimes the little children would stop their play^ 
 to look at some new shade of light that fell upon 
 the mountains, or was reflected from the chalk cliffs 
 that shone in the clear sunlight. The first advancing 
 tide of humanity and Christian civilization had 
 reached those far-oft" lands, where in the near future 
 millions would throng, and cover that strange, ro- 
 mantic region.. Who knoAvs but in the coming time 
 the Yellowstone Valley may be to the great, new 
 northwest what the Valley of the Euphrates was to 
 Western Asia in the ages gone? It is in the center 
 of a broader land, w4th almost limitless capabilities. 
 
 The return across the great plain to Fargo and 
 the Red River of the IsTorth was more interesting than 
 the outward trip. My comprehension seemed to 
 gTasp more fully our wonderful resources as a nation, 
 and our marvelous outlet for expansion. Right here 
 Ave had a gTeat extent of wheat-producing soil that 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 151 
 
 was capable of providing bread for the whole world. 
 I stopped off at the stations and on the wayside to talk 
 with the pioneers, and I could draw out a recital of 
 their hopes, ambitions, and aspirations. My own 
 experience in early life, and the taste of pioneer life 
 in Indiana, enabled me to speak to and sympathize 
 with every condition, while learning everywhere the 
 wonderful lesson, how the Lord was leading and gTiid- 
 ing the nation-builders here on the vdde plains, 
 yonder in a beautiful valley, and still beyond among 
 the giant mountains, as out-posts and beacons of the 
 coming tide of humanity. It was wonderful, won- 
 derful, wonderful. 
 
 A short stop was made at Minneapolis, Minn., 
 among my California friends ; also a day in Iowa, then 
 on -home, where my neighbors and friends eagerly 
 awaited my re|x>rt, for the spirit of emigration was 
 in the land, and thousands w^ere looking forward to 
 joining the great overland emigTation. I wrote a 
 series of articles for the '^Indiana Farmer," and other 
 papers; also answ^ered many letters of inquiry as to 
 the result of mv northwest trip, which seemed to give 
 satisfaction, and the tide of emigTation flowed with 
 increased activitv in that direction. 
 
CHAPTER FIFTH. 
 
 Crushed Beneath a Loaded Wagon — Fearful Suffer- 
 ing — Called Back From Death — Angel Visitants 
 — Recovery Miraculous. 
 
 To keep the cuiTent of events in hamionv with 
 my onward narrative, it will be necessary to give some 
 important domestic occurrences, which had an influ- 
 ence on all subsequent movementii. In the early 
 spring of 1880, I was crushed by a heavy, loaded 
 wagon in such a way that all my ribs but two were 
 broken, my breast badly mashed, and my right 
 shoulder broken. When the wagon passed over me 
 the pain was so fearful that I thought it would be 
 impossible for me to live. Raising up, I felt a strange, 
 swimming sensation, as if slowly rising up into the air. 
 This seemed so real that I looked towards the bam 
 near by to see if it was really true that I was going 
 away ; but things all seemed fixed, and almost instantly 
 there came a sudden hush around, and a real sinking 
 (152) 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 153 
 
 sensation that was of such a character that I felt that 
 death was at hand, as the human mind is capable of 
 working and thinking with lightning ^eed in emer- 
 gencies. As I felt I conld live bnt a few moments, 
 I thought of vnle and daughter, who were in the 
 house not far away; and that they might know that 
 I was conscious to the last, I folded my arms and 
 laid down, saying, '*And this is death; how simple 
 and easy a thing it is to die," and I was carried away. 
 When consciousness returned wife and daughter were 
 lifting me up, but there was a sensation of suffoca- 
 tion that was terrible, with a rack of agonizing pain; 
 but as they lifted me up the broken spines of my ribs 
 that had been forced into my lungs withdrew, and 
 breath came to me once more. 
 
 I was taken to the house in gi'eat pain, such as 
 language cannot describe. As soon as they got me 
 on a bed, my daughter started for a doctor, over a 
 mile away. Inside of forty minutes she was back 
 again, and in a few seconds the doctor, a strong, 
 active man, came in out of breath. It was de<^ided 
 by him that I could not live many hours, and all that 
 could be done was to give me chloral to relieve my 
 intense suffering. This was done, and at the end of 
 eight hours I still lived, but had to take large fjuan- 
 tities of chloral. And so it went for three days, do<'- 
 tor, neighbors and friends said I could not live. My 
 
154 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 body was so badlv crushed and internal bleeding had 
 been so profuse that it did seem there was no hope; 
 but wife said: ''I cannot give him up; he must not, 
 cannot, shall not die." Her devotion and faith were 
 very touching to all, who were very kind in helping 
 her and daughter; so I continued to suffer untold 
 agony day by day, with no attempt to give any exam- 
 ination or set the broken bones. I, as well as all 
 others, knew that any effort of that kind would result 
 in instant death. At the end of three weeks my pains 
 had not abated, and hope began to gTOw dim; with- 
 out relief death would soon come. One afternoon 
 when it seemed as though the pain was too great for 
 me to bear longer, a feeling similar to that at first 
 began to come over me, and I was again going to pass 
 on. While Ijing still, almost glad that the hour was 
 so near when my sufferings would end, suddenly two 
 wonderfully beautiful beings were standing in the 
 room near me. I recognized them as being like those 
 I had seen in vision in childhood. They were so 
 lovely, their looks so divine, and such infinite ten- 
 derness in their eyes, that it overpowered me into a 
 feeling of utter nothingness, so that I tried to hide my 
 face, but could not. This language flashed through 
 my mind like fire: ''What am I that such beautiful 
 beings should visit me? I am but as dust 'oud ashes.*' 
 Then in a moment another beautiful being stood close 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 155 
 
 to my bed, and looked into my face with eyes and 
 countenance that human language cannot describe; 
 and I was still more startled to recognize this latter as 
 being the redeemed spirit of a negro, and, if possible, 
 more sublimely tender and lovely than the other two; 
 and this language spoken in my heart: '^Inasmuch 
 sis thou did it unto one of the least of these, my breth- 
 ren, thou didst it unto me." It was more than 1 
 could bear, and light and life seemed to vanish. My 
 wife, who had stepped from the joom for a short 
 time, came in and found me rapidly sinking, and there 
 seemed to be no hope of saving me. lUit her love 
 was stronger than death; she called me back to life 
 again, and in spite of the suffering, weakness and help- 
 lessness, I still lived on. At last there came a time 
 when the life cun-ent began to return, and to the sur- 
 prise and joy of all it was evident that I would live. 
 My recovery was slow, and it was feared that I 
 might be helpless and deformed for life; but as the 
 days passed and I began walking about, I was truly 
 thankful to the Lord for another lease of life, and 
 that my deformity was no greater than it was. As 
 to the visitation of the angels, we thought, as in other 
 similar cases, that the community was not ready to 
 receive it, so we confined our communications to a 
 few friends. But there came a time when it was 
 necessary to give it a wider knowledge. 
 
156 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 Some kind and very zealous f^eople became con- 
 cerned about my not taking a more active part in 
 a religious revival, and that I was not noisy enough in 
 the meetings. With this feeling they visited me, and 
 made known their anxiety. They were not without 
 much religious experience, and I believed could and 
 would understand me. I gave them a very brief out- 
 line of my experience in spiritual matters, and they 
 went away entirely satisfied, ever after treating me 
 with the utmost kindness, and turned their attention 
 to other parties. But this brief disclosure of my 
 secret life caused trouble and anxiety afterwards, for 
 an effort was now made to place me in positions of 
 honor and responsibility in the church, which was con- 
 trary to my wishes and my wife's judgment. 
 
 Going back briefly, it is enough to say that my 
 conflict with the church was one of the prime causes 
 of . a separation in the Westerly Yearly Meeting of 
 Friends' Church, and there was a larger per cent, of 
 members who separated in Mill Creek Monthly and 
 Plainfield Quarterly - Meetings than any other, and 
 many of the elders and other officers left the church 
 in a body. To fill some of these vacant places was what 
 my friends wished of me, but I not only steadily re- 
 fused to accept such appointments, but began to with- 
 draw from active participation in the business of the 
 church, for it was our conviction that it would not do 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 157 
 
 for me to occupy the seats of those with whom I had 
 been contending so long, lest it should savor of design- 
 iiig ambition to displace them that I might fill their 
 places. Though this course gave some honest dissatis- 
 faction and some severe censure, yet by being patient 
 and still it all worked out well, and time has shown that 
 we were right, for as the excitement attending and 
 following the long contest died away, we all began 
 to see things with more charitable feelings, etc., and 
 now the few who still survdve can grasp each othei*s' 
 hands with the warm shake of kindly forgiveness and 
 heartfelt gratitude to the Lord that we are so minded. 
 After the close of the war there was a move- 
 ment among the Yearly Meetings of Friends to or- 
 ganize a general conference of Bible school work, 
 which resulted in a bi-ennial conference of delegates 
 from Friends' schools w^hich wished to be represented. 
 I was very much interested in the subject, and at- 
 tended the conferences held in Lynn, New^ Bedford, 
 Mass.; Philadelphia, Pa.; Wilmington, Ohio and 
 Indianapolis, Indiana, and took excursion parties to 
 most of them. In this way I became acquainted with 
 the leading members of the church, and sometimes 
 had a glimpse at the inner life of some who thought 
 their real characters were altogether unknown to men, 
 and I more than one time incurred the displeasure 
 of the good people for warning them against the 
 
158 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 designs of those whom they thought their best friends. 
 Among some of my ''Scraps and Fragments" are 
 some notes that would not do to publish for at least 
 another generation ; they would be startling to all and 
 painful to many. In addition to this, it was a natural 
 consequence that I should hear much of individual 
 history and character discussed, which would often 
 fasten itself on my memoiy. My knowledge of the 
 Bible gave me ability to enter into many of the debater 
 of the time relative to the many innovations that were 
 entering Friends^ Chui-ch, and often it did not take a 
 large amount of discernment to predict coniing events 
 in certain meetings and individual ministers. 
 
 It will be impossible to me to make 'myself in- 
 telligible to' give all the events of life as they oc- 
 curred; it would mix up home life, church matters, 
 travel and adventures in such a way that it would be 
 confusing. It mil be better to take one line at a time 
 and connect them by incidental references. My 
 niece had married, and died in 1881, leaving two little 
 daughters. My daughter had married Joseph John 
 Doan in 1881. My mother-in-law, Eebecca Hadley, 
 had come to live vdth us. She was nearly helpless 
 and nearly blind, requiring much care. Brother Al- 
 fred's oldest daughter, Luella C, had married Nathari 
 D. Albertson, and come to the farm to take (;are of 
 my mother. A large number of nreees and nephews 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 159 
 
 oii'lx)tli sides had married and settled in various points. 
 With the two grandmothers- with us, it made our 
 house headquarters for a large family connection, 
 and of times there were but few days that we were 
 without visitors, who unavoidably required time and 
 attention. For many years my large orchard yielded 
 much f niit, and some" winters our guests would con- 
 sume half a bushel of apples every day, and the habit 
 of bringing in a basketful daily was as regular as 
 work; the going and coining was so great that it re- 
 quired a hoi*se aiid cohteyarice to be in constant use. 
 The two grandmothers being remarkable women, 
 attracted many people, especially the young, who 
 loved to hear them tell of their early days, going 
 back to 1806. On one occasion a dozen' or more 
 young people were present, and the subject of amuse- 
 ments and games was under discussion, cards included. 
 When there was a pause in the conversation, my 
 mother, who was sitting near by, astonished the com- 
 pany by sa^ang that in her youth she was never beaten 
 at playing cards, and possibly could yet hold a hand. 
 Before they had recovered from their astonishment, 
 she bade my daughter bring out her cards; this adde<l 
 to the wonder. A pair of cotton cards with a bunch 
 of fine cotton lint was brought, and she proceeded to 
 card the cotton into rolls ready for spinning. The 
 interest and delight "was now without bounds; not one 
 
160 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 of the yonng people had ever seen the ]il:e before. 
 Then, to give a finishing touch, she said she was a 
 noted musician, and would give them a tiii\r on her 
 old musical instrument. A spinning-wheel was 
 brought, and she spun the rolls she had carded, UjaV 
 ing the old wheel hum as in the lon^' ago. That 
 company wall not forget Grandma (yoffiu'e <'ard play- 
 ing and musical instrument. 
 
 Mother-in-law Rebecca Hadley died in 1882, in 
 her ninety -third year. She was the hist of her gen- 
 ei-ation on that side, leaving behind a l)lessed.me]nory. 
 The seven yeairs that she lived w^ith u.^ so taxed my 
 wife's strength that she began to fai] in healtli and 
 vigor, and in two years an incurable can.'er developed 
 in her right breast, which continued to grow for nearly 
 two years, then, at the urgent advice of all our friends, 
 we at last consented to have a surgical operation per- 
 formed. By it all her right breast was removed, leav- 
 ing a wound extending back eight inches. It was a 
 veiw dangerous operation, but skillfully performed 
 by experienced surgeons. The wound healed slowly, 
 but seemingly surely, and we began to hope that 
 danger was passed. One of the physicians, however, 
 said in a year it would re-appear. Although the sore 
 healed, and she was cheerful and apparently in rea- 
 sonable health, exactly at the end of one year it 
 showed unmistakable signs of retuiiiing, and in a few 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 161 
 
 weeks was well-detiiied and very painful ; and all hope 
 was gone. It steadily increased, and in a year the 
 former wound was an ulcer terrible to see and more 
 terrible to endure. She began to waste away with 
 a complication of diseases. For the last nine months 
 of her life her sufferings were so great that she had 
 to t^ike morphine nearly all the time, and she was 
 so reduced and tender that it was dithcnilt to (^are for 
 her without producing pain, but by constant atten- 
 tion I learned to relieve her to some extent. For 
 several months I rarely left her bed but for a few 
 minutes, and for many weeks did not undress to sleep. 
 In our weary, lonely watches by night, we often 
 talked aver our lives and the seemingly near ap- 
 proach of the end, for my strength was rapidly fail- 
 ing, and we had much anxiety lest I might give out 
 before she passed away. She often spoke of my mi- 
 raculous survival of former wounds, and firmly be- 
 lieved that I was especially spared to take care of 
 her in her last days. And so we waited, watched 
 and struggled on, both failing in slow but sure de- 
 cline, until I suddenly gave out and sank under com- 
 plete exhaustion, and was immediately attacked with 
 erysipelas. For a while it seemed as though the case 
 was hopeless, but Nathan D. Albertson took me into 
 a room, and did not leave me for an hour at a time 
 for sixteen days, and I was saved. But lost to nearly 
 
162 LIFE AND TRAVPJLS 
 
 all that was transpiring around, my mind wandered 
 i)S into distant lands. I seemed to visit countries and 
 cities that were so real that th<' pictures have not 
 jet faded, and occasionally my clairvoyant ^dsions 
 returned for brief, but startling moments. To go 
 back to my wife, who continued to sink after I failed, 
 though it seemed a special Providence sent a nurse 
 to fill my place, and she did not lack for care. She 
 retained her consciousness up to the last breath, and 
 almost her last words were: "Send some suitable per- 
 son to take care of Addison when I pass away." 
 When I was told she was gone I seemed to under- 
 stand, but alas! it was not so. I was so we-ak and 
 exhausted that it was several weeks before I could 
 fully comprehend my situation and loss. To neigh- 
 bors and friends I seemed quite natural, but my 
 daughter and sister-in-law knew that I was far from 
 being out of danger, not even capable of taking care 
 of myself, but under their care my strength of body 
 and mind came slowly back. Then the sense of utter 
 loneliness was so ovei^owering that it was almost 
 more than my weakness could bear, but the Lord gave 
 me power to still hope and tTust his protecting arm 
 amid my helplessness. My wife died March 5th, 
 1889, in the HOth year of her age. 
 
CHAPTER SIX. 
 
 Trip to the Pacific Coast — G^oing Through the Cen- 
 tral Route to Oregon— Stop at Indian School — 
 OceanVojage to San Francisco — Meet Mj Son and 
 go With Him to Carson City — Return Through 
 Southern California, Texas, Indian Territory, etc. 
 
 I will go back to the line of travel again. Per 
 fore my wife's affliction came on, I took another 
 exploring trip to the Pacific coast to make a more ex- 
 tended examination of the reputed great fruit region. 
 Many horticulturists requested me to keep an eye 
 out for the interest of horticulture in general, and 
 for individual trade in particular. 
 
 My rou"le was by way of Danville and Plooming- 
 ton, Illinois; Puriington and Ottumwa, Iowa, to 
 Omaha, Nebraska. From there over the Union Pa- 
 cific up Platte Valley. Some years before Dr. Allen 
 Furnas, an old friend and neighbor, and I had an 
 iiivitatioii to visit Nebraska State Fair, which we did, 
 and after its close looked around over the new stat^. 
 
 (163) 
 
164 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 We went to Kearney Junction, as far as settlements 
 extended; this gave a tolerably clear idea of the rich 
 agricultural state. Beyond Kearney Junction all was 
 new, and from there I began taking permanent mental 
 pictures of the wide expanse of luxuriant prairie 
 grass that filled the river valley and crowned the 
 rolling hill, with large herds of cattle feeding on the 
 hillside, with the typical cowboy in charge, for he 
 was one of the distinctive characters of American 
 life at that time, and no American character will 
 sooner disappear, and when gone be so little under- 
 stood. 
 
 ^Tien the Indians of our vast plains were finally 
 subdued and placed on reservations, there were many 
 millions of acres of pasture land made accessible, and 
 soon great numbers of cattle took the place of the 
 rapidly-disappearing buffalo; and hardy, brave, ad- 
 venturous men were needed to take charge of the 
 herds that spread out over the expanse. Sometimes 
 a herdsman (cowlwy) would take his herd of cattle 
 or sheep hundreds of miles from the frontier, and be 
 away from humanity for months, leading a terribly 
 lonely life. As might be expected, the isolation from 
 home, and surrounded with privation and danger, 
 often encountering the ferocious wolf and more-to-be- 
 dreaded grizzly bear, and still oftener wandering cat- 
 tle thieves and freebooters, with whom he had many 
 
OF ADDISON COFFiN. 165 
 
 deadly coiifiicts, stamped upon his character peculiar 
 traits not found elsewhere. l>ut their lives were not 
 wholly devoid of compensating elements. Besides 
 the large gains in business, they soon became a law 
 unto themselves, and for a few years, during their 
 highest glory, could defy the outside world. Many 
 times they set aside state laws in land claims, and were 
 not easily controlled; Init eventually the rapid ad- 
 vance of settlements encroached on their domain, aiid 
 the small farmers with barbed ware fence, accom- 
 plished more and much faster than the appeals to state 
 law or occasional collisions and loss of life. But the 
 cowboy, like the Indian and the buffalo, is a thing of 
 , the past, and will return no more. 
 
 This boundless expanse of grass continued sev- 
 eral hundred miles up the Platte River valley into the 
 Colorado, but before reaching the latter it was un- 
 mistakably evident on every side that we were out 
 of the rain belt, and into the great in-igation 
 region. Stunted sage brush and sand burs appeared ; 
 the ever-present red ants, with their little mounds of 
 siand thrown up, were busy everywhere. The beau- 
 tiful green was gone, and as far as one could see it 
 was brown and sear, gi^dng things a look of sad 
 sterility. 
 
 The town of Greely and its adjoining settle- 
 ment was off the main I'nion Pacific line, but I was 
 
 11 
 
166 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 anxious to see the result of irrigation, as that experi- 
 ment was claimed to be a grand success, so I went 
 that waj and stopped for a time to see and study for 
 myself. Xever was I more surprised and pleased 
 with the result. I at once became enthusiastic over 
 the grand future for all our vast tracts of arid, desert 
 region, for as a consequence of the trial at Greely I 
 saw the triumph of coming ages, and J have not yet 
 lost my enthusiasm. From Greely a short run wds 
 made to Denver, which had become celebrated by its 
 proximity to Pike's Peak and the famous gold belt 
 near by, but it was like other young, pretentious 
 •cities — had much to learn and some things to iiidearn. 
 Prom Denver we went north to the main line, and 
 soon entered the Rocky Mountain range. From 
 there it was uj) grade through constantly varying 
 mountain scenery. Sometime?^ it was. of surpassing 
 beauty, opening out to view as we turned some great 
 spur on the mountain side, showing valleys and hills 
 blended in a vast panorama that is not easily forgotten, 
 ^lany people, as they ascend the Great Di\'ide, 
 are almost exhausted by the raritied moiuitain air. I 
 never felt any unpleasant sensation, but on the con- 
 trary have a sense of exhilaration and buoyancy not 
 felt in plain or valley. At the summit, in Shennan^s 
 Pass, there is a large pyramidal monument, which 
 marks the highest grade in the range. This point is 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 167 
 
 dreaded by people with weak lungs. Many men tried 
 to run the length of the train, but few could do it 
 without being out of breath. On account of the 
 elevation the stop is always short at that point. The 
 scene in some directions is grand, but in othei's it is 
 like a gentle, rolling countrs-. We were on the gi*eat 
 summit level, and were hardly conscious of the regu- 
 lar, but rapid, descent as we went down into the great 
 treeless region that lies between the Rocky and Sierra 
 Xevada mountains. 
 
 Descending westward, we reached the valleys of 
 the head streams of the North Platte. The principal 
 of these are Laramie and Medicine Bow rivers, which 
 liead in the ^N'orth Park, and cross the great Laramie 
 plains, and finally emerge from the mountains and 
 start for their long journey to the Missouri. AIT this 
 A^ast pasture land was occupied by lai*ge herds of cat- 
 tle, which presented an impressive view when seen 
 covering: the distant hills and the fiel4 glass revealed 
 the ever-present cowboy, sometimes single, and again 
 two and three together, but otherwise alone amid the 
 wide expanse. 
 
 A section boss on the road had laid by some 
 money and invested in a small lot of cattle and put 
 them in charge of a 15-year-old son, who delighted 
 in the wild life. The little herd had now grown to 
 2,000, and the boy had become a man. That morning 
 
168 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 the boss was aboard the train, going to meet his son 
 at a station on ahead. As we neared the place the 
 engineer blew a tattoo on his whistle. The boss 
 sprang to his feet, saying, ''Charlie is coming!" and 
 sure enough, looking out to the north, a rider was 
 seen coming across the plain at full speed, waving his 
 cap in answer to the salute. When he came up his 
 face was all aglow with the excitement of a twenty- 
 mile ride to meet the train. He was greeted with 
 hearty cheers by the trainmen, and the father was 
 proud of his son, a noble specimen of manhood and 
 a model cowboy. From that boss and father I learned 
 much of the every day life of cattle herding, its dan- 
 ger, losses ^nd profits. 
 
 As we passed on westward across the rolling- 
 plains, among rough, rocky hills, we began to realize 
 that we were in the great summit level of the conti- 
 nent, the great, central fountain of nearly all our large 
 rivers. Soon we reached the wonderful Green River 
 valley, the headwaters of the Colorado of the west. 
 Here we found a combination of strong contradictory 
 phenomena. Taking its rise in the same central up- 
 land, amid perpetual snow, yet its waters for many 
 miles are so alkaline and bitter that it is not fit to 
 drink without boiling; even the pasture lands are use- 
 less. The grass is so bitter that cattle cannot live 
 on it; even the wild deer and buffalo never frequent 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 1(^9 
 
 this region. Tliere is one celebrated spring or large 
 fountain that yields the most noisome and intensely 
 aend water known. Yet it is a wonderful country; 
 behind us was the headwater of the Platte river, to 
 the southeast the Arkansas, to the northeast and north 
 is the head of the Yellowstone and Snake (Columl)ia), 
 and we are on the Colorado, while 150 miles westward 
 is the eastern rim of the Great Salt Lake basin; and 
 greatest of all, 250 miles north, is Yellowstone Park, 
 the wonder of the world. 
 
 At Granger we left the main Union Pacific line 
 and soon entered the Bear river country, where the 
 river is running north, and in a short time came tx) 
 one of the characteristics of this strange, volcanic 
 region. Bear river originally was a branch of Snake 
 river, but some local convulsion has thrown up a 
 short range of mountains right across its course, form- 
 ing Bear Lake, and turning the river back into the 
 great basin and emptying it into Salt Lake. This is 
 only one of many such changes that have been wrought 
 by volcanic action, and to an eye open to such things, 
 this whole great, central treeless territory is full of in- 
 terest; for on every side is evidence of comparatively 
 fearful volcanic activity, and one looking for the won- 
 derful cannot afford to travel during the night. 
 
 I turned aside at Pocatello, and went north to 
 Idaho Falls to .see that region then just opened to 
 
170 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 settlement, and which was supposed to be a place of 
 mnch promise. Some days were spent in tramping 
 over the valley, among sage brush and numerous 
 jack rabbits. After seeing the soil and the inexhaust- 
 ible supply of water in Snake river, it was easy to pre- 
 dict the future of that valley, for it was a marvel of 
 fertility and productiveness. Upon returning to Po- 
 catello the journey was resumed down Snake River 
 valley and across the wide plain. To the average 
 passenger the suiTOundings were dreary, desolate and 
 repulsive ; but not so ^\^th me, for there before me, 
 Avritten in raised stone, was the history of the coun- 
 try. In many places there is not an acre of surface 
 but has a half dozen craters from four to twenty feet 
 in diameter, and from three to fifteen feet high.. 
 Those craters were formed when the great lake of 
 melted matter was cooling and crusting over. ^Then 
 the crust was the consistency of baker's dough, great 
 bubbles of steam would escape through the plastic 
 covering, which left the opening only partially closed, 
 and it soon hardened into stone, and there they stand 
 simple and plain as a printed page. The low ranges 
 of adjacent mountains show that they have first been 
 formed, of this plastic material, rolled and twisted into 
 great fr»lds, then subsequently shivered and shattered 
 by internal convulsions, accompanied by volcanic fire 
 that scorchefl and blackened the broken rocks. 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 171 
 
 Every mile of the joiiraey across the plain and 
 down the valley was full of interest, for on every side 
 was evidence that we were in the midst of phenomena 
 not found elsewhere, and peculiar to this part of the 
 continent and the world, so far as known to mo<lem 
 scientists and geologists. 
 
 The niin<l can in time grow weary of remember- 
 ing and storing away, even though it be things both 
 sublime and beautiful with which it is dealing. So 
 it was a relief to reach the wild region of the Owyhee 
 river, past the railroad junction of the theii noisy, 
 boasting, gambling little place knowTi as Boise City, 
 which, though of ill-repute, had a future before it 
 that time alone could develop. At Huntington we 
 were in the midst of one of the wild, incomprehen- 
 sible territories. The mountains seemed to have been 
 thrown up by contending crosg currents of volcanic 
 energy. In some places two of these contending 
 forces seem to have met and made chop sea of the 
 mountains and hills. It is a wild, interesting ride 
 through the Seven Devils and Blue Mountain ranges, 
 with every conceivable combination of dark ravines, 
 dizzy heights and secluded valleys; a perfect medley 
 of romantic scenery. 
 
 At, Pendleton we reached the celebrate^l valley 
 of the Columl)ia river, and at Umatilla we came to the 
 rjver itself. Of this stream it mav be said, there are 
 
172 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 few more interesting in the world, and not one that 
 drains such a wonderful country. It is the outlet for 
 the waters of the great internal empire, as it is called, 
 all of Idaho, the western part of Montana, part of 
 British Columbia, Oregon and Washington. Within 
 this area every form of volcanic force has been in 
 active operation, producing results not found else- 
 where, and not excelled in the terrible, sublime and 
 beautiful. 
 
 From Umatilla the railroad follows the river; 
 and it is in sight much of the time, and there is no 
 part of the distance but what is full of beauty, with 
 ever changing views and sublime grouping of moun- 
 tains as a background. There is one point that no tour- 
 ist should fail to see, or to be awake and on the look- 
 out for. At a bend in the river as we neared the 
 Cascade range of mountains, Mt. Hood suddenly 
 came into view, standing high above all the interven- 
 ing summits, clothed with perpetual snow, which 
 sparkled in the morning sunlight like a great phos- 
 phorescent cone of fire. It bursts upon one so un- 
 expectedly and is so nmch like a meteor flash, that 
 the vision fixes itself on the memory so deeply that 
 few of the many who thus see it will ever forget it. 
 
 From the moment we caught sight of Mt. Hood 
 the interest increased, for on every side we saw evi- 
 dence of the mighty convulsions that have shaken 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 173 
 
 this whole region in the past. We now travelled 
 through a country which is the richest in fossil de- 
 posits of pre-historic times of any place in the world. 
 This is especially the case up the valley of the John 
 Day river, which comes in from the south and the 
 plains of Des Chutes river. The beds of the streams, 
 the banks and bluifs, the foot-hills and sometimes the 
 mountain sides, abound in petrifactions of such a char- 
 acter as to make a fossil collector go into ecstasies 
 over the evidences of former life in this now com- 
 paratively desolate place. 
 
 Pi;obably there are few^ parts of the country 
 which have a greater interest to the geologist, or intel- 
 ligent farmer, than the Grand Dalles, the great rapids 
 and falls of the Columbia river wdiere it makes its 
 passage through the Cascade range of mountains. 
 For unknown ages the river has been cutting its way 
 through the range. When it first began it was four 
 or five thousand feet above its present level, and a 
 great inland sea covered the area of the internal 
 empire. 
 
 It is wonderful to behold how the work has 
 slowly progressed in wearing away the rock. In 
 places there have been perpendicular falls of a thous- 
 and feet, ever var\dng and changing until it is now 
 confined at The Dalles proper, to a channel of a 
 few hundre<i feet wide, through which the water 
 
174 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 rushes at liglitniug speed. No invention of man can 
 ever navigate those fearful rapids. Like the Xiagara 
 river, it is slowly deepening the gorge and working up 
 stream, but it has no lake to drain ; its labor is done in 
 that line. The scene at Harper's Ferry will give a 
 faint ide^a of the higher and grander scene at the 
 passage of the Columbia through the Cascade range. 
 It is an invariable rule that things ai^e on a wider 
 and grander scale as we go west across the continent. 
 The plains are wider, the mountains more rugged 
 and higher, the volcanic energy has been greater, the 
 natural wonders more astonishing, and the ancient life 
 has been more gigantic and abundant. The growth 
 of the trees in the past, as well as in the present, is as- 
 tonishing, and they are taller and larger than any 
 other land; the deposits of gold are more abundant, 
 and the future of human developmeiat more ideal and 
 more assured. 
 
 It was not only these sublime scenes that gave 
 me an absorbing and thnlling interest in all that 
 passed, but I was full of a silent and deep feeling of 
 triumph in my heart, that I had at last reached the 
 ideal land of my early life. Forty years before^ 
 when I left my Carolina home, Oregon was to be the 
 ultimate resting place, and thiM>ugh all the interven- 
 ing veal's the hope of one day reacliing there had 
 never left me: and now I felt a gk>w of exultation and 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 175 
 
 thankfulness that I had at last realized my life dream, 
 and a& the train whirled past and through the ever- 
 changing scenes, down the magnificent river, my joy 
 can better be imagined than expressed. The impulse 
 ^vithin was to g-ive erne long, continuous shout of 
 victory. 
 
 In this overland trip there were three other ex- 
 plorers who, in like manner, were aliA'e to all that 
 parsed. One was an enthusiast on the bee culture; 
 then there was the man who dealt in blooded horses, 
 and a shrewd real estate man. When w^e landed at 
 Portland all were full to overflowing and eager to 
 s.ee the promised land, but before parting we agreed 
 to meet again and compare notes. The man inter- 
 ested in bees W' ent up and over the Coast range to the 
 west to the honey belt; the horse dealer went into 
 ecstasies over the splendid hor&e§ seen in Portland, and 
 from there he went up the gTand Willamette Valley; 
 the real estate man became incog, with eyes and ears 
 open, while I spread out up the valley, and among- 
 the fo<>thills and immense forests. I had. several 
 objective points and purj)0ses, one of which was the 
 government Indian school, five miles north of Salem, 
 the capital, where I found my old friend, W. F. 
 Harvey, and my young cousin, William Y. Coffin, 
 the former superintending physician, the latter super- 
 intendent in charge of the. school. A few days were 
 
176 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 Spent at the seli<X)I, where I had an opportunity of 
 seeing and observing twenty-two different types of 
 native Indians, including two from Alaska. 
 
 The school was located in a dense forest, which 
 the Indian boys were cutting down and burning. I 
 was struck with the size of one tree they cut, and 
 measured it acroes the stump as well as its length. 
 It was 14 feet in diameter and 220 feet long. It was 
 the largest tree in the clearing, but a few hundred 
 jards south I found several still larger and taller. 
 To the east of the school, and across the railroad, >vas 
 a magnificent forest of giant trees that looked as 
 though it would be a sin to destroy for any purpose 
 or under any pretense. 
 
 While at the sch(X>l a telegram was telephoned 
 from Salem for me from my son in Carson, Xevada, 
 inquiring whether I was in that part of the world, 
 l^pon replying, another came asking when I could 
 meet him at the Lick House, San Francisco. The 
 time tables of the sailing of steamei*s was consulted, 
 and a date fixed for me to sail from Portland. This 
 shoii)ened my stay in Oregon a few days, but I was 
 the more active in exploring. At Salem the State 
 Fair was in full tide, where all kinds of possible, and 
 a few impossible, productions were on exhibition; but 
 among the many gi-and things the display of fruit 
 was the finest I had ever seen, apples, pears, cherries, 
 
OF ADDJSON COFFIN. 177 
 
 ])niii('?^, }>hmiv^, (}innc'es and hardy varieties of small 
 fruits. My knowledge of fruit told me at once that 
 Oregon was destined to lead the world in these va- 
 rieties, and subsequent results have proved it. 
 
 AVhile at Salem 1 saw a cowbov pen-form a feat of 
 eourag-e and skill that was wonderful. Two very 
 large and poAverful horses harnessed to an express 
 wagon took fright, and dashed off at breakneck speed, 
 and the driver was powerless to do anything. The 
 cowboy was sitting on his small, wiry horse, looking 
 at a train of cars coming in. His attention w^as called 
 to the runaway team by the shouting. He looked 
 for a moment, took in the situation, then dashed after 
 them like a flash and was soon beside the off horse, 
 which he caught by the bridle and jerked its head 
 up and back. At the same time he swung about four 
 feet of the end of his lanat like a whip lash across 
 the nose of the other horse. In thirty or forty steps 
 he brought them to a dead halt, then briefly said to 
 the excited driver, ^'Xow you haye them," and can- 
 tered slowly back to his former position. But it is 
 due his intelligent horse to say of it that it acted 
 its part as though it understood just what must be 
 done and how to do it. While the rider's hands were 
 both employed with the horses, it kept its place, 
 and at the right moment braced itself for the flnal 
 
178 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 tug that brought them around. The sagacity of those 
 trained horses is marvelous. 
 
 Another example of a cowboy and his horse. 
 A large, stamj^eding steer had been lassoed, but in 
 the first frantic stiTiggle it threw the horse and rider 
 in the road. The man was somewhat shaken up, but 
 the horse sprang to its feet, tightened the lasso, and 
 kept the infuriated animal in the road, and had taken 
 it successfully nearly a mile before over-taken by 
 its master. Sometimes the steer would make a des- 
 perate lunge and try to gore the horse, but it always 
 dashed off in the. right direction, keeping the lasso 
 taut, and often gaining a hundred yards of headway 
 by this maneuver. Every effort of the steer to break 
 away was promptly and intelligently thwarted. No 
 man could have done better. The lasso was firmly 
 fastened to the saddle, which was as firmly fastened 
 to the horse. In many instances these horses have 
 displayed as much discernment as the best shepherd 
 dog in herding cattle and sheep. 
 
 The time to leave Oregon was so arranged that 
 I could meet my fellow-explorers at Portland, and 
 we had a very interesting meeting. The informa- 
 tion received and given was invaluable. It was al- 
 most like an actual experience, and each felt that it 
 was reliable. Xone were so completely enthused as 
 the bee culturist ; he had seen whole car loads of honey 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 179 
 
 shipped bv one iiiaii; it was something ahnost beyond 
 belief, but he was henceforth to be an Oregon bee 
 keeper, llie horse dealer had selected the Kogue 
 River valley for a blooded horse farm. The real estate 
 man saw what has since come to ])ass — the growth 
 of East Portland and the fortunes to be thus gained — 
 and he is now happy at the thought of his foresight. 
 While I related all that had been seen and done, l)ut 
 withheld judgment until 1 had seen more, though 
 agreeing with the convictions and conclusions of my 
 friends. 
 
 I took steamer at Portland for San Francisco, 
 the overland railroad not being completed at that time. 
 In crossing the bar at the mouth of the river a strong 
 mnd was blowing, making a chop sea, which caused 
 the steamer to lay off from land and run well out to 
 sea. Though rough, there was nothing sensational 
 about the voyage, excepting to those who had genuine 
 sea sickness. To them there were many sensational 
 periods, and probably memories not yet gone. One 
 day a school of whales, a dozen or more, passed us. 
 One large fellow rose ^\nthin fifty feet of the ship 
 and spouted his two jets of water high in the air; then 
 laid almost still a minute or more, taking in his long 
 breath of fresh air; then, with a sudden, rolling plunge 
 was out of sight. Although the steamer was making 
 good speed and going the same way, the .whales soon 
 
180 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 disappeared in the distance ahead, the last jets of 
 water, as seen through the glass, not rising but six to 
 ten feet above the waves. 
 
 The approach to the Golden Gate was full of 
 interest aside from the natural scenery and wonderful 
 topographical surroundings. In one of my aerial 
 dreams, or clairvoyant ^dsions, I had seemed to stand 
 with Milton Hadley on a hill and look out to sea 
 through the Golden Gate into the past years; hence 
 I was anxious to see all the islands and hilltops that 
 surrounded the bay. ^^^len I reached the landing, 
 my son, and his wife met me at the gangwav and we 
 had a happy meeting, for it had been several years 
 since he had gone west, and I was channed and de- 
 lighted to meet his beautiful young wife. She was 
 one of the few to whom the best of photographs do 
 not do justice. 
 
 For a few days my son showed me the wonders 
 of the city and its surroundings. One of ihe points 
 which engaged our attention was the Cliff House, 
 across the neck of the coast, where hundreds of bark- 
 ing seals occupied a group of rocks rising out of the 
 water near shore. They keep up a constant noise very 
 much like fox hounds on a hot trail. These seals are 
 protected by the government, and are about all that 
 have escaped destruction. We next viewed the scene 
 of the sand lot speculation. Twenty-five or thirty 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 181 
 
 vears ago the city undertook — wiuit was looked ii}n;ii 
 as one of the most stupendous humbugs of the time — 
 to remove som€ sand hills ai.d Jill up a part of the bav. 
 The project entered into local and state politics, and 
 was long drawn out and violent; but the sand hills 
 were plucked up and cast into the spot selected, and 
 now the bay is filled. The place where the sand hills 
 stood is now the center of business, and the most 
 valuable property in the city. 
 
 The whole place was interesting to me, for my 
 brother-in-law, Milton Hadley, was one of the leaders 
 in the rebellion in the early days, when honest people 
 arose in arms to expel the blacklegs, swindlers and 
 robbei-s who had control of the city and state; but this 
 has gone into history and need not be repeated. It 
 was interesting to see the place where the citizens 
 built the gunny-bag fort and established their head- 
 quarters, tried, condemned and hanged the robbers. 
 
 San Francisco is one of the two wonderful cities 
 of the world where two or more people from every 
 civilized nation can meet and talk together; the cli- 
 mate is not too cold for those from the tropics, nor 
 too warm for those from the poles. Cairo, in Egypt, 
 is the other city. 
 
 We next went to Carson City, Nevada, my son^s 
 
 home, where I spent some weeks among the wild 
 
 mountains. I made a trip by Tucker to and around 
 
 Lake Zahoe, one of the strange lake phenomena not 
 
 ^ 12 
 
182 LIFE A>sD TRAVELS 
 
 easily explained. It is 6,200 feet above the sea level, 
 amid snow and ice; yet its waters never freeze, no 
 matter liow cold the atmosphere. It is nearly 2,000 
 feet deep aiid surrounded by mountain peaks, and 
 believed by many to be the extinct crater and outlet 
 to a vast volcanic area, though twenty miles long and 
 twelve wide. 
 
 Xear Carson City is another remarkable object 
 not surpassed in any corner of the eai'th. It is the 
 footprints of men, animals and birds found in a solid 
 rock formation,, when excavating in the yard of the 
 State piison. When I first saw these imprints of a 
 past geologic age it filled me \^'i-:h inexpressible aston- 
 ishment, for here were traces of beings who had existed 
 long, long before the fossil forms on John Day river 
 had seen the light. They were back of the prison 
 buildings, where the heavy sandstone rises in a hill 
 60 to 100 feet high. An acre or more had been ex- 
 cavated for building stone twenty to thirty feet at 
 the east, south and west walls. As thej progressed 
 the layers of stone varied in thickness from two to six 
 feet. At the depth mentioned a layer was uncovered 
 showing footprints of huge elephants, giant men, in- 
 numerable birds, deer, horses, dogs or wolves, a huge 
 elk, a gigantic bird, and other wholly unknown ani- 
 mals. The tracks had been made in a stiff clay, about 
 six inches deep; then it hardened and had been covered 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 183 
 
 bv a deposit of what the rock was formed, thus pre- 
 serving the foot marks in perfect condition, and when 
 the layer above was quarried there was the mold on 
 the under side. The elephant's tracks w^ere tw^enty- 
 t wo inches in diameter; the men eighteen inches long, 
 eight inches wide at toe^ and six at heel; the other 
 impressions of known animals were similar to those 
 of the present day. Under this formation, which was 
 two feet thick, the same kind of marks were found 
 on the stratmn below, but double in quantity. In 
 one case a child had been led by the parent, leaving 
 perfect footprints. The tracks are scattered thickly 
 over the space. The animals seemed to have crossed, 
 and recrossed in every direction. Then men, or 
 people, appeared to have walked singly or in groups. 
 Near the west side of the yard an elephant had died 
 and left an outline of its form, and several frag- 
 ments of its tusk were left :K'ar by. It-:- mate li'.id 'p- 
 parently, from the marks, remained by it lor some 
 time, helping. Sixteen horses had gone by in a com- 
 pany, all close together and in a direct line; they 
 appear to have been the last to pass. One unknown 
 animal left a roundish track nearly eight inches in 
 diameter, wholly different from all the others, and 
 from anything now living or among fossil remains yet 
 discovered. 
 
 These footprints open up a new chapter to geolo- 
 
184 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 gists, and reveal the existericc of animals in a time 
 heretofore unknown, and the presence of man in 
 an age and under circumstances inexplicable. I was 
 so interested in this discovery that I charged my mem- 
 ory with the whole picture so it would not fade, and 
 on amving at home drew a chart and had it engraved 
 and printed. It was fortunate T did so, for when I 
 last visited the prison yard, in 1(S93, it had heen 
 dragged over with heavy stones, carts and wagons, 
 and all marks were destroyed excepting a few near 
 the east wall and close to what was then the south- 
 west corner. The time may come when it \vi\\ be a 
 good thing that I inherited a fine memory and pre- 
 served a chart of these impressions. 
 
 Twenty miles north of Carson City is Steam Ix^at 
 hill, a miniature Yellowstone Park. Covering a 
 space of eighty or one hundred acres of foot hills, 
 there is a display of small geysers, boiling pools of 
 water, steam jets shooting into the air; lon^', irregular, 
 ragged fissures, from which sulphurous and poison- 
 ous gases escape, with low, rumbling noises from far 
 below, so that the hill trembles. Streams of boiling 
 water issue from fantastically-shaped fountains, and 
 deposit various colored and different kirxls of sediuierit 
 down the side of the hill. In many places lime many 
 feet deep has been found, with a curious mingling of 
 other deposits. Steamboat Hill- is the extreme south- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 185 
 
 west end of the last lake of fire, of which Norris hmn, 
 in Yellowstone Park, is the central vent, and the Bad 
 Lands the far nxDrtheast extremity; and it is wonderful 
 to see that the evidence there is of the fearful vol- 
 canic activity, which has been witnessed by this part 
 of the world. It is truly the land of fire. 
 
 Still another object of much interest is the lum- 
 ber flumes, by which lumber and wood are floated 
 from long distances from among and up on the moun- 
 tains. Flumes are like a big trough, shaped about 
 three feet deep and water tight. They are construct- 
 ed to cross deep gorges and descend steep inclines, 
 finally delivering the lumber in the valley or out on 
 the plain. There is one twenty-four miles long near 
 Carson City, down which is floated millions of feet 
 of lumber and hundreds of thousands of cords of 
 wood. This to home people, in eastern states, would 
 seem almost beyond belief. 
 
 While stopping with my son, I one day deter- 
 mined to explore the winding flume to its terminus, 
 several thousand feet above the valley. I found it 
 quite a dangerous and adventurous trip, although 
 there were men stationed in little watch houses at short. 
 inter\'als to prevent jams in the flume. Yet there 
 were points from which I almost shrank in terror; 
 places where it was carried across gorges and along 
 the face of cliffs on trestle work fifty to sixty feet 
 
186 LIFE AND. TRAVELS 
 
 higli, with nothing but a ten-inch boai'd to walk upon. 
 Sometimes it passed under overhanging rocks that 
 shut out the sun and almost daylight, but I persevered, 
 for I had had some experience in walking narrow 
 ways through life. Besides, the watchmen were sur- 
 prised and delighted to see me come their way, as 
 it was a rare thing for them to see any one from 
 the outside in this lonely place. 
 
 With fre(iuent rest^ and counsel from the watch- 
 xiien, I reached the summit by the middle of the 
 .afternoon ; then went down to Glennbrook, three miles 
 away, on Lake Tahoe, spent the night, and walked 
 back down the flume n-ext day ; not only to the sui'prise 
 .and delight of the lone watchmen, who greeted me 
 with hearty friendship, but in the city people were 
 astonished at the performance, and for a time the fe^t 
 was a noted event, and went the round of news. 
 It was truly an interesting trip, and is stamped upon 
 .the memor\\ There were many scenes of wild beauty 
 and many of gloom and teiTor, and it was one of the 
 practical lessons that could not be leame<l any other 
 way. Ever afterwards when I saw flumes delivering 
 wood and lumber, I called to mind the lumber men 
 off in the mountains and the lone wat<^hers along its 
 side, and my sympathy went out to tliem. 
 
 The region around Caisson City is not mthout 
 historic interest. Twelve miles awav is Yiroinia Oitv. 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 187 
 
 That is where the wonderful Comstock lode or gold 
 deposit was, now w^orked out, but from which so many 
 millions were mined, and filled the land with wonder. 
 The early California trail passed close by the city, 
 and the stage route started from there over which 
 old Hank Monk drove Horace Greely on the cele- 
 brated and historic ride. 
 
 When I left niy son, instead of returning home- 
 \yard over the Central Pacific Railroad, I went back 
 to San Francisco and took the Southern Pacific route 
 by Los Angeles, thence eastward across Arizona and 
 'New Mexico to El Paso, Texas. This route intro- 
 duced me into new^ scenes and new wonders. I made 
 my first acquaintance with the varied forms and 
 gigantic proportions of the cactus family, the most 
 interesting and astonishing being the giants on the 
 Yuma desert, which stand like huge pillars in the 
 shape of cucumbers, rising to fifteen to thirty feet, 
 and covered with thorns three to five inches long. 
 Though they were mar^^elous, they imparted a very 
 gloomy, desolate look to the vast and naked solitude. 
 Other cacti were none the less noticeable, but there 
 was more variety in their forms, and instead of add- 
 ing to they relieved the drearv^ loneliness that ]>ecame 
 oppressive, as hour after hour we sped forward over 
 the almost dead level of sand and coarse gravel. 
 
 Yet all that expanse of present sterility has 
 
188 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 within itself capabilities that se-em little less than 
 miraculous. With water supplied in the proper quan- 
 tity and right time, that desert is more productive 
 than the richest valleys of the world, for just below 
 its apparently barren surface is a mixture of volcanic 
 ashe^ and tufa, that gives it inexhaustible fertility. 
 This opens up a line of thought in which the imagin- 
 ation can picture the ideal of the region, when it shall 
 bud and blossom into life and be again peopled with 
 millions. 
 
 In Southern New Mexico is one of the wonderful 
 phenomena that will one day attract much attention, 
 and possibly become a national problem. It is the 
 long line of sandhills which are slowly advancing 
 northwards before the prevailing winds. The sand 
 covers and destroys every' living thing, and the for- 
 ward movement is so sure and regular that it can 
 be calculated with measurable certainty. For hun- 
 dreds of miles southward its track can be traced, as 
 it has slowly ground its way over rocks and hills, 
 across vallevs and streams, along the base of moun- 
 tains ; ever\^^here leaAdng them serrated with grooves, 
 channels and fantastic car^dng in the sandstone ledges 
 and hard clay, and in places foi*ming singularly- 
 shaped hills like a snow drift around ragged rocks 
 that held the heavier portion of the great sand floe. 
 
 Several days were spent at the historic point of 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 189 
 
 El Paso, on the American side of the river, and in 
 Paso del Norte, on the Mexican side. This was one 
 of the Spanish inland settlements, and it, like many 
 other places, bears testimony to the sagacity and fore- 
 sight of the early Jesuit fathers. Though so remote 
 from the coast and in the midst of a wilderness, they 
 foresaw its importance as a passway through the 
 mountains, which, after a lapse of 150 years, is now 
 being verified by the concentration of railroads and 
 the proposition, to build a dam across the river in the 
 pass to form a reservoir for irrigation, that will equal 
 if not surpass, anything of the kind known in modem 
 times. The largest amount of blasting powder ever 
 used at one time up to that date was exploded in that 
 pass. It literally blew off the end of the mountain 
 to make way for a railroad. Two cousins, who had 
 resided there for some time, kindly showed me over 
 the surrounding hills and through the fertile valley, 
 just beginning to be developed under modem appli- 
 ances, and which has a bright future before it. There 
 •are no gold deposits near to distract and hinder its 
 progress. 
 
 The mn across the Staked plains to Ft. Worth, 
 600 miles, was uneventful, but full of interest. In 
 places there were large herds of cattle in sight. In 
 the subterranean river belt many wind mills were be- 
 ing erected for irrigation and stock water. There had 
 
190 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 been a grand roundup on tli€ Pecos Valley, and a 
 company of cowboys were off on a vacation East. 
 lliey were a lively, half-wild set of good fellows, bent 
 on frolic and fun. On every side there were thous- 
 ands of active prairie dogs standing, with owls, snakes 
 and prairie hawks on their mounds thrown up over 
 their burrows. The cowboys opened up a fusillade 
 with their revolvers, repeating carbines and Winches- 
 ter rifles, and only ceased when night came, to be re- 
 newed next day. One of their number got furiously 
 drunk the second dav. . His comiMnions bundled him 
 off at a wayside station, and the men there put him into 
 a coal shed to cool off. Then all moved hamioniously 
 again until we reached Ft. Worth, where I left the 
 pleasant, though boisterous, fellows with many a 
 hearty handshake and good bye. 
 
 From Ft. Worth I crossed the Indian territory 
 to Parsons, Kansas, where I was among familiar scenes 
 once more. From there by way of Ft. Scott, Kansas 
 City, Lincoln, Nebraska, to Omaha, thence by the 
 Burlington home: having traveled in all nearly 10,- 
 000 miles. My memory was so stored with varied 
 material, new and wonderful, that it required several 
 weeks to re-arrange and classify. 
 
 On my return, my friends and neighboi*s called 
 on me frequently to give public talks on what I had 
 seen and learned, and there were some people who 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN, 
 
 191 
 
 doubted my statements on the ground that it was. im- 
 ix>ssible for one person to see and do so much in so 
 short a time; and many severe tests were made to 
 prove my eyes and memory by parties who had seen 
 portions of the country I had passed through, but 
 my memory did not fail me in any essential fact or 
 locality, ^or did I let it be known that I had fol- 
 lowed with absorbing interest the history of all the 
 Pacihc coast, from Clark and Lems' expedition in 
 180i to 180(5; John Jacob Astor's founding of As- 
 toria in 1812; Fremont's expedition in 1844: to 1850, 
 and the history of Mexico from the conc^uest down 
 to date, including the revolution. Independence and 
 the annexation of Texas. Of all this my question- 
 ers were measurably ignorant. 
 
 There was also some demand for written accounts 
 of my journey. Accordingly, several articles were 
 prepared for state and local papers which seemed to 
 meet the want, but our country is changing so rap- 
 idly in almost every respect that a correct, life-like 
 description of any particular locality will not be a 
 true description hve years later. There are points in 
 Kansas, Iowa, Xebraska, and all other states west, 
 that were open, unbroken prairie without an inliabit- 
 ant, twenty-five years ago, that are now thickly 
 peopled, with towns, cities and many thousands of 
 population. In fact, every state and territory west 
 
192 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 of the Mississippi, excepting Arkansas and Missouri, 
 has been occupied and peopled since 1840. It would 
 be interesting to the young people of this generation 
 to see one of Woodbridge and Maltabrun's Geogra- 
 phies, with their maps, as published from 1832 to 
 1840. ^N^early half the great west was wholly un- 
 known to the white man. 
 
CHAPTER SEVEN. 
 
 Trip to the Pacific Coast — Landing at Reno, and 
 Down to Carson City — Stop With My Son and 
 Family — Climbing Mountains — Trip to Southern 
 California — Trip to El Paso — Trip to Mexico City 
 — Return to Texas — To New Orleans — Home. 
 
 Soon after my return from this trip my wife's 
 fatal illness began,, and as stated heretofore, continued 
 on to th-e end, with little rest from suffering; and in 
 the long watching and nursing I broke down in health 
 and strength, and for a time my recovery was very 
 doubtful, and when the crisis passed my condition 
 was not hopeful, but a neighbor and special friend, 
 Dr. Allen Furnas, had sold his farm and was going 
 to Southern California, so he undertook to deliver me 
 in Reno, Nevada, where my son would meet me. 
 
 On the first of September, 1889, 1 joined him and 
 his family to try what seemed rather a risky venture, 
 on account of my weakness. At Kansas City, Mo., 
 we took a tourist car and settled down for house- 
 
 (193) 
 
194 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 keeping and a pleasant trip. The doctor and I had 
 traA'eled much together, and knew how to make a 
 trip paj. From the start my strength improved, and 
 when we reached the mountains in Colorado the effect 
 on me was marvelous. It seeined as though every 
 breath imparted new life and energy, and natural 
 vigor returned rapidly to body and spirit. 
 
 We wei*e prepared to take items by the way. 
 The doctor was a successful correspondent for many 
 papers; he was observant, quick and penetrating; so 
 with held glass, eye and ear, we suffered little to pass 
 unnoted on the plains of Kansas and Colorado, and 
 few mountain peaks of any consequence or beautiful 
 valleys escaped us. In passing through the Greely, 
 Col., settlement, I was surprised and pleased to see 
 much improvement since I went through it on my 
 last trip, especially with the many new farms and 
 miles of imgating canals and signs of subst-antial 
 wealth. The doctor had not been that way, and I 
 had the honor of being instructor until we reached 
 Ogden, Utah. Our fellow-passengers were as inter- 
 esting as anything we saw; for besides our party 
 there was a man and wife going to Jacksonville, Ore- 
 gon; man and \viie to Napa, Cal. ; two men to Mer- 
 ced, Cal.; two ladies to Southern California, and a 
 few adventurers ^'going west." All were intelligent, 
 civil, social people, and we had entire control of the 
 
OF ADDISON COFFlN. 195 
 
 tourist sleejKT. We had a picnic three times a day 
 from well-tilled baskets; the porter fired up one stove 
 ou which to make coffee and tea. 
 
 When we arrived on the smnmit in the pass, 
 nearly all experimented by getting out and running, 
 jumping and other exercises to try the effect of the 
 raritied air on their lungs. Few could stand much 
 effort, and some were very much oppressed from lack 
 of breath, and suffered until we descended to a lower 
 level. My lungs breathed in the clear mount-ain 
 air like refreshing cordial, and I gTew stronger every 
 hour. Though I had passed that way before, there 
 was no less interest than at first. I saw new features 
 in all the surroundings, and the improA'ements were 
 advancing steadily forward. The farms had en- 
 croached on hay lands along the river and out on the 
 plain, shortening up the cattle range. Long lines of 
 substantial wire fence enclosed hundreds of acres of 
 whe^t land ; teams were busy replo^ving the sod broken 
 in the spring; lumber was piled along the roadside 
 for building homes. Dug outs and shacks with 
 chickens around them, and cows tethered to stakes 
 eating the luxuriant gTass, and many other sigiis of 
 human life were to be seen where all was silent and 
 lone on my former trip. This was interesting to all 
 the company, who saw and understood how rapidly 
 the settlements were advancing on every side. There 
 
198 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 was a correspoding change in the towns and villages. 
 All had increased, some had doubled, in size, while 
 others had suddenly sprung up as if by magic, with 
 school houses, church spires and the hum of active 
 life. Everywhere the cowboy was being pushed back 
 toward the mountains, and his range circumscribed 
 by the ever fatal wire fence. Green River valley 
 Wyoming, was an exception to this. It was still 
 unoccupied, and its bitter water region looked as deso- 
 late and neglected as ever. 
 
 There was a halt of a few hours at Ogden, but 
 not time to see much of the city and surroundings; 
 but the lunch baskets were replenished and a few 
 luxuries in the form of fruit added. From that point 
 the route was new to all, and we shared in the hew 
 scenes that were constantly opening to view. We 
 all were deeply interested in the 40 miles of real 
 desert, an arm of the American desert that lies to the 
 westward of Great Salt Lake, an expanse of naked, 
 glittering, blistering, white sand, dangerous to cross 
 by day in the hot season. Its glare will make the 
 eyes and head ache, if exposed to its reflection long 
 at a time. Though terrible, it is curious, and fur- 
 nishes the greatest extreme in contrast with the un- 
 surpassed blue grass region of Indiana and Ohio. 
 
 The run down the valley of the Humboldt river, 
 in Nevada, is rather dull and tiresome. The monot- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 197 
 
 ony is broken by the Humboldt mountains and the 
 great sink, or lake, where the river loses itself in an 
 immense morass, which is an open lake in winter, but 
 almost disappears in summer. The California trail of 
 1849 to 1855 passed down the entire length of this 
 river, and in the early days of the gold excitement, 
 especially in 1849, there was much suffering in this 
 valley. The grass failed and thousands of working 
 cattle died; wagons had to be abandoned and the 
 men had to make the rest of the journey on foot, and 
 many perished by the way. The few survivors of 
 the forty-niners will never forget the anguish of 
 that journey, beginning on. the Humboldt and con- 
 .tinuing all the weary way over the Sierra range of 
 mountains to the coast. 
 
 When we arrived at Reno, where the doctor had 
 promised to deliver me as an invalid, my health and 
 strength had improved so much that I was capable 
 of looking after my own wants, and the parties my 
 son had employed to see after me did not find me 
 until I had walked to the hotel. The parting with 
 the doctor and family was a pleasant one, for he 
 and I expected to meet again at his new home in 
 Southern Califoimia. 
 
 I took the train for Carson City_, thirty-two miles 
 south, where I landed safely and was met by my son 
 and wife, and felt thankful to the Lord for all rn^r 
 
 13 
 
198 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 blessings and returning health; for life, aspirations 
 and ambitions were coining back. My son, daughter, 
 and their two little children did everything in their 
 power to make life agreeable, and the days passed 
 more like a passing dream than a reality. 
 
 There was continued sunshine, and every day 
 more or less walking was done. Soon I began climb- 
 ing the hills, and in a week, the mountains that sur- 
 round the city and small valley, the great Sierra 
 range rising eight and ten thousand feet to the west, 
 within a mile of the city, wdth many lofty peaks which 
 reach nearly to the per])etual snow line. To the 
 northwest there was a c<jue-sli'aped peak, that seemed 
 to be the highest point on the range. The gla^ss 
 showed that it was a mass of broken stone that had 
 been >hivered by eniptive fire. In sjiite of my weak- 
 ness an intense desire to stand on that peak took pos- 
 session of my mind, and day by day increased. Many 
 trips were taken to the foot hills in that direction, and 
 then to the tops of the lower summits. 
 
 This continued climl)ing gave me increasing 
 ■strength until at the end of a month I quietly stepped 
 out one morning, saying I was going in that direc- 
 tion, and was soon on the trail that crossed the 
 mountain, in a gap twenty-five hundred feet below 
 the peak and a mile from its base. An old rancher 
 at the foot of the ascent tried to stop me from the 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 199 
 
 adventure, but on failing, gave me some apples and 
 told me where I would find water on the gap, and 
 probably one place on the ascent. He gave me this 
 advice: Xever follow rivers ascending or descending 
 mountains; keep on the ridges and spurs and you 
 are safe; you will not get lost. And I have found 
 this the true way for mountain travel everywhere. 
 I began the ascent about 8 a. m., and continued 
 steadily moving upward, resting every two hundred 
 yards, with frequent stops to admire the vast pano- 
 rama that was opening around me. The first spring 
 was dry, and although I was tired and thirsty I moved 
 on. About 1 p. m. I reached the pass, found the 
 spring and quenched my thirst, and ate one of my 
 apples; but my ears began to pain me very much, 
 accompanied with roaring and throbbing. This I 
 stopped by filling them and tying a handkerchief 
 on the outside. My breathing was not only perfect, 
 but exhilarating. An old quart fruit can was found, 
 cleansed and filled with water, and after a rest the final 
 ascent began. The excitement and the hope of suc- 
 •-^ess, and the pure, life-giving air, made me forget 
 my weakness, and a few minutes after 2 p. m. I was 
 on the summit. What a scene lay before me. To 
 the eastward, the vast expanse extending to the Rocky 
 Mountains, dotted with numerous intervening ranges. 
 To the far southeast was the great Raliston desert, 
 
200 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 shimmering in the sunlight, with the sharply-out- 
 lined Hot Springs range of mountains. To the north- 
 east was the expanse of Carson Sink and intervening 
 lakes, with a wonderful view made up of foot hills, 
 valleys, towns, darkness and A^olcanic mountains be- 
 longing to the age of fire. AVashoe lake, twenty miles 
 away, seemed right at my feet — just a stone's throw. 
 The scene north, west and south was beyond descrip- 
 tion. 'No words in our language can express my feel- 
 ings while gazing on the many snow-capped moun- 
 tains that filled the horizon; and the interminable 
 infolding, unfolding and eircumfolding of the stu- 
 .pendous range, as seen from one of its summits. It 
 is impossible to portray what can be seen, not only 
 from that peak, but from many others in that part of 
 the range. 
 
 I remained for about an hour, but I could have 
 stayed for days had not the return been a pressing 
 necessity. So I drank my last sup of water, ate my 
 apple, ajid with feelings bordering on inspiration, 
 the descent was begun. At the spring the fruit can 
 jwas filled, and the downward grade, with it^ tiresome 
 holding back, w^as before me. As I went up I had 
 carefully marked places where distance could be saved 
 by cut oifs. Some of them shortened the way by 
 several hundred yards, and one as much as a mile or 
 .more. In making it I had a new experience. Soon 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 201 
 
 after leaving the trail, I came out from the scrub upon 
 a broad sand flow, extending nearly to the base of 
 the descent. I stepped on it and it seemed to be solid/ 
 but in a short distance I came to loose sand and 
 commenced sinking. In an instant I knew the dan- 
 ger and the proper course to pursue. I threw myself 
 flat on my back and lifted my feet to the surface, 
 and began rolling over towards the right. In a= 
 moment the whole body of the flow began moving 
 down hill -^vith me on it. The situation was now 
 rather uncomfortable, and I looked anxiously ahead. 
 Off to the right, some distance below me, and well off 
 to the edge of the flow, a small pine tree was stand- 
 ing. By rolling over and gradually working acrass 
 the current, I gx)t in line with the tree, then went 
 straight to it, and was soon astride and hugging it like 
 a friend in need. Being safe, I now watched the 
 strange phenomenon. The flow was two hundred feet 
 wide and several feet deep, and moved as fast as a 
 man could walk, with a singular humming or musical 
 sound, which was intensified by obstructions as rocks 
 and trees. The descent was nearly a thousand feet, 
 at an angle of about 30 or 35 degrees. Bv a detour 
 through the scrub I reached the bottom of the de^ 
 scent, where the sand wias slowdy piling up among 
 the rocks and small pines. The danger would have 
 been in being covered up and suffocated in the fine, 
 
202 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 yielding sand, like being in a bin of flaxseed. The 
 steady disintegration of the rocks and shale of which 
 the mountains are formed, the extremes of winter 
 frost and summer heat cause this continued crumbling 
 away, and produce sand flows. 
 
 When 1 returned that evening my strength was 
 all gone, and I was completely exhausted. The ex- 
 citement of the day had been too much for my situ- 
 ation, so I had to lie down at once and keep close 
 all next day. I did not tell what I had done until 
 sure that I was over the effects; then it was hard for 
 tliem to believe I had accomplished the feat in one 
 day, but my descriptions removed all doubt. That 
 was another landmark in life, another picture that 
 will not fade, Imt unfortunately cannot be depicted. 
 So the days passed until the snow began to cover the 
 mountain tops. Then, like a bird of passage, I started 
 southward. 
 
 From Carson City I went directly to San Fran- 
 cisco and there made arrangements to see as much of 
 Southern California as I could by rail. The first trip 
 was down the coast line route, through San Jose and 
 that beautiful valley, where everything seems tend- 
 ing towards perfection in gardening, fruit growing 
 and farming. The rich, alluvial soil, under intelli- 
 gent cultivation, is yielding marv^elous results, and 
 it- is a joy to look out on some of the rural scenes 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 203 
 
 up the valley. Irrigation has been brought to a high 
 state of perfection, and the results are not surpassed 
 by the highest attainments of the Hollanders and Bel- 
 gians. From there I went southward, up the fertile 
 and rapidly-developing Salinas Valley and on to Tem- 
 pleton and San Luis Obispo, through a new, but 
 very promising country. At Templeton there was 
 being opened up a portion of countrN^ that had a 
 grander future than any other part of the coast in that 
 latitude. This evidences the sagacity of the Jesuits, 
 who realized the fact and founded a mission there, 
 the ruins of which still remain. One adobe building, 
 covered with red tile, has been standing over a hun- 
 dred years, and will stand many years longer if undis- 
 turbed. 
 
 Upon returning to San Francisco I started south 
 on the San Joaquin line of the SoutheiTi Pacific Rail- 
 road, and passed up tbat rich valley and was not 
 idle with my eyes, ears or field glass. Real estate 
 men were loud in their praise and persistent in so- 
 liciting land buyers to purchase in that valley, and 
 they were almost a nuisance on the trains: man^' of 
 them wide-moutlied, brazen, unprincipled and offen- 
 sive. 
 
 T called at Tnlare to see some old neighl'Ors 
 who had stopped there. Some practical fniit grow- 
 ers iireed me to i>-o l^ack to Merced and Fresno, and 
 
204 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 tliej would meet all expense. So I consented. At 
 Merced I was met by a former Indianian and driven 
 out through the wonderful vineyards and fruit or- 
 chards, and then out to the naked desert, where there 
 was no improvement, that I might understand the 
 amazing capabilities of that desert when watered and 
 cultivated. The contrast was almost beyond belief. 
 In places, within GO feet of the most vigorous and 
 luxuriant vines and fruit trees, the ground would be 
 perfectly barren and destitute of vegetation; yet the 
 %'ines and trees were growing in the same kind of soil. 
 Two days spent at Merced gave me an intelligent 
 idea of its future. At Fresno I was met by friends 
 who also drove me about through rapidly expanding 
 fruit orchards and vineyards. Here the celebrated 
 raisin grape seemed to have attained perfection both 
 in quality and quantity. Looking out across the wide 
 valley, it was difficult even to imagine what the future 
 of that productive land would be, for the snow-cov- 
 ered mountains told me there would never be a lack 
 of water while snow fell. 
 
 'E-etuming to Tulai-e, my friend and I had a 
 pleasant social time, and then the journey southward 
 was resumed. But fate ^vas again adverse. At 
 Bakersfield I fell into the hands of the manager of 
 the T5,000-acre ranch, near the town, who for two 
 davs fed and carted me over the larae farm. The 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 205 
 
 sight was gmiul and surprising. There were 500 
 brood mares on the land, wdth an average stock of 
 2,000 head of horses, 15,000 head of cattle, and 
 several thousand head of sheep. The improvement 
 sheds looked more like the repair shops of a railroad 
 than anything belonging to a fann. There were a 
 dozen traction engines, with as many threshers and 
 separators, and binders and mowers by the score. 
 One raili-oad harvester cut, threshed and stacked 
 up the grain while moving as fast as the average 
 trot of a horse. The long line of hay ricks, straw 
 ricks and other kinds of food indicated the amount 
 it took to feed their live stock. The garden where 
 the vegetables were raised covered five acres, and the 
 eating house was like an immense hotel. While 
 there I witnessed their mode of branding the colts. 
 They were all in small pens for easy handling. With 
 a hot iron they marked each one on the neck under 
 the mane, with the date, age and the number; this 
 was entered in a book by a clerk standing by. It 
 was often times visible for life, and served as a means 
 of identification and of tracing pedigree. They fur- 
 nished a salesman 300 hoi*ses per year in San Fran- 
 cisco, and shipped fine stock all over the world. 
 
 This detention on my journey was the most in- 
 teresting of any, as it opened wider the possibilities 
 of that country; The water for irrigation was sup- 
 
206 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 ])lied by a large cajial out of King river. Leaving 
 Bakersfield in the morning, I passed the celebrated 
 loop on the Tehiehapa mountains, where the railroad 
 crosses itself, the first engineering feat of the kind 
 ever accomplished. It was in the forenoon when we 
 passed it. The sun was favorable^ and I had a sat- 
 isfactory view. Though wonderful in results, it is 
 simple and easily to be understood. But loops have 
 now be<'r)me commcm in crossing mountains, and have 
 ceased to astonish engineers. Beyond the loop we ran 
 out into the Mojave desert, a very singular region, 
 where the whole barren plain is covered thickly with 
 sand dunes — ^^peculiarly-shaped and oddly-grouped 
 sand hills. As yet speculation has failed to explain 
 the reason, but for some cause or other, they give 
 the landscape a forbidding, gloomy look, ^o one 
 wants to stop there. 
 
 At Sangus I took a branch road and ran down to 
 Hanta Barbara, on the coast. It is one of the old 
 S]:)anish towns, beautifuly located in a green valley, 
 and surrounded on two sides by low mountains. It 
 is one of the quiet, restful, sleepy places, where one 
 wants to go to enjoy genuine laziness, for the scenery 
 is soothing and the breeze is delightful. Retuni- 
 ing to the main line. I coon reached the far-famed 
 Los Angeles. 
 
 T^pon my first visit t(^ this city, time and oppor- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN 
 
 207 
 
 timity was not at my command for sight-seeing, but 
 now there was both time and the will to see all. Mj 
 first move was to run out on all the short line rail- 
 roads touching the city, three or four going to would- 
 be commercial ports on the coast, then down the shore 
 to San Diego, near the Mexican line. A day was 
 spent in examining the possibilities of that great city 
 of the future. There was a port and harbor that 
 cannot be surpassed for safety, capacity and all such 
 requirings, but the city Avill be slow in building. It 
 is too far south, down in the relaxing latitude where 
 men lose their energy and activity; it will never be a 
 San Francisco or a Portland. Upon my return to 
 Los Angeles I ran out on the railroads for a hundred 
 or two miles, through all the present and prospective 
 fruit region; stopped at Riverside, San Jacinto, Cot- 
 ton, San Eeraardino, Pomona, Passadena, and many 
 other fruit centers; then went to rest at the home of 
 my friend. Dr. Furnas, who had settled at El Modena, 
 38 miles from Tx)S Angeles. Instead of resting, he 
 and other old friends in the village of 300 people (I 
 knew all but one family) took me out driving every 
 day, or climbing the adjoining mountains. In this 
 way I learned much of the daily life of the inhabit- 
 ants, and talked with them respecting their prospec- 
 tive hopes of success, and saw many examples of 
 prosperity as well as many sad, disastrous failures. 
 The great boom had just collapsed, and there were 
 
208 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 hundreds of families completlv ruined and almost 
 destitute. There were many skeleton towns and 
 future ''great cities" wholly deserted, and the stakes 
 which marked the city lots were still standing alone 
 amid the solitude, ^ot a few around me were heap- 
 ing curses on the cause of their i*uin; families who 
 had lost' their all were sending east to their friends 
 for monev to go back. To add to the troubles, the 
 grape blight had passed over the land, and the scale 
 bug was attacking orange trees, which was the cause 
 of much anxiety. Taking all these things together, 
 I was fortunate in the time of my visit. When I 
 first saw El Modena it was at the beginning of the 
 boom, before the grape blight had done its work, and 
 the whole land was in a glow of extravagant ex- 
 2>ectation, and all the people seemed almost incapable 
 of sober reasoning. Xow things were at the opposite 
 extreme. 
 
 Among the many interesting places visited was 
 the ostrich farm, where there are over 100 live birds, 
 some of them gigantic creatures, attaining greater 
 height and weight than in Cape Colony, from whence 
 the stock was imported. In the company were sev- 
 eral of the original importation, which had been se- 
 lected for theii' size and perfect development; but 
 the offspring had excelled them, showing the envir- 
 onment of Southern California superior to Southern 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 209 
 
 Africa. The speculation had not been as successful 
 a^ expected, but was paying expenses. 
 
 One picnic was held on top of the mountains, 
 two miles away. In going we passed through an 
 orange orchard, with the ripening fruit beginning 
 to fall, of which we partook as hungry people only 
 can. Three times in the ascent we found rare wild 
 flowers, considered as delicate greenhous'e plants in 
 Indiana. It was a beautiful day, and the pure moun- 
 tain breeze was very bracing to the invalids, and 
 their care-takers had little trouble in looking after 
 them. In the afternoon we returned by a small fruit 
 farm, and found an abundant supply of second crop 
 strawberries, of which we wxre not slow to partake. 
 Farther on we ate ripe tomatoes from vines two years 
 old, and by a unanimous vote we resolved to say no 
 more about the day's findings. 
 
 Irrigation was one of the subjects that claimed 
 my attention. My son was extensively engaged and 
 interested in it. He had studied and collected state 
 reports of engineers, from which I gained much in- 
 formation, and could the more intelligently study 
 the subject in the sections where the greatest per- 
 fection had been attained. It is still in its infancy, 
 and it is Avonderful to see what has already been ac- 
 complished without anticipating the future. But of 
 4;his I feel assured that inside of fifty years the larger 
 
210 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 portion of our people will be living in the irrigating 
 region, where the desert now is, and the water ques- 
 tion will have become the absorbing and vital one, 
 not only to agriculture, but to future national growth 
 and expansion. 
 
 At length I bade a kind good-bye to the doctor 
 and his family, and my many other friends, and re- 
 sumed my homeward journey, passing through the 
 great waterless basin, three hundred feet below the sea 
 level. It seems to have been the bed of a former 
 lake, or arm of the gulf, which it is now proposed 
 to fill again by turning the Colorado river <jut of its 
 present channel. The new lake would cover many 
 thousands of s<:iuai*e miles, and change the climate 
 of a large territory of now barren sand. It was a 
 gala day with the Indians at Yuma, Arizona, where 
 we cross the Rio Grande river ; they were ^ out on 
 dress parade bv the hundreds. Many were display- 
 ing for sale the usual bead basket, plaited, woven and 
 painted work, ranging from a baby's moccasin to a 
 flaming red blanket, all very ingeniously and neatly 
 done. 
 
 We passed next into the gloom of the Yuma 
 •desert, which had not lost any of its interest and 
 dreariness since I first crossed, it. The passage was 
 all made by daylight this time. There wa^ a range 
 of sand hills not seen before, resembling the dunes 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 211 
 
 Oil the Mojave desert, init the ever-present giant 
 cactus grew on the sides and summits as on the level. 
 It is very curious t(3 see the way the railroad is pro- 
 tected from the drifting sand. The lighter portion 
 of the sand, when carried by the wind, follows the 
 same laws of drifting snow, and the same kind of 
 guards and wind brakes are built. The heavy, roll- 
 ing sand follows the same law of flowing water, and 
 it is a singular sight to see long lines of deep, wide 
 ditches where water never flows. As a ditch is filled, 
 others on a higher level are dug until the accumula- 
 tion changes the flow, and sends to one side to con- 
 stantly repeat the process. The life of the section 
 hands out on the arid plains is exceedingly dreary and 
 laborious, often suffering the extremes of thirst and 
 heat. 
 
 A stop of a few hours was made at Tucson, 
 Arizona, a place that mav one day become an im- 
 portant center of business; the valley is fertile and 
 water abundant. We also stayed several hours at 
 Benson. The country around looked so extremely 
 forbidding that I queried why any one should wish 
 to live in such a place; but the express agent pointed 
 to a baggage car where there was a large stack of 
 gold and silver bars piled up like cord wood. They 
 were collected from mines down in Mexico and were 
 in the crude stage, but represented immense value 
 
212 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 when purified. ]\Ien will go anywhere for gold, and 
 so were living in this forbidding place. I was glad 
 when we started, for the desolation was oppressive 
 to my mind, and I wanted to reach the mountains 
 ahead for relief. And beyond were the wonderful 
 moving sand hills, which would noAv have additional 
 interest, and it was as anticipated. The mountains 
 were of the old volcanic time, and were full of cur- 
 ious, fantastic combinations of rugged views not seen 
 in any other mountain foniiations, and are peculiar 
 to that great volcanic belt, two thousand miles long 
 and eight hundred wide and almost treeless. 
 
 When the sand hills were sighted, a strong wind 
 was blowing from the scmthwest, which carried the 
 fine sand in clouds, just like the fine, drifting snows 
 on the prairies of loAva and Nebraska. Sometimes 
 the clouds would reach the train and fill the cars with 
 dust that settled like fine flour on clothing and seats. 
 Tlie dust was very suggestive, and I made note of 
 the connection there might be between it and the 
 new theory of the luminous character of our atmos- 
 phere depending upon the atoms of dust floating in 
 it, and that the nucleus of every raindrop was an 
 atom of dust, which absorbed moisture until it could 
 no longer float, and so descended in the form of rain. 
 •Here was one of the sources of supply for atmos- 
 pheric dust, so the time from there to El Pa^o v/as 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 218 
 
 spent ill trying to reconcile the new theory with old 
 prejudices. 
 
 At El Paso my cousins welcomed me again to 
 their home, and we spent many hours rehearsing our 
 adventures, for they, too, were wanderers to some 
 extent. The reminiscences of early life had to be 
 called up and discussed; the results of my present trip 
 were talked OA^er; latest news from the old home 
 eagerly listened to, winding up with local happenings. 
 
 There was a Catholic festival being celebrated 
 on the Mexican side in Paso Del Norte, and one 
 of the accompaniments w^as a succession of bull fights. 
 My own desire, and a small amount of urging by iiiy 
 cousins, decided me to see one. Accompanied by 
 one of my relatives, I crossed the river and went 
 to the place w^here the daily tights were held. It 
 Avas in a large, circular enclosure, with seats capable 
 of seating several thousand people ; the area was about 
 100 feet in diameter. This day's performance was 
 with six bulls, three of which refused to tight and 
 were hissed out of the ring. One made some show 
 of resistance, but was finally sent out in disgrace. 
 One made a good fight, and was taken out with 
 honors; and one, the last, was frantic and furious 
 with previous torture when he entered the ring, mak- 
 ing it dangerous for -all within reach. One horse 
 was gored and hurled to the ground, and the rider 
 
 14 
 
214 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 badly bruised; one man, when pursued, escaped hy 
 a hand's breadth behind the safeguard. After being 
 tortured with barbed arrows thrust in and hanging 
 on his shouklers and sid^s, and gored with lances, 
 the executioner came into the ring with a long, dou- 
 ble-edged sword. The bull was decoyed by red fla^ 
 to the opposite side of the ring, then all ran behind 
 the barrier. On looking around the bull saw the 
 executioner waving the red flag defiantly. In an 
 instant the bull uttered a fierce bellow, lowered his 
 head and ran at full speed right on the man, who 
 seemed to be doomed to certain death; but with a 
 dexterity and agility perfectly amazing, he thrust 
 the sword between the shoulders to the heart of the 
 bull, withdrew it and sprang aside, while the animal 
 made one more convulsive spring and fell dead, the 
 life blood spouting from the wound. This was done 
 so quickly that the eye could not follow all the move- 
 ments of the executioner. I have not seen such skill 
 displayed an\^vhere, or in any kind of business, as 
 displayed by this '^Matadore.'' Yet the whole scene 
 is cruel and brutal in the extreme; there is nothing re- 
 fining or elevating, but everything that is brutalizing 
 and degTading. When we see a bull fight we under- 
 stand why the Spanish race is on the down grade in 
 civilization and national strength; if they had no 
 other sin, bull fighting would be enough to ruin their 
 moralitv in a few centuries. 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 2J5 
 
 From early boyliood J had settled it in my mind 
 that one day 1 would see the celebrated Falls oi 
 Montezuma, in Mexico. The first desire came from 
 reading Peter Parley's stories, and it grew with my 
 youth and strengthened with my strength. So being 
 free from hindering causes, I determined to make 
 the trip from El Paso. To determine was to act, so I 
 started full of anticipation, and an inward feeling 
 that I would succeed. 
 
 The tirst two hundred miles were without spei-ial 
 interest; valley, mountain and plain were a continu- 
 ation of what lay northward. After reaching Chi- 
 huahua, the country assumes distinctive features; 
 strangely-formed mountain peaks, seemingly capped 
 with artificial towers, and massive walls. Others aj>- 
 pear to have been thrust up from the valley with 
 flat tops like the hills in the Yellowstone River valley. 
 The foothills are precipitous bluifs and cliifs instead 
 of having rounded forms; but the most singular fea- 
 ture is the immense quantity and variety of cacti. 
 In places there are hundreds of acres covered so 
 densely with the fan-leaf plant that the heaviest lo- 
 comotive, if put on full speed, would not penetrate 
 the mass fifty yards. Other places are very large 
 groves of the various forms of tree cacti, giving the 
 valley an<l hills a picturesque look which cannot be 
 described for want of a standard of c<>mparison. for 
 
216 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 the like is not found outside that great central valley. 
 The towns and cities also become very interesting; 
 the further away from the border the more distinc-" 
 tively foreign they become, the style and customs 
 of the people change, the carts, wagons, agricultural 
 implements, mode of farming, gardening, local trans- 
 portation, all seems rude and primitive. The houses 
 have an Eastern look, .^the internal domestic arrange- 
 ments savor of Eastern life, and we are startled at the 
 reminders of Bible descriptions of houses and home 
 life that present themselves. As we go forward the 
 country shows a strange contradiction of prosperity 
 and decline. Sometimes we pass along lines of stone 
 walls that enclose deserted lields, and tine old S]mn- 
 ish mansions in ruin; then we pass the cnimbling 
 remains of old adohe churches, with broad lands be- 
 C(~)ming a wilderness; then, in striking contrast, we 
 will pass broad acres of grain and fine gardens, with 
 a thriving, active town in the center, where thin^ 
 look bright and promising. The ruins are the re- 
 mains of Spanish conquest and church authority, both 
 now gone. Mexican Independence ruined the Span- 
 ish grandees, and chronic revolution broke the op- 
 pression of the church; and these are the ques- 
 tions hard to solve as to which was the better, Spain^s 
 stability, or modern revolution? Judged by appear- 
 ances, there was as much bread produced on the 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN, 217 
 
 now waste lands of th^ grandees and church, under 
 Spanish nile, as by the present generation, accord- 
 ing to population. At many places we see where 
 gold and silver mines, once productive, have been 
 abandoned, and at places where the mines are still 
 worked, the natives use the rude, clumsy machinery 
 in use a hundred years ago. The new houses being 
 built are like those of the past, no modern improve- 
 rrients introduced; everything, so far as humanity 
 is concerned, is fixed and crystalized. To thinking^ 
 people, I find it a matter of surprise that <iur next- 
 door neighbor to the south should really be five hun- 
 dred years behind us in the essential things of life 
 — twelve-year-old children compared to parents. 
 
 So I went on 1,224 miles, peering around on 
 every side, plying my fellow-passengers with ques- 
 tions of the reason why for many strange things, 
 the names of plants, trees, birds and animals. At 
 one place a striking scene met my gaze, for it was 
 scriptural to the letter. A wealthy man, who planted 
 10,000 acres of corn each year, was out with fifty 
 yoke of cattle plowing in a field a mile wide; and 
 quite like the prophet r)f old, this man had the en- 
 tire fifty yoked before him. As he rode slowly be- 
 hind them, the whole thing was a great contrast to 
 the ranch at Bakersfield, in California. On one 
 occasion T o-ot the worst for my curiositv. T was 
 
218 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 watching the changing views of a beautiful lake near 
 by, and innocently asked the conductor its name" 
 then there was an explosion of merriment at my 
 expense. It was a perfect *'mirage/' while the real 
 lake was miles away, yet I watched the illusive pictui-e 
 with unabated interest, and I see it in memory as a 
 genuine lake. 
 
 But all my political speculation, eager question- 
 ing, etc., suddenly ended when we slowed up at the 
 •depot of the city of the Montezumas. My joy at 
 realizing- that I had lived to accomplish this hope 
 of early life was little less than when I stood on the 
 Great Pyramid in Egypt, or walked on the walls of 
 Jeiiisalem. As S(X>n as a room was secured I sought 
 the grand cathedral, and from its highest spire viewed 
 the wonderful surroundings; the first things I looked 
 for with my glass were the old causeways that 
 were so important in the conquest, and the defense 
 of the first conquest; then the lake, the amphitheatre 
 of the mountains and the volcano. The causeways 
 were nearly all destroyed, the lake was nearly drained, 
 but the mountains were there with a dark cloud of 
 smoke ascending from the crater. 
 
 At my feet, and far around, lay the city, so 
 unlike all othei-s in America, with its thronging 
 thousands, who, too, were unlike any other people 
 on the continent. The greatest surprise was the 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 219 
 
 oriental character of all the older portion of the city; 
 from my outlook I could see a complete counterpart 
 of eastern cities built centuries ago; every feature 
 and outline of the make-up filled me with astonish- 
 ment. There was nothing American about it but 
 the street cars. Instead of the rattle and clang of 
 drays, hacks and wheeled vehicles, there were thous- 
 ands of porters, men and women, bearing boxes, bales 
 and bundles on their backs as they did in the time of 
 Solomon. 
 
 There were whole squares enclosed with a solid 
 wall, with but one entrance through a large arched 
 gateway into an open area or court in the center, 
 and all the houses opened into it; the roofs were 
 flat as in Bible lands. All this was unexpected, and 
 in one sense a disappointment; there was no trace 
 of the Montezumas left; all was Oriental and foreign. 
 
 A^Hien we left the cathedral I hurried to the 
 museum to see the great calendar stone, which had 
 become such an object of wonder to the archaeologists 
 of the world. On entering the great hall it stood 
 right before me, in front of the main entrance. It 
 is a circular stone, about eight feet in diameter, and 
 about the proportion of a great mill stone in thick- 
 ness. Every square inch of its surface is covered 
 with hieroglyphics. The outer circumference is 
 curiously carved into regular irregular figures, then 
 
220 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 a perfect circle is drawn and divided into degrees 
 as accurately as our skilled experts could have done. 
 Then the whole face is di^dded by concentric circles, 
 and the spaces coA^ered with indecipherable figures 
 of men, birds, animals and mystic characters. There 
 is the most perfect regularity and seemingly scien- 
 tific and mechanical skill in every part of the record. 
 The representations are distinctly different from any- 
 thing seen on Egyptian or Assyrian stones. They 
 are more like characters used by the Hittites, as given 
 by William Wright in a recent publication. Thus 
 far the statement of the wonderful stone is a sealed 
 book, and may long remain so. If it ever should 
 be read, it mav reveal gi^eater facts and open up 
 a wider field of research than the discoveries now 
 being made by the various antiouarian associations. 
 Who knows but the world was peopled from x\merica? 
 Who knows but what Yucatan and Central America 
 may have been to primitive man what England is to 
 the world of to-day ? The world has witnessed more 
 radical changes in opinion than this would be, in spite 
 of deep-rrK)ted prejudices and racial selfishness. 
 
 To me the calendar stone was most curious, yet 
 there are many other relics of pre-historic time that 
 carry us back into a past, that remains lost, but there 
 is a striking and startling resemblance between it and 
 rrianv of the discoveries made in Bible lands which 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 
 
 221 
 
 belong to remote anticpiity. As I looked into the 
 faces painted and moulded on the strong jugs and 
 water jars that stood around the great hall, they 
 spoke of a past civilization vet to be revealed — one 
 that had the art of lifting huge blocks of stone 
 and the idea of massiveness in their structures; the 
 same thought of settled continuance as the people who 
 are found in the oldest civilization known. Some- 
 times I came u])on a relic that seemed to proclaim 
 its African ongin, and every^vhere the indecipher- 
 able hieroglyphics call to mind the lost Hittite. To 
 my mind, there is not a shadow of evidence that any 
 part of Mexican antiquity had a Mongolian or Asiatic 
 origin. 
 
 The saddest thing I saw in Mexico was the wreck 
 and ruin wrought by the murderous and bigoted Span- 
 iard; even the calendar stone bears marks of the 
 sledge hammer wielded by fanatical Spanish priests, 
 and collected fragments of priceless works of art attest 
 to the thorough manner in which they did the work of 
 diabolical ruin. The world may never know again 
 who built those strong, lost cities, or by what power 
 they fell, but their ruins will appeal in dumb elo- 
 quence to the lovers of the grand and beautiful 
 through all time. 
 
 When T left the museum I turned my attention 
 to the tides of life that were thronging the streets; 
 
222 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 mueli of all I saw was new. The contrast between 
 the extremes of humanity was very noticeable. The 
 pure Castilian type were as tine specimens of human 
 beings as we see anywhere; they seemed the remnant 
 of a lost race among strangers. The other extreme, 
 or the sample which I took for it, was a company 
 of mountaineer Indians wdio came into the city with 
 .small donkeys loaded with evergreens for decorations 
 at festivals. The men and women had nothing on 
 but a single grain sack, with a hole cut for the 
 head and anns, which hung loose about them. They 
 were of dark brown complexion, with long, glossy, 
 black hair, and appeared to be enjoying their mea- 
 sure of life as well as the grandees. 
 
 There is a possibility that the original Aztec 
 race may yet return to power and re-establish their 
 nationality, for the Aztec countenance seemed to pre- 
 dominate in the multitude, though the Spanish pre- 
 vailed among- the business ranks. I strolled through 
 the market on the great square in front of the cathe- 
 dral, and the large market houses in other parts. 
 I also got on the street cai-s and rode to all parts 
 of the city, w4th no particular object in view, but 
 always looking and learning. In the older portions 
 all is primitive, in the more modern there are many 
 innovations. Modern mansions stand beside Moor- 
 ish structures; in places the enclosing walls are broken 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 223 
 
 tliroiigh and modern street fronts break the monotony, 
 bnt the thousands of shambling, half -trotting porters 
 are everywhere, acting hoi-se, dray and hack, car- 
 rying loads we would think beyond powers of en- 
 durance, and they neyer cease to be marvelous and 
 entertaining. 
 
 Many of the articles in the market were un- 
 known to me, and often I did not know their use. 
 Compounds cut, dipped, poured and smeared about 
 that looked and smelled repulsive to the untrained 
 eve and nose. Yet when I laid down at night and 
 summed up the day's observation, I came to the 
 conclusion that there is a measure of enjoyment in 
 almost any condition of life, though it may be through 
 ignorance of anything better. 
 
 A person with an eye to the sublime and beau- 
 tiful, with all the gradations to ludicrous and re- 
 volting, can spend several months in the City of 
 Mexico and find something new every day, and wi-ite 
 an amusing book. Though it was in December, it 
 was too warm to walk on the sunny side of the 
 street, and ladies carried parasols when out shopping; 
 beautiful flowers were blooming in the open air, and 
 to me it seemed more like early June than Decem- 
 l>er. I saw but few cloaks of any kind, and mine 
 was the only fur cap in the place, and I was called 
 an old Russian for wearing it. Hotel fare was cheaper 
 
224 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 tbaii in the states, but the food was red hot with 
 pepj)er, and my month and throat at first refused 
 to tolerate the heatexl applications, othei'^vise Mexican 
 food was quite passable. 
 
 On the return trip I traveled by day what I 
 had passed over by night in going down, and made 
 short stops at some of the old cities: Irapuato, Aguas, 
 Oalientes, Zoca VcK-as; then at Torean took the Mexi- 
 can Central Railroad, going eastward to Eagle Pass 
 on the Rio Grande, stopping on the way at Trevino 
 and Sabinas. This route was more entertaining than 
 any I had seen in Mexico. There was a continued 
 succession oi mountain ranges and broad valleys, 
 many of which were in cultivation, and new forms 
 of the cactus trees apjx'ared; the most beautiful, the 
 Palf cactus, which grows twenty to thirty feet high, 
 crowned with a dome of beautiful flowers, with long 
 pendajit fronds, that like the aspen trees were always 
 in motion, swayed by the slightest breeze. 
 
 Between Trevino and Sabinas an incident oc- 
 curred that gives a glimpse of Mexican life in one 
 particular form. A desperado and a companion had 
 committed a crime uj) towards Sabinas and fled to 
 the mountains southward, aiming to reach a certain 
 ]:)ass befc>re being intercepted; the road ran within 
 a mile or less of the pass. As we neared it the trail 
 came around a foothill in sight of the railroad. AVhen 
 
OF ADDISON OOFFIN. 225 
 
 in a favorable position the train stoppeti and two 
 Mexican otMeei's, the conductor, and others, were 
 eagerly scanning the trail. 1 knew nothing of the 
 matter up to this time, but through curiosity I leveled 
 my glass in that direction, and saw two horsemen 
 coming down in view. Suspecting- something was 
 up, I handed the conductor my glass, who looked 
 and excitedly handed it to the oldest officer, and 
 when he looked he almost dropped the glass as h^e 
 returned it. Instantly the signal was given; the 
 train ran backward at high speed to near the pass. 
 Before it was still the officers leaped to the ground; 
 the older ran like a greyhound for the pass, the 
 younger one for the nearest point on the trail where 
 it crossed a deep gully. In the meantime the horse- 
 men had taken akrm and spurred their horses to 
 full speed. The race now became exciting, but seem- 
 ingly just in the nick of time the young officer reached 
 the gully and planted himself by a large rcM3k and 
 opened fire at tolerably short range. The horsemen 
 dashed down the gully, which was dry, and still 
 made for the pass, but the young man made a bee 
 line for the pass, shouting to his partner. In a little 
 time the riders emerged from the ravine only to 
 find themselves cut off, and between two fires. They 
 also began firing rapidly, and soon one reeled and 
 swayed in his saddle, then recovered himself, and both 
 
226 LIFE AND ThAYELS 
 
 dashed down the side of the mountain, followed by 
 the voung officer, while the other held the pass. The 
 battle seemed to be over and the train moved on to 
 make up lost time, but my field glass was quite pop- 
 ular the rest of the journey, for it had the credit 
 of giving the officer the advantage in the adventure. 
 How^ the chase finallv ended I never knew. 
 
 Eaerle Pass is the point where the Mexican Cen- 
 tral Railroad crosses the Rio Grande into Texas, 
 and then joins the Southera Pacific at Spoferd Junc- 
 tion. I arrived at the junction in the early morn- 
 ing, and had to wait a few^ hours for the train from 
 the Pacific coast. When it came I was surprised to 
 see one of my friends from Indiana step oif the train 
 to look at the town. I had parted from him a month 
 before in California; he was then going north to- 
 wards Washington and British Columbia, while I was 
 going in the opposite direction. He had made his 
 far northern trip and I my southern, and botli were 
 beginning to be homesick and were working home- 
 ward. We traveled together to Kew Orleans, then 
 separated, and a month later met in Indianapolis 
 again. We were Americans, and this shows what a 
 Avandering propensity we have; my friend, like my- 
 self, had the warm Carolina blood in his veins. 
 
 The journey across SraitheiTi Texas was not in- 
 teresting; the country is nearly a uniform level i)lain. 
 
OF ADDISON (;OFFIN. '227 
 
 iiiiicb of it covered with soj'iib timber or wide prairies, 
 ill places well cultivated, in others lying waste with- 
 out inliabitants. It is much the same with Southern 
 Louisiana; the coast is low and swampy, monotonous 
 and dreary looking. The few splendid farms we 
 passed only intensified the dreariness of the marsh- 
 land. My stop in Xew Orleans was short, a state- 
 ment of which is given in connection wdth my first 
 visit m 1844. Jlj homeward trip w^as by way of 
 Jackson and Meredith, Miss.; Birmingham, Ala.; 
 Chattanooga, Tenn. ; Cincinnati, Ohio, and Indian- 
 apolis, Indiana. I started southwest, returned from 
 tlie east, having traveled nearly 12,000 miles, and 
 been from home a little over four months. It would 
 fill many books to describe all that w^as seen, heard 
 and endured. There were many mountain scenes so 
 grand and l)eautiful, with historic events associated 
 with them, that it would take much time and space 
 to do them justice. There were land slides where 
 whole sides of mountains had given w^ay and gone 
 to the valley, thus changing local conditions; cloud 
 bursts had occuiTed on the mountains, producing 
 floods in the canyons that carried stones and bowlders 
 down to the valley and on the plain in size and 
 quantity almost past belief. The bursting of reser- 
 voirs, breaking of lake barriers, wnth attending flood 
 and ruin; the wonderful achievements, the toil, risk 
 
228 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 and danger encountered and overcome by the freight- 
 ers before the railroad was built; the thrilling events 
 in the early mining camps when lynch law was the 
 only standard of justice; the battles with the mur- 
 derous Apache and other Indians; the sudden rise 
 of penniless prospectors to great wealth, and falls from 
 wealth to want. All these subjects would each fill 
 a book that would be stranger than fiction, and take 
 the reader back to living scenes which will soon be 
 forgotten and lost to history. There was not a day 
 during the long trip but some new discovery was 
 made, some new historical event learned, some new 
 departure from conventional lines that aroused old 
 time prejudice ^and crystalized nations. 
 
CHAPTER EIGHT. 
 
 Visit to the Old Home in North Carolina — Winter 
 of 1890 and 1891 Spent at Guilford College— 
 Again in 1892, '93 and '94 — Excursion to Oregon 
 — Oregon Yearly Meeting — Excursion to Colum- 
 bia — Trip to British Columbia — Visit to My Son 
 and Carson City — The Outing on the Lake and on 
 the Mountains — Yellowstone National Park — Ee- 
 turn Home via Kansas and World's Fair. 
 
 There was not a day or an hour that I did not 
 feel the hand of the Lord upholding me in my jour- 
 ney, nor did I for a moment lose the assurance in 
 my heart that I would return safely to my home. 
 
 As before, my neighbors and friends w^anted me 
 to give them the benefit of my observations in my 
 journey, which I did in public talks and at private 
 socials. Those especially interested were the young 
 farmers and fruit gi'owers, who wished to know my 
 judgment as to where they should go to settle for 
 life. To thi« class I felt under obligations, for they 
 
 15 (229:^ 
 
230 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 were earnest in their inquiries and anxious to know 
 the possibilities and capabilities of the wide region 
 over which I had passed. My gift of discerning the 
 ability of men had increased by use. I had learned 
 how to direct men by understanding their tempera- 
 ment. So I would tell some to go to the new north- 
 west, the Dacotahs and Montana, and the great wheat 
 field; others to the fruit regions of Oregon and 
 Washington; still others to the two extremes of Cal- 
 ifornia, north and south. But those who had the 
 mind and will to look farther ahead were directed 
 to the arid regions of the great plains, where irriga- 
 tion would soon transform the desert into a j^aradise 
 of beauty and productiveness. 
 
 In 1890 T went back to my old home in North 
 Carolina to atten<l Fnends' Yearly Meeting; the time 
 of holding it had been changed from November to 
 August. Several years had passed since I had at- 
 tended this annual gathering, and the reunion with 
 old friends and the associations of the scenes of my 
 youth was very enjoyable; and the many rehearsals 
 of adventures through which I had passed made 
 our socials bright and happy opportunities. A month 
 or more was s]>ent in visiting around New Grarden, 
 then I returned home. My friends were united in 
 remarking that my health had improved (for I was 
 still an invalid) and I felt that it was true, for I 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 231 
 
 realized that mj native air was what I needed; so 
 it became a settled fact that at the beginning of 
 winter I should return to Guilford College for the 
 season of 1890-91. The mild climate, the kindly as- 
 sociation with old friends and contact with the bright 
 young life of the students, was like the renewing of 
 wasted energy by sweet rest. 
 
 It may .be well to finish the history of home 
 travel before going abroad, so the whole subject may 
 be connectedly understood. As I still improved by 
 going south, the winters of 1891-92, 1893-94 and 
 1891-95 were spent at Guilford College. Local trips 
 were taken while there to Wilmington, on the coast, 
 and into South Carolina, to a fish exhibit at Xewbem, 
 and to the mountains, etc., etc. 
 
 The Friends in Oregon had petitioned Iowa 
 Yearly Meeting for the privilege of holding a Yeariy 
 Meeting of their own at ]N"ewberg, in that state. 
 Their request was granted, and it was announced that 
 the new meeting would be held June 26th, 1893. 
 To meet the wants of many Friends who wished to 
 go to Oregon, I organized an excursion party for the 
 occasion. "W e started from Chicago and went through 
 in a tourist sleeping car over the Union Pacific and 
 Oregon Short Line Railroads. The trip was success- 
 ful and delightful; as I had been over the route be- 
 fore, the various points of interest were noted and 
 
232 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 Others not seen before admired and commented on. 
 The volcanic reaion of Snake river was a wonder to 
 all, and additionally so to me, for new things were 
 constantly presenting themselves. The crossing of 
 the Snake river mountains, the run down the Co- 
 lumbia river, the splendid vi-ew of Mt. Hood, the 
 Dalles, Multnoma Falls, the Palisades of the Colum- 
 bia, were all seen and enjoyed by the party. To them 
 the trip was almost like an enchanting dream or start- 
 ling vision. 
 
 At Portland we were met by friends who had 
 made hotel and other arrangements for us, and the 
 next day we ran out twentv-two miles to x^ewberg, 
 the point of destination. As it frequently happens, 
 I was surprised to find so many I knew. Some were 
 my old neighbors and their children from North Car j- 
 lina, and many more from Indiana, who, together 
 with acquaintances from other places, made up most 
 of the people of the town. When the meeting con- 
 vened, I was still more surprised to find a large 
 majonty of those in attendance were persons I had 
 met in the eastern states. The meeting lasted six 
 days, and was one continued happy reunion. Many 
 had not met for periods of from five to thirty years, 
 and almost eveiw vicissitude of real life had been seen 
 and suffered, and I am glad to say that many, like 
 myself, had reached the glad season of rest when the 
 dav's work was done. 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 233 
 
 One of the party was a kinswoman of mine 
 from JS'orth Carolina. She was in poor health, but 
 was greatly benefited by the journey across the moun- 
 tains, and much interested in all that we saw. My 
 nephew and other friends took us over the hills and 
 through the splendid prune orchards, that we might 
 better understand the marvelous production of the 
 Willamette Valley in apples, prunes, plums, cherries, 
 pears and all small fruits. The owmer of a fourteen- 
 year-old prune orchard was offered $800 per acre for 
 the fruit on the trees, but did not sell, for he could 
 make more by drying and packing it himself. For 
 a nine-year-old orchard, $600 per acre was offered. 
 
 On one of the prune farms near N^ewberg, an 
 Oregon pine tree was trimmed to the top and sawed 
 off where it was four inches in diameter, 120 feet 
 from the ground. T'o show his skill in climbing and 
 pnming, the man balanced himself horizontally on 
 that four-inch top, then came down in safety. A 
 tree trimmed in that way the right time of year will 
 dry and keep a whole generation. 
 
 At the close of the Yearly Meeting a grand 
 steamboat, Fourth of July excursion was arranged 
 to go to Multnoma Falls, 120 miles up the Colum- 
 bia. There were nearly 850 in the excursion, and 
 it proved a very interesting trip. While we were 
 coming back it was proposed that a minister should 
 
284 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 preacli a sermon at the bow, and that I talk at the 
 stern on the Land of the Midnight Snn; this was 
 done. A humorous minister reported in Indiana 
 that I delivered an address that was heard distinctly 
 for twenty miles, but without explaining that the 
 boat went twenty miles down stream while I was 
 speaking. 
 
 When the steamer stopped at Portland to let off 
 passengers, I felt a sudden impulse to land and go 
 north to British Columbia, and my invalid me<ie 
 wanted to go also, declaring that she Avas strong 
 enough for the trip. We stayed over night in the 
 city and started in the early morning; ran down the 
 Columbia, on the west side, to Groble, where there is 
 a fenw boat, the next to the largest in the world, the 
 one at Benecia and Port Costa, California, being the 
 largest. Here the passenger and freight trains are 
 feiTied across without jolt or jar, and it is a wonder- 
 ful sight to see the huge ferry-boat propelled across 
 the rapid current of the great river, and then glide 
 into port and unload on the rails. It surpassed any- 
 thing of the kind seen in Europe, nor is there a 
 river in that grand division to compare with the Co- 
 lumbia. From Kalama, on the "Washington side, we 
 sped away through the lowlands and immense forests, 
 where the lumbermen are spreading destruction on 
 ever\' side, and \vi\] soon have one of the world's great- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 235 
 
 est forests obliterated. It is in Western WasHngton 
 that we see taller forests and longer timbers handled 
 thah any^'here else; the largest I ever saw was 125 
 feet long and three feet square. I have seen whole 
 forests that were 300 feet high, but that was the 
 largest solid, sawed stick that I saw. There is much 
 uniformitv in the lay of the land until we reach 
 Olympia, the present capitol of Washington; then 
 begins the beautiful lake-like country, alternating 
 with forests, farms and low marsh lands. 
 
 At Tacoma we took steamer for Victoria, B. C, 
 and almost as soon as we steamed out from land the 
 unsurpassed beauty of Puget's Sound began to un- 
 fold. Though I had read of its picturesque waters, 
 the scene before me surpassed all expectations. Tbe 
 next inspiring object that came to view is Mt. Ranier, 
 which rises 1,400 feet above the horizon, glittering 
 in the sunlight, with cleft summit where once its 
 crater ndowed with fervent heat, now covered with 
 perpetual snow. The dazzling white, as seen from 
 the boat, is in vivid contrast to the dark green forest 
 •that is at its base. As we wound among the manv 
 islands and rounded the promontories, the scene was 
 ever changing and always charming and beautiful. 
 We were so absorbed in watching the green forests 
 as they passed — for they came down to the water's 
 edge, and were here and there broken by a prosper- 
 
236 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 ous settlement, with green fields, orchards and hop 
 fields — that we did not notice two other snowy sum- 
 mits till they seemed to rise suddenly to the east- 
 ward, emitting a crimson light from their crowns 
 of snow as if illumined by a brilliant sunset. The 
 waters of the sound increased in beautv, and the 
 bright sunlight seemed to fall softly over forest, 
 islands and the gleaming waters around us; we felt 
 conscious that we were advancing northward, where 
 the days are longer. While we were enjoving all 
 this, far to the north Mt. Baker began to rise from 
 the mountain range and its white cap shown like 
 molten silver; and so the picture enlarged more and 
 more. We finally turned from the enchanting view 
 and looked westward towards Mt. Baker, and we 
 were almost struck dumb with astonishment at the 
 finishing touch to this magnificent panorama. To 
 the west lay the Olympian mountains, like vast snow 
 fields, and we st<x>d amazed at the dazzling scene, 
 for we seemed to be in fairy land instead of the 
 far off, almost unknown, uninteresting Puget Sound 
 region. In all my travels over our broad land, in 
 Bible land and in Europe, I had seen much water 
 scenery, but the most beautiful that I ever beheld 
 is Puget Sound and its surroundings. 
 
 We landed in Victoria in the afternoon; after 
 procuring rooms we started out to see the strange city 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 237 
 
 with its foreign population. Everything — the houses, 
 the business, the goods and merchandise and voice 
 of the people — indicated that we were in the northern 
 latitude, where the extremes of light and darkness, 
 heat and cold, were great and vitality, though strong 
 and enduring, was more sluggish than in the south- 
 land. 
 
 The next day we visited a large Joss house, or 
 Chinese temple, and saw all their hideous images used 
 in their religious ceremonies; we then went to the 
 cathedral and the new Methodist church, then t(X)k 
 the street car and rode out five miles to a fashion- 
 able resort on a beautiful land-locked and rock-bound 
 bay, with shell beach and curiously honey-combed 
 rocks. On our return to the city, we went out 
 seven miles to where a large, iron-clad man-of-war 
 was nding at anchor. When we came back young 
 Ballington Booth was holding an out-door meeting, 
 so we mingled with the many thousands for an hour 
 to hear his eloquence and matchless power of holding 
 a vast multitude. 
 
 We tinally repaired to our hotel tired, but well 
 pleased with our day's work; the sun had set about 
 9 p. m., and we could see to read until nearly 10 
 p. m. By the calendar, there were four more hours' 
 sunshine the 7th of July than at Greensboro, N. 
 C, the same day. The trip down the Sound gave 
 
238 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 US a view of the other side, with new groupings of 
 mountains, isknds, and shores, that finished the grand 
 picture. 
 
 When we returned to Newberg, Oregon, I found 
 a dispatch from my son at Carson City, stating that 
 he haxl business in San Francisco at a given date, 
 and he would hke me to come to that city and return 
 with him. This changed the original program, and 
 1 shortened m^^ stay at Newberg and started south 
 by rail, leaving my niece to follow later on. The 
 railroad connecting Portland and Sacrameiito had 
 been complete<l since I passed througli Oregon be- 
 fore; it opened up one of the finest mountain regions 
 (n any country, and one possessing peculiar and dis- 
 tinctive grandeur of scenery. The route passes up 
 the Willamette Valley, betw^een the coast range and 
 the (cascade or Sierra Nevada range of mountains, 
 vith two cross-cut ranges thrown across the great 
 t^alley by more rec:ent volcanic action like the Te- 
 hichipa range in Southern California, and on one of 
 the cross-cut ranges is another celebrated railroad 
 h)0}), e(|ual in engineering skill to Tehichipa. Be- 
 tween these short ranges are twc> very beautiful 
 valleys, the Rogue and C/hemath rivers, and so grand 
 that the eye never grows wearv of watching the ever- 
 t hanging picturevS. 
 
 Mount Shasta and its immediate surroundings 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 239 
 
 is the finest moinitain scenery that is accessible in 
 North America. Its summit is cleft from north to 
 south \)\ three immense chasms, the central one a 
 thousand feet deep, which is sloAvly filling up with 
 snow. At noon Avhen the sun shines down into the 
 great chasms the scene is so dazzling that the eye 
 can scarcely bear the intense, reflected light ; its base, 
 like Mount Ranier, is clothed with pine forests, which 
 intensifies the gloom from the pei*petual fields of 
 snow. In all the region around Mount Shasta there 
 have been fearful convulsions in the past; rivers 
 have been turned out of their courses, lakes have been 
 formed and old ones emptied. It looks as if the 
 m(>untains had been made to skip ^^like rams, and 
 the little hills like lambs." We passed out of the 
 mountain ranges into the head of the Sacramento 
 Valley, and came to a fountain of almost pure soda 
 water. It issues out of the cavern by thousands of 
 gallons hourly; the rock is considerably worn away, 
 showing that it has been running for ages. The 
 railroad company has constructe<:l a fine drinking 
 fountain ; the trains stop and all t^ke a drink. Those 
 who take the trip a second nrae provide tlicmselves 
 with sugar, for that makes it perfect: ]u?t why no 
 one knows. 
 
 The whole Sacramento Valley is a marvel of 
 rural Wauty. and where it has been improved, ])re- 
 
240 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 sente a luxuriance that fills the beholder ^vitli en- 
 thusiastic delight, and yet the development is in its 
 infancy. In a few years, when the orchards and vine- 
 yards have grown, the whole \^alley ^viil be a won- 
 der in productiveness. There will always be an abun- 
 dance of water in that valley. 
 
 My son met me in San Francisco as arranged, 
 and the next morning we started for his home, ar- 
 rived same day and had a hearty greeting from the 
 family, especially from the little ones. They had 
 planned a vacation in the mountains when I should 
 get there, so in a day or two we set out for Lake 
 Tahoe, and crossed over to a summer resort on the 
 west side within two miles of the nearest snow field. 
 It was a delightful place, with all the mountain climl)- 
 ing that could be desired. My son immediately 
 telegraphed to Portland, Oregon, for my nieces to 
 come, and at the right time I crossed the lake to 
 Tahoe City, there took hack and went to Trukee^ 
 on main line of Central Pacific Railroad to inter- 
 cept her so as to save the going around by Carson 
 City. Everything went as smooth as clock work; 
 she left the train and we returned over the romantic 
 route up the Trukee river, which abounds in pictur- 
 esque scenes, and could one have the history of the 
 lumber men and pioneers, it would make an inter- 
 eresting narrative. At Tahoe City we took a boat and 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 241 
 
 re-cross(Hl the lake to the rendezvons, where there was 
 a happy reunion of the cousins. 
 
 Then began a seides of tramps over the hills^ 
 through immense forests of pine, cedai% redw^ood and 
 other timber, hunting the beautiful snow^ plant which 
 is found nowhere else, fishing on the lake, or taking 
 a tour around the lake in a steamer, Adsiting some 
 remarkable bays and inlets, where nature seems to 
 have done its best to unite the romantic and the 
 beautiful. The crowning wonder w^as a trip on foot 
 of eleven miles to a new discovery called Rubicon 
 Springs. The w^ay led through one of the most ter- 
 ribly desolate mountains on the continent. Our first 
 view was from a cliff two or three thousand feet 
 high; below us lay a narrow- valley, through w-hich 
 ran the Rubicon river, 5000 feet below the place 
 where we stood. The valley and gorge ran north- 
 west beyond the view; the opposite mountain range 
 was naked granite rock, bald and desolate. Earth- 
 quake power had shivered the whole range into frag- 
 ments; as far as the glass could reach there was not 
 a square acre of rock that had not be-en shattered, 
 seamed and broken. In places whole cubic acres 
 of rock had been hurled into the- valley, where they 
 lay in fragments; great bowlders had been tossed 
 {ibout like foot-balls. To the southeast the head 
 of the great, gorge was closed by .lofty summits, cov- 
 
242 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 ered with many square miles of perpetual snow fields, 
 which, with rooky desolation, finished the picture, 
 easier remembered than described. 
 
 Within four years the way had been made to 
 and down to the bottom of the valley; fii-st a pack 
 horse trail, then a cart way had been opened, and 
 a rude hotel built, the dooi*s and windows of which 
 were carried to the valley on horses. At one point 
 there were several mineral springs, among them a 
 soda water spring like the great fountain at the head 
 of the Sacramento river. High up near the snow 
 fields is Lone Lake, covering several hundred acres; 
 it is rather difiicult of access. One afternoon a trip 
 was made to it, the ladies on horseback and the men 
 afoot; though a long, tiresome climb, it rewarded 
 all the labor, for it brought us up nearer to and on 
 a level with the snow, which was refiected in the 
 placid watei*s as distinctly as in a glass. All was sil- 
 ent and peaceful ; the bright sunlight, the rarified 
 air united to make it a deeply-interesting place. But 
 little conscious life ever visited that spot, except a 
 few wild fowl in their migrations. A few large pine 
 trees stood in lone grandeur in a cove at the west end. 
 
 Ten miles below the hotel is a place called Hell 
 Hole, which is inaccessible to all except strong, ac- 
 tive men, and they need to be brave and of good 
 nerve. It is the winter quarters of rattlesnakes, and 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 243 
 
 th€ danger of eiiteniig tlie detip cove, together with 
 the overpowering stench, is enough to deter most 
 men. Two hardy huntei*s ventured in to collect rat- 
 tles for t-ourists, but ere thev had killed forty they 
 were overcome by the foul air and with difficjulty 
 escaped from the horrible pit. 
 
 The river abounded in tine mountain trout, and 
 some of the party could not resist the temptation to 
 fish, so we had plenty of fresh trout during our stay. 
 The return was made in a hack drawn by four horses, 
 and the scenes from many of the tui-ns were new reve- 
 lations; and as we looked up to the overhanging cliffs 
 and saw^ the foot path we had descended, we could 
 hardly realize the fact; but everything was so exciting 
 and new as we pas&ed over it that we forgot all 
 danger, though I did remember sitting down on the 
 loose stones and sliding several feet before halting 
 against a large bowlder. The cartway itself was a 
 inai-^^el, for it seemed impossible for a way to have 
 been found down such cliffs, but the grade, though 
 steep and circuitous, was practicable, but hard on 
 horse and vehicle. We all enjoyed the coming back 
 to the lake, for it w^^as as though w^e had been to a 
 wonderful artificial show, so new and different from 
 all past experience; it took some time to fix the picture 
 and feel that it was natural and real. We voted 
 unanimously that Rubicon Sprin^-s would become a 
 famous resort in the near future. 
 
244 LIFE AND travels" 
 
 At the end of ten days we retnriied to Carson 
 City, and among the places visited was the prison 
 yard for another look at the pre-histoi*ic footprints, 
 but sad to relate, they had nearly all been destroyed 
 by the increased work in quarrying the building 
 stone. My favorite mountain peak still stood in sil- 
 ent grandeur, looking down on the city, the clear 
 mountain blue being sharply defined. 
 
 Time was going on, the season advancing, and 
 we had to turn homeward, for the progTam was not 
 half completed; the Yellowstone Park was yet to 
 be visited and the World's Fair at Chicago to be 
 seen, a brother in Kansas called on, and other inci- 
 dental intervenings. My son and his family accom- 
 panied us to Reno, where we visited a niece who 
 was then residing in that city. After a pleasant 
 stop there, we fiually bid good-bye and started east- 
 ward toward Ogden, in Utah; as we passed the Hum- 
 boldt desert in the night, much of the heat and 
 dust was avoided. When w© came into the Mor- 
 mon settlements in Utah, it was a great relief to the 
 eye to see beautiful PTeen fields, orchards and groves, 
 and a striking contrast to the blistering sand. 
 
 To economize time from Ogden, we ran down 
 t-o Salt Lake City and si)ent a day in seeing it. We 
 went to the temple, tabernacle, bee hive, grave of 
 Brigham Young, and then out to Garfield Lake, 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 245 
 
 where we tested the density of the water as com- 
 pared to the Dead Sea, and found it the denser of the 
 two. We returned to Ogden, took the train on the 
 Utah Northern Railroad for Beaver canyon, the point 
 opposite the park, though ninety-five miles away, 
 which proved to he a small, dirty, mean place; so 
 the trip tc> the park on that line is to the ordinary 
 tourist a swindle, but if one is posted in the history 
 of the fur trade and early explorations, it is an in- 
 teresting route. 
 
 Starting from Beaver canyon in a very p(x>r hack, 
 with inferior horses but a good, reliable driver, our 
 route lay nearly east, the first half of the day over 
 a wide plain, with mountains to the north and in 
 front. As the day advanced the mountains loomed 
 up dark and frowning, and interest increased; the 
 whole region was almost unoccupied by people of 
 any color — the Indian was gone and the whites had 
 not yet come. The wolf went across the trail, the 
 sage hens flew away in large flocks, the antelope 
 could be seen afar, while the driver related exciting 
 stories associated mth the various points. In the 
 afternoon we entered the mountains through a gap, 
 and came into the singularly beautiful Antelope 
 valley; it lies between two ranges and extends through 
 a gap on a line for fifteen miles, when it suddenly 
 ends in Henry Lake meadow, which is south of the 
 
 16 
 
246 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 lake and once a part of it. It was around tins lake that 
 many of the stin-ing events of the fur trade transpired. 
 Xear it Mr. Stuart, on his return from Astoria in 
 1813 or '14, encountered the hostile Indians; on its 
 eastern shore General Howard fought the last bat- 
 tle with the independent, unsubdued tribe of Indians, 
 the Xez Perces, and some refuge Sheshones, and there 
 the last independent chief, Tyhee, lost his life when 
 the last stand was made. 
 
 We spent the night at the celebrated log cabin 
 hotel, a rendezvous for hunters, amid dogs, goats and 
 great numbers of prepared skins and mounted birds, 
 which were to be taken to the park for sale; the only 
 desirable thing was fresh mountain trout, caught 
 out of the headwaters of the Snake river near by. 
 The old Belgian landlord was erecting a fine hot-el 
 in anticipation of coming events. Soon after leav- 
 ing Henry Lake we entered the pass now called 
 Tyhee, after the old chief; we went through the bat- 
 tle ground, which was well chosen, just out of the 
 range of the stockade. On one of the head streams 
 of Snake river, at the summit of the pass, there is 
 a fine spring that sends its waters to the Pacific, a 
 hundred yards further we stood on the Continental 
 Divide, and two lumdred yards l>eyond a spring 
 sends its watei-s thi*ough Madison river to the Gulf 
 of ]\rexico. This Avas <»n the northwest side of the 
 
OF ADDISON C(^FFIN. 247 
 
 great central headwater rei>ion of nearly all our 
 great rivers, as mentioned in a former chapter, and 
 it was a triumph in life to reach that spot, nearly 
 8000 feet above the sea. 
 
 Onr nooning place tlie second day was on the 
 south fork of Madison river, in a romantic house, 
 which was lined and almost full of valuable skins, fur, 
 mounted birds, deer and elk horns and rare fossils; 
 it was kept by a singularly interesting bachelor hun- 
 ter and cattleman. He was in middle life, and had 
 left Pennsylvania and Ohio ^^^th a set-ret locked up 
 in his heart, and had hid himself in that lone, wild 
 region. While showing his trophies to my nieces, 
 the poor fellow suifered the door to his inner life 
 to open for a moment, and in that time I read his 
 life history. From him I learned that the point 
 where Mr. Stuart had lost his horses and then burned 
 his baggage was about fifteen miles south, and he 
 had been to the place. He was rejoiced to find one 
 Avho knew of and was interested in that event, and 
 by seeing into his inner life, I soon drew him out 
 and found him very entertaining. As a relief to his 
 lonely life he sometimes indulged in practical jokes 
 on city tenderfeet who came there to hunt. I will 
 relate one instance. Some very high-toned sjwrts- 
 rnen came from New York and made arrangements 
 to board with him; thev were hiehlv elated with 
 
248 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 the outlook from seeing Kis store. The first morn- 
 ing the J asked him where was a good place to hunt; 
 he sent them south, on a range of naked hills. At 
 night they came in tired and hungry, but had no 
 game; next dav they extended their hunt further 
 oft", but no game nor any sign of any. Then it b^ 
 gan to dawn upon them that there was a trick, and 
 made such a charge upon their host when they re- 
 turned. He quietly informed them that they had 
 only asked for a g(X>d place to hunt, l)ut did not ask 
 for game, so he sent them where there was just good, 
 plain huntir.ff, but if the^- wanted game they must 
 go to another place. Thev were highly oft'ended and 
 took their departure next morning, and uj) to date 
 had not been heard from. 
 
 We next passed over heavy timbered hills for 
 several hours, then came to the foot of a low moun- 
 tain which bounded the park on the west; the ascent 
 was slow, for the horses were weary and the way was- 
 steep, but we reached the top at the opj^ortune mo- 
 ment, for the air was still and no smoke floating up 
 the sides. Our first view of the park did not fill the 
 measure of our anticipations, yet the scene was fine. 
 
 Before us, and far to the right, several hun- 
 dreds of columns of smoke and steam were rising 
 from among the ro<3ks, trees and distant hills. In 
 the naked valley many jets of steam were ascend- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 249 
 
 ing, swaying in the setting sunlight, while the whole 
 scene was surronnded by a background of grand pine 
 forests and forest-covered mountains. In the fore- 
 ground was Madison river, at the foot of the moun- 
 tain, seemingly at our feet, a broad, rapid stream run- 
 ning northward, and sending up from its surface a 
 light, fleecy mist or cloud which marked its entire 
 course throua^h the valley and off among the hills. 
 To the southwest, a few miles away, smoke ascended 
 as though it came from a lake of fire, and the as- 
 cent was very rapid, with many whirling evolutions. 
 Nearer the mountain to the south, a large column 
 of steam rose high in the clear, rarified air, which 
 marked the location of the Excelsior geyser, but the 
 evening was closing in, so we descended into the 
 wonder land, forded the river and reached Firehole 
 Basin Hotel. On the way Ave saw and heard enough 
 to prepare the mind for the startling and terrible, 
 for as we trotted along the lime and gravel deposits 
 we passed jets of steam, boiling pools, extinct gey- 
 sers, with a constantly increasing heat, which seemed 
 everywhere to come from the ground. 
 
 Though tired and woni with our rough stag- 
 ing, we were up early next morning, ready for an 
 active day's Avork, but Ave AA-ere disappointed, for the 
 whole valley and mountains were covered Avith a dense 
 fog or mist that seemed to forelxxle a bad day, but 
 
250 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 at sunrise the fog lifted in white clouds and floated 
 away, and soon everything shone in bright sunlight, 
 with a distinctness seen only in high altitudes that 
 approach the line of perpetual snow. We were tirst 
 attracted by a roaring as of a mighty wind, and the 
 rushing of many waters; the sound came from a hill 
 to the south, which was being rapidly enveloped in 
 white smoke or steam, with a central jet shooting 
 high over all. Before we were conscious of it, we 
 were nearly in a run making for the hill, nor did 
 we slacken our pace when a man stepped out of the 
 smoke and called, "Just in time, she's going to play," 
 and play she did. Upon approaching the spot we 
 found the "Fountain" geyser in a state of active 
 eruption. It was a rough, irregular cavern, about 
 ten feet in diameter, throwdng out floods of scald- 
 ing water by violent, irregular explosions, from which 
 clouds of smoke and steam ascended and fell in 
 showers of mist for many yards around, or floated 
 away in clouds. This violent eruption continued for 
 about half an hour, then it slowly suljsided to a boil- 
 ing, blubbei-ing po<)l, but every two hours tlie vio- 
 lence is repeated. 
 
 When our awe somewhat toned down, we looked 
 around and found we were in the midst of a group 
 of ax^tive, roaring geysers and scorching steam jets, 
 coming from fissures of all sizes and shapes, making 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 251 
 
 it dangerous to walk about while the steam and smoke 
 hung near the earth. As we stood amazed and looked 
 at the terrible evidence of hidden fire, we saw not 
 very far away a singular column of smoke, differing 
 from all others. Upon passing over a slight ridge 
 we found a large pool of boiling, blubbering mud, 
 or fluid lime, mixed with many colors, yellow pre- 
 dominating. This is called the Paint Pot, and re- 
 minds the farmer of a large kettle of apple butter 
 Rearing the finish. The bureting of the blubbers 
 throws great splotches of mud in the air and many 
 yards around, blist-ering naked hands and spoiling 
 fine clothes. 
 
 From a knoll near by I counted o\^er 200 jets 
 of steam and smoke in the basin, and all in active 
 eruption, while on the hill we were fortunate in wit- 
 nessing one of the grand concerts of explosions that 
 happen at irregular periods. There was a simul- 
 t*aneous eruption of a hundred or more; it sounded 
 as though suppressed thunder shook the hill and filled 
 the air, vast quantities of water, steam and smoke 
 were vomited forth, and for a time darkened the air 
 and hid the hills. To the uninitiated, it seemed as 
 though the hour of doom and the eclipse of nature 
 had come. After beholding this grand display, we 
 were ready for any and all things, either terrible,- 
 sublime or beautiful. 
 
 From the fountain it is over a mile to Hell's Half' 
 
252 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 Acre, ar Excelsior geyser, on the west side of the 
 river; we found the place well named. It is the 
 largest geyser in the world; it is a fearfnl crater of 
 boiling water, nearly 200 feet across, and of unknown 
 depth; a A'ast cloud of steam shoots to the skies, as 
 if sent from the blast of a furnace. It is seldom 
 that any one can look into the fearful gulf, so in- 
 tense is the heat and blinding the smoke; the water 
 is thrown about in ffreat waves with such violence 
 that it sounds like an angry sea dashing on a rocky 
 coast. Once in three years it is in active eruption, 
 and discharges a river of scalding wat^r every twenty- 
 four hours for many weeks. During these eruptions 
 the deep thunder of the explosion is heard many miles 
 away, and the adjacent hills tremble, while Madison 
 river is turned into a rushing torrent of hot water; 
 for many miles it is too hot for fish or reptiles, and 
 the wild fowls give it a mde margin. 
 
 Less than 200 feet westward from this geyser is 
 Sunset Lake, a broad pool of crystal water nearly 
 motionless, yet scalding hot. Its walls and irregular 
 sides are incrusted by a sedimentary deposit that re- 
 flects the sunlight far more beautifully than the most 
 brilliant sunset cloud ever seen by human eye; any 
 wave-like motion sends up a thousand flashes of daz- 
 zling light, and this is intensified when seen at dif- 
 ferent angles, (»r flashed up from deep chambers far 
 below. 
 
OF APDISON COFFIN. 253 
 
 Near by is anotlier pool called Emerald Lake,, 
 which rivals the former. Its incrustations throw 
 back a brilliant, emerald light, far more lovely than 
 the most vivid imagination can picture. The im- 
 pression made cm our minds was almost bewildering; 
 the scene was so different from any we had ever be- 
 held that we turned away with feelings almost op- 
 pressive, for it is doubtful whether there is another 
 place where there is so much of the terrible and the 
 sublimely beautiful in such proximity and strange 
 contrast. 
 
 We re-crossed the river with the feeling that we 
 had seen the gi-eatest of wonders and all else would 
 be tame and uninteresting. But it was not so; be- 
 fore we had gone a mile on the way to the upper 
 geyser basin, we saw new features at every turn. 
 There were great boiling pools, spouting fountainSy 
 screaming steam jets, with low rumbling sounds be- 
 neath OTir feet, throbs and pulsations among the rocks 
 and pines, with hollow booming from beyond the 
 river and clc^uds of steam rising behind the hills and 
 up the sides of the mountain. Sometimes we passed 
 pools of boiling water, clear as crystal, Avith scarcely 
 any vapor rising from the surface, while near by were 
 fissures emitting a colorless, poisonous fume, wdth a 
 jarring deafening screech. At one place we passed 
 a dark chasm, apparently an extinct geyser, and 
 
254 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 would have iikevl to peer into its black tlir'oat. On 
 the return trip it was a raging 'geyser, throwing scald- 
 ing water high into the air. Xear a bridge over the 
 i-iver, in the bed of the stream, was a magnificent 
 geyser, throwing water ninety feet high; when we 
 came' back the river was flowine- quietly onward as 
 though no fire raged below. There was not a space 
 of a hundred yaixis between Fire Hole and upper 
 geyser basin but indicated activity in the fire below. 
 As we entered the open space of the upper basin, 
 another phase of interest met our gaze. First, we 
 were surprised to see so many columns of every size 
 and color; then it seemed th^at far and near there 
 was a tremulous, rumbling sound coming from we 
 knew not where, wliile under our feet there was a 
 constant jar, with sudden jolts as if a cog were broken 
 in the vast machine which furnished the motive 
 power below. A turn in the road brought us in 
 sight of the hotel, and just beyond Old Faithful was 
 roaring in grand magnificence, throwing a colurmi 
 of hot water a hundred feet high, from which clouds 
 of mist floated oft' to the mountain. Old Faithful 
 is the most popular geyser in the park, but not the 
 most wonderful. It is active at regular intervals of 
 fifty-five to sixty minutes; it continues in eruption 
 from five to seven minutes, then sul>sides to almost 
 silence, and thus it goes on continually night and 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN, 
 
 255 
 
 day. Ite ea^y accessibility and regularity has made 
 it popular; the lazy, the lame, the old and infirm 
 can see it without effort. From the hill formed by 
 the sediment around it, other columns of steam, larger 
 in volume and more rapid in ascent, can be seen. 
 Many of those columns of steam come from craters 
 formerly grand and terri])le, but some of them are 
 difficult of access, and the average tourist never sees 
 them. We visited several of the isolated ones, and 
 were amply repaid for the toil. 
 
 Across the river, north of Old Faithful, there 
 was a hill that seemed to be enveloped in smoke all 
 the time, with sounds of constant eruptions of no 
 small power, but not one of the fifty tourists present 
 could tell,or seemed to care, what was over there. 
 They came to see Old Faithful, and had thought for 
 nothing else; some of them were too lazy to walk 
 300 yaixls from the hotel to get a close view, and to 
 go a half mile over rocks and amid smoke seemed 
 too horiible to think of . We went over the river on 
 a narrow foot-bridge, and found ourselves in the midst 
 of an area of nearly forty acres in extent, almost 
 covered with active geysers, fire holes, steam vents, 
 roaring crevices and gaping fissures, making up a 
 scene approaching the fearful; the hill seemed to be 
 in a st^te of constant vibration. There were one 
 hundred craters and jets in . active eruption all the 
 
256 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 time; twenty geysers threw cohimns of water four 
 to six feet in diameter, twenty to thirty feet high, every 
 few minutes, varied at times by concerted activity 
 that shook the entire hill. The most noted was Old 
 Lion, which is active at short intervals, with a loud, 
 bellowing roar, ending in a growl similar to an irri- 
 tated lion. Near by is the Lioness and two Cubs, also 
 the Sponge, so called from the peculiar deposit re- 
 sembling the sponge. A steam jet is named the 
 Model from its regular, rasping whistle like that of 
 a lo<"omotive. Many jets are continuous, others are 
 intermittent, but the latter are more harsh and vio- 
 lent; (juite a number have jar-shaped craters stand- 
 ing up three to six feet high, so symmetrical in form 
 that they seem to have been fastened by art. In 
 the northeast corner is a succession of clear pools of 
 boiling water, but though most of them are scald- 
 ing hot, thev are as smooth as a mirror. From far 
 below it all there comes a singular, hollow, drum-like, 
 jarring sound, that caunot be descril>ed by words. 
 
 We spent twr^ hours in exploring this interest- 
 ing }>lace before the intense heat and noxious fumes 
 compelled us to return. No one who visits the park 
 can afford to miss that wonderful spot; without it 
 knowledge of the wonderland is incomplete, though 
 it takes labor and is somewhat dangerous. There 
 are more attractive jtlaces off the fashionable routes 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 257 
 
 than on them, and they pay for all the time and 
 toil, beside to the young and sanguine they are grand 
 and romantic. 
 
 On the return trip from the upper basin we 
 turned aside from the popular route to see what lay 
 in the hills to the westward, and were abundantly 
 rewarded for our tramj) over stream, marsh and hills; 
 there was much that is not mentioned in the guide 
 book that should be placed first. The DeviFs Punch 
 Bowl is a hot-water geyser on a liill fifty feet high, 
 f onned of the deposit of ages. It is six feet in diame- 
 ter, and little inferior to Old Faithful, and far more 
 dark and repulsive. Farther up on a hillside was 
 a geyser which has filled six acres of the valley several 
 feet deep with lime and black sand deposit. We 
 pushed on through the thick brush, low, wet land, 
 acmss naked lime deposits, past a group of boiling 
 pools, on up to near the foot of the mountain, where 
 we found the most beautiful thing of the kind . on 
 the earth. It was a small, sunset, emerald lake, with 
 its raised walls incrusted with deposits that reflected 
 back the sunlight in all the colors of the rainbow, 
 and threw a luminous radiance up into the air as 
 though it was phosphorescent. like some other 
 pools, it was still and sparkling though very hot, but 
 its dazzling beauty was not only startling, but so 
 sublime that it was difficult to realize at fii-st sight that 
 
258 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 we were l(X)king at a thing of earth and not enjoy- 
 ing a beautifnl dream. It wa^'^ so far above and be- 
 yond our highest imagination that it was intensely 
 fascinating. When at last we turned to leave we 
 could only express our impressions by exclaiming, 
 ^'To-o beautiful for earth," and it will ever occupy 
 a place in memory as one of the most magnificent 
 of earthly gems. 
 
 All over that portion of the park and outly- 
 ing country, hid away among the pine forests, in 
 inaccessible ravines, are geysers and fire holes yet un- 
 seen by the tourist, and possibly by any living man, 
 and they may present as wT)nderful phenomenon as 
 anything now known. We returned to Fire Hole 
 Basin with a new chapter added to our lives; with a 
 multitude of new ideas and man^- exploded theories. 
 Next morning we started for Xorris basin, or "Col- 
 ter's Hell," twenty-one miles away. The route was 
 through splendid pine foi'ests, over gentle, rolling 
 hills and low mountains, through upland meadows 
 and peaks, along a fine pike road constructed by the 
 government engineers. 
 
 We passed (Til)l)on Kiver canyon, Avhich in any 
 other place would be a first-class wonder; then came 
 Gibbon falls, Virginia rapids, and up Nez Perces 
 river, where the low mountains are all covered with 
 unbroken forests of pines untouched by fire. It is 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 259 
 
 SO deep and dark tliat it seemed like twilight at ti(x>ii- 
 dav, and it gave ndicf to tlie excitement after see- 
 ing the fearfnl tilings at Fire Hole and upper Geyser 
 basin. 
 
 There was not a mile of the journey but had 
 some boiling fountain by the roadside, or if not seen 
 it could be heard in the solitude of the great for- 
 est. Even at the very bottom of Gibbon canyon 
 there were iets of steam hissing and whistling, and 
 one great boiling cauldron furnished a stopping place 
 to contrast the extras that make up the scene. When 
 we emerged from the hills through the canyon, we 
 came, into a wide meadow called Elk Park, and as 
 we looked back we saw^ a huge mud geyser sending 
 up its cloud of dark smoke 1000 feet above us, while 
 oif to the right, down in the meadow, was another 
 cauldron in constant eruption, discharging mud and 
 water. 
 
 TvTotwithstanding all we had seen before, when 
 we arrived at Norris basin we had to readjust all 
 our previous impressions of the fearful and terrible, 
 for before us was a new departure in all that relat^es 
 to a land of fire and the regions below. In manv 
 ways, Norris basin is the most interesting point of 
 the Park. The basin, or valley, is several square 
 miles in extent, and is now, and has been, the center 
 of the original lake of fire of which Bad Lands was 
 
260 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 a part, as also Steamboat Hill, 800 miles distant. 
 Ages ago the great lake began crusting over; in the 
 Bad Lands it was suddenly put out and the fearful con- 
 ^ailsions that followed threw up the mountains and 
 formed Snake River plains. In tim€ it all crusted 
 over excepting six to ten acres, which is now called 
 ''Calder's Hell/' named by Washington Irving in 
 1836. The last open lake was gTadually covered, 
 but through this crust huge craters were the outlets 
 for the escaping lava, which in time built up great 
 cones around them two to five hundred feet high; 
 then they slowly became extinct, and now make up 
 the distinctive character of the valley. Then there 
 are hundreds of geysers, fireholes and craters still 
 active, throwing up hot mud, lime deposit, streams 
 of hot water, vapor and steam. There are a few 
 acres of the lake that have recently crusted over wdth 
 a thin layer of lava, too thin to bear a man, and it 
 was full of fissures and rents, and the whole area 
 seems to be in constant agitation, as though there 
 was a great mass of melted matter rolling and swell- 
 ing below; the sulphurous fumes that rise from the 
 surface are suffocating and poisoning. When there 
 is extra activity among the surrounding geysers, all 
 <yf ^^Colter's Hell" seems to be swayed to and fro by 
 convulsions from below, and hot water will spout in 
 .such a multitude of jets that the whole surface is 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 261 
 
 so(m (•(►verfnl witli water, steam and smoke, from 
 which we recoiled in teiTor; the verv hills shook and 
 the terrible held sway over the scene until most minds 
 will be fully satisfied. To see all this takes time, pa- 
 tience and nerve; these frightful manifestations do 
 not follow any apparent or regular order of events, 
 but are wholly irregiilar, though of frequent occur- 
 rence. The phenomena of this region is distinctive; 
 on a hill near the basin is a steam crater called ^^Old 
 Growler," which sends up a column of steam one 
 hundred feet hig'h with a sound like the escape valve 
 of a locomotive, but fifty times more rasping to the 
 ear. The steam is full of lime held in suspension, 
 which falls like fine flour on the rocks and bushes 
 for manv yards around, and it can be gathered in the 
 hand like snow and is pure lime when cool and 
 pressed into balls. Rainbow colors surround the 
 column of steam, varyine; with the wind into a thous- 
 and forms. A hundred yards or more west of the 
 basin is the "Minute Geyser," which throws a column 
 of water three feet in diameter thirty feet high every 
 minute, and never misses day or night. Xear Old 
 Growler is a basin of w^ater thirty feet in diameter, 
 boiling furiously, while further cm are two mud pools 
 in constant eruption, one jet black and the other white 
 as snow. Over a hill three hundred yards away, about 
 three years before our visit, an explosion took place 
 17 
 
262 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 and great masses of rock and bowlders were hurled 
 in every direction, prostrating trees and breaking 
 things to pieces for many yards around, thus form- 
 ing an active geyser, the only one known to be of 
 recent origin. The crater is about seven feet in 
 diameter, and is active every seven minutes, with a 
 loud roar, throwing the water thirty to forty feet high 
 and forming quite a steam. Yet within a circuit 
 of one hundred yards there are twenty other aL'tive 
 craters or boiling pools that seemingly might have 
 given ample vent without explosion and this addition. 
 To the south and southwest, within the radius of a 
 mile, are over two hundred active craters and fissures 
 in the earth, and as we climbed over the rough rocL^ 
 and extinct craters, we found something new on every 
 side; toilsome as it was, we felt repaid after we had 
 returned from the strange scenes among the hills. 
 On the east of the l>asin the surface is bare and so 
 hot that we could not stand walking over it for more 
 than half an hour, and the poisonous fumes gave us 
 headaches of a peculiar character that warned us to 
 leave the spot. While standing on a hill near Old 
 Growler I counted two hundred columns of smoke 
 to the northwai*d, and on the other side of the valley. 
 There were different colors in the great clouds of 
 smoke that floated away, yet the colored clouds seemed 
 to have no affinity for each other, but floated away in 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 263 
 
 separate masses, the blue and yellow especially seemed 
 to repel instead of mingling together. It is the same 
 with the blue and colorless vapors as they come from 
 the earth; though the wind drives the blue directly 
 across the colorless vapors, yet it will not mingle or 
 cross, but ascends or turns aside, as from a solid wall. 
 Much of the basin is covered with a white deposit of 
 lime and sand, too hot for vegetation ; even on some of 
 the hills it is too hot for the pine trees to grow and for 
 people to stand long in one place, but everywhere 
 among the old, disintegrating craters, the pine tree 
 persistently makes encroachments on fields of former 
 desolation. 
 
 When we visited the basin there were probably 
 forty other tourists- present all or part of the time. 
 It was amusing to watch their actions and hear their 
 comments; not more than one in ten left the high- 
 way, many did not leave the stages, none were more 
 thaii one hundred yards from the road in any direc- 
 tion, many were taking copious notes in diaries, and 
 all seemed to go away happy in the thoiight tliat they 
 had seen all there w^as to be seen at Xorris Basin. 
 Unfortunately, many of the guide books are made 
 up from such knowledge, while the reallv interest- 
 ing, the tnily wonderful are not mentioned, for they 
 have not been seen by the writers. 
 
 We next journeyed eleven miles through as 
 
264 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 grand forests and natural scenery as any we had 
 passed throngh ; this bronght us to the crowning won- 
 der of the park, if not the worhl, the Yellow^stone 
 Canyon, which, like Xorris Basin, caused another 
 re-adjustment of ideas, for it has characteristics pe- 
 culiar to itself, and for which we have no standard of 
 comparison. At the time the Bad LandvS were 
 formed, a vast mass of semi-fluid matter was sud- 
 denly cooled and throwai into a low range of moun- 
 tains; chemical action was suddenly aiTested among 
 its elements; the result was all the colors of the mass 
 became fixed, and the colors of the rainbow were 
 strangely and wonderfully commingled. The for- 
 mation is about as solid as average chalk. This moun- 
 tain range at one time, by some unknown means, has 
 been cleft from top to base, making a canyon or gorge 
 from three to four thousand feet deep, serpentine and 
 irregular in its course. Through this gorge the Yel- 
 lowstone river flows, entering from the south, flrst 
 by a succession of steep rapids called upper falls, then 
 a short distance below it plunges dowm a perpendic- 
 ular fall of three hundred feet into a chasm that 
 anywhere else would be fearfully grand; then it rushes 
 wildly onward over a succession of roaring rapids 
 until the gorge is passed. 
 
 All this magnificence faded into nothingness 
 when we stO(^^)d on Observation and Inspiration Points, 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 265 
 
 dizzy crags that project from the west wall far out 
 over the fearful abyss, and found oui*selves sur- 
 rounded by a thousand rainbow colors, reflected from 
 adjacent cliffs, overhanging rocks, yawning gulfs, and 
 broad streams of many-colored sands disintegrating 
 and descending into the river, all sending back a con- 
 stantly-changing light as the varying clouds floated 
 above, as the morning sunlight changed to noonday, 
 and then to evening-tide, fllling the vast canyon with 
 a glow of radiant, lambent glory which no words can 
 describe. Any one with the least bit of ideal imagin- 
 ation, ^vith any love of the sublime and mai-velous, 
 will stand with astonishment when this bewildering 
 scene of beauty bursts on his sight. 
 
 There are other points from which this charm- 
 ing scene can be enjoyed, but they have to be seen 
 to be understood. There is no other place on earth 
 where there is so much of the truly beautiful to be 
 seen in such blending of harmonious colors, and its 
 inspiring sublimitv is incomparable. There were 
 some largo paintings at the hotel, made by a master 
 hand, but they were far short of the real scene, for 
 it is impossible for an artist to reproduce these won- 
 ders or even a sunset cloud. 
 
 After seeing the beautiful canyon, other \dew9 
 began to lose their interest, and we found ourselves 
 half dreaming about some imagined fairy land, where 
 
266 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 we wanted to dwell amcmg scenes of rainbow beauty; 
 bnt there are few places that require more activity 
 of eye, ear, memory and mind than Yellowstone 
 Park. There we come in contact with the operation 
 of forces; new, stubborn facts confront us under new 
 conditions. Many pet theories of the scientists are 
 wholly at fault; they ^^dll not work; cross-currents 
 of facts through all that region come and spoil all 
 our ideals. We have to call into use new^ faculties, 
 and use our old ones in new ways, and then find our- 
 selves at sea. The theory of the drift, the great ice 
 sheet that once covered the noithland, the upheavals 
 and submergence, all, all becomes mixed and per- 
 plexing. AVe cannot understand the reason why, so 
 we leave it. There is one thing of which we are 
 sure — we have a ^^icture graven on memory that will 
 not fade. 
 
 In parting from thfs wonderful region, after 
 crossing it in five places and traveling two hundred 
 miles north and south through it, I can say that 
 everywhere I saw evidence of forces not described 
 nor accounted for in the books, evidently not seen 
 nor understood by the scientists. The pet theory of 
 evolution will not work from a practical standpoint. 
 There is evidently an active, all per\^ading force not 
 yet understcKKl. 
 
 We returned bv the same route to Beaver Can- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 267 
 
 yon, with no new discoveries. We met an old Rus- 
 sian nobleman and wife at our Bachelor Hotel; the 
 wife could talk American, and was very interesting. 
 They had crossed Europe, through Siberia to the 
 mouth of the Amoor river, and there took a steamer 
 by wa}' of San Francisco and were going home by 
 way of Xew York and London. At the Log Cabin 
 Hotel an incident took place that is worth recording. 
 Two St. Bernard dogs, male and female, had been 
 missing a day and a night; all were anxious for their 
 safety. The next morning they returned in sad 
 plight, the male's head, especially his mouth and nose, 
 stuck full of porcupine quills; the other one did 
 not have ouite so many sticking to her. The intel- 
 ligent fellow went to his master and held up his head 
 and whined in a way that was understood. The man 
 sat down and carefully pulled them all out, and 
 though his head was much swollen he never winced, 
 but seemed thankful and grateful : the other one came 
 up for the same favor. There were three hundred 
 quills sticking to them. They had found a den of 
 porcupines, dug them out and destroyed them before 
 giving it up. They had done so before; when com- 
 plimented they understood and wagged their satisfac- 
 tion. These two dogs had actually killed several 
 black bears, for they knew how to get the advantage; 
 besides these two larae ones, there seemed to be about 
 
268 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 a dozen otiier dogs mixed up promiscuously witli the 
 children. 
 
 We reached the railroad in time to take the 
 evening train, and ran down to Idaho Falls and stopped 
 off with J. A. Clark, a former neighbor and kins- 
 man, where we had a glad reunion. The next day 
 he, his wife and son drove us over the same gTOund 
 I had walked over some years before. It was mar- 
 velous what a change had come; thousands of acres 
 were in cultivation, twenty miles of a great in-iga- 
 tion canal was completed; ground that was in sage 
 brush when I first saw it had thirty-six bushels of 
 wheat per acre on it, and other crops in like propor- 
 tion. Beautiful homes were in sight on every side, 
 and it was truly a magic transformation ; yet improve- 
 ment had just begun. The capacity of the canal 
 when finished was 200,000 acres, and the land was 
 there awaiting its coming. Such cases as this could 
 be multiplied many times over, but it will ser^^e to 
 show what can be done, and where the center of 
 wealth and power will soon l)e. 
 
 We parted from our friends and relatives and 
 made a continuous run via DenA^er to Lawrence, Kan., 
 where we stopped a few days. Then my niece went 
 on to meet her sister and friends from Carolina at 
 the World's Fair, Chicago, while I went south to see 
 my brother Alfred, now quite infirm, spent some time 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 
 
 269 
 
 with liiiii, then returned to Lawrence and went out 
 twelve miles to Hesper to see many old friends, 
 neighbors and relatives, then on to Chicago, where 
 I found my niece had started homeward. She stopped 
 at Indianapolis, Ind., and then went to her kome in 
 Xortli Carolina, greatly improved in health, and I 
 arrived at my home once more, safe and well. 
 
 I promised my daughter that I would return 
 in time to go with her and a company of neighbors 
 to the World's Fair before it closed. So we- aiTanged 
 the date and the company, and spent several days 
 amid that grand exhibit of human achievement. To 
 me it was less interesting than to my neighbors, for 
 in my travels I had seen so much of it in other places, 
 though I proved to be quite a good interpreter of 
 where the things came from. My chief interest was 
 the people. There was an op])ortunitv to study hu- 
 manity collectively, and I useil it persistently, and 
 to the further confinnation of the reasonableness of 
 the Anglo-Israel theory.' It is not necessary for me 
 to describe any part of the World's Fair. It has been 
 done by so many and has so effectively passed into 
 histoiy that all know the essentials respecting it. 
 
 In a short time after returning from Chicago I 
 arranged to spend the winter at Guilford College once 
 more, and accordingly went down there in December 
 and remained until April, 1 SlU. I had spent an active. 
 
270 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 busv, thinking, writinif season, had written many 
 letters to friends and for pnhlication, and in addition 
 had to do much talking at all tiie stopping places, 
 t^lks on home and f(»reign travel, horticulture, agri- 
 culture, women's rights, temperance and children's 
 stories. I was also much interested in the success 
 of the W. C. T. U. Industrial Home for girls at Had- 
 ley, Indiana, which was in an embarrassed condition 
 for a time. I took no part in the violent political 
 contests that were agitating- the state, though mv heart, 
 and sympathy were with every temperance movement 
 that was based on total prohibition. 
 
 * 
 
CHAPTER NINE, 
 
 Trip to Europe — Storm at Sea — Landing at Liver- 
 pool — Change of Program — Start for Egypt and 
 Pass Through France and Italy — Voyage to 
 Egypt, Cairo and the Pyramids — Journey to Port 
 Said---I^nding at Jaffa and Arriving at Jerusalem 
 — Scenes in Palestine — Journey to Baalbeck and 
 Damascus — Stop at Brumana on Mt. Lebanon — 
 Cruise Aniong the Islands — -Athens, Greece, and 
 Its Ruins — Voyage to Constantinople — The Scenes 
 in the City — Journey Across Europe Back to Lon- 
 don — Safe Arrival and Finding Our Friends. 
 
 When I turned away from my mother's grave 
 at the old burial ground at New Garden, North Car- 
 olina, in NovemV)er, 1891, I felt that my life work 
 was done, that the obligation was filled, and for a 
 time a sense of utter desolation oveq^owered me, and 
 the future was closed, with no light beyond, so far 
 as work or an object in life was conc-emed; but that 
 night, as if by inspiration, the idea of foreign travel 
 came t(' me, and the unemng voice, a? in the past, 
 
 (271) 
 
272 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 said: "Go, and thou slialt return in peace." From 
 that hour I }>egan arranging to cross the ocean. I 
 returned home for a few weeks, and then came back 
 to Guilford College to spend the winter, intending 
 after a short stay at home to go to Europe in the 
 spring or early summer, but during the winter Mary 
 C. Woody and her companion, Lorena Reynolds, de- 
 cided to go to England on a religious mission. They 
 planned to start in February, 1892, and requested me 
 to go with them instead of later on, and this I agreed 
 to do and wrote home accordingly. A few days be- 
 fore starting my friend, John Van Lindley, one of 
 the principal nursery men of the South, and who 
 lived near the college, unexpectedly, even to him- 
 self, concluded to go with me on my long trip at 
 least for a nine months' stay, then he would come 
 home without me if I was not ready. 
 
 The program was to visit Egypt, Palestine, feyria, 
 Asia Minor, and all the nations of Europe. Few 
 thought it could be done in less than a year, hence 
 J. Van Lindley limited himself to nine months. He 
 was needing a vacation and anxious to add to his 
 store of knowledge in his line of business. The 
 steamer was to sail Febiaiary 13th, from Xew York. 
 John Van Lindley and I left Greensboro, X. C, the 
 9th, went by way of Washington, secured passports, 
 and then on to New York to obtain letters of credit. 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 273 
 
 On the evening of Febrnarv liitli M. (/. Woody 
 and companion came, and the next moniing we sailed 
 ont ()f the hay, and were on onr way to the new 
 world. We were on the Umbria, of the Cunard line, 
 one of the largest steamers afloat, and to landsmen 
 the snrronndings were all new and decidedly excit- 
 ing and sensational. My traveling companion en- 
 joyed it to the fnll. For two days the weather was 
 fine and the prospect very good for a qnick voyage, 
 but on the third day we met a gale from the east 
 that suddenly changed the whole scene. The ma- 
 jority of the pa'ssengei"s had an interesting experience 
 with seasickness; my lady companions were troubled 
 with it for some days, but J. Van Lindley escaped 
 almost entirely during the whole crossing. The 
 tables that were filled at first were nearly empty for 
 two days; then the pale faces began to assemble, but 
 they were quite mincing about eating. The storm 
 increased in violence as we proceeded, and became 
 about first-class. The last two days of the voyage 
 it was so violent that neither mail nor passengers could 
 be landed at Queenstown: all were taken on to Liver- 
 pool. 
 
 AVhen off the west coast of Ireland a small ship 
 w^as sighted with signals of distress flying. The steamer 
 bore down U> the shij) an<l four men w^ere seen cling- 
 ing to the rigging, but tlie ship rolled so heavily 
 
274 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 that it seemed ready to go down at an^ moment. The 
 captain of the steamer called for volunteers to at- 
 tem])t a rescue ; the stonn was so severe and the danger 
 so great that he would not order anv one to go. One 
 brave fellow stepped out, saving he would steer a boat 
 if he could have a crew; immediately eight more he- 
 roic men offered to go. After much difficulty and 
 danger a boat was launched and pulled away. To me 
 it looked like not only a hopeless effort, but a needless 
 sacrifice of life, for I was sure all would be lost, but at 
 the end of an hour's hard work they reached the ship, 
 and rescued the crew, who had given up hope. The 
 return to the steamer was finally accomplished, and 
 the almost helpless crew lifted out of the boat; these 
 brave seamen, white in the face from exhaustion, stag- 
 gered when they reached the deck, and had to l>e sup- 
 ported, but the light of determined . courage was still 
 in their eyes. An involuntary shout of joy and con- 
 gratulation went up from hundreds of spectators. 
 There is always some leader who comes to the front in 
 an emergency, and so it was now ; a noble-hearted man 
 went around with his hat and was eloquent in praise 
 and appeal. Over £80 (English money) was collected; 
 then, when the exhausted men had somewhat recov- 
 ered, they were called and astonished by £20 being 
 given to the boat steerer as an acknowledgement of his 
 courageous act, £10 to the captain of the ship as a re- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 275 
 
 ward for his skill in saving his men, the remainder 
 was divided equally between the rescuers and the res- 
 cued, and another glad shout arose above the rage of 
 the stonn. All concerned in this deed were English- 
 men, and from mv heart I thaid<;ed the Lord for such 
 a race of men. 
 
 When we landed at Liverpool we found the 
 weather very cool and foggy. There had been (j^uite a 
 snow fall, which extended far inland, making the sit- 
 uation unsafe for my health, so the program was 
 changed; instead of remaining some time in England, 
 we resolved to go to a warmer climate. Our lady 
 friends parted with us and joined some of their English 
 friends, whom they had met in America. After a few 
 days we went on to London and bought tickets for 
 Cairo, Egypt. We made a shoTt stay in London. We 
 went to Paris, spent a day or so, then on to Rome by 
 way of Lyons and through the Mt. Cenis tunnel. We 
 remained a few days in Rome, saw the m6st noted 
 places and older ruins, fragments of 2500 years ago. 
 We hurried to Xaples, expecting to meet the steamer 
 from England, l)ut it was three days late; this time we 
 spent in looking at the beautiful side first, then at the 
 dark, revolting side. We resolved to climb one of the 
 old Roman rock flights of stone steps to the top of the 
 hill a thousand feet high. We did not then, nor shall 
 we ever regret doing it, but we do not again want to 
 
276 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 see the liorrid sight of human degradation, filth and 
 slum that we encountered in passing the rock cham- 
 bers. From the highest point of the old ruined castle 
 we surveyed the beautiful surroundings of the cele- 
 brated bav, had a good view of Vesuvius and the hills 
 beyond, but after seeing so many of our own grand 
 views combining city, water, ocean, plain and moun- 
 tain, I failed to see wdiy any one should think of say- 
 ing, "See Xaples and then die." If Americans wish 
 to see Xaples as it is, I would say ride through its long, 
 beautiful streets at fashionable: hours, visit its stately 
 palaces and churches; then go off into its suburbs and 
 back streets, climb one flifi^ht of stone steps, spend half 
 a night on its streets, with its commingling throng' of 
 humanity, and then you will know what Xaples is. 
 There are many interesting ruins in and around the 
 eity ; to the historian there is much of interest, for dur- 
 ing the palmy days of Roman grandeur, Xaples was 
 one of the chief resorts for possessors of wealth and 
 pride. 
 
 We were glad when the steamer came and we 
 aboard and in our cpiarters. As it was over due it did 
 not stop long, and we were soon out on the blue watere 
 of the Mediten*anean. AVe passed the coast line with 
 its green fields, \'ineyards and orchards covering the 
 hills, with many white villages partly hidden away 
 among the hills. Sometimes we could see with our 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 277 
 
 glasses the people on the shore, and the goats and cat- 
 tle among the rocks. We missed one historic point, 
 the Strait of Messina and the shores of Sicily. It was 
 night while we were passing, but the lights on the hilLs 
 on either side of the strait showed that life abounded, 
 and the numerous sailboats indicated life and activity. 
 Though the shores were invisible I realized that we 
 were passing through historic waters, and near his- 
 toric shores with which a part of the world's history 
 was closelv connected, and so I spent the larger por- 
 tion of the night in thought and calling up the history 
 of the past. Without previous arrangement we met 
 several of our Umbria fellow passengei's on the steam- 
 er who, like ourselves, were going to warmer countries. 
 Among them was a Miss Havens, of Chicago, a mis- 
 sionary to China. She had been twelve years in China 
 and had been home ^-isiting her brother and sisters, 
 and was now returning to her mission. We foi*med 
 her acquaintance and she requested the pri^dlege of 
 making the third one of our party while in Egypt and 
 Palestine. She was a lady of superior mind and scien- 
 tific attainments amd well posted, had traveled on foot 
 two days on top of the great Chinese wall, and she 
 gave us a vivid description of it. 
 
 We landed in Alexandria March 4, IS 1)2, and 
 suddenlv stepped out of western civilization into semi- 
 barbarism. It seemed like going into a new world. 
 
 18 
 
278 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 We were siirrouiided by a diffeiT:'nt race of people, 
 speaking what was to us a new language, dressed in 
 strange costumes, with novel habits and impulses; all 
 seemed to be pushing, imshing, shouting and gesticu- 
 lating in a frantic manner, which for a time was quite 
 bewildering, but by going slowly and acting in a more 
 composed manner than we felt, we soon mastered the 
 situation and were driven by an English-speaking 
 driveir to an English hotel, where we had time to adapt 
 our thoiights to the abiiipt introduction into Eastern 
 life. 
 
 Then we took a three hours' drive through, and 
 around the citv. We went to the remains of the old 
 wall of the days of Alexander, and to other old ruins; 
 to the beautiful gardens along the great canal, to the 
 old tombs, through the long streets occupied by hun- 
 dreds of shops and bazaars, and through the open, 
 noisy market places. Here we first met the huge, 
 ugly, repulsive-looking camel, with its enormous load, 
 with the ever-present little donkey and celebrated his- 
 toric, but not very picturesque-looking driver. The 
 strange mixture of contrasting nationalities was in- 
 teresting and stTiking. There were representatives 
 from all European countries, and all Eastern nations 
 excepting China; they made a perfect babel of 
 tongues as they talked, shouted and yelled, making an 
 unj)leasant impression on our untrained ears; but we 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 279 
 
 were tolerably apt scholars, aiul inacle good progress, 
 even ^lie first day, in our lessons, not in learning lan- 
 guage, but in adjusting oiu'selves to tbe new life. 
 
 AYe started by rail for Cairo; soon passed tlie 
 marshes and were out into the great valley of the iJ^ile. 
 It was a complete sui*prise; it far surpassed in beauty 
 my highest ideals, rose-colored as some of them were. 
 We were fortunate in the time of our visit. The 
 weather was that of early June in our country; the 
 wheat was in full head, barley just heading, sugar cane 
 ripe and being cut, vegetables in all stages of growth. 
 Hundreds of people were out in the fields at work, 
 with camels and donkeys nearly as abundant as people, 
 all loaded with fresh-cut clover, vegeta])les, sugar cane 
 and other products on their way to market; w^hile on 
 the canal there were many sail and rowboats loaded 
 with the fiiiits of the rich soil, all presenting a charm- 
 ing picture of Egyptian life as it was in the days of 
 Moses. In places we were reminded of some of the 
 most beautiful prairie scenes in the northwest of our 
 country, with the addition of magnificent groves of 
 the stately palm trees. In fact, it is hard to exaggerate 
 w^hen speaking of the Xile vallev when seen under 
 favorable circumstances. 
 
 Next morning, after our arrival in Cairo, we 
 startet:! earb' for the creat pvi^amid. Nine out of ten 
 Americans care nothing for the city until they stand 
 
280 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 on the -gTeat pyramid and see the sphinx. We drove 
 along a beautiful avenue on the bank of the l^ile, then 
 crossed the river on a massive iron bridge, along 
 another broad avenue of acacia trees, six miles to the 
 west of the valley. At first sight there is a feeling of 
 disappointment. It looks low and squatty, but as we 
 approached its huge proportions began to come up 
 against the blue sky and our disappointment turned to 
 awe and delight. When we arrived at the base, my 
 friends thought it unsafe for me to attempt the aseent. 
 Miss Havens was earnest, though very kind in her per- 
 suarling. Even the old Arab sheik thought it impru- 
 dent and shook his head dubiously, but they knew 
 nothing of my mountain climbing. We started vnt\\ 
 two Arabs a piece to ''boost. " Miss Havens kept close 
 to me in her anxiety for my safety. As is the custom, 
 Ave halted to rest about every hundred feet. At the 
 first halt Miss Havens asked how I was standing it. 
 At the second stop I inquired after Miss Havens. 
 John Van Lindley was behind at third. I waited for 
 Miss Havens to get well winded, and then started for 
 the top. When we were thirty feet from the summit 
 Miss Havens said softly to her boosters, ''Hurrv^ up, I 
 cannot bear the idea of an old man getting there first, 
 after saying what I did," but my attendants overheard 
 it, and they began to boost with a will, and we were 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 281 
 
 almost earned up, Miss Havens arriving two steps 
 ahead, but very tired, while I was not even weary. 
 John Van Lindlev was fifty feet behind, but came up 
 all right. My stock went above par among the Arabs. 
 
 The scene from the top well repaid all the toil of 
 climbing aside from the historical associations. But 
 it has been described by tourists and in school books 
 so often, that a brief outline is all that I shall attempt, 
 though I found afterwards that I saw things which 
 few mention, if they ever see them. The stones and 
 plaster casing of the pyramids and all the old ruins 
 have never been washed by rain, or moistened by dew ; 
 the constant exposure to blazing sunlight for unknown 
 centuries gives them a peculiar look, not seen any- 
 where else, and it is the same with wood, metal and all 
 artificial work; even the people bear marks of heat and 
 light without moisture in the air. This is an interest- 
 ing and distinctive feature of Egypt. Even the vege- 
 tation p-rows to maturity without any rain t-o wash cM 
 the dust of the desert. 
 
 Looking' westward from the pyramid the im- 
 broken expanse of brown sand looks dreary and deso- 
 late in the extreme. There is nothing in the wide, arid 
 regions of our great plains and deserts that can com- 
 pare with the Sahara in its repulsive desolation. We 
 instinctively turned away with a feeling of fear and 
 dread. As we looked to the south and toward the 
 
282 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 valley, we belield a wonderful scene. The deep gTeenr 
 of the lowland contrasted with the naked hills on 
 either side, with the towns and villages among th.6 
 palm groves, with the busy life that disa]:)pears as the 
 distance lenothens out, and above all the wonderful 
 city, Cairo, that lay smiling at our feet, with its gilded 
 towers, domes and minarets gleaming in the unbroken 
 sunlight, fonned a picture that belongs to Egypt and 
 to it alone, for there is more or less rain in all other 
 habitable parts of the earth. 
 
 The descent was more tiresome than the ascent, 
 and we felt it considerably. We began to relax from 
 the intense excitement, and are more conscious of pain. 
 From the Uv^ of the pyramid we saw a lesser one near 
 by, and southward in the desert a group of small ones, 
 which were interesting objects as seen through the 
 glass. The s])hinx is near the southwest corner, and 
 we looked down upon it in a way that intensified our 
 desire for a nearer view of this wonderful work of a 
 lost race, and to it we hurried on reaching the gTound. 
 To me it had an interest equal to anything ever seen 
 before or since. The sand has been all cleared away, 
 and we now understand the figure ; it is a human head- 
 ed lion, ninety feet long, hdng down with the fore 
 paws extended as in nature. The whole thing has been 
 cut out of a solid rock cliff, it is still a part of the rock 
 formation, and has not been detached. There is a 
 
OP ADDISON COFFIN. 283 
 
 Space of eight to twelve feet wide excavated all around 
 it four feet lower tluin its l)ody, thus leaving it as if it 
 were lying on a long block of stone. 
 
 It is impossible to convev a correct idea of the 
 massive figure. Everything is in such proportion, ^he 
 joining of the lion and the human neck is so perfect 
 that we could not determine the point of the union. 
 The whole figure can be better understood by saying 
 that from the tip of the chin to the top of the fore- 
 head is fourteen feet, and this measurement is in har- 
 mony with the size of the forehead, body and limbs. 
 The face has evidently been noble and verv beautiful^ 
 but it is now scarred and mutilated. Some brutal 
 Turkish soldiers fired a four-pound cannon at the head 
 the ball striking the side of the face, but a genius of 
 the fine arts could restore it. Xear by the sphinx an old 
 buried and lost temple has been discovered, and exca- 
 vations promise rich discoveries. A long passage has 
 been opened, which leads to an alabaster chamber so 
 beautifully dazzling that the eye cannot bear the re- 
 flection when a magiiesium light is introduced. 
 
 At last we turned from these wonders to the cool 
 shade of the acacia trees, and took our lunch and com- 
 pared notes and impressions, and here we fully realized 
 the ability of our ladv companion. She was not only 
 posted in history, but a linguist and antiquarian. As 
 we were preparing to go back to the city, the rank and 
 
284 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 iile of tourists were coming out to <!<► their climbing in 
 the heat of the day, instead of early morning as we 
 had done. We went directly to the gTeat museum, 
 where the wonders of lost Egypt are now being col- 
 lected on her own soil; we walked through the long 
 hall among the relics of the past, until we seemed to 
 belong to the past ourselves ; but when we entered the 
 hall of Pharaohs we were still more astonished and 
 pleased with ^liss Havens, for she could read the in- 
 scripticvns on the coffins, which had been made 4000 
 years ago, giving the name and date of death of the 
 now dry and shrivelled mummy, that was once a living 
 king. The kings of the dynasties were ranged in 
 groups in long lines in the hall of the kings with name 
 and supposed pericvd of their reigns. There was a 
 break in one line, where three rather noted mummies 
 were separated from the others. Miss Havens read on 
 the papyri that they were father, son and grandson, 
 the middle one the ''Pharaoh of the Exodus," and the 
 younger his successor. The three were in no way un- 
 like the others excepting they were above them in 
 height. Their biographies w^ere written with the same 
 characters as thc^se of hundreds of years before and 
 after their time. T^pon leavinsr the museum we re- 
 turned tc> the hotel to rest and discuss the ever-increas- 
 ing wonders that were coming up on every side. We 
 decided that Egvpt had to be seen to be rightly under- 
 
OF ADDI80N COFFIN, 285 
 
 stood. The next day was spent in goino: through the 
 citj, driving through the clean streets of modern 
 Cairo, thronged by people from every nation under 
 heaven, with a strange mina'ling of extreme western 
 and extreme eastern life. The bicycle rider went fly- 
 ing by, the donkey rider with driver running behind, 
 the fine English coach and four whirled past, the huge 
 freight camel with its great load aud long swinging 
 gait. The western lady, with head erect and open face, 
 crowded the veiled and shrouded eastern beauty in the 
 fashionable bazaars, each pitying the other for lack of 
 taste and for being so benighted and barbarous. So it 
 was at every turn in every department of business; the 
 habit and usages and customs of 4000 vears ago were 
 seen from the electric cars; while the camel driver 
 from Bagdad smoked his pipe from among bales and 
 bundles looking with pitying eyes upon the horrid in- 
 novations, devoutly calling upon Ali and the Prophet 
 to deliver him from the influence of the barbai^ans. 
 In the winter Cairo is. a paradise of beauty and enjoy- 
 ment. In summer it is like a burning oven. 
 
 With regret w^e left the valley of the Nile and 
 went nearlv due east by rail to Ismalia on the Suez 
 canal, there took steamer for Port Said on the coast. 
 The ride on the canal w^as interesting but devoid of all 
 romance, ^^^len in deep cuts we saw nothing but bare 
 sandy or clay walls, when on the till> or acpieducts 
 
"286 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 across the valley and depressions the dreary burning 
 sand stretches off to the horizon, which made the eyes 
 and head ache like a snow field in the sunlight. Of the 
 two the snow is the more endurable. We stopped, a 
 day and night in Port Said to see the ^'Half VV^av 
 Place" of the world. All ships and steamers going to 
 or from the east, stop there to hear the news, exchange 
 reports, get supplies, send cablegrams, write letters and 
 have a short rest. The port is always full of ships 
 with flags of all nations flvinp- from the flagstaff, while 
 the character and look of the sailors defv description. 
 They range from East Indian pirates, to splendid 
 specimens of English and American manhood. 
 
 Erom Port Said ^ve went by steamer to Jaffa in 
 Palestine. The sea being quite rough, at Jaffa the 
 steamer lay out a mile from shore. The passengers 
 and bagaa^e were picked up by brawn v Arabs and 
 dropped into boats alongside and caught by the fellows 
 in the boats. It was a new and rather unpleasant sen- 
 sation, this being dropped, but it was all successfully 
 accomplished without a miss. The ride through the 
 dangerous reefs in the rough sea was quite enjoyable, 
 for we had such confidence in our Arab boatmen and 
 their fellows on shore, that had we upset they would 
 have carried us ashore upon their backs. This harbor 
 and the reef thi-ouo-h which we were passing has been 
 associated with human events €ver since the confusion 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 287 
 
 of tongues, hence a small adventure would have been 
 enjoyable, but we landed safelv and realized at last 
 that we stood upon'tbe Holv Land. 
 
 Jaffa is one of the oldest cities of the world* 
 Pliny says it was a city l)efore the flood. There is an 
 undoubted record that it was an important city in the 
 time of Sennacherib. It has had an eventful history j^^ 
 been destroyed and rebuilt many times, and has been 
 closely connected with Jewish historv since the time 
 of Joshua. It was the seaport of Solomon, and a por- 
 tion of a massive sea wall built bv him is still standing, 
 though today it is nearlv a hundred yards inland. The 
 crusaders made it one of their strongholds, and many 
 of their walls and towers are still standing. Amon^ 
 the interesting relics is the house of Simon, the tanner, 
 with, a stone tan vat in perfect preservation standing 
 before a group of houses suiTOunding the small open 
 court, showing by their consti'iiction that they were 
 built before our era. In an orange orchard, some dis- 
 tance off, we saw the house in which Peter restored 
 Dorcas to life, now partly under ground. It belongs 
 to the same period as the house of Simon. 
 
 The city has 25,000 inhabitants, Mohammedans, 
 Jews and Christians, and to the historian, antiquarian 
 and general reader is full of interest. For a mile or 
 more it is surrounded by orange orchards, gardens, 
 vineyards and flowers protected by thick hedges of 
 
288 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 thorny cacti. There are many hospitals, schools and 
 churches maintained by Europeans, which are doing 
 much good. Eastern life is seen here a* at Alexandria 
 with persistent unchanging customs in contrast with 
 European improvements. The ties on the Jerusalem 
 railroad were delivered on the landing by ships from 
 ISTorway. From the landing to the construction train 
 they were carried on camels, six being a camel's load, 
 and it was a novel sight to see a long line of these 
 strctng animals carrying their unwieldy burdens; 
 everybctdy gave them the right of way as they passed. 
 
 In the noisy market place we saw for the first 
 time ^Hwo women grinding at the mill," though we 
 did not take one as in the scripture ; we also saw a man 
 grinding alone, 7)erspirinp- as in a harvest field; both 
 mills after the ])attern of those on the oldest monji- 
 ments in Egypt. It wa^ the same with many things 
 on sale. There has been no change for 4000 years, aiid 
 the mechanics and craftsmen worked like automatons 
 with their primitive tools. All seemed as incapable of 
 change a^ the camel to alter his hump, or the China- 
 man his bias eyes. 
 
 At 4 p. m. we tcKtk a carriage and drove two hours 
 to the toAvn of Ramlah, along a fine pike road, equal to 
 anything in Europe, and crossed the plain of Sharon 
 with all its wonderful memories. Ramlah was one of 
 the crusaders' important depots. A large ruined 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 289 
 
 ehurt'li, and a well preserved iuassiv(^ stone tower still 
 remain to tell their story. There is a grand view from 
 the old town. AVe slept at a German hotel, found 
 good, clean beds and German food. In tlu^ early 
 mornine: we started for Jerusalem. It would take a 
 book to describe all the historic and interesting places 
 and events on the road, such as the scene of Samson's 
 exploit with the foxes, the valley of Ajalon and 
 Joshua's long day, Latroon an<l other strongholds of 
 the olden time of the C'liisaders, Kirjath-Jearim and 
 its events, Xioopolis, Ain Kairaini,'the birthplace of 
 John the Baptist, Emmaus, near which runs the brook 
 from which David chose the stones to slay Goliath of 
 Gath, tomb of Samuel and a score more. 
 
 Contrary to all my expectations the approach to 
 Jerusalem was not as sensational and exciting as my 
 childhood dreams had pictured; we could not see th-? 
 city until within thirty rods of the north corner of the 
 wall near Jaffa -ate. A new city is building up to 
 the north and west that hid the wall as we approach(.'d 
 from that side. We stopped in the new city at the 
 Howard hotel in view of the Jaifa gate and tower. It 
 was afternoon when we arrived, but we soon started 
 out with a native Greek church (Jhristian as giiide and 
 interpreter, Elias Salmon, who spoke American well. 
 We entered the city at the Jaffa gate, went through 
 the street of David, Christian street, two or three mar- 
 
290 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 ket streets, to the chnrcli of the Xativity and back 
 through the bazaars with our stock of reverence for 
 the holy city rapidly going down. We were astonished 
 and disgusted with the loathsome animals, dogs, donk- 
 eys, camels, cows, sheep and goats, and the throngs of 
 dirty, degraded people, with every kind of a horrid 
 smell that can be imagined, and were ready to say that 
 all our toil and travel had been in vain. That night 
 in comparing notes all united in one thing, that 
 Jerusalem was the dirtiest city we had ever seen, and 
 that the beautiful ideal pictures of early life were 
 ruined, and Ave were so stirred up in mind and spirit, 
 that we did not sleep well, but we saved oureelves from 
 condemning it too hastily. 
 
 Next morning we set out for Jericho and the 
 Dead Sea. Older tourists and our guide advised this 
 as a remedy for our disgust with what we had seen. 
 the trip was made on horseback. AVe passed Gethse- 
 naane around the south end of the Mount of Olives, by 
 Bethany, then through hills and low mountains, past 
 the spot where Christ laid the parable of the Good 
 Samaritan, and a more fitting place could not be found. 
 We passed the brook Chereth where the prophet hid 
 from his enemies, a thousand feet below the mountain 
 road upon which we were traveling. Suddenly at a 
 turn in the road, we came in sight of the valley of the 
 Jordan, the Dead Sea, the Mountains of Moab and Mt. 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 291 
 
 Kel)(.. The sceiic was wonderful, and so many events 
 rushed through the memory that it was a partial eom- 
 penisation for the disappointment at Jerusalem; 
 though the wide plain of the Jordan was nearly deso- 
 late, the mountains all around were naked and bare, 
 there was something gTand in the history of all the eye 
 could see. 
 
 "We ^'isited the site of Jericdio and found that 
 scarcely a fragment remains, save the wonderful foun- 
 tain that was inside its walls; it comes out from under 
 a heavy archway from under the hill, it is clear and 
 pure and will fill a fifteen inch pipe all the time. The 
 fountain is what made Jericho such a noted city in 
 Joshua's day. i^ot a living thing was seen on the 
 barren hill where the city stood. Two miles away 
 there is a miserable dirty, flea and bug infested village 
 that bears the name. Fortunately for tourists, the 
 Germans have built a nice, comfortable hotel, where 
 we lodged, but the evening was disturbed by the liide- 
 ous shouts and discordant sound of drum and horn in 
 the hands of pilgrims, who were returning- from a 
 shrine called Job's tomb. They were a Avild, repulsive 
 kine- rabble, dirty, ragged, l>eggarlv beings. 
 
 In the early morning we left the hotel and start- 
 d for the Dead Sea, two hours' ride across the deserted 
 and desolate valley. As we approached the sea we 
 saw and passed among peculiar-looking sand hills and 
 
 J 00 
 
 e( 
 
292 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 irregular ridges, showing that the sea had once covered 
 much larger area than now, and those hills were the 
 old shore lines. When we reached the sea, another 
 shadow came over our dreams. All had pictured in 
 childhood a dark, silent body of water, surrounded by 
 black, frowning cliifs and caverns, all gloomy and hor- 
 rible. Instead, we stood on the shore of a sparkling 
 lake, with a white-pebbled bank, the waves gently 
 rippling at our feet, no cliffs near, the mountains sunlit 
 and brown like all others in the country; every thing- 
 different from our ideals. It was true all* was silent; 
 there Avas no noise of insect, reptile or bird, but the 
 stillness was soft and soothing: there was more of rev- 
 erence than of terror. 
 
 As the custom is, a part of the company went in 
 bathing, and instead of swimming, just floated on the 
 surface on account of the density of the water. My 
 friend, John Van Lindley, went in and could not get 
 under water until he jumped up and went down head 
 flrst, and then only for a moment. A stout English 
 lady made long and persistent efforts to go under, but 
 failed. She floated like a cork and was very much 
 worried at the failure. From the sea we rode four 
 miles to Joshua's ford of the Jordan river, and here 
 was another disappointment. It was just a common 
 muddy-looking river, nothing sacred, holy or wonder- 
 ful in sight. In places the mud of a recent overflow 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 293 
 
 was not dry. The river was thirty yards wide and 
 twenty feet deep, llowing live to seven miles an hour, 
 and we were four miles from its mouth. The shore 
 is lined with a thick growth of small trees and brush, 
 much like other rivers. Though disappointing to the 
 eye, it was none the less interesting on accoimt of its 
 wonderful history in connection with the human race, 
 the course of empire and the rise and fall of the king- 
 doms. 
 
 Before we had made half the distance from the 
 sea to the river, all who had bathed began to twist and 
 squirm in their saddles. The salt brine on their backs 
 was almost unbearable. My friend's head especially 
 was feeling exceedinglv unpleasant. When we 
 reached the river thev did not stand on the bank hesi-. 
 tating, but made haste to plunge in and get rid of the 
 salt of the Dead sea. There is no trace of the old ford 
 now. The deposit of thirty centuries has filled the 
 valley many feet deep, and there are no fords for many 
 miles up the river. The recent overflow had left a de- 
 posit about as thick as common writing paper. It was 
 drpng and curling up, and had a slight alkali taste, 
 and was a yellowish brown in color. 
 
 Upon returning to the hotel tired and hungry, 
 we lay down earlv and had a good night's rest. The 
 next morning we had a rr.ugh ride back to Bethany, 
 where wt took lunch, and rested in the shade of some 
 
 19 
 
294 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 olive trees by the wayside, then visited the house o± 
 Mary and Martha. It belongs to the period of Simon 
 at Jaffa. Sixty miles up a small ravine on the east side 
 of the Mount of Olives are many old tombs cut in the 
 rock, from one of which Lazarus was raised from the 
 dead. We ascended the east side of Olivet, by a very 
 rough, stony path to the t(jp, where are several build- 
 ings, including an old Turkish tower and minaret. 
 From, the top of the tower there is the finest view of 
 sacred and wonderful ])laces in all Palestine. To the 
 east is the Dead sea, to the west the Mediterranean, 
 before and beneath is Jerusalem, which lies at an in- 
 cline, so we saw all its streets, houses, walls and the 
 Mosque of Omar as the central figure. This view was 
 so impressive that my feeling of disappointment 
 measurably left me, and I began to see things in a new 
 light, and the whole scene took on a different coloring. 
 The place where the tower stood was ])robably 
 the spot where Christ stood when he wept over the 
 doomed city with its millions of inhabitants, and while 
 I was gazing in awe at Jerusalem as it is. my mind 
 was filled with this thought, '^What might have been," 
 if Jei-usalem had received the Savior, and I could not 
 refrain from tears when all the past came up in mem- 
 ory. The descent on the west w^as so steep and rough 
 we went down on foot, as far as Gethsemane, where 
 we stopped an hour to examine the sacred spot. It is 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 295 
 
 now enclosed by a wall and iron grating, so people 
 cannot carry all the earth away, a sad necessity, for 
 thousands of visitors were annually carrying away a 
 handful of the sacred soil. 
 
 We returned to our hotel with very dilferent feel- 
 ings from those we had on leaving, and the next day 
 walked more than half around the city on the wall; 
 we could look down in the streets without wading 
 through the muck and garbage. We could also see the 
 noted houses, churches and sacred places. From the 
 northeast corner we looked upon Calvary, on the east 
 side we looked into the valley of Jehoshaphat, where 
 Absalom's pillar is cut out of the solid rock, and has 
 remained through all the vicissitudes of time unbroken 
 and well preserved. It is nearly fifty feet high and 
 stands out as a landmark. Lower down we saw the 
 tomb of Jehoshaphat, with a large chamber that 
 opens into secret caves and passages not yet explored. 
 Then we saw the pyramid of Zachariah. This con- 
 sists of a solid block of stone sixteen feet wide and 
 deep, twenty-nine feet high, and hewn out of the solid 
 cliff, with a broad passage all around its base. The 
 face of this block is beautifully ornamented and it is 
 held in great reverence by the Jews, especially by the 
 remnant of the captivity, who still live in the valley 
 of the Euphrates and eastern Arabia. From the 
 corner at the temple grounds, we looked south on the 
 
296 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 slope of the mount and saw thousands of white stones, 
 marking the ^aves of Jews who have been buried 
 there through many centuries. On the other side the 
 scenes froni the wall were very interesting, but not 
 like the eastern. 
 
 After view^ing the city from the wall we ven- 
 tured on a general survey. At first the streets seemed 
 intricate and confusing; many of them are steep and 
 have a succession of stone steps, others are vaulted 
 over and covered with houses. The principal ones are 
 pretty well defined and easily followed, but all are 
 very narrow. The Street of David is but sixteen feet 
 wide, with no sidewalk. It starts from the Jaifa gate 
 and goes eastward to the temple grounds, and is lined 
 with shops, stores, gToceries, fancv bazaars, manu- 
 factories of trinkets and tovs, shops where shoes and 
 sandles, in endless variety, are to be found, and a few 
 rooms in which primitive silk weaving is going on. 
 
 We went to St. Stephen's gate near the north 
 corner on the east side, and started westward, and 
 passed thrcaigh a very interesting part of the city. 
 We went through St. Anne's church. Xear it on the 
 other side Avas a deserted puddle of stagnant water, 
 said to mark the Pool of Bethesda. Then came the 
 Chapel of Scourging and the Street Via Dolorosa, 
 along which a detestable superstition locates the 
 'fourteen stations of the cross," each of which is 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. ^97 
 
 visited by multitudes of ignorant, deluded people, from 
 which we turned away in disgust and pity. We saw 
 the Convent of the Sisters of Zion, which contains the 
 Ecco Homo Arch, a fragment of the Judgment Hall 
 of Pontius Pilate. From the roof of that building 
 Jerusalem and the temple can be seen to great ad- 
 vantage. It is probably the l)est view in the city. 
 Christian street deseiwes especial notice. It runs from 
 David's street towards Damascus gate, and unites with 
 the one from St. Stephen's. ^N'ear to the Jaffa gate we 
 turned to the right and ascended Mount Zion, passed 
 the tower of Hippicus, when we came to one of the 
 cleaner portions of the city. There are several 
 churches on Mount Zion. The view from the top of 
 the Armenian church is fine. 
 
 The trip through these streets, and the scenes 
 from the lookouts, had given us quite a correct idea 
 of the lay of the city, so we now explored the corners 
 and outlying portions, and a'ot a clear impression of 
 the character of the inhabitants, and thus received a 
 better understanding of the time coming when the 
 ^'Sanctuary shall be cleansed." 
 
 We \dsited the Mosque of Omai", or Haram, as the 
 Turks call it. The description I had read prepared 
 me to see a very l)eautiful edifice, but when we en- 
 tered the building illumined by the morning sun, I 
 was amazed and bewildered at the dazzling splendor 
 
298 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 that met the eye on every side. When I stood by the 
 dome of the rock, the Holy of Holies, where the ark of 
 the covenant once stood, a feeling of solemn awe came 
 over me, and I felt as if the place were holy still. I 
 had see'n the church of St. Peter's in Rome, St. Paul's 
 and Westminster Abbey in London, Notre Dame and 
 the Confessional in Paris, the Cathedral at Strasburg, 
 and many other churches, some of which were more 
 vast and imposing in size, but nothing had ever ap- 
 proached in splendor to what the Mosque of Omar is 
 inside its walls. The Mohammedans have lavished un- 
 told millions in beautifying their sacred shrine. All 
 the artistic skill of western civilization, united with 
 the voluptuous imagination of the east, has been com- 
 bined in producing an object not surpassed by any 
 age, or people. The venerable High Priest and 
 Patriarch was very kind in answering question?, and 
 seemed interested in our country and our rapid na- 
 tional expansion. The two hours spent with him in 
 that wonderful building, on that sacred spot, v^ll not 
 be forgotten, nor can I think of him but as a brother 
 in the hope of immortalitv. 
 
 The Jews have several synagogues in the city, 
 one more noted than the others, its green dome is a 
 distinctive mark in looking down on the city from the 
 Mount (yf Olives. It holds some very ancient and 
 hadscaiielv inscribed rolls of the Old Testament. The 
 
OF ADDISON OOFFIN. 299 
 
 Jews are debarred from many privileges and subjected 
 to annoying persecutions from the bigoted eastern 
 Christians, as well as Moslems. They are not permitted 
 to enter the old temple grounds, but there is one part 
 of the old wall of the temple enclosure where they are 
 allo-wed to gather. "A retired place on the outside of 
 the southwest wall of the harem is the only spot where 
 the children of Israel are permitted to congregate, 
 freely to gaze at, to touch, and to weep over the old 
 stones hewn and laid there by their ancestors. The 
 foul, obscure entrance to this place, through a narrow 
 lane, is a fit type of the abject misery of their race here 
 and elsewhere. Here they come in numbers, especi- 
 ally on Fridays. Jews of all .countries and of all de- 
 grees, rich and poor, men and women, some in velvet 
 and rare furs and some in squalid rags, bring with 
 them their Old Testaments, which they place in the 
 crevices between the massiA^e stones, and from them 
 read aloud the story of their former glorious days, con- 
 fessing their sins with tears and loud lamentations; re- 
 citing touching prayers and calling upon ''The Go<l 
 of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,'' to remember and ful- 
 fill His ancient promises to His chosen people. Those 
 standing close to the revered wall rest their hands upon 
 it sobbing, while those further off stretch out loving 
 hands to touch its stones. Old women sit upon the 
 ground reading or reciting the promises, and stop to 
 
300 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 wipe away the tears that stream down their wrinkled 
 faces." As I stood gazing upon this strange, sad scene, 
 there came again the voice to my mind, ''What might 
 have been," instead of all this sorrow. 
 
 Outside the city for many miles around every 
 valley, rock and hill has some connection with historic 
 events of the Holy City, and it is hard to make a selec- 
 tion when there is not time to see all. We began our 
 outside excursions by visiting Bethlehem and Solo- 
 mon's Pools. We passed several modern villages built 
 by the Germans, French and Russians, each national- 
 ity having large hospices where the throngs of pil- 
 grims find rest and shelter at small cost. 
 
 At Bethlehem we saw the ruins of the inn that 
 was ''full" when Joseph and Mary arrived, also the 
 half cave mangers under an overhanging rock, in one 
 of which the young babe was laid when born. These 
 mangers are now surrounded and covered by an im- 
 mense structure, resulting from the union of several 
 churches; as in many other places there is much 
 bigotry and superstition connected with the place. 
 Froni the east end of the hill on which the town stands, 
 across a narrow, deep valley, we saw a broad plateau of 
 a few thousand acres, on which the shepherds were 
 watching their flocks the night when Christ was bom. 
 They had al)Out one and a half miles to go to find the 
 babe, then to return across the valley to their flocks. 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 301 
 
 That plateau is a sheep and goat pasture today. There 
 were thousands in sight when we were there, and thus 
 has it been through all the intervening centuries, and 
 ahvays will be, because it pays. When w^e turned 
 aw^ay from Bethlehem, we were satisfied that the 
 Scripture is true concerning it and its part in history. 
 
 Solomon's Pools, three in number, are several 
 miles further on, and are supplied by a fountain that 
 would fill an eight-inch pipe. An earthquake frac- 
 tured them, so they hold l)ut little w^ater, yet the un- 
 der ground aoueducts are perfect, and furnish some 
 water to the city. The reservoirs are large and 
 massive, showing the style of concrete masonry of that 
 time, giving us a key to compare the age of ruins. 
 Here is masonry of Solomon's epoch, while iVlexan- 
 dria showed that of Alexander's day, the pyramids 
 that of prehistoric period, and so we may learn as by 
 an alphabet the era of ruins bv the character of their 
 masonry. 
 
 On our return we stopped at Kachel's tomb, and 
 called up the history of the Hebrews since she was laid 
 at rest, not only of that nation, but the whole human 
 race. This tomb is and has been held in reverence 
 through all time, and has always been kept in repair. 
 Its present form is a solid pyramid of stone. It has 
 been repaired bv the Moslems. At the tomb the road 
 divides. The main road goes to Hebron and a horse 
 path turns to the right, leading to Ala Karim, the 
 
302 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 birthplace of John the Baptist. It is a beautiful village, 
 surroimded by green fields, orchards, gardens and vine- 
 yards, the prettiest rural spot in Palestine. There is 
 an ancient church here that was built in the fifth cen- 
 tury. It ha^ since been enlarged, and was quite im- 
 posing as seen from the hills. It belongs to the Greek 
 church. The Sisters of Zion have a school for girls 
 near the village, which adds to the interest. Another 
 route, which is very rocky, passes a Greek monastery, 
 and comes into the Jaffa road near the city. 
 
 In going out by the Damascus gate, we turned to 
 the right from the old road and ascended a hill, where, 
 near the summit, there is a small bench or plateau of 
 a fourth of an acre ; there we Avent up a steeper gTade 
 to the top, where there was a circular area of about one 
 acre, shaped like a shallow wash pan turned lx)ttom 
 upward. This is Mount Calvary. From the top we 
 could have seen into the outer court- of the temple. 
 At the foot of the hill near where the ascent is made 
 there is a low cliff of rock with a crescent shaped 
 garden of three-fourths of an acre. At the left of the 
 garden entrance are several tombs cut in the low cliff, 
 which in their finish show they belong to the day of 
 Christ. 
 
 When we climbed the hill to the little plateau, 
 we saw the place where the women stood ''afar off" 
 during the crucifixion, yet could see and hear all that 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 803 
 
 was said and done. On toj) there is room for a thou- 
 sand people to stand and the hill is nearly solid rock, 
 and has not changed and conld not change, so we came 
 away satisfied that we had seen Calvary. It was 
 natural and easy, when Christ's body was taken downi, 
 to come to the west end of the little garden, turn in 
 and place it in its resting place. But what of standing 
 where the crucifixion took place? Every one has his 
 own impressions. Some feel like and do pray, some 
 thank God that they have been permitted to stand on 
 the sacred spot, some shout and go into ecstatics, while 
 many others have no feeling or do not show it in any 
 way, but to me the place did not seem more sacred 
 than any other; but the thought of what had gone out 
 through the world from that spot was almost over- , 
 whelming. From there Christianity had gone forth, 
 and I seemed to look down the centuries and see what 
 it had done, and on to the end of what it would do. 
 
 Off to the right of the Damascus road beyond 
 the hills is the ^'Tomb of the Kings." It is a large, 
 rock-hewn chamber open to the sky, about thirty yards 
 square. The west end of the excavation is cut into 
 passages and curiously cut chambers, niches and 
 shelves for the reception of the sarcophagi, which have 
 all long since disappeared. There is one large cham- 
 ber which has been closed w^ith a huge, rolling stone, 
 which is still standing in its groove at the side of the 
 
301 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 entrance. This excavation is thirty feet deep, and has 
 a reservoir in the southeast corner, which still holds 
 water. A mile and a half further on there is a broad 
 high archway cut in the face of the hill \vith a broad 
 23assage cut far back in the solid rock, with tomb cham- 
 bers cut in the sides. This is the 'Tombs of the 
 Judges," a dark and gloomy place, yet like that of 
 "The Kings," very interesting, and gives a deep and 
 definite impression of the truthfulness of the Bible 
 record. 
 
 The valley of Hinnom begins near the Jaffa 
 gate, on the southwest side of the city. It is deep and 
 now dry and desolate looking — Tophet-Gehenna. It 
 runs southeast between Jerusalem and the '^Hill of 
 Evil Counsel," which is now attracting much attention 
 from the fact that it seems to cover what appears to 
 have been an ancient subterranean city. It is now 
 being explored and promises to be exceedingly rich in 
 relics as far back as the 'old Hittite times. All the 
 way down the valley the hills are honey-combed with 
 rock-hewn chambers, some of the passages leading off 
 hundreds of yards into the hill, just how far is still 
 unknown. It is becoming more and more a question 
 of when, by whom and for what purpose those vast 
 subterranean passages and immense chambers were 
 excavated. The three hills, Mt. Zion, Mt. Moriah and 
 Mt. Akra are standing above a vast underground city. 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 305 
 
 'Jlic entrance to it is near the I )ania6eus gate. The ex- 
 cavation goes back to the remotest antiquity. Much 
 of the work was done by a lost race, possibly ten thou- 
 sand years ago. Some of their methods of work and 
 their tools tell a tale of silent wonder. At the point 
 where the valley of Jehoshaphat and Hinnom unite, 
 there is a deep well, or an artesian fountain, which, 
 when there has been a heavy continuous rainfall, over- 
 flows and sends a river of water down the valley. It is 
 supposed to be connected with the p-reat fountain, or 
 lake, that underlies the whole section, for in boring in 
 the new city, an inexhaustible fountain is struck at a 
 depth of two to three hundred fe^t, and St. Mary's 
 fountain, near the Golden gate, is a regular intermit- 
 tent spring from the great fountain. 
 
 On the slope of Olivet, opposite the union of the 
 valleys, is the hospital of the lepers, where they lodge 
 and are supplied with abundance of good bread and 
 water, but are not permitted to enter the city, and can 
 only stand outside on the east and north of the wall, 
 nowhere else. Of their looks and homd condition I 
 do not wish to write, for it fills the mind with inex- 
 pressible pity, loathing and horror to see the frightful 
 condition some are in, dying by piecemeal and yet 
 cannot die, suffenng death a hundred times before 
 it comes. 
 
 As the ]\rosque of Omar is the most beantiful 
 
306 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 tiling in Palestine, so is tlie Cliurcli of tlie Holy Sepul- 
 cher the biggest liumbug in all the east, if not in the 
 world, and the Christian nations should unite in sup- 
 pressing it at once; in fact we grew weaiy and dis- 
 gusted with the senseless supei*stitions that met us at 
 every turn, and in every place. One impious Ameri- 
 can prayed the Lord to send another Joshua to cleanse 
 and purify the land again. Yet there is so much to see, 
 so many Bible and historic memories called up in and 
 around the city, that we felt like throwing the mantle 
 of charity over much that was repulsive. I^otwith- 
 standing there is muck and mire in the streets, super- 
 stition, bigotry, sin, suffering, sorrow and shame to be 
 met, it pays any one well read in the Bible and history 
 to visit Jerusalem and study its past and present; for 
 as its past has been cannected with humanity, its near 
 future promises to become more so. The slow but sure 
 building of a new city outside the wall, the steady in- 
 crease of English and American influence is not with 
 
 out deep significance. 
 
 We left Jerusalem and returned to Jaft'a, and 
 there took a steamer for Beyroot. Had a pleasant trip, 
 found a good hotel and on the 20th took diligence 
 drawn by six horses, three abreast, for Damascus, over 
 a good pike road, built by the Erench. We crossed 
 the Lebanon amid a whirling snow storm, with all the 
 higher portion of the range still covered with many 
 
OP ADDISON COFFiN. 307 
 
 inches of the winter snow, and tor a tew hours we suf- 
 fered severely witli the cold. We hinched at Stora, 
 beyond the mountain, and there took a })rivate carriage 
 and turned aside for the ruins of Baalbec, where we 
 arrived at 5 p. m., cokl and tired. As there was no fire 
 at the hotel, we rebelled against su{di treatment, and 
 by a little positive reasoning we were soon supplied 
 with a large brazier full of l)urning cdiarcoal. We 
 were soon warmed and ready for a hot supper served in 
 real eastern style. 
 
 Though late in the day we were so excited at 
 being near the world's greatest wonder in the line of 
 ruins, that we took a short run to the great temples. 
 Our interest arose tc the highest point of intensity as 
 we slowlv walked around and through the fallen gran- 
 deur and departed glory. On every side was a mass of 
 wreckage that was so stupendous and bewildering, thai 
 we stood and gazed upon it in awe. All that we had 
 seen before became dwarfed into a miniature, the 
 mind was full of astonishment when we realized that 
 all that ^vi*eck was once in the fonn of a beautiful 
 temple. The mystery that covers Baalbec adds to the 
 impression made on the mind at the first sight. We 
 recognize the fact that the foundations of these ruins 
 were laid by a lost race, who left no other monument 
 to tell that they had been. 
 
 When darkness came we returned to our brazier 
 
308 
 
 LIFE AND TKAVELS 
 
 of coals and talked long over tlie new experience, and 
 that night I dreamed of wandering back through the 
 infinite past and lived with the people who are now 
 silent in the dust, and who have left nothing but ruined 
 towers and temples; and realized that thev had lived 
 and died as this generation w^a^ living, moving where 
 now,— 
 
 ''The spirits of the desert dwell, 
 A\'Tiere eastern e^randeur shone 
 And vultures scream, hyenas yell, 
 'Round Beauty's mouldering throne." 
 
 I was suddenly called back to earth by the clang of the 
 brazier, and a big, burly Syrian dumped his charcoal 
 on the fire, calling out we knew not what, but supposed 
 it must be breakfast, and so we arose to find a ixdsty, 
 cool, bad morning. After we had breakfasted we 
 started out in spite of the rain to see the ruins more in 
 detail. We went to the northwest side, where we saw 
 and touched three great stones. They are 13x13x62 
 feet long, and are on top of the prehistoric Avail about 
 fifty feet above the foundation. They have been 
 transported three-quarters of a mile, and lifted to their 
 place. There is no mortar or cement visible, yet the 
 joints are so perfect that I could not thrust the point 
 of a little blade of my pocket knife an eighth of an 
 inch into the joints at any place. Just beneath these 
 large stones are many 12 feet thick and 3(i to 36 long. 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 309 
 
 In the quarry we could see the place where the three 
 large stones were cut out, and alongside a fourth one 
 has been quarried and left lying. It is 14x15 and 72 
 feet long. It is finished out but never moved. Why, 
 tradition does not tell, and history is silent. I climbed 
 to it and walked its length. One can only realize its 
 enormous size by standing on it. The quarries extend 
 over many acres and in places are fifty feet deep. 
 
 At the southwest corner there is a portion of the 
 wall 125 feet high, the highest in the ruins. The 
 great open, inner court is 450x400. On the west side 
 there are no chaml^ers; on the other three sides there 
 has been a second massive wall thirty to forty feet 
 from the outer one. The space between has been built 
 in large chambers, many of them showing great 
 beauty in design and finish. The surface of the inner 
 wall is adorned ^^dth the highest architectural beauty 
 of the various nations who held control On the south 
 side we saw the six great columns that are still stand- 
 ing, the landmark of the ruins. They are 84 feet high, 
 7 feet in diameter, and are held together and to the 
 wall by blocks of stone 6x6x12 feet. The tops are 125 
 feet above the foundation of the portico. The temple 
 of Jupiter, wdiich stands near the temple of the Sun, 
 on the south side, is in better state of preservation, but 
 smaller. It has been very beautifully ornamented 
 and was built at a later day, probably by the Pheni- 
 cians. 
 
 20 
 
310 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 Everywhere we were impressed with the vastness 
 of the structures. The builders were our superiors in 
 mechanical skill and architecture. The sculptures 
 were perfect in their kind and more ideal than at anv 
 later day. The lost race seems to have been giants in 
 every particular. The evidence left is convincing. 
 When the Greek came with his refinement, he built on 
 the prehistoric foundations that had not been wrecked 
 by war and earthquake; to the Greek structure was 
 given Greek adorning. When the Roman came he 
 added Roman art and beauty, and at last when the 
 Turk came he began to destroy, and the earthquake 
 of 1759 finished the ruin. 
 
 There is as much of the prehistoric temple under 
 ground as above, and that part, though choked and 
 filled with rubbish, is too strong for even earthquake 
 power. Stand where we would inside, or outside, the 
 walls, or on the hills overlooking, the impression was 
 the same, that of wonder and astonishment, and the 
 question came up, why should the grandest thing of 
 earth be ruined by the bloody hand of war? In all de- 
 scnptions I have seen given by historians and tourists, 
 the half has not been told, nor can it be. One must 
 stand in the great court, surrounded by the vast wreck- 
 age and stand on the tottering wall and gaze on the 
 whole scene to fully comprehend what Baalbec was in 
 its glory, and what it is in ruin. 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 311 
 
 Like all other ancient ruins, the neighboring hills 
 and cliffs are full of rock-hewn chambers and passages, 
 and it pays the trouble to visit some of them ; each na- 
 tion has cut its own favorite form of chamber and 
 passage, sometimes they are in proximity and in in- 
 teresting contrast. To the east, in the valley, are 
 many rock chambers ingeniously cut so no water will 
 get in from the winter rains, suggesting the idea that 
 they may have been graneries or storage places. 
 
 We returned to Stora in a heavy rain-storm, then 
 took diligence and reached Damascus near night, and 
 were again (piite cold, for the Anti-Lebanon range of 
 mountains was covered with snow, and it was melting 
 very fast. Another brazier of glowing coals gave us 
 grateful relief and a good night's rest, though at all 
 hours we heard the rushing of many waters, the hotel 
 b^ing on the bank of a river. We spent two days in 
 and around the city. In one resi>ect it was disap- 
 pointing. It has many marks of beauty, and not many 
 of age. It had nothing startling or sensational, but 
 much that Avas very interesting. I marvel not that it 
 is the oldest city in the world, for there is no better 
 place for one. It is in the midst of a lovely fertile 
 plain, irrigated by two mountain rivers of pure spark- 
 ling water, which never fails, with a healthy, tem- 
 perate climate, and so long as men dwell on earth some 
 will live at Damascus. 
 
312 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 We drove far out in the valley amoug gi'een 
 wheat and rye fields, through a wilderness of mul- 
 berry and fruit orchards and vineyards, to where 
 Paul was smitten down. On return we drove around 
 the city to see the remains of the old wall; we saw 
 the window through which Paul was let down, near 
 to the Jerusalem gate. AVe walked the whole length 
 of the street called Straight; it varies from a straight 
 line just enough to prevent one from seeing through 
 from either end, ])ut in standing in the middle it 
 lo<>ks perfectly straight. AVe walked many hours 
 through the noisy markets, bazaars, wheat bins, camel 
 and donkey market, and passed through the long 
 street where silk weaving is carried on, and the prim- 
 itive loom is plied by hundreds of sad-faced women. 
 Then we visited the street given to the manufacture 
 of toys and litth^ fancy articles to sell to tourists 
 and strangers. It is proverbial all over the east 
 that you must never offer a Damascus merchant more 
 than one-third his price, or you will be deceived; the 
 native guides will run travelers into the shops to get 
 them smndlcil in trade instead of sho\ving them the 
 city. 
 
 The day before we an-ived, one of the singular 
 events occurred that comes in Mahomedan coun- 
 tries at irregular periods, and always among the de- 
 scendants of Esau. Suddenly a man among the day 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 313 
 
 laborers felt himself inspired to sing the songs of 
 praise considered sacred by all Mahomedans. He 
 went to the priest of the principal niosqne, and asked 
 to go to the minaret at midnight to sing; at first 
 the priest donbted his sanitv, for he knew the man 
 had no voice for singing, whereupon the man began 
 singing with such supernatural melody that all men 
 were amazed. Tn answer as to when and how he 
 learned the sacred songs, his reply was: ^^\llah (God) 
 taught me." So he was permitted to sing, and the 
 \vhole city was electrified with the sublime music that 
 came from the lofty minaret for an hour beginning 
 at midnight. The tAvo nights we were there the man 
 sang his sacred songs, and though they were in the 
 Syrian tongue, I had never heard such soft and per- 
 fect melody come from human lips. The contrast 
 between his voice and his fellow-countrymen was 
 greater than that between a wood lark and a cawing 
 crow. It was deeply interesting to me, for it seemed as 
 though God had not wholly cast ofi the children of 
 Esau, and in the day of restitution might call in the 
 seed of Abraham. 
 
 On the return from Damascus we again suffered 
 from cold; on the Anti-Lebanon range a bleak \vind 
 blew through the pass, and on the main range there 
 had l>eeu eight inches more snow since we passed. 
 Soon after leaving Stora, we met a large detach- 
 
314 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 ment of Turkish recruits going to Damascus for drill 
 and instruction; thej were wild, rougli-looking fel- 
 lows, and wei-e cold and noisy, for they had just 
 passed the snow line; behind them came 125 pack 
 camels, roaring and bellowing with the cold. It was 
 a novel sight, and required much skill on the part 
 of our driver to avoid collisions with these unwieldy 
 animals and their bulky loads. We also met a long 
 train of freight wagons, each wagon drawn by three 
 horses in tandem style; they were very difficult to pass, 
 for the drivers were burly men and not very accommo- 
 dating in yielding right of way. Xear the summit 
 there were hundreds of wild mountaineers shoveling 
 snow into two-bushel baskets, and carrying them on 
 their heads to the top of large stone houses, into which 
 the snoAv was dumped for summer use. Inside of the 
 houses there was much shouting and yelling amongst 
 those who packed the snow into a solid mass; it was 
 truly a wild, novel scene; part of the time everything 
 ^vas obscured because enveloped with clouds of fine, 
 drifting snow or frozen vapor, and then the snow 
 shovelers would make extra noise amid the whirling 
 clouds. The ascent and passage was slow; as we were 
 quite cold, my friend and I got down and walked 
 and ran a mile or more amid the snow, mist, clouds 
 and mingled flashes of sunlight, a thing I would re- 
 commend every one to do who has the strength, for 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 315 
 
 it is an experience that is full of life and exciting 
 energy; the occasional glow of sunlight was charm- 
 ing heyond description. 
 
 It took three hours to pass through the snow 
 l)elt, then we came down into bright sunshine, amid 
 green helds, orchards and gTOves, the lower portion 
 of the range being covered with terraced gardens. 
 A distant view showed many white villages nestled 
 among the trees on the steeps. Soon we got sight 
 of Beyroot, the broad valley, the bay, and the blue 
 sea beyond. It was near sundown when we reached 
 the city, where we enjoyed a w^arm room and an 
 unbroken night's rest in what seemed civilized society, 
 and found our bundles, which we had left at the 
 hotel, all safe. Next morning, March 25th, 1892, 
 we took carriage and were driven over a good pike 
 road, and in three lioui-s reached Friends' Mission 
 at Brumma, on a foothill of Mt. Lebanon, 2,500 feet 
 above the sea. We were kindly greeted by the 
 Friends, and found a quiet hotel and rest. We were 
 introduced to all the managers and officers and many 
 of the membership, and felt as though we were in 
 touch with home life. Six weeks of constant travel 
 in strange lands, among new, interesting and ever- 
 changing scenes, in contact with different people, 
 together with the effort made to see, hear and re- 
 member all, was beginning to draw heavily on my 
 
816 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 powers of endurance, and rest was needed. AVe were 
 much surprised and pleased A\dtli the situation, sur- 
 roundings and prospects of the mission; everything 
 indicated permanence. The buildings were all solid, 
 well-built, stone structures; the grounds are being 
 improved and beautified; a. quiet, home-like influ- 
 ence pervades the mission, which is working out a 
 change in that village and also those which surround 
 it. A vn.de influence has been gained over the un- 
 trained ignorant mountaineers, and it is marvelous to 
 see what a door the Lord is opening in that land and 
 how He inspired Eli Jones to select that spot to found 
 a mission. 
 
 From the buildings and from the hilltops near 
 bv, the scener\- is grand and beautiful. All around 
 south, east and north, are lofty, romantic mountains, 
 toned down and hannonized by a soft blue haze; to 
 the west is a wide expanse of the blue waters of 
 the Mediterranean Sea, with the beautiful city of 
 Beyroot and its harbor and shipping. Farther off 
 beyond all, from south to northwest, the central range 
 of Lebanon stood out in bold relief, covered with 
 snow, which gives a sense of silent, majestic grandeur 
 to the wonderful filling in. 
 
 All around the ^dllage, across the mountain on 
 which it stands, and down the long slopes on every 
 side, were beautiful gi^o^es of young pine, inter- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 817 
 
 mingled with tig, mulberrv and olive orchards, vine- 
 yards, wheat fields and gardens, all resting on and 
 made by terraces bnilt u}) by means of stone walls. 
 Across a ravine to the east, we counted eleven vil- 
 lages, and down the western slope five other villages, 
 flll suiTonnded with orchards, gardens and groves. 
 So beautifully blended together are nature and art, 
 that the eye does not gTow weary with seeing, as in 
 ynore historic places. 
 
 On the Sabbath, 26th, we attended Brumma 
 Monthly Meeting. William Allen, of England, was 
 present, and delivered a good sermon, which was 
 translated into Arabic by one of the members, a 
 teacher in the boys' school. In transacting the bus- 
 iness, there appeared to be as much sound, practical 
 sense used, and as clear discernment manifested, as 
 in the average American meetings, and there w^as 
 real, living faith present. In the evening there was 
 a general collection of the members in the boys' school 
 room, with tea and lunch and a kindly greeting, while 
 AVilliam Allen gave an informal address. 
 
 After breakfast next morning we walked three 
 miles towards the summit of the central range to 
 another summit, from w^hich we had a wider and 
 grander view of the ever-changing scene, everything, 
 everywhere intensified by the great glittering snow 
 fields in the backaround. Ev a kind invitation we 
 
318 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 took lunch at 1 p. in. with Miss Ellen Clayton and 
 Miss M. E. Stephens, of England, the efficient man- 
 agers of the medical hospital. Afterward they took 
 ns on a long t(3ur of inspection, and a long ramble 
 up and down the side of the mountain, through vil- 
 lages out of sight from the top. There was a con- 
 stant succession of surprises; at every turn, in and 
 across every ravine, there was something new and 
 almost startling. By hundreds of years of hard labor 
 the whole mountain side had been terraced and cul- 
 tivated; nearly ever)^where grape vines were being 
 trained along the walls. The houses were all of stone, 
 and flat on top, built into the side of the terrace;^ 
 in many cases we could step on top of the houses 
 from the next terrace wall. Children and chickens 
 abounded, the former black-eyed, bright little fel- 
 lows, who in infancy and early childhood are nearly 
 white; the chickens seemed to be a part of the house- 
 hold; eggs are abundant and cheap and universally 
 used by all classes. 
 
 The greatest wonder of the day was a genuine, 
 primitive bake oven. It was in the shape of a big- 
 jug, with the neck and upper part off. It was cut 
 in solid rock, five feet deep and three in diameter, 
 and was heated by dry grass pulled out of the gar- 
 dens and the twdgs from fiiiit trees and the refuse 
 from priming, ^^len the oven was hot, two women 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN, 319 
 
 sat down by it with a tub of dough and wooden 
 trays as big- as a c-onimon dishpan turned bottom u]); 
 the round of the trays just tit the curve of the oven. 
 The women took himps of dough about the size <^i 
 a pint cup, and dexterously spread them into thvn 
 cakes on their trays, about fourteen inches in diam- 
 eter, then leaning over, reached down and dabbed 
 it to the side of the oven; the cake adhered and 
 was baked by the time another was ready. These 
 cakes, which are made from rye, are stacked in piles, 
 and are the bakei-s' bread for Arabs, and nearly all 
 Western Asia and Northern Africa. When the oven 
 cools a few handfuls of dry grass are thrown in, which 
 restores the heat. While watching this, allusion to 
 grass and the oven in scripture came to mind: ^*The 
 grass that to-day is, tomon*ow is cast in the oven." 
 From the oven we ascended by winding paths among 
 gardens and orchards and over walls, and learned 
 more than we would have thought possible when we 
 started, for we saw life as it is, and has been, for 
 4,000 years, with no sign of change. The spades and 
 mattocks are the same in form as chiseled on the 
 monuments while the Hittites were in the land. 
 Some of the foundations of the teiTaces were built 
 before the time of Hiram. When we returned to 
 the hospital we were tired, but highly pleased with 
 the tour, and the kind ladies would not let us go 
 
320 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 until we had cake and a cup of tea, and we promised 
 to pay the debt in a similar manner if they should ever 
 come to America. 
 
 One morning, by invitation of Miss Cadburj, and 
 Miss M. E. Harris, of England, who have charge 
 of the girls' school, we went to the school building at 
 6:30 a. m. to see the whole routine of morning work, 
 the getting up, washing, sweeping, dusting, making 
 up of the cots, cleaning and refilling the olive oil 
 lamps, and the old fat Syrian man cooking the break- 
 fast on a Syrian stove with one-fourth the wood used 
 in America. When the bell rang we went to break- 
 fast; the girls sat at a long table, thirty-two in num- 
 ber, while the teachers' table sat across the end of 
 theirs. The girls had batter cakes, dried and pre- 
 served fruit, with Avater to sup; the most novel thing 
 was the way the water was drunk. Tt was in small 
 jugs or jars, with a s])out on one side like a tea pot; 
 they took the jug and held the spout about two incbes 
 above the mouth, and poured the water in without 
 touching the lips, and they did not miss their mouths 
 a single time; at first it was hard for us to keep 
 from smiling. When the meal was finished, a por- 
 tion of scripture was read in Arabic, while we fol- 
 lowed the reading in an English Bible. Afterwards 
 I gave the girls a talk on my travels, and at their 
 earnest request, some adventures of the T^ndergroimd 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 321 
 
 Railroad, of which they had heard from the boys. 
 We next listened to the reading- in English of one 
 of the advanced cdasses; though most of them spoke 
 every word in plain English, there was a peculiar 
 Syrian, yet sweet intonation, that was truly charm- 
 ing. As I walked back to the hotel, I was impressed 
 with the conviction that the Lord does all things 
 well. The Syrians are made to live in Syria, not in 
 England or America; they can be made good Syrians, 
 and nothing else. As well attempt to make Syrians 
 out of Carolinians or Hoosiers* 
 
 To the northward of the city several miles, and 
 down the mountain from Brummana, is a celebrated 
 place, now becoming world-wide in its importance, 
 the ''Gates of the Kings," where the mountain comes 
 down in an abrupt cliff to the water. Across the 
 outer end of the bridge a pass has been cut and 
 worn, by long use, nearly one hundred feet wide, 
 with tolerably steep grade. TTirough this pass came 
 and went all the conquerors in the olden time, and 
 at one place many of them engraved their images, with 
 an account of the expeditions, victories and conquests. 
 Some have become almost illegible, whilst others are" 
 well preserved. The records go l)ack to early Egyp- 
 tian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek and Roman per- 
 iods; among them is that of Sennacherib. There are 
 two that bear the marks of prehistoric time, not less 
 
322 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 tlian five thousand years ago, and proljably much 
 older. 
 
 This ancient pass is not used now; a French com- 
 pany has blasted a wide road in the solid rock, at 
 the foot of the cliff near the water line, which makes 
 a nice drive from the city, but in going we walked 
 down the steep side of the mountain to the pike, and 
 there took a carnage. In making the descent we 
 passed through a Maronite village, seemingly hang- 
 ing to the side of the cliff', and the people were cur- 
 ious to see the two old men who traveled unarmed 
 from the wonderful land of America. Our return 
 drive brought us to a point on the bay due west of 
 the mission, where a French company have a five 
 million dollar contract to build an immense break- 
 water to protect the harbor of Beyroot. The com- 
 pany ran a railroad five miles up a ravine, where 
 the rock formation stands nearly vertical; here great 
 masses are blasted and fall to the floor of the ravine 
 and break to pieces, so the gTeat derrick can swing 
 them into the cars. 
 
 After a time the engineers discovered a break 
 or crevice on top of the hill, from four to five hun- 
 dred feet above the floor, and conceived the idea of 
 making a blast that would shake the whole country. 
 They ac^^ordingly worked to that end, and gaA-e out 
 word far and wide among the villages that on the 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 323 
 
 afternoon of a given date the explosion wonld be 
 made. By noon of that day the opposite hill across 
 the ravine was covered with thousands of natives 
 anxious to see the wonderful event. Several thous- 
 and of the spectators were on a level with the mass 
 to he exploded, and from four to six hundred feet 
 away. AVhen the hour came the signal was given 
 by a Ions:, shrill whistle of a locomotive in the valley. 
 In an instant an explosion louder than thunder shook 
 the hills and mountains for miles around, and the 
 whole side of the hill Avas hurled into the air and 
 fell two hundred feet to the floor with a deafening 
 crash that was more fearful and_ heard further 
 than the explosion. It was successful almost be- 
 yond the expectation of the engineers, and second to 
 none ever made, excepting the one at El Paso, Texas. 
 The effect upon the natives cannot be described; they 
 stood still as death, seemingly without breathing, for 
 nearly half an hour; then a tall chief shouted at the 
 top of his voice, waving his turban, ^^Great is Allah!" 
 ^^Great is Allah!" Then the vast multitude seemed 
 moved as if by a whirlwind, and for many hours they 
 shouted like men possessed, waved their hands in wild 
 gesticulations, danced and swayed in the intense ex- 
 <Mtement, and only ceased when overcome by ex- 
 haiKstion; then they began to slowly disperse, and 
 at sundown all were gone. English residents said this 
 
324 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 event, with the impression made, even though it were 
 never written, would go down in tradition at least 
 iive hundred years. Every native was impressed with 
 what a wonderful people the Franks (French) were, 
 iind French influence was greatly extended. 
 
 During our stop we reviewed our journey, and 
 found we had unconsciously learned much about 
 •eastern and foreign travel, how to ada])t ourselves 
 to change of climate, latitude and elevation. My 
 health had steadily improved in spite of constant 
 travel, and I can say that invalids need not hesitate 
 about traveling in the Eastern country, if they will 
 use a little practical judgment about eating and dress- 
 ing. We still wore our winter clothes and were 
 comfortable; at all times when making extra effort, 
 as in climbing hill and mountain, taking long walks, 
 w^e pulled off our coats, even though the weather or 
 elevation was cool. We did not cumber ourselves 
 with much luggage, took nothing but a grip sack that 
 we could carry in our hands any^vhere and any time; 
 this made us independent of the vexations, extortions 
 and deceptions of porters, dragomen, donkey drivers 
 and cabmen. The eastern people seem to be a unit 
 in defrauding ignorant foreigners, especially those 
 who are purse-proud and out on gi-and parade. 
 
 In leaving the mission we felt as though we could 
 not bestow too much praise on all those in charge 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 325 
 
 of the schools and the entire e-hureh membership. 
 They did all they could to make our stay pleasant, 
 and in addition very kindly gave much valuable in- 
 formation concerning eastern life, the history and 
 traditions of the Mt. Lebanon region, the decipher- 
 ing of ancient inscriptions, and other kindred sub- 
 jects. We had learned how thousands of moun- 
 taineers live in Syria, and the amount of labor it 
 has taken through all the centuries to terrace and 
 build the walls that are seen everywhere. We could 
 better understand the predictions concerning the 
 future of all that region, for in our daily walks and 
 talks we were alive to all the new and interesting 
 surroundings, for we were moving amid the scenes 
 of the oldest inhabited land since the flood. 
 
 On the morning of April 5th we bade adieu to 
 our kind friends, especially to Theophilus Waldmeier 
 and his excellent wife, and the general superinten- 
 dents, who had been very kind in giving us infor- 
 mation. We took a carriage and drove down to Bey- 
 root, where we were to meet four Englishmen and 
 six Amiericans. We had parted in Jerusalem; some 
 went through by donkeys to Damascus, others up 
 the coast by Tyre and Sidon, all to meet at the hotel 
 in Beyroot the evening of April 5th to take the 
 steamer the next day. At sundown all were in with 
 two additions, Scotchmen. We sat up late rehears- 
 
 21 
 
326 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 ing adventures, comparing notes, gmng results of 
 observations and impressions, together with the ex- 
 pense of the trips. It had cost several of them fifty 
 dollars each, none less than thirty, while we had 
 spent but twelve dollars and a half apiece, though we 
 had traveled the greatest distance. 
 
 On the morning of April (5th, ISO 2, we boarded 
 a Russian coasting steamer bound for Athens, (xreece, 
 though expecting to be coasting a week among the 
 islands. When we engaged oiu- passage, some weeks 
 before, we thought the steamer sailed from port to 
 port, but when we learned that we were going on 
 a coaster we were rather pleased than offended. Our 
 passage was paid for the voyage, the accommodations 
 were good and most of the passengei-s were tourists, so 
 ail settled down for a pleasant time. The weather was 
 very fine, so we could be on deck all the time, besides 
 many of the party were good historians and the voyage 
 was through the most historic portion of the world. 
 
 From Beyroot we sailed north forty miles to 
 Tripoli, and stopped one day and night while tak- 
 ing on 20,000 boxes of oranges. It was a very in- 
 teresting day to the tourists; it gave another oppor- 
 tunity to study the Syrian character. The fruit was 
 brought out on small sail boats, manned by four to 
 six men; each carried two hundred boxes; sometimes 
 there were twenty boats waiting their turn to un- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 327 
 
 load. In watching the maneuver of the boat crews, 
 their undignihed, selfish character could be seen; 
 every one was shouting and giving orders, bent on 
 getting the advantage of the others, resulting in a 
 constant pushing and bumping among the boats, and 
 to vary the scene a few lusty fisticuffs would be 
 exchanged. The Arabs and Syrians can make more 
 fuss and noise over small things than any other race; 
 they have more respect for the law of might than 
 that of right. They have antagonized the rest of 
 mankind so long that their very nature has become 
 vindictive and vicious. During the day there 
 was one amusing incident: a negTO commanded 
 one boat and seemed to be an acknowledged leader 
 among them; he was very noisy and blustering, but 
 by some unlucky turn fell headlong into the water; 
 his huge form made a small whirlpool as he went 
 under, and when he came up sputtering and blow- 
 ing he called lustily for help. He was soon 
 drawn in, amidst shouts of laughter; he was thor- 
 oughly demoralized, his flowing Turkish garment was 
 slapping around his limbs, and he looked as though 
 he had received a good tonins: down and was less 
 demonstrative during the remainder of the day. 
 
 From Tripoli we sailed to the island of Cyprus, 
 making a short trip, then sailed along the shore, much 
 of the time so near land that we could see the fields. 
 
328 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 orchards and vineyards, with white cottages and small 
 villages on the hillsides and in the narrow valleys 
 nmning inland. Everything, as in Egypt, indicated 
 that life and property were more secure under Eng- 
 lish than Turkish rule. The next island of note 
 was Rhcxles, which was once noted in history and 
 a Christian stronghold against the conquering Turk, 
 and it has sustained many sieges and assaults. It 
 is now almost barren, and with but few inhabitants. 
 The glass revealed the ruins of many strong walls 
 and broken towers, and the hills were bare of trees 
 and vegetation; it is one of the greatest ruins of the 
 middle ages. AVe passed close under the west shore 
 of Patmos, and failed to see a li^dng thing; all seemed 
 barren, naked rocks coming down to the water's edge 
 in ragged, irregular cliffs; but for its association with 
 John's revelation, it would be devoid of interest. 
 Many times we passed through narrow channels be- 
 tween small islands, and could see the people walking 
 -about, the cows and goats grazing on the hills; in 
 a few instances we saw fniit on the trees. At one 
 time I counted nine islands in sight; islands or the 
 main land were always in view during the daytime. 
 Erom the ship's log-book I drew our winding path, 
 :and it was a marvel of intricacy and showed the per- 
 fect knowledge of the pilot. 
 
 We ran down the long bay to Smyrna, where we 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 329 
 
 stopped a day and part of the night. Most of the^ 
 party landed and made a sh«n-t run of forty miles 
 by rail to the ruins of Ephesus, bnt it was a cool, 
 rainy day, and the trip was not very satisfactory. 
 Ephesns, like Jericho, is almost all gone; it is diffi- 
 cult to trace the old wall and to locate the gTeat 
 temple of Diana. Five miles inland from the present 
 landing are solid, massive walls, showing - where the 
 harbor was before the great earthquake changed the 
 coast line for many miles. Smyrna is a beautiftil 
 city of over 200,000 inhabitants, built on the side 
 of a hill sloping far back from the bay. It has been 
 destroyed and rebuilt so often that there are few 
 remains of its old edifices; even the last portion of 
 the old wall was being taken down to give building 
 room. It is European in look and character, being 
 rather Italian in outline. ^N'early half the people 
 are Europeans, and the business seems to be largely 
 in their hands; here we saw a few drays and hacks 
 in lively competition with the camel, donkey and 
 porter. Upon continuing our cruise back to open 
 water, the cruise was continued through many narrow 
 channels and beautiful bays. At all the stops the 
 Greek began to predominate among the people, and 
 European dress prevailed, with a small percentage of 
 Albanian costume (a man in petticoats). 
 
 In seven days we reached Athens, and no week 
 
330 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 of travel had been so full of interest, nor had any 
 land or water called up busier memories of past thous- 
 ands of yeare. AVe passed many battlefields and 
 points where naval engagements had occurred where 
 the fate of nations and the world had been decided. 
 Many of the scenes from the steamer's deck were 
 truly inspii-ing; we could see islands covered with 
 ruins, great sea-walled harbors, without even a fish- 
 ing boat to relieve the desolate solitude. The clear, 
 blue sky, the wami spring weather, the deep blue 
 of the water, all united in intensifying the contrasts, 
 and in clothing things with light, life and beauty. 
 
 We landed at Piraeus, the port of Athens, in 
 the afternoon, and took a carriage in preference to 
 rail, driving, over historical ground, among green 
 fields and orchards, seven miles to the city, which 
 was almost as interesting as Jerusalem, and had nearly 
 as much of the world's history associated with it. We 
 started at once to walk through the beautiful, modern 
 Athens; we strolled about until night through the 
 broad, clean streets, into the public halls, over their 
 marble floors, among the beautiful mansions, and 
 stopped by the way to look into the faces of the people, 
 so as to fix the national type in the memor\\ Even 
 when twilight came it gave an additional interest — 
 that peculiar inspiration that ]\Irs. Hemans, Byron, 
 and others seem to have caught while moving amid 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 331 
 
 the same scenes. AVhen we entered the dining 
 room at the hotel we were astonished and de- 
 lighted to see over the door in large letters: 
 "No smoking allowed in the dining room." 
 It was the one hotel on all the continent of 
 Eurj)oe that we saw where there was not more 
 or less smoking, not only in the dining room, but at 
 the fashionable 'Table d' bote/' "where wine, wit 
 and wisdom has free course." AVe visited many of 
 the most celebrated hotels in eyerj capitol of Eu- 
 rope, and we found smoking in every dining room, 
 and wine and strong drink on every table, hence our 
 surprise to find this prohibition in little Greece. 
 
 Next morning at an early hour we were stand- 
 ing amid the splendid ruins of the Acropolis. The 
 first emotions and impressions were similar to those 
 at Baalbec — they were too deep for words, overwhelm- 
 ing and almost oppressive in intensity — for on that 
 spot I had realized the attainment of one of the 
 fondest, brightest dreams of early life. I had seen 
 Baalbec in its fallen grandeur, and now saw the 
 second wonder of the world in the grandeur and 
 beauty of its fall. As. I walked among and over 
 the hidden pillars and arches and looked up to the 
 broken walls, a new light came to my mind which 
 gave me a higher, clearer understanding of why the 
 Lca-d chose the Greeks to be third great empire to 
 
332 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 prepare the world for the fifth and last. A people 
 who could unite so much of art, exquisite beauty, 
 impressive gTandeur in one temple, were a people 
 who would stamp the spirit of their guests upon the 
 world in characters that would not die. To one ac- 
 quainted with the events of history, there are few 
 places more interesting than Athens and Greece, for 
 the- fate of civilization, humanity and refinement 
 seemed centered there, and radiated outward through 
 all the lands included in prophecy, and into all the 
 fields of science and discovery. 
 
 To describe the ruined temple on the Acropolis 
 would be beyond my ability, for it is different from 
 anything seen elsewhere, so there is no standard of 
 comparison. As we now saw^ it we were almost glad 
 that it was a ruin, for as such its beauty cannot 
 change — the marble is imperishable. We can easily 
 picture in our minds how it looked in the glory of 
 its perfection, but when thus perfect its beauty could 
 and did fail and fall, but in its fallen grandeur it 
 will be there for all time. From any point of the 
 ruin the view is charming and grand, and from its 
 loftiest dome, when Athens was in her prime, it must 
 have been tenfold more inspiring. We stood in front 
 of the temple ruin and looked down a hundred feet, 
 and a few hundred feet to the right saw Mars Hill, 
 a place second in interest to Calvary. Upon leaving 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 3B3 
 
 the Acropolis, we ascended the worn stolie steps to 
 the top of Mars Hill, now a naked rock not an acre 
 in extent, but it shows that a building was once fas- 
 tened on it by iron bolts to the rocks. AVhile stand- 
 ing there full of thronging memories, the same voices 
 that sounded in my ear at Jerusalem spoke again: 
 -What might have been." When Paul stood on that 
 rock 1,800 years ago, Athens was the scientific cen- 
 ter of the known world; the phibsophers of all lands 
 came there to learn wisdom. There were in that day 
 30,000 shrines in and around the great city where 
 religious offerings were given to the multitude of 
 gods. There was one shrine to the living God, to 
 them ''Unknown." When Paul preached jto the 
 assembled philosophers the ''Unknown God," it was 
 to the wise ''Greeks' foolishness." It was while I was 
 calling this to mind and asking the questions, "Where 
 BOW are the 30,000 shrine>i, where all the wis- 
 dom of the philosophers, where now^ is Athens, where 
 is Paul and his God?" that the voice came; "Had 
 Jerusalem received Christ, what would she have been 
 to-day? Had Athens accepted the gospel preached 
 by Paul, what might Athens have been to-day? In- 
 stead, what are they to-day? Athens, without a 
 promise; Jerusalem, still trodden down. What of 
 the wise Greeks who laughed at Paul?" 
 
 From Athens we sailed in a good steamer for 
 
334 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 Constantinople, another coaster, which took us again 
 amongst beautiful islands, around historic headlands, 
 past low, green shores, and over waters made mem- 
 orable bv naval conflicts, passed the head of the cele- 
 brated battle scene of Salamis, and one could imagine 
 the fearful conflict raging in the narrow strait be- 
 tween the great fleets of Greece and Persia, with 
 Xerxes, the haughty king, watching the destruction 
 of his fleet, with no power to succor or to save. We 
 passed the Dardanelles in the afternoon of a bright, 
 still day, and the interest became intensified every 
 mile, for each foot of land and water had been the 
 scene of thrilling events. The guide books were in 
 demand among the tourists; all were aglow in calling 
 memories of the past; quotations from history, poetry, 
 .romance and tradition were uttered with shouts of 
 delight. Here the hurrying scenes of centuries 
 seemed crowded into so small a space that the mind 
 could comprehend and imagination have free play. 
 
 On that spot the Persian thousands landed, and 
 on the plain out yonder "The glad earth drank their 
 blood." Just over there the ''Grecian phalanx hewed 
 its dreadful, way 'mid that wild carnival of death. '^ 
 There was where the Roman legions first set foot in 
 Asia. Over beyond that blue hill ''Cross and cres- 
 cent both went down in the dark vintage of the 
 grave." The enthusiasm went on as successive points 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 385 
 
 were passed, and wlien we came to the place of the 
 wonderfiil pontoon bridge the interest was intense 
 among the soldier element of the party. About 
 night we entered the sea of Marmora, and afterward 
 all were ready for rest, at least rest of mind, for few 
 places are more exciting than this crossing place of the 
 world. 
 
 It was early morning when we came into the Bos- 
 phorns, and were in sight of the Golden Horn. Every- 
 thing seemed to nnite in giving a peculiar glow of 
 beauty and splendor to the marvelous scene. Towers, 
 minarets, domes, spires and gilded palaces glittered in 
 the early sunlight; the wide expanse of the Pera 
 rising from the water's edge was all aglow with light 
 Stamboul, with its lofty minarets, partly in the shade, 
 Avas beautifully outlined on the blue sky beyond the 
 hills. Scutari seemed like a quiet resting place 
 nestled among gardens and groves. The low rumble 
 of the great city came floating out on the morn- 
 ing air as the soft, light mist from the water floated 
 away, making a picture not to be forgotten, for a 
 finer one is rarely seen in any clime: but alas! few 
 are more delusive. 
 
 With eager feet and great enthusiasm, I stepped 
 into the boat to make the landing, and sprang ashore 
 more like a boy than an old man, anxious to enter 
 what promised to be a paradise of loveliness. But 
 
336 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 alas! alas! when I looked around into the faces of 
 the rushing throng of sti'ange beings that sur- 
 rounded me my enthusiasm was gone, all my 
 fond anticipations were blasted. It seemed as 
 though the concentrated vindictiveness of all the 
 earth had been poured out and infused into 
 the population of Constantinople, that the essence 
 of all earth's wickedness had united there. I shud- 
 der to think and realize that volcano of malice and 
 hate that was there, ready to explode at any time 
 without a moment^s notice. Up to that day I had not 
 felt any sense of insecurity, fear or danger, but then 
 and there I did; a feeling of unrest took possession 
 of me. The result was the stay was shortened to 
 two days instead of a week. 
 
 During that time, however, we saw much of 
 the city and environs; saw the people and their habits; 
 in fact, we made good use of the opportunity to take 
 the last lesson of eastern life. AVe climbed the old 
 Venetian tower, built five hundred years ago, to get 
 k mind picture of the vast scene, which was on a 
 scale of magiiificence that will never be forgotten. 
 The whole city was mapped out at our feet, while 
 the blue hills extended beyond the reach of the eye 
 on the European side. Over in Asia, low hills and 
 far off mountains formed a charming background, 
 while the bright waters of the Straight and Horn were 
 
OF ADD] SON COFFIN. 887 
 
 sparkling in the sun. 1 sliuukl be glad if the im- 
 pression of tlie citv could pass into oblivion, and the 
 one from the tower alone remembered; yet the stop in 
 Constantinople paid richly, and to one with stronger 
 nerves a longer stay would be enjoyed. 
 
 The i^turn trip to London lay through Roumalia, 
 Bulgaria, Servia, Hungary, Austria, G-ermany, Belgium 
 and northern France, across Europe from east to west. 
 As we wished to see the country in passing, we stopped 
 each night, and always took the slow local trains, in 
 some cases going at the speed of only twelve miles an 
 hour. Much of the time we could see the people at 
 work in the fields and gardens, and had a good view of 
 the kind of implements they used, the harness of the 
 horses, carts, cattle, and little farms marked by white 
 stones at the corners. We could look into the back 
 yard of many homes, and w^atch every day domestic 
 life untrammeled. In this way we saw and leanied 
 much from the practical side. Much skill is evinced 
 in economizing time, labor and space in the densely 
 populated districts. In some places' every wall, fence, 
 sides of buildings and tops of out houses were covered 
 with vines, and stakes were driven in the ground on 
 which were boxe^ with vegetables gTO^\dng in them. 
 It seemed literally cultivating the aii*. 
 
 We stopped one day or more at several noted 
 places, Belgrade, Buda-Pesth, Vienna, "Wells, I^urera- 
 
4^8 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 berg, Prankfort on the Main, Bohn, Brussels, etc., etc. 
 This gave desired opportunity to study humanity at 
 home, in the great centers of business where national 
 characteristics were highly developed. Oft times I 
 stood for hours without weariness and watched the tide 
 of life go by; looked into the strange faces, and read 
 their hopes, fears, aspirations and ambitions when they 
 did not have their masks on, for nine people out of ten 
 do not wear the mask of restraint when rushing to and 
 from business; therefore, that is the time to read their 
 minds and the secrets of the heart. Xo people in 
 Europe are a greater wonder than the Hunns. They 
 are a distinct race, strangei-s in a strange land, holding 
 their possessions by right of conquest, without know- 
 ing from whence they sprang in the distant past, but 
 they have come to Hungary to stay. 
 
 The whole trip from Constantinople to London 
 was a continued surprise. I was not prepared to see 
 so much beautiful country, or so many places that 
 would remind me of home and native land. The 
 greatest astonishment was the broad plains of Hungary 
 and eastern Austria; they were very much like the 
 finest parts of Illinois, Iowa and IN'ebraska, equally as 
 fertile and under far better cultivation. Then in 
 western Austria and in Germany there were rural 
 scenes that called to mind eastern Pennsylvania, cen 
 tral Ohio and Indiana, with double the population. 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 839 
 
 The vallev of the Danube was luneh like some of our 
 beautiful American valleys. It is underestimated by 
 most writers because less known; it is very fertile. 
 While the Rhine and its valley is picturesque when 
 measured by European rivers, yet it is very much over- 
 estimated. The Columbia river and its tributaries 
 have more gTandeur and real he^iuty than all the rivers 
 of Euro])e. The Hudson is as tine as the Rhine; the 
 Kanawha has far mare oTand mountain scenery. Th^ 
 valley of the Yellowstone is much more interesting, 
 especially to the scientist, than any European region. 
 "We must not attempt to measure Europe by American 
 yard sticks, or we shall do Europe injustice. The Lord 
 made Europe a small place, and it is not its fault that 
 it is so. Pile all the mountains in Europe in one heap 
 and the Sierra Nevada and Coast range would double 
 the size; so it would be with many comparisons. 
 Thoughtless Americans make themselves offensive and 
 contemptible by constantly refering to the size of our 
 country, ^vhile shrewd Europeans measure them by the 
 size of their folly and pass them by. That class of 
 Americans are like some of the English who ai-e al- 
 ways talking about old John Bull, London, the Queen, 
 etc., etc. 
 
 It would take much time to des(n*ibe the many 
 local points on our way,. Belgrade was interesting on 
 account of its past in the fearful conflicts that took 
 
340 LIFE AiND TRAVELS 
 
 place in and aruund it, during the long war with the 
 Turk when he Hvat entered Europe. Buda-Pesth is a 
 beautiful city, the capital of the wonderful Hunn. 
 Vienna is one of the gTeatest cities of the world. It 
 has many points common to other cities, but there are 
 portions that date back more than a thousand years; 
 when every house was built with thick walls for de- 
 fense, and the streets so narrow that heavy stones could 
 be hurled from the windows and house tops upon an 
 enemy below. As life and property became more se- 
 <^ure, the houses were less massive, and when gun- 
 powder and hrearms were invented the construction of 
 the houses assumed the modern form. This gradual 
 progress is peculiar to the older portion of Vienna^ 
 while the city, as seen today, is one that has all the 
 interesting things of art, inventions and science that 
 we see in the great cities of the world. We stopped at 
 Wells to see a small town that has changed but little in 
 five hundred years. Many of the houses are one story 
 at the side, and three stories at the end, with a gable 
 to the street. The peo^ple move about as though they 
 were dreaming and belonged to the past. 
 
 Nuremberg is a remarkable place and very old. 
 Its citadel dates back to the fifth century, and many 
 buildings are on foundations laid in the tw^elfth cen- 
 tury; most of the old w^all is still standing in a fair 
 stateof preservation. We visited amarket in an oblong 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 341 
 
 irregular open space, which was kept by women. The 
 stalls and tables seemed to be permanent fixtures and 
 the market for all time. Many of the women had their 
 knitting and sewing, or were mending clothes, making 
 baskets; in fact, there were various kinds of handicraft 
 going on while tending the stalls. The men came and 
 went as purchasers, but there was not a man to be seen 
 as a salesman; most of the women were middle aged, 
 or over, and all seemed to be settled in business for life. 
 It was a general market where all home wants could be 
 supplied. 
 
 Frankfort on the Main river is one of the in- 
 teresting places for tourists to stop. It is especially 
 historic, for it goes back to the days of Roman con- 
 quest and defeat; but, as a city of today, it is best 
 known for its zoological and botanical gardens and 
 museum. Though not as large as some, they were as 
 fine as any we bad seen. They had the most perfect 
 specimen of a white polar bear that I ever saw, also a 
 pair of ^ew Zealand ostriches, the only ones we found 
 in all our trip. If the tourist wishes to gain informa- 
 tion and solid knowledge, Frankfort is the place to 
 get it. 
 
 Bonn has its peculiar features as a city, but to me 
 it had a sad interest. A niece was buried there and I 
 wanted to see her grave. The cemetery where she was 
 interred was a new one, a mile out of the city among 
 
 22 
 
B42 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 broad green fields, and was kept in nice order. I did 
 not understand a word of German, yet when I wrote 
 "Mary Cofiin" on a card, tbe woman in charge gave 
 mean earnest, kind look, and then led me directly to the 
 grave. By signs I told her my relationship to the 
 buried one, and she extended her hand in deep sym- 
 pathy, and pointed to the grave as being alone ; mutely 
 saying, '-Alone among strangers." She was past 
 middle life, yet active and strong, and had a mother 
 heart and knew how to sympathize with others. When 
 I turned away from the lowly tomb, 1 thought that I 
 too, might fall by the wayside and possibly fill a 
 stranger's grave, but I have the picture of Mary 
 Cofirin's sepulchre and the green fields around as dis- 
 tinct as when standing there. One pleasing thing at 
 Bonn is its long shady avenues of grand spreading 
 trees, that impart a look of rest and (piietude that 
 leaves a pleasant memory. 
 
 Wlaen we entered Belgium, there was a marked 
 change in the condition of things everywhere. More 
 men were in siglit than in any other country. Out in 
 the fields, on the highways, in the towns and cities 
 were many young and middle aged men. This gave 
 a new aspect to domestic life. This is owing to the 
 miJitary systenj not being so rigid and merciless as in 
 otljer states. Conseipiently there are more men, in 
 pic portion to the population, who are producers. 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 843 
 
 1 litTcfore. fewer old men, women and (diildreii were 
 ont in the iields, fewer yonnu- ^irls were compelled to 
 do menial labor. There 'was a more eheerfnl look in 
 the faces of the laborers; few mothers were seen carry- 
 ing small infants and burdens at the same time. The 
 littlp farms and gardens were better cultivated. In 
 fact, every tiling and everybody had a bright look. In 
 the city of I^rnssels I was astonished to see over shop 
 doors names familiar at home. There did not seem to 
 be a name in Brussels but that could be found in In- 
 diana j)olis and Cincinnati, and it seemed like getting 
 back among home folks to read the many signs along 
 the streets. 
 
 From Brussels we made a (juick run to London, 
 crossing the channel at Dover. In a few days we 
 found our friends, Mary C. Woody and Lorena 
 Reynolds, and had a glad meeting with them. 
 They had seen nuich of English life, and held 
 religious service with the various missions in London 
 and other cities. AVhen we gave in detail our travels, 
 k seemed almost past belief. AVe had accomplished 
 far more than the average tourist, and to my com- 
 panion, John Van Lindley, it did appear wonderful 
 that we should be able to see and do so much among 
 strangers, unarmed and without escort. 
 
CHAPTER TEN. 
 
 Seeing London — London Yearly Meeting of Friends' 
 Church. 
 
 We were in the grand old city once more, with 
 nianv new ideas, and a wider range of thought, and in- 
 creased respect for England's true greatness. We pro- 
 posed to settle down to regular work in seeing London 
 and the live millions of people inside its corporate 
 limits; but it would take many months to write up all 
 that would be interesting to an American, besides it is 
 an every day occurrence to see letters written V)y en- 
 thusiastic tourists from London, who know but little 
 of their own land, save their own state and home circle. 
 To such, London looks very different from what it dofjs 
 to one who has seen other lands; therefore, their ac- 
 counts are highly colored and misleading. We began 
 by taking long rides on top of the double-decked omni- 
 buses and tram (street) cars. Thus we were at least 
 twelve feet above the pavement, and could look down 
 on the great throngs of vehicles and thousands of pe- 
 destrians that crowd the sidewalks. Sometimes we 
 would ride out on one line three to five miles, then 
 (344) 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 345 
 
 change to another going at right angles, and ride some 
 miles in that direction, then go on foot a mile or two, 
 then ride again, always circling so as to be home by 
 night. Some days we would ride twenty or thirty 
 miles. Then again we would take the under gTound 
 and overhead railroads, and travel to all the prominent 
 places, scarcely ever returning on the same line to 
 our starting point, Broad street station. We had 
 chosen this because from there we could radiate all 
 over the city and converge from all places. We ex- 
 plored this vast city many days. We went to the 
 ijritish museum. South Kensington museum, St. Paul, 
 Westminster, Tower of London, Greenwich, The 
 Strand, Xew Garden, Zoological Garden, Prince Al- 
 bert's monument, London bridge, the wonderful 
 docks, meat market, fruit market. Crystal palace and 
 at least fifty other celebrated places, institutions, col- 
 lections and exhibits. 
 
 The British and South Kensington museums are 
 the finest of the kind to be seen anywhere. Prepared 
 specimens of every animal, beast, bird, reptile, fish and 
 insect in the world can be seen, together with fossil re- 
 mains from all lands. In Kew Garden we found speci- 
 mens of plants, vegetables, trees and flowers from 
 every corner of the earth, either under glass, or in the 
 open air. In the Zoological garden we saw every liv- 
 ing thing that can be kept alive in the climate of 
 
346 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 England, . In the great library may be seen a collec- 
 tion of books^ rolls, manuscripts, teiTa cotta tile and 
 tablets in eyery langiiage liying or dead, among which 
 the student may, spend a life and not learn the half. 
 
 In Westminster Al)bey we saw the resting place 
 af saint and sinner^ the gifted and the great, the base 
 and the yile, monsters, murderers, tyrants alongside of 
 martyrs, philanthropists and Christian statesmen, with 
 all their names written <m the roll of fame. 
 
 In this way we spent nearly three weeks before 
 starting on our second great tour, and also awaiting 
 the coming of London Yearly Meeting of Friends' 
 Church. This annual assembly of Friends, or Quak- 
 ers, is looked upon as the highest authority in the 
 church throughout the world, and a report of its de- 
 liberations is receiyed with great interest by all- the 
 membership. Its regular session began May 18th, 
 1892, at Deyonshire House in London, and no event 
 in my life was looked forward to with much I'lore 
 eagerness. 
 
 When I first entered the room where it was coti- 
 vened it was with a certain feeling of awe and rever- 
 ence, for I had formed a very high ideal of the wis- 
 dom and piety of that almost divinely inspired body of 
 Friends. The veneration that filled my young heart, 
 when I saw and heard Anna Braithwaite preach at 
 ^T^Tew Garden, X. C, in 1828, had lived with undimin- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 347 
 
 islied fresliiies8, and that feeling had been kept alive 
 through all the years, by the frequent visits of English 
 Friends to America. When my emotions toned down, 
 and 1 looked around, my ideal dream began to fade, 
 and a feeling of disappointment dimmed my eyes with 
 tears. When the reaction passed and I began slowly 
 surveying my surroundings and drawing conclusions, 
 I perceived the large room was tolerably well filled 
 with serious, solid thoughtful, reverent looking men 
 much above the average of those I had been meeting 
 in traveling through the city and country, but not 
 divinely grand and noble, as seen in my ideals of early 
 life. 
 
 ■The business was conducte<l in much the same 
 way as in American Yearly Meetings thirty years ago. 
 The delegates were called in regular order, a])sentecs 
 were noted and reason for their absence given. Cor- 
 respondence from other Yearly Meetings of the world 
 w^as read, and after the reading: of each epistle, a com- 
 mittee to reply to it was appointed, and the committee 
 was instructed as to special messages, or information 
 wanted. When the epistle from Iowa Yearly Meeting- 
 was read there was quite a diversity of feeling and 
 opinions. Many disapproved of lowa^s innovations 
 and departure from the long standing usages of the 
 church. Some of the speakers seemed ready to cease 
 correspondence with that Yearly Meeting, and the dis- 
 
348 ' • LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 ciissictn was spirited and earnest, but the clear, sound 
 reasoning of the more charitable and liberal, pre- 
 vailed, and the discussion closed mth good feeling and 
 harmony. But later on when the request from Iowa 
 came for a delegation to be sent from England to es- 
 tablish a new Yearly meeting at Xewburg in Oregon, 
 the controversy was revived, and another spirited dis- 
 cussion followed. Some of the more conservative were 
 ready to refuse recognition to the new meeting, but 
 again the clear, cool, descernment of superior minds 
 arose above the narrow conservatism: all were at 
 length willing to yield to the judgment of the mor*^ 
 spiritually minded, and harmony again prevailed. 
 
 I had no credentials from my home, as I did not 
 start from there on my trip, but Dr. Mendenhall and 
 the faculty of Guilford college, X. (\. had kindly 
 given me a general pass. After the business of the 
 meeting had gone on for some time an usher came to 
 me and asked if I had credentials. I replied that I had, 
 which seemed to satisfy him for the time, but after- 
 wards he said the clerk must see them. This T com- 
 plied \nth, but declined to have them publiclv read. 
 American Yearly Meetings had long since drifted 
 from this exclusiveness, &o the event was a surprise, 
 though kindly meant and kindly done. 
 
 When the triennial reports from the Quarterly 
 Meetings were read, the wide and varied fields of labor 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. ♦ 849 
 
 in which Friends were actively engaged were apparent. 
 They seemed to be taking part in all great movements 
 to save, elevate, convert and refine humanity, not only 
 at home, but in all lands throughout the world. It 
 was easy to discern the internal condition of the 
 church; an antagonism in modes of work, but not in 
 spirit, or purpose. In the reports there were com- 
 plaints of negligence in attending religious meetings, 
 remissness in minor duties and of indulging too 
 much in worldly ambition, and like Americans favor- 
 ing departures and innovations from the good old con- 
 servative ways, to launch out into the broad field of 
 liberalism, which to some seemed to bode evil to the 
 church and C^hristianity. During the consideration of 
 this subject the real depth and breadth of the won- 
 derful spiritual life of the meeting \vas seen and heard 
 in its full gTandeur and beauty. In spite of narrow- 
 minded conservatism, zeal without knowledge, stereo- 
 typed formality, the evidence of a pure, refined spirit- 
 uality was manifest, and in the end hushed a factious 
 opposition into silence, and it seemed that a soft,sweet 
 influence covered the assembly with a mantle of love. 
 One of the speakers presented a grand thought, which 
 was that the Gospel of Christ contained truths that the 
 highest attainments of modern thought and intellect- 
 ual insight could not comprehend, that we of this gen- 
 eration are yet seeing through a glass darkly. Th<^ 
 
850 ' LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 liigiiest spiritual life is but the dawning of a far gi-and- 
 er enlightenment yet to come. The discussion was 
 truly a tine spiritual feast, and gave evidence of a pure 
 li^dng faith, which marked a day of progress toward a 
 higher triumph in Quakerism throughout the entire 
 church. 
 
 The forenoon of the 20th was given for meetings 
 for worship in Devonshire House and other places. 
 The manner in which the meetings were held, carried 
 me back to Indiana and Western Yearly Meetings 30 
 years ago. They began with a hush of profound 
 silence, that called up the memories of childhood, 
 when the venerable, yea, to me almost divine form of 
 Xathan Hunt sat at the head of i^orth Carolina Yearly 
 Meeting. There was no singing, no introduction of 
 subjects, no preliminary remarks, no expectant look of 
 curiosity, or anticipation, no reading a portion of Scrip- 
 ture, l)ut the ministers moved right out at once with 
 their subjects. The style of oratory was deliberate, 
 smooth and fluent, very impressive and sublime. Thero 
 were no fiery, lofty flights of eloquence, and impetu- 
 ous enthusiasm, as seen in our western country, no as- 
 sentive responses, no emphatic aniens, nor encouraging 
 words from the audience; all were motionless, pro- 
 foundly still, and reverentially attentive. As the min- 
 ister deepened and widened in his discourse, it seemed 
 as though great waves of thrilling, but silent ecstacy 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 351 
 
 would sweep over the assembly, like the wind across a 
 golden held of grain. Such meetings the younger gen- 
 eration in our northwest have not seen, nor could they 
 - rightly understand them if seen, for western life has 
 drifted with the current of events, and away from 
 silent meetings and former usage, so far and so rapidly 
 that the past will soon be forgotten and be known no 
 more. 
 
 When the regular business of the meeting was re- 
 sumed the report of the relief committee to the famine 
 stricken provinces of Russia was read and the explana- 
 tions, and account of the terrible sutfering was deeply 
 interesting and instructive. The amount of relief had 
 been large and etlected much good in a quiet way. I 
 had read accounts of relief associations, about which 
 nuich had been said, but their work was small when 
 compared with that of Friends, of which the outside 
 world knew nothing. The reports from Friends in 
 Australia and New Zealand were full of interesting 
 facts, especially to iVmericans, who are accustomed to 
 long distances. In explaining how, and where Friends 
 were situated, two meetings were as widely separated 
 as London and New York, yet the future of the church 
 in that far-oif land was full of hope and promise. It 
 was much like our great west 35 years ago, before the 
 spirit of expansion and evangelizing was infused into 
 Iowa Yearly Meeting. A far grander residt tlian 
 
352 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 came to Iowa will come to London Yearly Meeting, 
 wben she receives the outpouring of the spirit, and the 
 call to go forth into the field of the world, now white 
 unto the harvest. 
 
 The amount of business transacted by the meet- 
 ing each day was a surprise to strangers. Friends have 
 taken a part in all the charitable work of the empire, 
 such as schools, homes, relief associations, home and 
 foreign missions. They also have a care of trusts, 
 gifts, endowments, relief funds, rents and leases, and 
 many and varied other things not known to us. Much 
 of the business was done through judicious committees, 
 yvho give the subjects entrusted to them their careful 
 examination and mature thought; then they embody 
 their judgment in their report, with propositions, or 
 suggestions, as they may deem necessary; the reports 
 are generally received and entered on the minutes 
 without discussion; in this way the routine business is 
 easily and rapidly disposed of. The thorough business 
 training nearly all English Friends have enables them 
 to manage the many interests in harmony and dispatch. 
 
 The meeting held in Devonshire House on the 
 Sabbath was very different from public meetings in 
 America. There was nothing to distinguish it from 
 joint meetings of business, but the absence of business. 
 There was but little difference in numbers, or in any 
 other particular feature. The sermons and prayers 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 858 
 
 were delivered with measured precision, and reveren- 
 tial decorum. All the zeal and tire seen in America 
 on such occasions were lacking; it was not so edifying 
 as the meeting held for the membership alone on a 
 previous occasion. The meetings did not seem to pro- 
 duce a single ripple in the tide of life outside the house; 
 a few passers by would stop a moment to look, then 
 pa^as on with no further thought of what was going on 
 within. This was in striking contrast to the way 
 nearly all American meetings are looked upon by the 
 comunities where they are located. Western Yearly 
 Meetings especially are regarded by all the neighbor- 
 hood as one of the sensational events of each year; tens 
 of thousands of people attend on Sunday and excur- 
 sion rates are given by the railroads for the meetings. 
 To see the w<3rld-honored London Meeting so little 
 heeded and seemingly unknown was not only a sur- 
 prise, but a disappointment. 
 
 The business sessions of one day were taken up in 
 reading and considering the reports of the Home Mis- 
 sionary committee. They were long and full of in- 
 terest ; the lengthy discussions gave a clear insight into 
 the varied opinions, preferences, prejudices, hopas and 
 fears of the membership. The subje<^t was opened by 
 what might be called the opposition, who endeavored 
 to show that the usage, modes of procedure, manner 
 of work and teac^hing of the committee and its workers 
 
35i LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 would leadj was leading, directly to a ''paid ininistrv 
 and ecclesiastical bondage." Many, probably more 
 than half of the speakers of the opposition, repeatedly 
 referred to Iowa Yearly Meeting's unpardonable de- 
 parture from Friends' sacred principles and usages; 
 this seemed to be a favorite weapon to combat innova-' 
 tions. To me their ignorance of the real situation in 
 Iowa was painful, yet I could think kindly of them 
 when calling to mind how impossible it was for 
 Friends living in London and England to understand 
 the surroundings of the membership in the limits of 
 Iowa Yearlv Meeting: even should they go there they 
 would not comprehend what pioneer life is, and has 
 been, unless they resided there two years or more. 
 
 When the advocates and defenders of the home 
 mission work came forward with their justification and 
 clear, solid, ( 'hristian lil>eral arguments, it was a relief 
 to every missionary. Their representation of the 
 claims of the great work was so calm and couAdncing, 
 and at the same time so kindly, that all opposition was 
 finally hushed into submission. That all might be 
 satisfied with the onward movement, it was determined 
 that a conference of delegates from subordinate meet- 
 ings should be called, where the subject of missions of 
 all kinds might be examined and dis^^ussed apart from 
 other church business. The Quarterly Meetings were 
 directed to sen<l delegates, and the Home Missionary 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 355 
 
 coniiiiittec was made a part of the conference, riiis 
 seemed to calm the troubled waters, and the meeting 
 adjourned nn(k'r a feeling of thankfulness that all had 
 ended so well. 
 
 To study the hearts of those attending the meet- 
 ing, J spent some time each day in walking about 
 among them, and in sitting down and looking into the 
 faces that were passing, while listening to their kindly 
 greetings and pleasant talk, I studied their bearing 
 one towards another. 1 had learned much in this way 
 before the discussion of home missions came up. That 
 debate opened several doors to my secret study, and 
 before the meeting closed I had gained a valuable les- 
 son in humanity. My first drill in this kind of study 
 was among the ignorant slaves of the south, but this 
 one was among the highest civilization of the world. 
 If I should draw conclusions it would be that a crisis 
 will come in London Yearly Meeting, which if passed 
 successfully will be glad tidings to England and the 
 world. Through Friends there will be a revolution 
 brought about that will send peace and not a sword ;o 
 the ends of the earth, and the Gospel will be ])reached 
 to the poor, not only in sinful London, l)ut in all the 
 r'v'-.es of the world. 
 
 The most remarkable and astonishing statement 
 made (hiring the meeting was the unquestioned one 
 that there were thousads of heathen, pure and simiile, 
 
356 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 within an hour's walk of that meeting. One speaker 
 used the words "ahnost savages." It was so astound- 
 ing to me, that I took note of the direction indicated, 
 an,] subsequently visited that part of the city and 
 found it really awful and horrible in suffering, pov- 
 erty, degradation, starvation, sin, shame and untold 
 c'ime. A place to make the soul sick, probably the 
 darkest spot on earth; it would be hard to ovoj'draw 
 the I'icture or exaggerate its fearful misery. 
 
 'v^Tien the subject of corresponding with other 
 Yearly Meetings was under consideration, the discus- 
 sion took a wide range, and was not only surprising, but 
 almost startling. Some of the members proposed (ior- 
 rc?ponding with all bodies of people in America call- 
 ing themselves Friends. Others suggested issuing one 
 epistle for all the meetings of the United Stares, re- 
 taining Canada as a colonial meeting. Iowa was again 
 reviewed and severely criticised, in one or two in- 
 stances almost amounting to persistent misrepresenta- 
 tion, but as on previous occasions, the clear spiritual 
 discernment, sound practical wisdom of the liberal el fo- 
 ment of the meeting prevailed, and it was decided not 
 to vary from former usages. 
 
 In discussing the report on schools, and the edu- 
 cation of the children of artisans and members in lim- 
 ited circumstances, a very strange revelation appeared 
 behind thescene,as viewed bv anv American mind and 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 357 
 
 ''!'!! 
 
 convictions. It was evident tliat Engiish Friends w 
 full of the spirit of class distinction, yet all unconscious 
 of the fact. This stands as a barrier in their wa} to 
 wider usefulness. The poor see, feel and resent that, 
 spirit. As I sat listening I inwardly exclaimed, "Oh! 
 that they could see themselves as others see them, then 
 what wonderful things they could do. Heathenism 
 would disappear in London and in England; a might- 
 ier 'power than the Salvation Army would move upon 
 the hearts of the fallen." 
 
 Another ])ublic meeting was held on the 25th, 
 but it differed from the previous ones only in the char- 
 acter of the sermons; in depth of real spiritual life I 
 had rarely heard their equal, delivered as they were 
 before an audience educated and trained by a higher 
 civiiization, the result was as grand and inspiring upon 
 the listener as our finest outpouring of lofty, fiery elo- 
 (pience upon an audience of hardy pioneers. 
 
 London Yearly Meeting is a study, for its influ- 
 ence upon England and the English speaking people 
 everywhere is out of proportir»n to the number of its 
 church membership. Why it should be so is not easily 
 understood until one has attended its annual gather- 
 ing and studied well its inner life. As I looked and 
 listened T saw such evidence of grand spiritual light, 
 that T felt almost like lx»wing the knee in reverence 
 before it and its achievements, but before words could 
 
 23 
 
358 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 be framed into fitting speech, suddenly I was startled 
 by the falling of a shadow of blind devotion and rev- 
 erence for empty forms and usages. In listening to 
 the expression of opinions relative to the many good 
 works in which the membership wiis engaged, I could 
 understand why Friends' Monthly Meetings estab- 
 lished in the wilderness had all the essential elements 
 within themselves of civil government and spiritual 
 life. It was easy to see from whence came William 
 Penn's wisdom, bv which he gave the only model .i>ov- 
 ernment the world has seen since the law was ^iven to 
 Moses. We can also realize the true grandeur of 
 England's higher attainments towards a Christian 
 f'ivilization. In the midst of my joy and gladness' 
 another shadow of bigotry and prejudice fell and 
 checked my enthusiasm. So we find it in many other 
 things. It seems that the highest civilization and 
 spiritual growth is often cumbered by human weak- 
 ness. 
 
CHAPTER ELEVEN. 
 
 London to the Land of the Midnight Sun — Russia — 
 Across Europe — Italy, Switzerland France, Spain 
 and Portugal — Back to London. 
 
 Four weeks passed so pleasantly in London sight- 
 seeing and at our quiet home that we were almost un- 
 conscious of the lapse of time. Our kind host, John B. 
 Watts, and his .three bright, charming daughters, and 
 noble son, had done their best to make our stay both 
 pleasant and restful. Their home was in a quiet part 
 of the city, and possessed a rare treasure in a beautiful 
 green yard behind the house, shut in by trees and 
 vines. On this green we spent many delightful even- 
 ings. My friend, John Van Lindley, joined the young 
 people in their sports, while our host and I talked of 
 far-oif lands, and of life in London. I could entertain 
 him with stories of travel, and he instructed me in 
 English history and England's growth, and together 
 w^e discussed the all-absorbing topics of the day. The 
 subjects which claimed much attention were title to 
 real estate, ground rents, ninety-nine year leases, en- 
 tails, house privileges, etc. The close of May warned 
 
 (359) 
 
360 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 US that we must be off on our second tour while health 
 and oj^portunity offered. 
 
 At 3 p. in. June 3d we took train for Xorwich^ 
 there took steamer for Piotterdam, and arrived the next 
 morning. We rode through the beautiful tree-planted 
 citv and its profusion of flowers, then took cars for 
 Amsterdam. The ride through the rural country was 
 especiallv charming, when contrasted with the endless 
 brick walls and stone pavements of the great city. 
 The whole country is intersected by large canals, in 
 which, in many places, the water stands above sea level, 
 but a few inches, while all the country is sub-divided 
 by small canals and ditches, most of them several feet 
 below sea level, which stand full of water, the surplus 
 being constantly lifted up into the large ones by thou- 
 sands of huge windmills. As far as the eye can see 
 there is an unbroken expanse of green fields and 
 avenues of trees along the large canals. From among 
 small clumps of trees and vines arose the chimney tops 
 of the grand old Dutch homes; the fields and farms are 
 subdivided and bounded by ditches, which serve as 
 fences, and for highways, as much of the travel is 
 done by water. Strangers are astonished at the num- 
 ber of small boats seen on hand at all places. They 
 are used instead of wheeled vehicles, and are of all 
 sizes, shapes and artistic construction. 
 
 The larger ])ortion of Holland is devoted to grow- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 361 
 
 iiig grass, rye and millet, the other to gardening. 
 There are thousands of spotted cattle, black and white, 
 on the pastures. In nearly all the fields tubs are stand- 
 ing containing a mixture of salt, clay, oil cake and 
 sulphur for the cattle to lick. While other arrange- 
 ments incident to dairying gives the country a prac- 
 tical, domestic, homelike look, and we felt that we 
 were in a home land. Windmills are abundant, and 
 of immense size, some with arms thirty feet long, and 
 five wide; they are very powerful motors. When a 
 score of them are in sight propelled by a stiff gale they 
 2:)resent quite an imposing appearance. They lift or 
 pump the water from the lower ditches into the canals, 
 and move the rural machinery of the country. 
 
 By the happy counterbalance of wind and water, 
 Holland is made not only inhabitable, but a land of 
 beauty and productiveness, and we wonder no longer 
 how the Dutch have managed to supply the world 
 with so much cheese. 
 
 We spent a dav in Amsterdam, a city of 400,000 
 inhabitants, in riding on the street cars and busses, 
 through the long shaded avenues, beautiful parks and 
 gardens, and noted the profusion of flowers that 
 decorated nearly every home, showing the passionate 
 fondness for plants of the so-called stately Dutch. 
 Many of the streets have broad canals running 
 through them, crowded by all kinds of water craft, 
 
362 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 from the fishing boat to the ocean steamer. Every- 
 thing indicated a seafaring commercial people, whose 
 bronzed features and fearless bearing showed they 
 were a race "Who go down to the sea in ships," and 
 it was plain to be seen how and why Holland had fur- 
 nished so many old ugly fighting sea captains in the 
 past, and disputed so long with England for the su- 
 premacy of the sea. Even yet they have the elements 
 of power among them, and are v ready to fight at the 
 smallest provocation, if the thing would pay. 
 
 Erom Amsterdam we started by rail for Bremen, 
 Germany, going southeast to Wesel up the valley of 
 the Rhine, then north and in a circuitous route to see 
 more countrv, and save doubling back, and we were 
 well paid for doing so. Our way was through green 
 pastures, among fields of grain, extensive gardens and 
 homes adorned with the ever present beautiful flow- 
 ers. We passed through broad level plain-like ex- 
 panses, under a high state of cultivation, with evi- 
 dence of thrift, economy and industry, and were still 
 among a network of canals which covered the whole 
 country. Here we saw the pleasing and singular 
 phenomenon of ships and steamers sailing across gTeen 
 fields, through orchards and gardens and standing in 
 the frctnt yards of many residences. Tn reality they 
 were sailing in the large canals which we could see 
 only as we crosserl them. This is one of the channing 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 363 
 
 sights of this country, and propably not to be seen any 
 other place. 
 
 Soon after passing out of Holland into Germany, 
 we entered the wide rolling ])lain that we had crossed 
 farther south on our trip from Constantinople, with the 
 same grand succession of broad green fields, pine for- 
 ests, and fine old homes. It was bright June weather. 
 Everything was clothed in deepest green. The rye 
 fields were whitening for harvest, the wheat in full 
 head, the clover in full bloom, the door yards aglow 
 with flowers, and best of all, bright, happv children 
 were out in the warm sunshine, rolling, romping on the 
 grass, climbing the trees, and the boy portion, true to 
 life the world over, was throwing stones. It seemed 
 like riding through a fairy land of sunshine. 
 
 We had an opportunity to study the German sys- 
 tem of forestry in this part of the country better than 
 any place yet visited. In western Germany forestry is 
 not only an industry, but a science. We passed through 
 a country- where all waste and unprofitable land was 
 being planted in timber, and there were many valuable 
 woods of well-kept trees, and still more were being 
 planted, which in time will be both useful and orna- 
 mental. The result is being watched withi much inter- 
 est by other countries, as it may open up a new possibil- 
 ity for treeless regions. As we traveled northwest the 
 interest in all the surroundings increased. On all sides 
 
364 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 were grand old liomes, where families had lived for 
 centuries, some of each generation remaining with 
 their parents, adding house to house, until there was 
 a beautiful village ai-ound the original mansion, giving 
 all an additional charm. Old trees overshadowed the 
 village, some of which were a century old. Each day 
 we marked the increase of sunlight and the shortening 
 of darkness. 
 
 With feelings approaching the enthusiastic, we 
 arrived in Bremen, one of the great shipping ports of 
 western Europe, a city that bore an important part in 
 the middle ages, as well as in more recent times. It 
 was a bright, warm evening, and I could see to read 
 until a late hour. A^ext morning I could see to write 
 at 8 a. m., and there seemed to be an unusual stir in the 
 city: at 4 a. m. groups of people were moving along 
 the street, all going in the direction of what seemed a 
 large body of native woodland. The throngs gradu- 
 ally increased and at 7:30 we joined the multitude 
 and entered the forest. There we learned that it was a 
 national festival, held in a wildwood park. Thei'e was 
 one large music hall, a picture gallery, museum and 
 numbers of beer gardens. In the midst of the grounds 
 there was a charming lake for boating, w^ith serpentine 
 shore. Soon the park teemed with tens of thousands 
 of peo]:)le of every age and condition, all dressed in 
 their best clothes. The walks were filled with mothers 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 365 
 
 and ha})py-fac-(:'(l children. Older peojde were gath- 
 ered around the heer tables swilling at their mugs and 
 making the air fetid with tobaeco and other fumes. 
 Others were listening to the music that rose and fell 
 in thundering peals. The old and infirm for the time 
 forgot their feebleness, the poor forgot their poverty, 
 the sorrowing forgot their troul)le. The hearts of the 
 poor were made glad by gifts to their children of 
 sweetmeats and toys; the proud and haughty unbent, 
 the aristocrat, for a day came down to ordinary life, all 
 blending into a common humanity of relaxation and so- 
 ciability. To me it was a day of deep interest. It 
 g'ave me an insight into German character seldom 
 found, for during that day the old Teutonic heredity 
 cropped out unawares. I^pon returning from the park 
 we took a street car and rode through the long, shaded 
 streets, visited some of the oldest parts of the city,. 
 dating back into the days of war, revolution and con- 
 quest; we also passed some of the wane vats, which had 
 figured in the scenes of the days of chivalry. At 7:30 
 p. m. we started for Hamburg and arrived there at 
 10 p. m., while it was still light. 
 
 xvText morning we were out early; took a street 
 car and rode many miles through the city and out into 
 some beautiful suburbs, where the houses were all 
 aflame with brilliant flowers and plants. TVe then 
 took a walk along the docks and wharves, among the 
 
366 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 canals and storage depots. We noted the stagnant 
 water and unhealthy condition in nearlv all the canals, 
 and predicted fatal resnlts, if the cholera should come 
 to western Europe, which it did two months later. 
 This city is very old and was made notorious by the 
 First NaiX)leon, who purposed to construct an im- 
 mense navy-yard at this ])lace in which to build ships 
 to invade England. History tells of his distastrous 
 failure, and that by it the town Hamburg was given to 
 the world ; the name signifies total failure. 
 
 From Hamburg wecontinued northward, through 
 the same rich IcA-el country, mostly in grass, on which 
 vast numbers of cattle were grazing. They were rather 
 larger than Holland cattle, but smaller than English 
 or American. The whole land is divided into small 
 fields or lots. It was a surprise to find many large peat 
 bogs along our route. Hundreds of men were busy 
 cutting and stacking the peat sod to drv for winte* 
 fuel; in some bog^ the quantitv i)iled up would seem 
 amazing to those ignorant of its use and value as fuel. 
 It takeis the place of the coal and wood used in 
 America. 
 
 We arrived at Kiel, on the Baltic sea, June 7th, 
 the day the Em|>erors of Germany and E-ussia met in 
 that city, and we were much pleased with the coinci- 
 dence. It was especially interesting to me when I re- 
 called the historv of all that north countrv for the last 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 367 
 
 ten ceDtiiries, to \he tirno when Russia was unknown 
 as a power in Knrope, wliile the Norsemen dominated 
 western Europe, and as J saw^ it there and then, how 
 chan<yed! It was truly a grand day in XieL Each 
 emperor was escorted by a fleet of gun boats and a 
 strong- marine guard, with a fine display of all the 
 dignity and majesty of royalty. Most of the inhabi- 
 tants were out, together with many thousands from 
 other cities and towns, who were charmed and enter- 
 tained by the splendid music of the bands, the marvel- 
 ous evfiliitions of the marines and the deafening salvos 
 of heavy guns fired by the fleets and responded to by 
 the shore batteries. The harbor was alive wnth pleas- 
 ure boats and steamers, gaily decorated with flags and 
 fancy streamers. The whole city was aflutter with 
 banners. When starlight came the sky was ablaze with 
 rockets and fire balls, flashing out their meteoric show- 
 evs. At 11 p. m. the departure of the two emperors 
 was announced by the simultaneous discharge of one 
 hundred and twenty heavy guns, which shook the 
 solid earth wnth their deafening roar. Tt was another 
 opportunity to study Europeanism, and T tried to take 
 the lesson with all its surroundings for future use. T 
 spent most of the time walking amid the throngs 
 watching the expression of countenances,-«o as to see 
 in wbat w^ay the vast pageant was affecting them. T 
 especially noted the children, who were out by the 
 
368 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 thousands, with, eyes dilated, faces all agiow, their 
 faculties strung to the highest point of tension. 
 
 When the last salute was tired_, the last shower of 
 rockets discharged, there was not a child in all the 
 thousands but received a lasting impression of the 
 wonderful power and majesty of royalty, which every 
 succeeding display of the kind would keep alive and 
 strengthen, and thus they would grow to maturity with 
 a reverence for the emperor and the nobility, and be 
 willing to submit to an oppressive rod. This the 
 crowned heads appreciate, and never miss an oppor- 
 tunity to cultivate and intensify. While I was learn- 
 ing this lesson, 1 thought of the tens of thousands who 
 were that day starving in southern Russia, and of the 
 ship loads of republican flour that was sailing at that 
 very moment to relieve that starvation, while the two 
 emperors were squandering thousands of doUai's in 
 that worse than sinful display. 
 
 At 1 a. m. we took a steamer for Korsor, on the 
 island of Zealand, where we arrived at 9 a. m., June 
 Sth, and took rail at once for Copenhagen, arriving at 
 10:80 a. m. After lunch we boarded a street car and 
 rode many miles through and across the city ; then we 
 took a walk into back ways, looking into odd places 
 and seeing many strange things, with undesirable en- 
 counters as to smells and sounds, incident to haunts of 
 poverty, suffering and sin. Copenhagen is an inter- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 369 
 
 esting old city, with a history that goes back two 
 thousand years. It was one of the strongholds of the 
 old Viking kings, and bore its full share in the wars 
 and revolutions of modern times. It has 350,000 in- 
 habitants now, and will continue to be an important 
 place for a long time to come. It is still beautiful in 
 spite of age. The old high gabled, tile covered houses 
 make a pleasant contrast with the modern style of 
 adorning with tinsel. The people of the w^ide world 
 today seem to have little knowledge of the history of 
 that north country. The mass of humanity are ap- 
 parently wholly ignorant of the wonderful power and 
 influence Denmark exercised in controlling and col- 
 lecting what was called ''Sound dues," toll exacted 
 from all ships entering the Baltic sea through the nar- 
 row^ sound. The final abolition of these dues became 
 an international question and agitated Europe for sev- 
 eral years. This fact seems to have dropped out of 
 popular history, yet it came and went within my mem- 
 ory, as did the abolition of the corn law of England. 
 
 We left Copenhagen by rail for Elsinore, where 
 we crossed the sound into Sweden. The ferryboat 
 that took us over brought 2000 Swedish children to 
 Zealand on a picnic. It was a charming and almost 
 marvelous sight to see the order and ease by which so 
 many children were disembarked without accident; 
 they were in charge of young ladies, who formed them 
 
370 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 in a procession and marclied. to a beautiful grove, 
 where a festival was to be held in the wann sunlight. 
 We entered into Sweden at 11 a. m., and I was 
 full of feelings of joy and triumph that I had at last 
 reached the land of mv paternal ancestors; the land of 
 the grand old A^orsenien, and of the heroic Swedes of 
 modern history. With eager eyes and listening ears 
 we started by rail for Christiana in Xorway, 372 
 miles away. Every place had an interest, every hord, 
 battle and contest; all the broad fields and green val- 
 leys had been the homes of happy thousands through 
 long centuries; the nursery of millions of brave men, 
 who were master spirits for a thousand years. The 
 history of their noble deeds and acts of tyranny, their 
 otirling virtues and disgraceful crimes, their daring 
 deeds of discovery, their conquests and the wild career 
 of old Sigurd, the crusader, had impressed and 
 charmed my early life, and when I found myself actu- 
 ally passing through the wonderful land not in dreams, 
 but in fact, I was so full of strong emotions that utter- 
 ance was taken away. Earth, air, tree and water 
 seemed to glow in the sunlight with unnatural bril- 
 liancy; but there came a reaction, and I saw things in 
 a more practical light, and began to draw pictures in 
 memory for use at future times. For fifty miles the 
 country was almost level, very rich and in high state of 
 cultivation. Like Zealand, it was one wide expanse of 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 371 
 
 rural beauty, witli abundant evidence of solid Lome 
 comforts and wealth. From the green lowland we 
 g-radually ascended among the rucky hills, which were 
 covered with pines, that slowly increased in extent as' 
 the hills grew into low mountains, and we were soon 
 among some of the great pine forests, and on the out- 
 skirts of the lumber regions. As we advanced objects 
 of interest opened up on every side. There were nar- 
 row green valleys among the mountains, overlooked 
 by dark forests, dotted with lovely houses, which had a 
 peculiarly charming, romantic look, amid such grand 
 surroundings. 
 
 We were full of enthusiasm for the north coun- 
 try, when we arrived at Christiana in ^^orway, where 
 we found much that was decidedly interesting, which 
 modern history does not record, and of which little 
 seems to be known by this generation. There are old 
 monuments, old buildings, museums, galleries of paint- 
 ings of rare beauty, old runic collections which now 
 have a double interest since the Anglo-saxon is found 
 to be the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The monu- 
 ment of Sigurd, the crusader, is held almost sa(;red l)y 
 the people. The old shi]) recently unearthed, built a 
 thousand years ago, has a special interest as showing 
 the skill in ship building at that time. There is a very 
 massive tower standing on a hill outside the city. No 
 one knows by wdiom or for what purpose it was built, 
 
372 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 all is iiiysterv. There i?; no tower like it in Xorway, 
 and it stands there alone and unknown. 
 
 AVe went north over a hundred miles to see the 
 forests in all their native grandeur. Upon returning we 
 started east t-^ward Stockholm, on the Gulf of Bothnia. 
 The whole trip across Sweden was one continual 
 change between green valley, bright sparkling lake, 
 pine covered hills, clear rapid streams ; and many times 
 all these were grouped into one scene, forming a pic- 
 ture that v/as marvelous for its blending of all that was 
 romantic, wild and rugged. The steady lengthening 
 of the days, the mild and soothing sunlight that falls 
 over the dark green pines, when it is night in other 
 parts of the world, throws a strong facination over the 
 mind which is both pleasing and startling. When we 
 reached Stockholm we were sui*|:>rised to find it so 
 charmingly situated, and so beautiful, the most so of 
 any city in Europe, if not in the world. Every ele- 
 ment necessary to make it thus seems to be there, and 
 the taste and practical skill of an intelligent people 
 has been utilized to adorn the city and perfect the har- 
 bor, wh'ch is situated at the outlet of a vast inland 
 system of lakes and rivers. There are manv ]:)leasure 
 boats which take tourists long rides among the hills, 
 along the river? and connected lakes, amid romantic 
 and interesting scenes. There are also many lumber 
 ships going up the river and into ;he lakes for lumber. 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 373 
 
 borne of them are constructed so as to carry whole trees 
 to be used for piliug. These are takeu all over the 
 world and acknowledged a superior article. 
 
 The ice and snow do not all disappear in the 
 great interior forests until June, and then come six to 
 eight weeks of constant daylight and hot weather. 
 The rivei^ are still flush, fish are abundant, and vege- 
 tation makes a marvelous growth under the stimulus 
 of light and heat. This is the time cf year to visit 
 Stockholm and the far north. Twilight begins about 
 the 12 th of June, and there is but a short space of time 
 between sunset and sunrise. During the twilight we 
 could see to read. June 12th I read until 11:30 p. m., 
 and at 1 a. m. the sun was visible, and at 12:30, mid- 
 night, June 15th, we took a coasting steamer for 
 Haparanda in the far north, and w^ent up the Gulf of 
 Bothnia. The ride down the river and out into the 
 open water was very fine. Seen at an hour when our 
 distant homes were shrouded in darkness made it more 
 impressive. As we went north we left all night for 
 many days. 
 
 The scenery up the gulf is grand, not only on ac- 
 count of its beauty, but because of its distinctive native 
 peculiaritr. All along its shores are narrow inlets 
 called fiords. These run back sometimes many miles 
 and terminate in a land-locked bay. Other times they 
 are the outlet of lakes and great watersheds. Often 
 24 
 
374 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 they are but two or three hundred feet wide, but forty 
 or fifty feet deep, so the largest ships can be towed 
 in and out. From the fiords small side valleys run out 
 between the hills which are all in meadow, with cat- 
 tle grazing in the bright sunlight; sometimes there 
 will be a broad expanse where the mountains fall 
 away and the hills sink, a charming picture of rural 
 life peculiar to Sweden. 
 
 As we went up the gulf, each day everything be- 
 came more interesting, the night disappeared, the two, 
 then one hour of twilight came, then none at all, and 
 all was day; that is, though the sun disappears below 
 the hc^rizon the light is clear as if the sun were only 
 behind a cloud at noon. In many places there were 
 so many small islands that the way seemed completely 
 closed in, but a sudden turn around a headland, and 
 a broad expanse of sparkling water would appear. 
 We were not out of sia'ht of land at any time; the 
 beautiful pine-covered islands, or green mountains 
 were always in view, and the eye did not grow weary 
 with the ever changing panorama amid unfailing light. 
 Even the desire for sleep left me while in the land of 
 daylight. 
 
 Xot the least wonderful thing seen along the 
 coast and in the fiords is the vast amount of lumber. It 
 is piled up on the shores and in great rafts afloat in the 
 bays, which were constantly being loaded into ships and 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 375 
 
 eoastiiiii' steamers in quantities almost beyond com- 
 putation; the lumber ships are seen by hundreds load- 
 ing for every part of the world. We went ashore at 
 Umea to see one of the largest lumber yards in Europe, 
 if not in the world. 1 had seen some of the largest 
 lumber districts in the United States, as at Detroit, 
 Chicago, St. Louis, Portland, Oregon, San Francisco, 
 Xew Orleans, New York and Boston, but the lumber 
 yard at Umea was nearly equal to them all combined; 
 there was a small bay, about five miles in circuit, at the 
 head of a fiord at the mouth of a river, which had 
 a large number of mills running all the time, for there 
 Avas no night, and the shore of the entire bay was piled 
 with lumber from twelve to twenty feet high. I 
 counted one hundred ships loading with lumber for 
 foreign markets. With my glass this whole wonder- 
 ful sight could be seen from a small hill. I could see 
 the derricks swinging their immense loads of lumber 
 from off shore on to the ships, hundreds of stalwart, 
 bronzed men were stowdng it away. It was a scene 
 worth a long journey to witness. It would have been 
 interesting anywhere, but seen in that far north 
 country under perpetual daylight, as we saw it, it 
 became doubly so. Here, I may say, that Sweden and 
 Xonvay have been furnishing Europe with lumber 
 for centuries, and they can do it for a long time to 
 come. The forests reproduce very rapidly when cut 
 
376 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 down, and the goverument now regulates the cutting, 
 so the supply will be virtually perpetual. Besides, 
 since the building of railroads in Russia, many millions 
 of acres of splendid pine forests have been available 
 for the market. Russia, also, regulates the cutting of 
 her forests to insure a continuous growth. The lum- 
 ber business furnishes labor for half the people of 
 ^N'orway and Sweden, and many thousands of the 
 young men serve as sailors on foreign vessels, espe- 
 cially English, and in addition to the good wages, 
 learn different language* and make interpreter> and 
 guides. 
 
 Our steamer often stop))ed from three to six 
 hours at tlie wav ports. This gave opportunitv to g(^ 
 ashore and see the villages and people, sometimes to 
 take long walks over the hills, and to see the peculiar 
 construction of the log houses in universal use; the size, 
 color and quality of the horset^ and cattle, their little 
 one-horse carts, the odd aiTangement of the harness, 
 etc., with much more that was novel and pleasing. 
 Another thing we enjoyed was the curiosity of the 
 natives in wondering why two old foreigners should 
 wander about seemingly with no business in view. 
 Ordinary tourists went to the hotels and asserted their 
 dignity, or to the saloons and drank strong drink. 
 Therefore, the people scrutinized us, gave a signifi- 
 cant shrug of the shoulder and head, and let us pass 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 377 
 
 on, thinking, "thouah daft tliey are harmless," and 
 we went on oiir way and enjoyed oiir opinions, and 
 highly prized the facts we learned. 
 
 At Liilia we stopped some hours, from 9 :30 p. m. 
 to 1 a. m., as there was much freight being handled. 
 It was as light as noonday and I could not sleep with 
 wondei'S all around me. When we pushed off we had 
 200 boys on board, sons of lumbermen, who were 
 going to a military barracks up the coast for their first 
 two months' drill service for the army. They were 
 samples of undefiled Swedish life and home training, 
 wild as colts, good natured, gay as birds, full of frolic 
 and fun; they could play leap frog with such a vim 
 that they seemed as though thev would stove in the 
 deck. Yet there was not an angry word, or row of 
 an}^ kind among them. They disembarked at Torra, 
 and broke away from all discipline and ran shouting 
 up the hill, wliere a file of solcliers were waving their 
 caps and cheering. AVe now entered a more beautiful 
 fiord than any we had yet seen. For about ten miles 
 the country was a broad expanse of open grass land, 
 thickly dotted with homes. The return down the 
 fiord was fine beyond description, the sun shone from 
 the northwest lighting up CA^erything with the first 
 soft yellow light we had seen. We entered the Hapa- 
 randa river at the head of the gulf at 10 p. m. with the 
 sun ^^hining brightly. It was six miles up to the city. 
 
378 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 where we arrived at 11:20 p. ]ii., wlien the sun seemed 
 to sink behind the land, Init after we had walked three 
 hundred yards into the city, the sun was still visible 
 among the pines, and at 12:15 a. m. it was above the 
 pines and very bright. We saw the sun at midnight 
 for the first time between June 18th and 19th, 1892. 
 Thouoh we had attained one of the ambitions of 
 life, yet it was not as sensational as expected on ac- 
 count of the gradual approach and the becoming ac- 
 customed to the continuous light for several days be- 
 fore, yet it was grand beyond expression to really see 
 the sun at midnight with our living eyes. At twelve 
 o'clock the night of the 19th, the sun just touched the 
 horizon again in a clear sky ; when an hour above, the 
 light assumed a soft yellow color, and a feeling of still- 
 ness and quiet seemed to rest on all nature; the rays of 
 the sun appeared to slightly vibrate. This was prob- 
 ably caused by coming ajeross a broad expanse of water 
 in the river. The birds grew still when the sunlight 
 turned yellow, the chicikens rested from their labor, 
 the cattle, horses and sheep laid down on the grass; 
 all was still except the people ; they seemed to be going 
 continuously. Vegetation was making marvelous 
 growth. In six weeks all kinds of vegetables mature, 
 such as cabbage, beets, turnips, Irish potatoes, beans, 
 peas, pumpkins, tomatoes, etc. Eye, that is up three 
 inches when the snow^ disappears, will be fit to cut in 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 379 
 
 six weeks, and &o it is with wheat, barley and grass. 
 The snow brings down large (Quantities of ammonia, 
 which is taken up by the soil and makes plant food 
 abundant; then the stimulus of constant sunlight, 
 heat moisture and highly electritied air causes all vege- 
 tation to develop in a way not seen anywhere else. 
 
 The midnight of the 20th was partly obscured by 
 clouds, but was more beautiful than the sunlight. 
 From behind the clouds brilliant streams of light 
 radiated in all directions, the flashes going upward re- 
 minded me of some thunder storms at home, when 
 flashes of sunlight break through the advancing storm, 
 but there was the constant, ever-changing streams 
 that seemed to be phosphorescent in their composition. 
 I sat up to see the wonderful display ; nor was the flash- 
 ing light alone interesting; everything on all sides 
 was full of beauty. I felt that the earth and air had 
 new combinations of natural forces, but predominating 
 over all was the highly electrified condition. 
 
 We spent part of the tinae walking about among 
 the scrub timl:>er and through the low marsh lands, 
 and at almost every step made some new and startling 
 discovery. The whole country was strewed with 
 water-worn bowlders. In places they are piled up in 
 long walls as perfectly arranged as if put there by 
 skilled masons, in other places they are in well-shaped 
 coned mounds. These, by a majority of travelers, are 
 
380 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 mistaken for old runic remains, but a careful inspec- 
 tion shows that it is the work of the pushing power of 
 ice in its periodic freezing and expansion; in many 
 places large bowlders have been pushed several hun- 
 dred feet, deeply striating the bedded rock, and com- 
 pact gravel and clay. The gulf has once been much 
 larger than now and is still receding. As the \vat(T 
 line changes the ice reaches new stones and pu-hes 
 them ashore, and the walls thus pushed into position 
 show the different levels of the water in the past. 
 
 AVe crossed the long foot bridge across the river 
 to Tamea on the Tniland side, and found an odd old 
 church; it belonged to the period of at least 1200 years 
 ago. It was built of heavy pine logs, which would bear 
 powerful thumping before giving way. The stone 
 wall by which it was surrounded is still standing, and 
 is six feet above ground and six feet thick. It had been 
 used both as a church and as a place of defense in time 
 of danger, but the most astonishing thins: was the 
 names on the old tombstones. Even to the very oldest 
 written in the present alphabet, they were but a repeti- 
 tion of family names now found in Xantucket, Xorth 
 Carolina and other parts of America. Some that were 
 five hundre<l years old were still legible. 
 
 To me this discovery was priceless in one respect. 
 It opened up new light on the Anglo-Israel subject and 
 confirmed manv farnilv traditions. It intensified mv 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 381 
 
 interest in that country, and proves that there is much 
 vahiable history lost by our ignorance of the region 
 inchided in Denmark, Xorway, SAveden, Finland and 
 the Baltic provinces. From Sweden may yet come 
 master spirits that may save Europe, as did Gust^vus 
 nearly three hundred years ago, for the race is not de- 
 generating by immigration, nor exhausted by emigra- 
 tion, but is simply resting while the pendulum of 
 events swings to the opposite point of the arc. 
 
 Oji the 21st there were some clouds, but the mid- 
 night view was pretty good. Just after the sun passed 
 the lowest depression, it went behind a narrow belt of 
 clouds, which became at once intenselv luminous. 
 During the passage it seemed to partake of the brilliant 
 _^low of the northern light, though not flashing. 
 Most of the day preceding we spent looking into the 
 out houses, barns and snow sheds to see what winter 
 life was in that latitude. There was every possible 
 machine, device and implement for working in, on 
 and with snow, gTeat heavy sleds like those used in 
 Canada, as well as smaller ones for light work, all 
 kinds of craft, hand sleds, snow shoes, fur and reindeer 
 robes, and foot guards, and many things of which we 
 know nothing. Contrary to the teaching ol booKs, 
 there is no real darkness in the winter, the bright 
 snow and constant coruscation of the electric flashes. 
 or northern light, make it nearly as light as a full 
 
382 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 moon on snow in Indiana. The men can, and do, cut 
 logs all winter in the forests, and make them into rafts 
 on the ice to Hoat to the mills on the coast with the 
 spring flood. These are but a few of the conditiona 
 we lind in the land of the midnight sun, and I must say 
 here, there are many other places much better than 
 Haparanda to see the j^henomena, but it costs more 
 money and time. One can go where the sun shines 
 constantly for two months, and wdiere people live 
 with tolerable comfort, if they have plenty of money, 
 an article which was not very abundant with us. 
 
 We arranged to stai^t on the return trip the morn- 
 ing of the 23d by steamer, and fortunately the pre- 
 vious midnight the sun was obscured by clouds, which 
 became luminous, as if radiating light themselves, but 
 soon afterward they pai'ted and let the sunlight 
 through, w^hich shone like sheets of flame on their 
 illuminated sides. This was more wonderful than 
 anytliing we had seen, and it left an enduring picture. 
 "We had seen the grand sight of the midnight sun in 
 all its beauty. We were full of its grandeur and 
 sublimity, so we made haste to pass on before anything 
 could mar the picture. 
 
 At 6:30 a. m., June 23d, we took a small steamer 
 for Uleaborg, in Finland. It was rather a cool, 
 drizzling day, but we made the port at 6 p. m. The 
 24tli was the great festival of midsummer Sunday in 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 383 
 
 Finland, and we stopped to see it. While there we 
 made the acquaintance of Prof. Alfred Eckholm, one 
 of Finland's leading champions against Russian at- 
 tempts to encroach on their freedom. From him I 
 learned much of the legendary history of Finland and 
 Scandinavia as a whole. I also caught a glimpse of 
 the inner life of freedom that is growing strong in 
 secret and will one day astonish all Europe and make 
 Uncle Sam glad. 
 
 AVe were taken to the beautiful park on the river 
 by the professor where thousands of the people col- 
 lected to hear addresses, listen to splendid music, the 
 singing of triumphal patriotic songs of freedom, where 
 they ate, drank and were happy and forgot their sor- 
 rows for a time. From 5 p. m. to 3 a. m. the festival 
 went on amid the soft, bright sunlight, and the pleas- 
 ant sound of the waters of the ffreat rapids, until the 
 music and song began to die away, and soon all were 
 gone, but the drunken, who were left to sleep out their 
 stupor, for there was nothing to molest them. 
 
 That day's mingling with the multitude, together 
 with Prof. Eckholm's rare ability to impart historic 
 information, made it a day long to be remembered, 
 and the lesson was invaluable in the line of some of 
 my spe<'ialt.ies. Here I was shown a singular record. 
 For four hundred years an accurate account has been 
 kept of the gradual rising of that north country out of 
 
384 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 the water. It has been twelve inclies for every fifty 
 years, as marked on a stone pier, where all can see. It 
 is also recorded in the college. The harbors, outlets 
 and cliffs show that this had been going on long before 
 the a,ctual gain Avas thus noted. At Copenhagen there 
 has been no change in the water line in that period of 
 time. Why no one knows. 
 
 At Uleaborg we took rail and ran down to Waso, 
 on the east shore of the gulf. Here the train stopped 
 for all parties to stay over night. The passengers went 
 into a large hall and laid down on cots and at 5 a. m. 
 were awakened and the journey resumed. We now 
 ran out into the lake region, and were surprised to 
 find a fine, fertile, rural country under a high state 
 of cultivation, fully equal to Denmark and Sweden 
 in all the elements of nationality, instead of being a 
 bleak, frozen region, with dwai*fish, stupid people. It 
 is quite the contrary. The people are a well-developed 
 and a fearless race, patriotic to a fault. The last day 
 we were in Finland, a drunken man who could talk 
 American boarded the train and began conversation. 
 He said his home was in Michigan and he claimed 
 American citizenship. He was still drinking, and he 
 soon began to use foul-mouthed American vulgarity. 
 When I re(|uested him to stop hi? talk, he became 
 abusive and violent. T at once astonished the con- 
 ductor and mail agent l»y demanding that the Ameri- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN, 385 
 
 cau part of the drunkard sliouid be put oti' the train, 
 stating that any claim Finland had on him 1 did not 
 wish to antagonize, but 1 had an interest in the Ameri- 
 can part. The result was that he was put oti' at the 
 next station amid a storm of Swedish and American 
 profanity. I subsequently learned that but for his 
 claim to American citizenship 1 might have been in- 
 terviewed by Russian police for a reason for such an as- 
 sumption of authority. We stayed a few hours at Vi- 
 borg, a small city at the great outlet of the lake system 
 into the Baltic sea. There the amount of lumber and 
 railroad ties was beyond credibility to those not fa- 
 miliar with the business. Here also is the future 
 fashionable tourist's resort, especially for those who 
 delight in yachting. A line of water communication 
 through lakes and rivers of many hundreds of miles 
 reaches far into the pine forests of the interior, amid 
 scenes of wild romantic solitude, little dreamed of by 
 the outside world. In the near future a line of steam 
 or electric yachts will open this wonderful land to the 
 astonished and delighted fashionable world. 
 
 We amved at St. Petei-sburg at 11 a. m. and 
 found much confusion at the station by the arriving 
 and de])arting of detachments of soldiers who were* 
 being transferred to various points. We were so en- 
 tertained and amused with the novel and strange 
 things around us that we failed to look for the English 
 
386 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 speaker before he left, and we had some trouble in 
 finding the American consul, but linally we reached 
 his office and were soon equipped for a tour of the 
 great city. It would take many weeks to explore 
 and understand the Russian capital, and much paper 
 to write a description of it, for St. Petersburg is like 
 Cairo and Constantinople, different from all other 
 cities. It has peculiar characteristics, and in its 
 streets we saw many types of humanity as well as 
 nationalities. The city is a wonder to all intelligent 
 people, and especially to those who have read and 
 been interested in Peter the Great and Queen Cath- 
 erine. The wide, clean streets, splendid palaces and 
 public buildings, the shops, markets, parks, and long- 
 shaded avenues make it the equal of any city outside 
 of London. In walking and riding through its streets 
 everything called to mind the genius, sagacity and de- 
 votion of its noble founder. It was with feelings al- 
 most reverent that I stood beside the little boat he built 
 with his OAvn hands when he first came to found the 
 city, and I had a similar feeling w^hen looking at the 
 small yellow house he built for his home, now become 
 sacred, and later on, when in the hall of the Golden 
 ('hariots, there was nothing so interesting as the rough 
 two-horse sleie-h built by the great man. The print of 
 his hammer on the braces, nail heads and bolts claimed 
 my attention more than the Russian art of today. As 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 387 
 
 we went through the museums, art galleries and halls 
 of other collections we saw the rude weapons of de- 
 fense and domestic use in the past, alongside the re- 
 sults of recent discovery and invention. The finest 
 native productions in the art galleries are placed be- 
 side the old barbaric ideals during the grand old runic 
 ages, when mythic sagas had such power over the un- 
 tutored race. Ever^^vhere we saw the evidence of the 
 napid uplifting of a w^hole race (Moscovite) from 
 degradation to the higher standard of civilization, re- 
 finement and powerful nationality. 
 
 One of the most surprising things in the city is 
 the hall of the Golden Chariot, a thing almost un- 
 known to the world. When a new emperor is crowned 
 a ver>' beautiful chariot is made, overlaid with gold 
 and adorned with precious stones, with all the art 
 known to the mechanics up to that date. The chanot 
 is drawn by four white horses almost covered with 
 gold plated harness and trappings. It is driven to the 
 home of the prince, and from there he is taken to the 
 grand cathedral, where he is crowned, from thence he 
 is driven to the palace. The chariot then takes its 
 place in the hall and is never heard of again. The 
 harness is hune' up in an adjoining hall, mth the many 
 presents sent by chiefs of distant tribes, governors of 
 provinces, noblemen, cities and foreigners. In no 
 other place did we see, in so small a space, the widely 
 
388 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 varied tastes, ideas standard of eivilizatiun of the dif- 
 ferent portions of the vast empire than among the 
 presents sent to these emperors; as to the chariots, no 
 two were ahke in style. As we stood in these long 
 halls it seemed more like a fairy dream than a reality, 
 if we leave out the question of utility; those chariots 
 were the most beautiful things in Europe. They are 
 about forty in number. Standing in its place just 
 where it was left after the explosion is the shattered 
 chariot in which the Emperor Alexander was killed. 
 
 While in St. Petersburg we learned some very 
 valuable facts, which were fully conhrmed in after 
 joui-neys. If we have read history fifty years ago, and 
 compare it^ teaching with facts as found today, it 
 sometimes seems v^ery contradictory. Citie^s of that 
 date on one side of the river are today only suburbs to 
 the railroad city on the other side. Beautiful things 
 described in the books as being on the roadside are now 
 miles away ''on the old road" scarcely known. Much 
 as it is at home when we compare thoughts, facts and 
 figures. The Yankee of Xew England, the fire eater 
 of South Carolina, the man of honor from Kentucky 
 are known no more. American covers all. Talk to 
 the young generation of Europe about Yankees, and 
 they will associate the name with some place in China; 
 talk of Kentuckians, and they try to place them in 
 Xent county, England; speak of fire eaters, and they 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 389 
 
 think of the tire worshipers of Persia. So 1 lind some- 
 thing to learn everyday, and when and where least ex- 
 pected the facts are most startling, things that shake 
 our faith in historians and learned scientists. 
 
 St. Petersburg has nearly one million inhabit- 
 ants, and is making greater progress than any other 
 lai'ge city in Europe, or western Asia. Like many other 
 commercial cities of the north, it is built on piling 
 driven from 12 to 80 feet in the marshy soil, yet 
 no one would think in riding through its long streets 
 and looking at its massive buildings, that it was stand- 
 ing where there was once a swamp. JSTor is it an easy 
 matter to realize that it has been built up by a people 
 who have come up from barbarism in two hundre<l 
 years by their own efforts. 
 
 We started from St. Petersburg for Moscow, the 
 sacred city of the Russians, at -^ p. m., June 28th, and 
 that night there was one hour I could not see to read 
 distinctly, though it was quite light enough for walk- 
 ing about. We had traveled two thousand miles in 
 continuous daylight, from Stockholm to Haparanda, 
 thence to St. Petersburg, and now the road to Moscow 
 was taking us out of the daylight region, and the first 
 real darkness was refreshing. Our route ran through 
 an extended plain that surrounds the Baltic sea, and 
 its connecting waters. We had pictured in our minds 
 a dark and rough looking country, when we entered 
 
 25 
 
390 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 Russia, but we found it quite the contrary. The vast 
 forests of hemlock, pine and bii^ch were more grand 
 and beautiful, if possible, than in Finland, and to our 
 astonishment, the lumber yards and Hoating rafts were 
 as large as any we had seen. The open land reminded 
 me of the great prairies of oui- fai- west; it was rich 
 and capable of supporting an immense population, if 
 properly cultivated, but the lack is just here, excepting 
 around some enterprising nobleman's residence, wiiere 
 the whole country is so improved that it seems like a 
 broad held of sunlight amid darkness. The hamlets of 
 the peasantis look very dirty and repulsive, while the 
 people ai'e the picture of extreme degradation and 
 neglect, though they all look as though they had 
 enough of rough food, still it hurt me to look into the 
 faces of the women and children, they appeared so 
 hopelessly and helplessly low in the social scale. 
 Though the men were far from clean and most un- 
 kempt, they were well built and strong. It was re- 
 freshing to know that these were representatives of all 
 Russians of two hundred years ago, and that the pres- 
 ent higher type had evolved from this unpromising 
 state. Therefore, the possibilities are unlimited for 
 the next two centuries. Most of the distance of the 
 five hundred miles to Moscow was comparatively level 
 country. The first two hundred was through the 
 -southern limits of the vast pine forest that extends to 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 391 
 
 the Arctic ocean, and will furnish an inexhaustible 
 lumber supply to Russia, when she has 200,000,000 
 inhabitants living between St. Petersburg and Olu- 
 lorshio. 
 
 Moscow is a beautiful modern city. From the 
 ashes of its burning by the French in 1812 it has 
 grown until it now has nearly a million people, and it 
 is held in high reverence by orthodox Russians. 
 Many priceless relics, in the form of Saga legends, 
 and runic traditions, perished in the conflagration, but 
 the patriotism of the people is making great efforts to 
 restore the loss as far as possible. In building tasty 
 and handsome churches they have made a success, nor 
 are their broad, park-like avenues excelled by any 
 other city. The average tourist is charmed with what 
 he sees, the rides along the clean streets are most en- 
 joyable, the museums and other public buildings are 
 large, stately edifices, displaying much taste and archi- 
 tectural originality, showing the natural ability of the 
 Muscovites; while others sought their favorite amuse- 
 ments I wanted to see the grand old bell whose voice 
 was hushed in 1812. I found it in a small open space 
 near where it fell when the tower was burned. It rests 
 on a granite block about three feet high, and the huge 
 clapper lies on the ground under it, the large fragment 
 broken out is leaning against a block of stone. As I 
 •walked around it to more fully comprehend its ira- 
 
892 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 mense size, 22 feet liigli and 21 feet in diametei, 
 weigliing 219 tons, its wonderful history, and the 
 strange and temble events that have ti*anspired since 
 it first pealed out its thunder tones came to my mem- 
 ory, and the fearful scenes of war, blood and desola- 
 tion, which Europe has witnessed, passed in review 
 with startling vividness. To see the bell was one of 
 the ideals of early life, and when I stood by it in old 
 age, I thanked the Lord for that as well as many other 
 achievements that once seemed so far away and well 
 nigh hopeless. After having seen the bell I had little 
 interest in other things in the city. The lesson learned 
 of Muscovite character was similar to that of the Hun, 
 they are strangers in Europe, but have no ancestral 
 connections left in Asia, and are lone races among the 
 nations of the earth. Say what we may of Russia and 
 her }>eople, there ig an internal potency capable of 
 maKmg a wonderful nation in defiance of opposing 
 forces. Like the United States, there are unlimited re- 
 sources within the bounds of the empire to make a na- 
 tion in spite of the outside world. 
 
 From Moscow we made a long run to Warsaw in 
 Poland through the same level prairie-looking country, 
 with much uncultivated land and many ugly villages, 
 as on the other route, though the cultivated areas were 
 more frerpient and larger, showing a steady advance in 
 refinement. Sometimes portions of the forest would 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 393 
 
 come in view, and then, on the other hand, glimpses 
 of the plains of southern Kussia, terminating in Hun- 
 gary, were seen from the great land swells, giving in- 
 terest to the entire journey. As we went farther west- 
 ward, the larger towns sh<nved contact with other than 
 Kussian civilization, there was a mingling of people, 
 costumes and habits of life until we crossed into Pol- 
 and, then everything changed. Fine fields of grain 
 were on every side, with meadow land in the valleys^ 
 and cattle grazing on the hills, the villages and fann- 
 houses were bright and clean, all bore the mark of 
 happy home life. This sudden transition out of gloom 
 into sunshine w^as charming and refreshing, especiallj"^ 
 when we had been under a certain half-defined re- 
 straint. As we went forward all things seemed to grow 
 brighter. The rye fields were ripe unto harvest, and 
 the first shocks of ripe grain were seen in northern 
 Poland with other vegetation well advanced, for it was 
 on the border land between the long day and long 
 night. It will be in place to say here that in three 
 hours after we left St. Petersburg, I perceived that ix 
 detective was detailed to keep an eye on us wherever 
 we should go. He was faithful to his charge, though 
 he \yas ignorant of my knowledge of his business. In- 
 stead of being annoyed by his espionage, I was glad 
 and felt safe from personal danger, for so long as he 
 saw no harm in us, he would keep us from harm. 
 After crossing into Poland I recognized him by signs 
 
39i LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 and gave kLm to understand that we appreciated his 
 watchful care over us. He was completely taken bj 
 surprise, and by look and action showed his astonish- 
 ment. He and tiie conductor had an earnest and ani- 
 mated talk, and then he disappeared and was seen no 
 more. 
 
 We made a short stop in Warsaw, which is an 
 historic place. Few cities in Europe have as thrilling 
 history, both in the past and more recent times. Few 
 have seen more siege*, sackings and massacres, and few 
 have produced such men as John Sobieski and Kos- 
 ciusko. The Poles are identical in race with the Fins, 
 Swedes, Danes and all Scandinavians. The first thing 
 a Polish mother teaches her child is to hate Russia 
 with perfect hatred. Xame Russia to a Polish man, 
 and he instantly frowns and looks cross, but is silent, 
 but the women utter a low, but fierce imprecation 
 with flashing eyes. The patriotism oi the }3eople of 
 Warsaw is so strong that they keep the palace of Kos- 
 ciusko in order and just as he left it the morning he 
 went forth to his last battlefield in defense of Polish 
 liberty. Americans will catch the fire if they remain 
 long enough in the city. 
 
 From Warsaw we ran north to intercept the great 
 railway line from St. Petersburg, and then turned 
 southw^estward to Berlin, where we arrived the after- 
 noon of July 3d full of new thoughts, new knowledge 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 395 
 
 and new ideas of humanity. There we found welcome 
 letters from home and friends forwarded by Cook & 
 Son from London. We celebrated the Fourth of Julv 
 in Berlin in riding on the street cars and in omnibuses 
 and suburban railways, making not less than one hun- 
 dred miles of travel, mth several miles of walking. 
 To attempt to descril>e the city in detail would be as 
 difficult as to tell of London, for it is the second city 
 in interest in Europe with its museums, libraries, art 
 galleries, zoological collections, parks, gardens, halls, 
 palaces, churches and marks of older and stormier 
 day?. Like London and other great cities, Berlin has 
 its local scenes of extreme misery, want, degradation, 
 sin and shame. A walk among them makes the heart, 
 soul and stomach sick, and the eyes dim with tears, for 
 which there is no help. We spent the 5th and 6th in 
 constant Avalking and riding. An especially enjoyable 
 walk was ''Tender the Lindens," and to the play- 
 ground, where hundreds of small children are taken 
 out to play in heaps of sand and piles of mortar, out of 
 which they make mud pies, etc. We occasionally 
 varied the scene by ascending towers, spires and high 
 places to get a view of the magnificent surroundings. 
 There is one striking difference between the "peo- 
 ple of London and those of Berlin ; in the former, it is 
 possible to reason with a man, and he will give you a 
 respectful hearing and accept your views if they be 
 
396 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 good and true, but it is just the reverse with a BerHner. 
 He is proof against anything not German. The only 
 way to change him is to alter the composition of his 
 beer. 
 
 From Berlin we started south to Venice in Italy, 
 crossing Europe from north to south. We chose an 
 unused, or unpopular route not laid down in the guide 
 books; it was by way of Dresden, iSTuremberg and 
 Munich, through one of the finest agricultural sec- 
 tions in Europe. Harvest was in full tide, the whole 
 journey across the plains, until we reached the Alps, 
 was one continued scene of activity. Thousands of 
 people were in the fields cutting the grain, grass, 
 hoeing the sugar beet fields, weeding and cultivating 
 the Irish potato, working in the market gardens, pull- 
 ing the flax, gathering the mulberry leaves to feed the 
 silk worms, or in the vineyards among the vines. In 
 one market garden I counted one hundred women and 
 girls in nearly a straight line hoeing vegetables. It 
 was a beautiful sight, though a shade of sadness 
 crossed the picture, for here, as in all Europe, the old 
 men, the women and children have to bear the crush- 
 ing burden of supporting hundreds of thousands of 
 idle young men, who are compelled to serve in the 
 standing armies. 
 
 Sometimes the railroad ascended long swells in 
 the rolling plain. From these summits the scenes 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 397 
 
 were grand beyond description. Often it was like a 
 vast expanse of patchwork in brilliant colors, with end- 
 less variety. Sometimes miles away there would be a 
 parallel swell in the country, while all the intervening 
 lowland was visible to the eye. One never grew weary 
 of gazing on this enchanting picture, and to crown all 
 there were the magnificent highw^ays distinctly out- 
 lined across the rural map^ by their white .o^raveled and 
 stone-paved beds, many times bordered with long lines- 
 of beautiful trees. At one time the sublimity was 
 intensified by the shadow of a summer cloud, slowly 
 floating over the vast expanse with its outlines sharply 
 defined. We purposely traveled on the slowest trains, 
 r before stated, so that we could look down into the 
 little gardens and fields by the wayside and catch u 
 glimpse of the domestic life among the people. The 
 children everywhere were doing service according t^ 
 their strength; in some places the larger ones had 
 charge of the smaller ones out under the trees, others 
 were carrying water in jugs t^o the laborers in the fields, 
 or they were watching the docile cows and milk goats 
 by the side of the railroads and highways. One place 
 a boy in charge of a cow had gone to sleep and the 
 cow was standing with her head over the little sleeper 
 keeping ■ guard : in another place two girls were in 
 charge of some milking goats; the smaller girl fell and 
 \^as hurt and began to cry, instantly the mother goat 
 
398 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 ran U» tier and licked her hands and bleated as to her 
 kids; when all was well again the goat went back to 
 grazingj but looked back twice to make sure all was 
 safe. Still another time a small boy was holding a 
 cow close to the railroad, and was so interested in the 
 approaching train that he forgot his charge, but the 
 motherly cow- began pulling and gently pushing the 
 boy out of danger. The passengers seeing this un- 
 usual act involuntarily cheered. In an instant the 
 cow gave a bellow^ of defiance and sprang between the 
 boy and the train and braced herself for a battle. This 
 was such unmistakable instinct, connected with in- 
 telligence, that it drew forth much discussion among 
 half a dozen nationalities aboard the train. To me 
 it was an additional item in my philosophy, that mind 
 is not confined to man alone. 
 
 AVe crossed our route from Constantinople at 
 Nuremberg, but did not stop, as it was day time w^hen 
 we passed and had made a visit there, but w^e stopped 
 off at the celebrated old city of Munich, with its almost 
 fabulous scenes of the days of war and chivalry. The 
 Tyrolese Alps were a disappointment wdien we 
 actually came in contact with them. They are not 
 superior to the mountains of West Virginia, and not 
 nearly so extensive or rugged. There is w^ilder and 
 more beautiful scenery on the Kanawha river than 
 any we saw among the Alps, leaving out Mt. Blanc 
 and its neighborhood. 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 
 
 399 
 
 It was July, and the summits of the mountains 
 were still covered with snow, and they were frequently 
 in sight for several days as we went west from Con- 
 stantinople, and this view of them made them very 
 imposing, but afterwards when we saw them covered 
 with green forests, or cultivated to their tops the whole 
 Bcene was changed ; their snow-clad grandeur was gone, 
 and they were as Pennsylvania. Virginia, or North 
 Carolina mountains, when measured with the great 
 ranges of the world. The false idea we get of the 
 Alps comes from English writers, who have not seen 
 other mountains, and from Americans who have but 
 little knowledge of our country. I cannot under- 
 stand how one who has seen the mountain ranges of 
 the western half of our continent can see anything 
 but beautiful foot hills in the Alps. 
 
 In the summer of 1893 I met an Englishman 
 with his family at Victoria, British Cokimbia, who 
 was making a tour of the continent. He had landed at 
 Quebec and crossed by way of the Canadian Pacific 
 railroad. He had never before been out of England or 
 Scotland, had seen no mountains until he came to the 
 Kockies, w^hen he became highly excited over what 
 he saw. But when he passed through the unsurpassed 
 grandeur of the Frazier river mountains he completely 
 lost his head. When he found that I had some knowl- 
 edge of such scenes he delivered himself about in this 
 
400 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 vvay : ''Take the biggest liar that ever lived, a perfect 
 Ananias, give him the eloquence of the ages from 
 Demosthenes to Gladstone, till him with the inspiring 
 influence of imaginative poetry, from Homer down to 
 Whittier, then blindfold him so that he need not blush 
 at his extravagance, and bid him deliver himself of all 
 this combination of ability in describing that scenery, 
 and the half will not be told." Then he clapped his 
 hands in an ecstasy of enthusiasm. I told him there 
 was but one grander thing to be seen on earth, a first- 
 class storm at sea, and with increased ardor he ex- 
 claimed, ""May the Lord send it." At this point his 
 tine, intelligent wife and daughter interfered and 
 toned him down to more practical things. This Eng- 
 lishman was one of the kind who unwittingly convey 
 false ideas of places and things, for let them see ever 
 so much in after times, there will be nothing equal to 
 the Frazier river region. 
 
 We had left the Alps in the b<x^ks go, and re- 
 member them as we saw them, small but beautiful 
 mountains. When Ave descended to the plains of Italy, 
 we were struck with the contrast between the extremes 
 of Europe, Finland and Italy. In Finland we saw 
 stalwart, brave, kindly, noble looking men, and beau- 
 tiful, strong, healthy, motherly looking women, who 
 seemed to bear their portion and enjoy life. In Italy 
 it was the reverse, and in some instances the contrast 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 401 
 
 was nut only painful, but revolting, especially with 
 the women. Sometimes when we were walking in 
 flower gardens, delighted with the surroundings, some 
 woman watering, training and cultivating the scented 
 flowers and plants would raise her head for a moment, 
 and show a face so haggard, sad, sorrowful and de- 
 spairing, out of which all joy, all hope and aspirations 
 were gone and gone forever, that we instinctively 
 gazed at her with pity and horror, and that face re- 
 mained in the memory, when the flowers were for- 
 gotten. So it is everywhere as you go out into the 
 highways and byways, while walking upon the marble 
 floors and thronging the great halls of wealth and 
 pride, those sad, sorrowful despairing faces will be 
 raised toward you from their menial, unwomanly la- 
 bor, and those hopeless eyes will look appealingly into 
 yours. This is the sad side of life of more than half the 
 women of Italy, and as to the men, you only have to 
 jro out on the streets of our cities and look at the lowest 
 types you can find, and then imagine men three de- 
 grees lower, and you have an idea of the condition of 
 tens of thousands of Italian men. 
 
 This contrast was not confined to the people 
 alone. In Italy every available square yard is under 
 cultivation, and much of it has been for 3000 years, 
 while in the north country less than half is cultivated. 
 The semi-tropical fruits and flowers and the totally 
 
402 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 different climate from the north, made this second 
 visit to Italy more enjoyable. All the way from 
 Berlin harvesting was actively on, and in [N'orthern 
 Italy wheat and rye threshing had begun; we were 
 surprised to see several American traction engines 
 and separators at work. It made me think of home 
 work to see familiar machinery in a foreign land, sur- 
 rounded and managed by another race of people, but 
 there was this difference in results — there was no waste 
 of grain or straw. The latter in particular was stacked 
 in the most neat and artistic as well as scientihc style. 
 The stacks were the shape of an egg, with the little 
 •end down, and combed smooth; there was not even 
 one loose straw, and it seemed as if not one was lost, 
 I was surprised to see more machinery used on the 
 fai-ms of [N'orway, Sweden, Finland, Austria and 
 l^orthem Italy, than in all Europe outside of Eng- 
 land. Across Central Europe the grain was cut by 
 hand: in many places by the old primitive reaping 
 hook or sickle. Everywhere women and girls were 
 I)inding grain sheaves, sometimes middle-aged women 
 were using the sickle, but nowhere the scythe. In 
 many places the grass was all bound into bundles 
 and stood up to cure; this was the work of the women 
 and girls. It was quite common in Germany, Aus- 
 tria and France, where they cure hay in the same 
 w^ay we do, to see a woman pitching the hay on to 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 403 
 
 a cai't, with a girl loading, while the men were mow- 
 ing and raking. Oftentimes in Italy and France 
 women were on the stacks shaping and building, 
 while the men were pitching up to them; the finished 
 stacks were so beautiful that it showed they were 
 very expert. In Southern Europe the stacks were 
 nearly all the same size, about one good, two-hor-se, 
 American load. 
 
 My friend, J. V. Lindley, being an extensive nur- 
 sery and fruit man, had an eye for fruits and flowerSj 
 so we always found something interesting where there 
 was ground and humanity; he saw the fruit and 
 flowers, and I the people who cultivated them. When 
 in the grain fields and meadows we could jointly call 
 to mind when we were boys engaged in the same 
 business and with similar iniplement.s, and in addi- 
 tion we astonished the natives with our skill and 
 knowledge of their tools, but we soon learned not to 
 stay longer in one place than we were popular. 
 
 We found so nmch that was new in Italy, that 
 it is difficult to give brief outlines where all wan 
 so interesting. Our objective point was Venice, 
 where we arrived July 9th, 1892, just five months 
 from the time we left Guilford College, N'orth Caro- 
 lina, and about seven months after I left my home 
 in Indiana, and to me it was another ideal realized. 
 In early life the history of Venice had a peculiar 
 
404 3.1FE AND TRAVELS 
 
 fascination: now the fact that I actually stood in the 
 square of St. Mark filled nie with a thrill of joy and 
 a secret feeling of triumph, as on similar occasions. 
 Here was another, once hopeless, desired attained, and 
 I still possessed mind and strength to appreciate the 
 achievement. 
 
 The city, as seen by those who know not its origin 
 and stormy history, is a thing of beauty and delight; 
 but Venice, as seen now^ by the historian, is a lovely 
 ruin, slowly sinking out of sight. On every palace, 
 church and tower is written neglect, decline and ruin; 
 there is scarcely a trace left cvf its mendian gTandeur. 
 Wben I stood on the great tower of St. Mark and 
 looked out where once a thousand ships rode at anchor 
 in the great harbor, there was nothing but a mud flat, 
 without a man or boat in sight, and I looked down in 
 the city for the splendid palaces that ^\ere so famous 
 centuries ago, but they were gone, or now dark and 
 sea-stained and falling into decay. The lion of St. 
 Mark was much disfigured; the four brazen horses 
 that once sho^^^l like a flame of fire were nisty and ray- 
 less; the cathedral of the patron saint was rapidly 
 sinking into decay; the once unrivalled stained glass 
 windows w^ere dingy with accumulating dust; there 
 were no longer hands of willing devotees to cleanse 
 and y)urify its sacred interior, once the city's pride 
 and boast. The people have lost every trace of Ye- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 405 
 
 iietian character of the pa^^t, save their murderous 
 vindictiveness, which happily is kept in check by 
 the strong arm of united Italy. 
 
 We took a long ride in a gondola through the 
 most popular portion of the city, along the great canal, 
 down the Kialto, under the Bridge of Sighs and 
 other celebrated bridges, then to see the other side 
 of the whited picture we took a ride among the back 
 canals and by-ways; we thus found the city might still 
 be classed among the novelties of Europe. In one 
 place we saw a mother teaching a six-year-old boy 
 to swim; she stood on the lower step at the water's 
 edge. She had a rope ten feet long around the child ; 
 he would run down three or four steps, jump out as 
 far as he could, then go down feet foremost out of 
 sight, come up kicking, splashing and laughing, while 
 his mother pulled him ashore, and the same thing 
 was repeated until he learned to come ashore with- 
 out help, and gradually became a young duck in the 
 water. A short distance farther on two ladies were 
 teaching some little girls in the same way; we were 
 told that every child in the city is taught to swim 
 at an early age. AVe passed two men who were bath- 
 ing in the canal where it was not twenty feet wide, 
 and right before the water front of other houses; no 
 one l)ut ourselves appeared to be annoyed with it, 
 and the men appeared to be orderly and quiet. We 
 
 26 
 
406 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 encountered other sights, sound and smells that shall 
 be unmentionable; these like bathing seemed to be 
 the established custom. Those who do not wish to 
 see this side of Venice would better keep in the pop- 
 \ilar highways, but to me the dark side was the most 
 instructive, for when we rejoined the companies of 
 tourists at evening time to rehearse the events of 
 the day, not one had seen any of the small things 
 that in the end become the more interesting. 
 On one occasion I happened to refer to the decayed 
 condition of the piling at the water line under one 
 of the palaces, and not one of the party had ever 
 known that the city was all built on piling, and that 
 every year houses were taken down to save the val- 
 uable marble of which they were built. When a 
 north wind blows for several hours, the water is slowly 
 driven out of the Adriatic, making a differenc-e at 
 Venice of from three to five feet. When this hap- 
 pens, it is a wonder to take a boat ride in the back 
 canals where the piling is not hidden by casing, for 
 then and there the true condition of the city can 
 be understood and its end predicted. Yet nine out 
 of ten tourists who ^nsit Venice will remember it as 
 one of the bright pictures, but the tenth will think 
 of it as a citv on which the hand of retribution has 
 fallen with crushing weight, and humanity will not 
 shed one tear of pity when the last stone sinks be- 
 
UF ADDlbON COFFIN. 407 
 
 neatli the waterb of the sea, for her crimes have been 
 without name and number. 
 
 We left Venice at 8 a. m. one beautiful morn- 
 ing, and rolled slowly over the long causeway bridge 
 to the main land, and were soon among the orchards 
 and gardens again. We glided by palatial halls with 
 their wealth of flowers, and low, repulsive hovels, 
 where hunger, suffering, sorrow and sin lield sway. 
 We were charmed with the high state of cultiva- 
 tion witnessed on all sides, but saddened by the sight 
 of the degradation that thrust itself into or across 
 every picture. Milan was our next stopping place; 
 its intimate connection with some of the world's de- 
 cisive events were still fresh in my memory, but its 
 chief attraction was the wonderful cathedral, which 
 has been building six hundred years, and will require 
 two hundreds years to finish, but when accomplished 
 will be the largest of the kind ever built. The an- 
 nual revenue on real estate furnishes the money for 
 its erection; this is the reason that it has been so 
 many centuries in building. Three wings out of 
 four are nearly completed, and one hundred towers 
 out of the one hundred and forty contemplated. 
 There is a school for archite<:'ts where young men 
 are trained for life, so that there will never be a time 
 when there will not be one or more architects who 
 will comprehend the whole plan. . Its architecture is 
 
408 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 more complex than that of aiiv other building con- 
 structed by men; no two things, no two parts, no 
 two patterns are to be alike; eternal variety is the 
 rule. As we stood on the central dome we seemed 
 to be suiTounded by a forest of spires, and the roof 
 is truly a wonder in its varied forms, figures, colors 
 and designs; the great tlaestones composing part of 
 the roof are a marvel of human ingenuity and me- 
 chanical ])erfection. It is impossible for me to give a 
 descri})tion of the l^ewildering splendor of the in- 
 terior, even in its untinished craidition. 
 
 ]Many relics of the middle ages uiake the city 
 of Milan interesting. In its art galleries are numerous 
 celebrated i)ictures, before which lovers of art delight 
 to linger, and like so many other places, there are 
 rooms and sections that would seem more a])])ropri- 
 ate at a bathing res(U-t among half civilized ])eople. 
 The surrounding country is a delight to any one who 
 is connected with fruit growing or farming, for like 
 the cathedral, there is a variety, though here it is 
 in products, appliances, adapting means to ends, and 
 utilizing space; in no place did we see more trees 
 trained against walls and at the ends of buildings. 
 The manner of treating and training the vines in 
 vineyards was, in many cases, new and novel. The 
 mulberry tree was abundant; gardens and small farms 
 were devoted to its culture in Svouthern France and 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 409 
 
 parts of Spain, but nowhere did we see such vigor- 
 ous growth as on Mount Lebanon, in Syria, where 
 there wa^ less care and greater altitude. 
 
 From Milan we went northward into Switzer- 
 land, passing through St. Gotiiard tunnel, the second 
 longest in the world. It was a notable fact that we had 
 now gone through the two largest tunnels and crossed 
 the two greatest railroad bridges, had climbed the 
 great pyramid, been on the walls of Jerusalem, on 
 the ruins of Baalbec and the Acropolis, witnessed 
 the midnight sun, and were still alive to occurences. 
 Upon leaving St. Gothard we went through Lucerne, 
 Berne, etc., by a rather circuitous route to Geneva, 
 which we chose as the better way to see the country. 
 Instead of finding it all a broken mountain region, 
 it was much like Virginia and Pennsylvania, with 
 broad valleys and moderately high mountains, entirely 
 different from the representation of tourists and res- 
 ident*^' of cities. More than half is available for fruit, 
 grain and grass, giving it quite an agricultural look, 
 much like other mountain districts in Europe. 
 
 Geneva failed to fill the jjicture, as given by 
 enthusiasts; it is inferior in many essential features 
 to Stockholm, Sweden. Instead of being surrounded 
 by giant mountains, it lies in a broad valley, on a 
 narrow lake, which is not to be compared in beauty 
 to Puget's Sound, Lake Tahoe and a dozen other lakes 
 
410 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 in our country. The nearest mountain is at least 
 three miles away, and anywhere on the Pacilic coast 
 would be called a foothill. Taken altogether, Geneva 
 was a total failure when compared to its book repu- 
 tation, yet viewed simply upon its merits, its is a 
 beautiful city in a bright, gTeen valley, and in win- 
 ter time, when the mountains are clad in snow, would 
 be charming. The people were far more interesiting 
 than the cities, lakes and mountains, and I soon 
 learned .why the Swiss were so brave and free. The 
 mothers are free, therefore the mothers of free men. 
 Every time I met an old grandmother I felt like 
 taking off my hat and cheering; though she might 
 be old, gray and tottering as she went, yet there 
 was that conscious light of freedom in her eyes that 
 age could not dim. I involuntarily exclaimed: *'God 
 bless the mothers of Switzerland." 
 
 We can make a tirst-class Switzerland out of 
 part of ^ew York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, 
 and another from North Carolina and Tennessee, all 
 the time leaving out the small neighborhood of Mt. 
 Blanc, and still a third but grander one can be mad'O 
 from the head of the Missouri river, surrounding 
 Gallatin valley. 
 
 Rumors of cholera had been increasing for 
 weeks, and we shaped our movements so as to head 
 it off as much as possible. We hurried up at St. 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 411 
 
 Petersburg to get to Moscow in advance of it, for it 
 was coming rapidly on its old route from Astrakhan 
 on the Caspian. Four days after we left that city 
 it came, and while we were in Berlin it reached St. 
 Petersburg, when we were in Venice it was at Paris. 
 At Geneva we learned that Spain would quarantine 
 against Prance at a given date. This shortened our 
 stay at Geneva, as we were anxious to visit Spain, so 
 we departed, going by v^ay of Lyons, thence south. 
 to Versailles, and from there due west across Southern 
 Prance to Irun, on the Bay of Biscay on the Span- 
 ish frontier, and entered Spain twelve hours ahead 
 of the inhibition. 
 
 While at Geneva we made several local trips, 
 going out to the mountains, up and down the valley 
 among the vineyards and orchards and the interest- 
 ing villages. Two days before our arrival a steamer 
 on the lake had been blown to pieces by defective 
 boilers, and several lives lost. While we were there 
 a heavy landslide closed the railroads at the lower 
 end of the lake. This made quite a stir among the 
 travelers, but we took it very coolly, as we were still 
 good for a twenty-mile walk and could go around 
 land-slides. However, we were not obliged to do this. 
 
 Lyons is the greatest silk manufacturing city 
 in the world; cocoons from all parts of the earth are 
 shipped there, and many thousands of people are en- 
 
412 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 gaged in the factories. For miles around there are 
 large mulberry groves, and hundreds depend for their 
 bread upon gathering the leaves to feed the silk- 
 worms. 
 
 The journey southward to the Mediterranean, 
 and then to Irun, was through another beautiful por- 
 tion of Europe. All of the land is under the highest 
 state of cultivation. AVe passed through a succession 
 of wheat and rye fields, rich vegetable gardens and 
 fields, green meadows, mulberry and chestnut groves, 
 fruit orchards, and on all sides harvest and thresh- 
 ing were going on. The hay, straw and grain were 
 put up in the same egg-shaped stacks that we saw in 
 Italy. Every section seemed to have same local spe- 
 cialty; some way of doing certain kinds of work pe- 
 culiar to itself. This was also true as to kinds of 
 grain or fruit. A few miles would be devoted ex- 
 clusively to some one thing, then in an hour we would 
 be in the midst of another sort, and so it continued, 
 giving a sensational interest to the whole trip. An 
 additional beauty was the Pyrenees mountains, which 
 were in sight every hour, covered with forests to their 
 summits, and sharply defined against the clear sky. 
 
 With all this perfection in agriculture, the dark 
 shadow of the war system of France is blighting the 
 bloom of its beautiful valleys and dwarfing the hopes 
 of its toiling thousands, while wealth and ])ride revel 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 413- 
 
 in the metropolis. The canker of poverty and want 
 is visible in the face^ of the laborers in the fields, 
 and the vine dressers on the hills, and the sad coun- 
 tenances of the mothers speak louder than words. 
 Ragged, hungry children are as placards by the way- 
 side that tell the story of silent, secret decline, fur- 
 nishing a dark background to the bright, sunlit hills 
 of seeming prosperity. Though out of the poj)ular 
 route, this trip across Southern France will pay any 
 one who loves rural scenerv, and to pass through a 
 land connected with such stirring, historic events, 
 will j)ay both time and expense. 
 
 Our first contact with the Spaniards was un- 
 pleasant. The ticket agent on the Spanish side of 
 the frontier was a splendid type of Castilian woman, 
 wi-th a wealth of black hair and piercing; black eyes. 
 When she found we could not speak her language 
 she deliberately extorted ten dollars more than the 
 price of each ticket to Madrid. AVe knew it, and 
 through an American speaker demanded restitution, 
 but with a defiant toss r»f the head she toLI us to 
 ''Help yourselves," and we did, but when we arrived 
 at Madrid we reported the same to our minister, \\ho 
 took careful note of the case and bade us go our way. 
 A month later he sent the money to our address in 
 London, saying he had caught the lady nicely, and 
 that she was made to properly refund and was dis- 
 charged. 
 
414 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 From Irim we went direct to Madrid, though 
 the railroad was very serpentine in its course through 
 the mountains and of but little interest, and not much 
 ditferent from the French side of the line, _excepting 
 there was more land sown in wheat. After a few 
 hours' ride over a rolling country, the whole scene 
 suddenly changed, much to our astonishment. All 
 the suiTOunding looked and seemed as though I 
 were again in the gTeat central valley of Mexico in- 
 stead of Southern Europe. On every side there were 
 marks of an arid, imgating region, the grass was 
 brown and diy, wheat was standing dead ripe in the 
 field or lying on the ground not bound or shocked, 
 as though there was no rain to damage it. The 
 streams of water were low, and in places dry, the 
 work in the lields was being done as in Mexico, the 
 people look and moved like Mexicans and Arabs of 
 Syria. 
 
 As we advanced into the interior our astonish- 
 ment increased; instead of seeing mowei-s and thresh- 
 ers and modern agricultural implements, we saw the 
 same tools as in Egypt and Syria, and the work all be- 
 ing done by hand. There were large threshing floors 
 cleared off the ground, to which was carted and car- 
 ried on donkeys and the heads of women and men, the 
 sheaves of grain, and threshed by the primitive meth- 
 ods used in the days of Abraham. On some of the 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 415 
 
 threshing floors were heavy poles pinned together, 
 and dragged by four mules or a yoke of oxen. Some- 
 times several mules or oxen were tied abreast and 
 driven around to tread out the grain; in one place 
 twenty-five mules were going on a floor 200 feet in 
 diameter. These floors were near the villages, and 
 all the inhabitants were engaged in the work. White 
 the treading was going on in one part of the yard, 
 others were busy raking up, carrying away and stack- 
 ing the straw; still others were piling up the wheat 
 in the chaff into large, conical piles; others again were 
 throwing the wheat high into the air with large, 
 wooden shovels, and -the chaff of the treading floor" 
 was blown away by the wind. 
 
 At one village we counted three hundred people 
 and seventy-five mules and oxen, all working har- 
 moniously in their places. Five dozen sheaves was 
 a load for a cart, one dozen for a man, and six to 
 eight sheaves for a woman. During the harvest time 
 of six weeks it scarcely ever rains, especially away 
 from the mountains, and there is no necessity or 
 hurry in saving the grain or hay crop, probably a 
 good thing for la^y, indolent people. IvText in line of 
 surprises was the waste, worn out and abandoned land 
 seen on everv side, sadly reminding' us of the southern 
 states of our own country. We soon saw and learned 
 that there was more of such land in Spain than in 
 
416 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 all Europe, outside of Turkey. It was distressing 
 to see long gullies and fallen stone walls, where once 
 had been luxuriant fields, olive groves and broad pas- 
 ture lands. Steady de^dine is seen in the once stately 
 mansions, partly in ruins, and in part inhabited by 
 a remnant of a once noble family. We often saw 
 the remains of old olive orchards, which covered 
 thousands of acres, now slowly disappearing, with 
 no sign of new orchards being planted. In like man- 
 ner large forests of the cork oak have been wantonly 
 destroyed, while none are replanted. Where once 
 were beautiful lawns, parks, waterwavs, laklets and 
 pleasure grounds, now cattle and sheep browse among 
 the thorns, briars and dwarf bushes. Many of the 
 smaller towns and villages are sunburnt, flowerless, 
 shadeless, cheerless-looking places; possibly near some 
 of the towns there yet remains one of the many beau- 
 tiful, suburban churches that adorned the whole land 
 when Spain was in her prime. Evers' mile we traveled 
 in all the country was a surprise and disappointment; 
 we seemed to be among ruins too recent to have the 
 charm of antiquity, and too old to retain nuich of 
 their former glory. 
 
 When we reached Madrid we were prepared for 
 disappointment, and rather enjoyed the situation, for 
 th(^ Spanish capital has a wonderful recMtrd for wealth 
 and grandeur, and there is still much that is impos- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 417 
 
 iiig and subliiiu*. We made haste to explore the 
 . larger jvortioii of" the inagniticeiit palaces, cathedrals, 
 nniseuins and splendid, ])rincely mansions; then, as 
 usual, we started on the byways, but to our horror 
 we found that we were in the midst of a vindictive, 
 murderous race of men, who were smarting under 
 the galling consciousness that they had fallen so 
 low, that there was none so vile as to do them rev- 
 erence. The sight of self-conscious, haughty Eng- 
 lishmen, who walked their streets, iired their re- 
 vengeful spirits with a thii'st for blood. Xeither the 
 English nor Spaniards have forgotten the days of the 
 great armada, and the haughty boast of the King 
 of Spain to carry England away by handfuls. 'Now 
 England has Spain financially by the throat, and 
 delights in torturing her fallen enemy by occasionally 
 tightening the grip. As in Constantinople, we felt 
 a sense of insecurity, and tin-ned away from the by- 
 ways with fear and loathing. 
 
 As soon as we stepped oft" the train at Madrid 
 we inquired of an Englishman for the American min- 
 ister. Imme<liately a tall, sharp-eyed man turned 
 round and looked me in the face for a moment, then 
 assumed indift'erence, but presently he re]>eated his 
 look, and before we started away he had inspected 
 us the third time. T, too, had been watching him, 
 and had his picture fixed in my mind. We had some 
 
418 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 diliiculty in linding our minister, but eventually suc- 
 ceeded. When we came out of his office mj man was 
 standing on the opposite side of tlie street, evidently 
 thinking that I did not see him. It was nearly a 
 mile to the hotel we had chosen, and we walked 
 slowly up one of the principal streets; by the time 
 we had gone two squares my man passed us with 
 his sharp look. I now told my friend that we had 
 a life guard, as in Russia; very soon he passed us 
 again, and before we reached the hotel he had gone 
 by four times. He was a detective who understood 
 English, and he was passing to catch our words. I, 
 too, turned detective, and resolved to keep my eye 
 on him, though I was glad he had us in charge. 
 A\nien we came out of the hotel to start through the 
 city, he was standing near seemingly unconcerned, 
 but I caught him on a pin hook the first effort. I 
 said to my friend: ''I will look for some sensible fel- 
 low, and see if I can make him understand by signs 
 where we want to go." Then we settled on oiu* route, 
 which I believe my man heard. I looked about aim- 
 lessly until I caught his eye, then approached and 
 began my pantomimes, which he seemed to readily 
 understand, as with my cane I marked out on the 
 sand every point we had mentioned. I saw he was 
 caught, and although he tried his best to take us un- 
 awares in our talk, when he was in sight we were 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 419 
 
 always speaking of the glory of Spain, or other things 
 he eared nothing aliout. We left Spain and Madrid 
 withe »nt his finding out that 1 knew he was a detective. 
 I saved him a good deal of travel by talking over the 
 places we would visit; thus he was able to go across 
 the country and be there Avhen we an-ived, with his 
 keen, black eyes and poorly-disguised indifference. My 
 friend said I might amuse myself with detectives, but 
 there were better things which entertained him. 
 
 We left Madtid for Lisbon, in Portugal, early 
 in the morning, and were soon out into large wheat 
 fields and olive groves, which had once covered many 
 broad acres of land, and occasionally passed the re- 
 mains of vineyards, parts of large estates w^hich are 
 now neglected or in a poor cultivation, while the man- 
 sions belong to the same were invariably in ruins. 
 Everyw^here the villages had the same sunburnt, cheer- 
 less look, the same primitive style of agricultural im- 
 plements, the same eastern style of building; the 
 oxen, though strong and large, were yoked in 
 primeval fashion to carts of similar date. The plains 
 wei-e destitute of forests, the low, naked, rocky hills 
 had a desolate, Syrian look; but for the people it 
 would have been easy to believe we were in Western 
 Asia. The harvesting and threshing of wheat and 
 rye was still going on. In many of the river val- 
 leys were fields of American coi*n, but it was the kind 
 
420 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 grown in Mexico or on the lower Danube river, small, 
 white, very hard, resembling the hackbury in the 
 Ohio valley; two crops are grown each year. On 
 some of the limestone hills were groves of mulberry 
 trees like those growing on Mt. Lebanon, in Syria, 
 which seemed to be very productive in fruit and 
 leaves; the sei-ond crop of leaves was being gathered. 
 
 With all of this outward sign of decay and de- 
 -cline, the whole of Spain is full of interest to the his- 
 torian. Like Greece, it has had much to do \\dth 
 humanity in the ])ast, and nearly all its rivers, val- 
 leys and mountains have witnessed stirring events — 
 it has been a battlefield of the worM. Tt was fa- 
 mous in the days of the Judges of Israel as a trading 
 mart and for planting Hebrew colonies. The early 
 Iberians seem to have been a highly civilized and 
 commercial people. It was the field on which Rome 
 and Carthage first met in their struggle for empire. 
 Then it became one of the principal provinces of 
 the Roman empire, and in the revolutions that con- 
 vulsed the world from the seventh to the thirteenth 
 century, Spain bore an important part. In modern 
 times she has been one of the grandest, as well as 
 one of the most wicked and cruel, nations in Europe, 
 and is now suffering retribution. 
 
 We entered Portugal after night, and made the 
 run to Lisbon in the dark. Though it was but a 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 421 
 
 few miles, 1 regretted luissiiig the scenery, but we 
 were euiiipensated by the view of Lisbon, which is 
 a very beautiful place, with an inland harbor. Like 
 the cities of Spain, its numerous marble palaces, pub- 
 lic buildings, old, princely homes of the nobility, its 
 monuments, colonnades, parks and gardens attest to 
 its former wealth and power. Alas! like Venice, 
 there are signs of decay and wealth on every side, 
 the rust and dust of laiin is tarnishing its golden 
 sheen, its marble halls are being stained with the 
 mildew of time. As I w^alked the beautiful streets 
 and down to the landing, the history of Portugal's 
 glory and her King John came back to memory. I 
 thought of the tide of wealth that once came into 
 port from all the earth in her fleet of a thousand 
 ships and of her influence among the nations, and 
 when 1 turned to contrast the Lisbon of to-day, with 
 its empty harbor, with the-- Lisbon of the past, the 
 contrast was so striking and sad that I had to dismiss 
 the subject and try to hide the picture. Nor w^as the 
 historical part alone deplorable — the inhabitants are 
 a far sadder sight when we remember that noble, 
 Iberian race from which the Portuguese descend. 
 To-day not one in five is of pure blood: all the others 
 have a combination of African, East Indian. Moor- 
 ish, Siamese, Arabian and Turkish, with other un- 
 defined mixtures. At fii'st sight the amalgamation 
 27 
 
422 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 is repulsive and revolting, but we soon become recon- 
 ciled wlien we see no trace of prejudice among the 
 people. 
 
 Those who remember the account of the earth- 
 quake at Lisbon, as given in the school books of sixty 
 years ago, will also call to mind the picture of the 
 ruined wharf, and be intensely interested to see a 
 part of that dock yet in sight; the harbor at Lisbon 
 brings to recollection many other memories of school- 
 book stories. Indeed, a visit to Lisbon will remind 
 one of much important history, for Portugal, thougb 
 a mere s])eck of territory in Europe, did a wonderful 
 amount of colonizing; it planted many eolordes 
 around Africa and in southern Asia, besides the now 
 great Republic of Brazil. 
 
 AVe went north from Lisbon on the return trip to 
 (3porto, through Northern Portugal and Western 
 Spain ; the country was 'much the same as that we 
 had passed through, though there seemed to be 
 more unproductive, neglected land. From Oporto 
 we went eastward to Salamanca, a city celebrated 
 through all history, and especially during the five 
 hundred years' war with the Moors. It bears the 
 marks of age, of battle and siege, and if its old walls 
 could speak they would tell of murder, torture and 
 crimes untold; but it will figure in history no more, 
 its davs are numbered. Then we went to Valladolid, 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 423 
 
 auotlier city with a wonderful history. It was once 
 a beautiful place and a grand country, but is now on 
 the decline. It was one of the headquarters of the 
 Christian heroes, who never bowed the kne"e to Moor- 
 ish power. In that part of Spain Pelagius did some 
 of his most heroic deeds, and finally turned the tide 
 of conquest and saved his country. We crossed the 
 Elbro river, the celebrated pass where Pelagius made 
 one of his celebrated strategic moves, which made 
 him a terror to the Moor. It is in a beautiful, ro- 
 mantic country, which men might die to defend, as did 
 those fearless mountaineei^. We reached the Span- 
 ish frontier at Irun, where we entered France and 
 felt quite a sense of relief and safety when we crossed 
 the line. 
 
 Before dismissing Spain, I would say that all 
 who wish to study Europe as it is to-day, should visit 
 Spain and Portugal so as to see their present con- 
 dition. The striking contrast between them and other 
 nations of Europe will be forced upon the traveler 
 in a startling manner, and the lessons taught are es 
 sential to an intelligent understanding of modern his- 
 tory and the relation existing between Europe and 
 America, and the English and the Spanish-speaking 
 peoples. Those who do not care for such study, I 
 would advise to leave Spain and Portgual out of their 
 European tour. Spend the time and money in seeing 
 
424 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 Noi'M^ay, Sweden, Finland, and the Land of the 
 Midnight Sun. Aside from history, Spain has noth- 
 ing but what can be duplicated in other countries, but 
 the places just mentioned have attractions not seen 
 anywhere else, and they are alike interesting to his- 
 torian, scientist and tourist. 
 
 On the morning of July 24th, 1892, we bought 
 tickets for Orleans, France, but a bewhiskered, self- 
 conceited official put us on the train going to Lyons, 
 and we were in a through car and no conductor or 
 guard came in, but as we were carried on the sun 
 shone in on the wrong side for us to be going tow- 
 ards Orleans. We made several efforts to make our- 
 selves understood,, but failed until we spied a young 
 Englishman at a station, to whom we explained the 
 situation ; in a moment he saw the mistake and called 
 an official. We knew the railroad laws in such cases, 
 and required them to send us to our destination by 
 the nearest route; we had been taken east one hun- 
 dred miles in stead of north. We were changed to 
 another road and whirled away, then transferred 
 again, and at the end of five hours we were landed 
 at Bordeaux, on our original route. From there we 
 traveled through a very beautiful coimtry of vine- 
 yards, rye fields and market gardens; harvest was 
 still going on, and the countrs" seemed to be in the 
 glow of summer bloom, and in the midst of a pros- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 425 
 
 perous year. It was after niidnight when we arrived 
 in Orleans; we were tired, hungry and out of all pa- 
 tience with everything French. 
 
 Next day we spent in the nurseries of T. and E. 
 Trausan, two of the largest nurserymen in Europe, 
 whom my friend, J. Van Lindley, had met in the 
 United States, so there was a hearty greeting between 
 them. To my companion, the sight of this wonder- 
 ful nursery was past description; to see it had been 
 one of the hopes of life, and when it was realized 
 it was a joy unspeakable. The proprietors were 
 most kind to us, and were unwearied in showing 
 us through their wonderful collection of the fruits 
 and flowers of the world. This nursery has been 
 generations striving to increase its beauty and use- 
 fulness. I cannot attempt a description of this beau- 
 tiful place — none but an expert florist could do it, 
 and no other class of readei-s could understand the 
 portrayal. At the end of five or six hours I had 
 to stop amid a sea of magnificent blooms and rest, 
 while my friend went on with radiant face and spark- 
 ling eye among the ever-changing, but bewildering, 
 world of beauty. Trees, fruits, flowers, ben*ies, nuts, 
 roots, bulbs, vines, creepers, dwarfs and giants were 
 there being tested for use, ornament or information. 
 Perhaps the most interesting were the hundreds of 
 hybrids, budding, grafting and double vitalizing, in 
 
426 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 wavs and me^ns that have never entered the imagin- 
 ation of the average mortal. 
 
 When I fell out of line and stopped, I saw 
 manv things that came within my comprehension, 
 though dim-eyed. There were many varieties of trees 
 and vines, with limbs bent down and covered with 
 earth until rootlets were formed, then the outer end 
 was cut off with the roots and propagated from cut- 
 tings and grafts as a new variety. What appeared 
 to be genuine rose trees turned out upon close in- 
 spection to be roses grafted in a very ingenious man- 
 ner into a shrub thorn, and I came to the conclusion 
 that there were no rose trees in nature. These are 
 but a few of the surprises that I came across among 
 the great multitude of artificial products which are 
 sold as natural, yet the world believes in them and 
 is satisfied, and so it ever mil be. The nurserymen 
 are as skillful in carving, cutting, dissecting, destroy- 
 ing and restoring among the forms of vegetable 
 life as are the surgeons in working with the more del- 
 icate and complex forms of animal life. At dinner 
 we were unusually animated; I could not talk with 
 experts on things pertaining to the craft, but when 
 it came to telling American stories I was equal to 
 the best, and bridged over the breaks in the entertain- 
 ment. 
 
 From Orleans we went westward to visit the 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 427 
 
 second largest nursery at Angers, owned by Louis 
 Leeroy, which was as interesting as the one at Or- 
 leans. We were shown through the home grounds, 
 then Friend Lindley was taken out to see more ex- 
 tensive grounds a few miles from the city, leaving 
 me to wander alone among the wonderful collection 
 of all that was beautiful, useful, novel, charming, 
 useless and monstrous, in fact, all that any of taste 
 or any without taste might call for. The class who 
 loves the truly beautiful would find it there in per- 
 fection, while those who liked to be humbugged could 
 be accommodated to the full; those who want to be 
 fashionable could be loaded with the light and worth- 
 less. 
 
 From Angers we went northward to St. Malo, 
 on the channel, one of the old romantic cities of the 
 middle ages. It stands on. an island, and is one of 
 the few places which has its old walls and battle- 
 ments still perfect. It is so situated that it was strong 
 by nature, and it was greatly strengthened by art, 
 that until heavy guns were invented it was well nigh 
 impregnable. We could walk around on its walls 
 without danger, and it is one of the grand relics of 
 the past. It is now a great resort for sea bathing, 
 and has a novel contrivance for the sport: a slotted 
 cage or house is made on wheels, which is run down 
 a track until sufficient depth is attained, when the 
 bath is indulged in without fear or danger; a hun- 
 
428 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 dred such houses are manipulated by a small engine. 
 Those who experienced it said it was enjoyable to 
 be in the cage. When there was a rough sea out- 
 side the great swells rolled and broke harmlessly over 
 fchem. A day at St. Malo is worth two days amidst 
 the disgusting vanity and deceit of Paris. 
 
 We next took a small channel steamer for the 
 island of Jersey, the original home of the Jersey cow ; 
 it is a beautiful place, and every available part is 
 in cultivation. It is subdivided into small farms of 
 from five to twenty acres each. There are many 
 market gardens and immense glass houses in which 
 fruit and vegetables are grown for the London and 
 Paris markets. The celebrated cow is seen singly 
 or in small herds, tethered to a stake, grazing in 
 lots; they are nowhere running loose. When we con- 
 sider the size of the island we do not wonder that 
 the cattle are small. We found the day's ride most 
 interesting, the fresh sea breeze, the green fields, and 
 the ever-swelling chop sea made up a scene that we 
 will not forget. 
 
 Our next stop was at the island of Guernsey, 
 where a new surprise met us in the fonn of huge 
 glass enclosures, in which all kinds of fruit and vege- 
 tables are grown. Like the lumber in Sweden, there 
 were more glass houses on Guernsey than we haa 
 seen in all the world beside. The amount of fruit, 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 429 
 
 vegetables and grapes grown under glass is astonish- 
 ing to Americans. We walked through one of the 
 grape houses, 700 feet long, which had 20,000 bunches 
 just ripening, each one weighing half a pound. Near 
 by were several houses of tomatoes in every stage 
 of maturity, so there may not be a break in the daily 
 supply. One house, about twenty-hve feet high, 
 fifty feet wide, and seven hundred long, was full of 
 ripe tomatoes. The plants were in boxes in tiers from 
 the ground to the ridge pole, and presented a grand 
 sight ; the whole seemed to be a solid mass of delicious 
 fruit. 
 
 There is a fleet of small steamers which carry 
 the products of these islands to market. Some of 
 them look like a solid mass of basket and boxes of 
 fruit of every size, piled around a smoke stack, and 
 moving over the water. We spent a day going around 
 the island and among the glass houses. We also saw 
 the native Guernsey cow grazing in the small lots, 
 and we pronounced it better than the Jersey, w^hen 
 each is seen on its own soil. 
 
 The people of the Channel Islands are largely 
 [N^orman in blood, but are intermingled with French, 
 Irish and Scotch, consequently they have a singular 
 mixture in language and local customs. like many 
 other mortals, they have a very good opinion of them- 
 selves. Almost any observer will be interested in 
 
430 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 the amount of heavy sea walls that have been built 
 around the islands to prot-ect them from the terri- 
 ble force of the Atlantic storms that come into the 
 mouth of the channel from the west with a power 
 that landsmen cannot understand. 
 
 From Guernsey we went by steamer to Wey- 
 mouth, in southw^est England, thence to Loudon and 
 to our former home, with our friends, John B. Watts 
 and family, where we arrived at 9 p. m. July 30th, 
 after an absence of fifty-seven days, having traveled 
 nearly 10,000 miles. The four extreme points we 
 had visited were Ilaparanda, Sweden: Moscow, Rus- 
 sia; Venice, Italy, and Lisbon, Portugal. We had 
 passed through thirteen different nations, speaking 
 seven languages besides English. 
 
 We finished our tour on the Continent without 
 accident or serious delay at any place. We suffered 
 but little inconvenience from ignorance of language, 
 and we learned to travel at less than half the ex- 
 pense of ordinary tourists. We readily adapted our- 
 selves to new surroudings, and had no difficulty in 
 getting along with all classes of people: it was known 
 evervwhere that we were whollv unarmed. 
 
CHAPTER TWELVE. 
 
 Trip Tln-ough Wales — Ruins of Tintern Abbey — 
 Across the Gliannel to Ireland — Dublin and Sur- 
 roundings — Trip to the South and West, Lake Kil- 
 larney, and tlie Wild Irish — Limerick, the Old 
 Town, Treaty Stone of 1692 — Go North and East 
 -^Sligo— Giants' C'auseway — Go to Home of My 
 Ancestors at Balynalinck — Old Temple and Burial 
 Ground — Vision of the Past — Cross the Channel to 
 Glasgow — Trip Through Scotland and Back to 
 London — : Voyage Home — Storm at Sea — Ship 
 Disabled — Adrift Eighty-eight Hours — Land at 
 New York — Return Home. 
 
 We rested a few days in London, then began 
 looking toward the end of our long program. Ire- 
 land and Scotland were yet to be seen, both of them 
 having particular interest, the first especially. On 
 August 5th w^e started w^estward, going to Bristol, 
 where we stopped and walked over and under one of 
 the celebrated suspension bridges over the Severn 
 
 river. It is over two hundred feet above water, and 
 
 r 
 
 in a wild, romantic place. Then we passed through 
 
 (431) 
 
432 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 the three-mile raikoad tuunel, under the bay at the 
 mouth of the Severn. From there we went to Tin- 
 tern Abbey ruins, on the Wye river. It is one of 
 the finest in England, and, was built in the fifth or 
 sixth century, before images were admitted to other 
 churches. It is two hundred feet long, one hundred 
 wide, and the gables one hundred feet high. The 
 walls are very massive, but still perfect; all the wood 
 work has been gone for centuries. It stands in a 
 deep, romantic mountain glen, at the head of small- 
 boat navigation. The ruins were forgotten by the- 
 outside world for many hundreds of years, until a 
 railroad penetrated that region; now it is popular, 
 and it is well worth seeing. We took a circuitous 
 route through Wales and the Welsh mountains, and 
 finally came out at Liverpool. There we took steamer 
 and crossed the channel to Duldin, Ireland. The 
 passage was made in the night, on smooth water, with 
 quite a throng of tourists and Inisiness men. There 
 was much Irish wit, English dignity and American 
 exaggeration; it was a question as to which was en- 
 titled to the premium, the Irishman or the American. 
 As we steamed slowly up Dublin bay, or harbor, 1 
 was charmed with its perfect beauty and sunlit bright- 
 ness; it is one of the few places hard to over-color 
 when seen under favorable circumstances. Dublin, 
 like ConstantiHO})le, when seen in the early morning, 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 433 
 
 is a pretty picture, not to be forgotten; but Dublin 
 is internally liandsonie, far more so than Constant- 
 inople. My friend being somewhat unwell, rested 
 at a. hotel, while I took a tram car and saw the beauti- 
 ful city from end to end, and then ran out on the sub- 
 urban roads. Like the landing in Sweden, I was 
 full of expectation, and every object and place had 
 an interest, for Ireland was the home of my maternal 
 ancestors, and to see it had been one of the hopes 
 of life. Now that I was actually treading its almost 
 sacred soil, I was filled with emotions almost beyond 
 control. By night I was tired and hungry, but full 
 of enthusiasm for the grand old city, w^hich has seen 
 as much history as any nation in Europe. It was in- 
 habited centuries before Rome or Athens were 
 founded, and the iXlbanoids were in Ireland when 
 Egypt was young. One of the interesting points in 
 Dublin is the old cemetery, where Ireland's noble 
 dead have been buried for four thousand years. 
 Among the sacred tombs of the past, none is held 
 in greater veneration than that of O'C^nnell, the 
 gifted statesman and orator of this century. It was 
 a grand and solemn enjoyment to walk among the 
 tombs of our ancestors, and call to mind their noble 
 deeds, and cast the mantle of charity OA^er their sins. 
 From Dublin we went southwest to Port Arlinc>- 
 ton, thence south to Ivilkennv and Waterford. It was 
 
434: LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 a grand ride tlirougli a cliariiiiiig panorama of green 
 fields, grass-covered hills and low mountain ridges. 
 On every side we saw fields of rye, oats and grass, 
 with broad pastures on tlie hills, and in the beautiful 
 valleys fields of potatoes. The grain and grass was 
 ripe for harvest, while the potatoes were in their 
 prime and rapidly maturing. As we went forward 
 the scene was constantly changing as the hills and 
 valleys came in view. Not the least novelty was the 
 large number of fine, white hogs that were grazing 
 like cattle on the green hillsides, and it is safe to 
 say we saw more hogs in Ireland than in any coun- 
 try in Europe. Hogs would be a specialty in one 
 section, while it would be sheep and cattle in another. 
 The whole scene came to us like a revelation, for in- 
 stead of finding it neglected and desolate, like Spain 
 and Portugal, we found Ireland to be the finest look- 
 ing country in Europe; yet I am sorry to say some 
 specimens of manhood were in striking contrast with 
 the glorious land in which they lived. Though earth, 
 air and sky were inspiring, we could not shut our 
 eyes to the fact that we were in the midst of a 
 ■ruined, whisky-soaked, tobacco-smoked and priest- 
 ridden people, for whom there is no hope until whisky 
 and priests are banished from the land. But for this 
 fact, everywhere staring us in the face, our ride 
 through Ireland would have been the finest in all our 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 485 
 
 travels. Xo country ever presented so many possi- 
 bilities in such desirable combinations, under such a 
 climate and ocean surroundings. 
 
 In passing Kilkenny, all Americans involuntar- 
 ily call to mind the amusing cat story, but are sur- 
 prised to see so beautiful a town })erclied on the 
 side of a hill of the finest variegated black marble, 
 in such quantities that the streets are paved with it; 
 the people seem to be unconscious of their world- 
 wide notoriety. There is a grand succession of green 
 hills until Waterford, on the southern coast, is reached. 
 That place was famous two thousand years ago, and 
 for a long time held out against the Norman con- 
 quest, but to-day it is only a nice sea coast town, with 
 no distinguishing marks. We now m<:)ved west across 
 the south of Ireland to Lake Killarney. Next morn- 
 ing walked out to the lake and noted every turn in 
 the road, every tree and bush, fur we were on sen- 
 sational, as well as historic, ground. Near the boat 
 landing we were rejoiced to see one of the grand ruins 
 of Ireland's lost glory. This tow^er was built about 
 the beginning of our era, by a war-like, independent 
 tribe, as their stronghold, and so well was it con- 
 structed that it defied all efforts to take it. During 
 the Danish and Nomian invasions it w^ithstood every 
 attempt to besiege or take it by storm; in time there 
 arose a prediction that it would never be taken until 
 
436 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 attacked bv strangers who would come by water. 
 Tbe Danes finally attempted to starve it out; to do 
 this they Avent to the pine forests at the head of the 
 lake, and built several flat boats to cut off supplies 
 by way of the lake. When the garrison saw the 
 boats corning they remembered the prediction, and 
 at once fled to the mountains. The Danes tried in 
 vain to destroy it; a square tower nearly one hun- 
 dred feet high and forty feet square still stands un- 
 broken. Many of the strong walls and outer defenses 
 are yet standing in grim, massive greatness, defying 
 -even the hand of time. The ruins alone are worth 
 a trip to the lake, even though that body of water 
 is celebrated as the scene of St. Patrick's last effort 
 and final success in destroying the wise old serpent 
 in Ireland. Aside from these interests, the lake is 
 more charming than half the popular ones of Europe. 
 We took a boat ride and landed on one of the nu- 
 merous little islands, where there w-as a church and 
 celebrated school in the early centuries of our era. 
 It was surely a model of sylvan beauty and rural soli- 
 tude, surrounded by splendid mountain scenery; even 
 yet there are traces of the secluded walks along the 
 rocky shore. VVhile we were out a sudden gale came 
 through a mountain pass that made the lake danger- 
 ously rough. Our young boatman tried hard to hold 
 his course; after a while we saw it was bevond his 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 437 
 
 power, and tuld him to run before the wind until we 
 could get ashore. This he did and landed us two 
 miles from our starting place; we walked back to the 
 town, tired and wet, but highly pleased with our 
 day's adventures. We will not forget the old ruin, 
 the lake nor the dangerous run in an open boat be- 
 fore the gale. The town of Killarney is a clean, 
 lively place, the inhabitants are all full of droli, 
 mother-wit, ready to "answer a fool according to his 
 folly." 
 
 We next traveled north to Tralee, a city of 
 twelve or fifteen thousand inhabitants, hid away 
 among the Kerry hills, and almost unknown to the 
 world, yet it is one of the very interesting places on 
 account of its people, who are pure types of Tip- 
 perary, or wild Irish, who have not yet lost all their 
 tameless independence. They were the last of the 
 Irish to accept Christianity, and they seem to-day 
 as if they had received it but imperfectly. We took 
 a long walk through the city, among the half wild 
 people. It was market day, and there were thousands 
 of the country and towm folk on the streets and in 
 the market place. They all talked the rich, bumble- 
 bee Irish; half the men and boys were armed with 
 a shillalah. Everybody was talking and gesticulat- 
 ing, and at first it seemed as though there was go- 
 ing to be a riot, but w^e soon learned that all things 
 
 28 
 
438 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 were normal. There was a multitude of little carts, 
 loaded witli country products, all managed by women ; 
 in fact, it was the only place we found where women 
 held absolute sway. In more than one instance we 
 saw women have their drunken husbands tumbled 
 .into the cart among baskets and buckets, and hauled 
 away like sacks of meal. On the sidewalk and in 
 the market the women held the right of Avay with- 
 out question. The half-grown boys looked like com- 
 pounds of frolic, fight and fim^ and the men as if 
 they were spoiling for a light with their shillalahs. 
 We were told that it took twice the number of police 
 to keep order than it did in any other city under 
 English law. 
 
 In one part of the market street, and in an ad- 
 joining thoroughfare there seemed to be an unsusual 
 number of two-hundred pound ladies, all motherly 
 looking, going about with huge baskets on their heads, 
 clearing the sidewalks and opening a lane wherever 
 they passed. Others were standing at the stalls, as 
 noisy as parrots, while men and boys gave them a 
 w^ide berth. If you want unadulterated Irishmen, go 
 to Tralee; there is nothing stereotyped there. If you 
 are an enthusiast over Irish independence, do not go 
 there, or you will lose your faith in self-government 
 for Ireland for many days to come, thoujofh it may 
 not increase your respect for England^s misrule. 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 439 
 
 1 learned an additional lesson in humanity at Tra- 
 lee, for tliere the worst elements of original Irish life 
 can be seen. We are given a chance to contrast the 
 Phenician colonist with the Hebrews, who came to 
 Ireland about the same time. The fierce, ungov- 
 ernable spirit of the Phenician, when under the in- 
 fluence of whisky, strong excitement or superstitious 
 zeal, is harder to control than wild animals, hence 
 the term wild Irish has been given the Phenician 
 descent in southwest Ireland. 
 
 Our next move was to Limerick back into^ the 
 conventional route. Limerick had so many historic 
 memories that the following morning by daylight I 
 was out exploring the city. I first went into old 
 Limerick, the city in time of Cromwell, and found 
 the ruins of the house of the general, which Crom- 
 well battered down; then to the famous round tower, 
 which withstood and defied every effort of Cromwell 
 to take it. As seen now, it looks massive, gloomy 
 and battle-scarred, and probably has seen as much 
 sanguinary war as any tower of the last two thous- 
 and years, for it occupies the spot where the first 
 tower was built twenty-five centuries ago. It is one 
 among the many places that have witnessed some 
 terrible massacres, feats of heroism, and half a dozen 
 times has been the last stronghold of safety. Across 
 the river from tlie old tower stands the treaty stone. 
 
440 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 now raised on a pedestal over the spot where it lay 
 in 1692, when the treaty of Limerick was signed on 
 it. Yet that treaty was not kept, nor is it yet ful- 
 filled by the English; this is a lasting blot on Eng- 
 land's character. 
 
 The people delight to show a point in the wall 
 where there had been a breach made by the English 
 artillery, and the defenders had fallen. The Eng- 
 lish were sure of victory, when the women, seeing 
 the terrible danger, rushed to the breach and fought 
 with such frenzy that they were driving the English 
 back, when liel{) arrived and the city was saved; this 
 was the last effort, and the English withdrew from 
 the siege. The English soldiers said they never 
 wanted to fight women again. This part of the is- 
 land has seen many storms of foreign and domestic 
 strife through all past history. On many of the hills 
 are the ruins of watch towers, with strong walls en- 
 closing one to five acres, in to which the sheep and 
 cattle were driven at night. In time of war or civil 
 commotions they could be run in on short notice from 
 the tower, and a few resolute men could defend 
 the enclosures for a short time against a large force. 
 The sight of these old ruins keeps the sanguinary 
 history of the country constantly before the mind, 
 and at times mars the enj-oyment of the traveler. 
 The city of two thousand years ago, the one Orom- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 441 
 
 well besieged, is fast falling into decay. The new 
 city is to the west of the old one, on level ground, 
 and more modern in style. It is (inite a commercial 
 point, and has little of the old Irish aspect left, but 
 we saw a few forms moving amid the throng that 
 seemed not of the masses; they looked Kke a superior 
 race now nearly gone. They are the last of the 
 chieftains, kings and nobles of Ireland, as given in 
 song and story. 
 
 From Limerick we went northwest to Ennis, 
 then north to Athenry, a by-way of the orthodox 
 route. It was our intention to run down to Galway, 
 but we found it would make a break in our time table, 
 so we left that point out. Gras^ grew by the road 
 side, in the fields, on the hills and to the mountain 
 tops, among the rocks, along the streams; in fact, 
 grew everywhere, unless the ground was in actual 
 cultivation. In every possible place fine cattle, sheep 
 and hogs were seen grazing on the luxuriant grass. 
 Since the great potato famine, a generation ago, more 
 live stock has been grown and more hay made than 
 previously. We visited a festive park at Athenry; 
 it was a Catholic feast day, and thousands of people 
 were out, mostly young persons, and they were a 
 boisterous, roaring concourse. At least one man in 
 fr>ur was drunk, and all were more or less under the 
 the infiuence of liquor, and, sad to say, many nice, 
 beautiful girls were half intoxicated and voluble in 
 talk and sonsr. 
 
442 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 AVe now turned our faces east across the central 
 district to Mullingar, near the middle of the island, 
 to a country as beautiful as the^finest blue grass re- 
 gion of America; on the wav, at Athlone, on Lake 
 Kee, we saw another sample of Catholic festivals. 
 Lake Ree is the ^reat storage basin of the Shannon 
 river, and is a fine fishing and boating place. Many 
 thousands of people were congregated there, boat- 
 ing, fishing, drinking, dancing, fighting and storm- 
 mg about. The regular and extra trains were 
 crowded, and it seemed as though half the men were 
 drunk. One of them got aboard in charge of a 
 seven-year-old daughter, who managed him as though 
 he were a pig tied to a string. When the conductor 
 rame she handed him the tickets in simple, child- 
 like innocence, and received kind words, not only 
 from him, but from all. To me it was so horrid that I 
 felt soiTowful all the evening, thinking of that child's 
 sad fate. 
 
 We spent the night at Mullingar, and next morn- 
 ing started to Sligo, northwest, through the same suc- 
 cession of beautiful, green hills and charming valleys 
 until we approached Sligo, when we met with ranges 
 of hills called by the natives mountains. They ex- 
 tend all along the north coast, giving the country a 
 picturesque appearance. These mountains are cov- 
 ered with grass to the summit, and constantly call to 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 443 
 
 miiid tlie contrast beween that country and Palestine, 
 where there is so much desolation. We were now in 
 the Protestant portion of Ireland; we noted the dif- 
 ference in an hour's run. The farms were in better 
 order, houses more comfortable, the people better 
 dressed, more cattle and hogs in sight, and every- 
 thing showed increased life, light and animation, 
 Sligo, more celebrated by the bards in story than 
 remarkable in histoiy, is a nice, clean place, if one 
 does not go too far back into the town, but we found 
 our ride through it very interesting. The two- 
 wheeled jaunting car, or Irish cart, attains its high- 
 est perfection in Sligo. The driver faces forward; 
 two passengers sit on either side, back to back, look- 
 ing toward the sides of the road. The seats are di- 
 rectly over the wheels, the footboard a little lower 
 than the hub and a foot wide. If a drunken man falls 
 off, he pitches away from the cart, and is out of dan- 
 ger of horses or wheels; it looks as though the cart 
 and the diimken men were made for each other. 
 For sober people it is jolly riding ten miles an hour 
 over rough, stony roads, with a shrewd, quick-witted 
 Irish driver, who is expert in his wild driving. If 
 you are thrown from the seat, there is but two feet 
 to fall, and it is quickly over and you remount with 
 little effort. If you ever go to Ireland do not fail 
 to take a ride of several miles in a jaunting car, over 
 a mountain road, for it is grand. 
 
444 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 On our road from Sligo to Enniskillen and Lon- 
 donderrj' we passed some rural scenes of mingled 
 valley, mountain, hill and plain that would bring a 
 golden harvest to an artist who could reproduce them 
 on canvas and make them true to nature. Ennis- 
 killen is a grand old town, with much of the past great- 
 ness clinging to its old walls, and among the 
 watch towers on the surrounding hills. It is one 
 of the places which has seen some stormy history 
 in the early Hebrew colonization, six to seven hun- 
 dred years before our era. Londonderrv, though lu 
 old place, has much of modern life; all the new por- 
 tion is grr atly so. From that point we went to Port- 
 stewarts, and there took an electric car for the great 
 wonder, the Giant's Causeway; we were very for- 
 tunate in having a bright, clear day, and the tide was 
 out. At iirst we were disappointed in not finding 
 things looking like the pictures in the school books, 
 but after we went down the narrow, winding path 
 by the cliff, and walked out on the strange fonna- 
 tion and viewed the neighboring rocks, the striking 
 and wonderful features began to appear, and the 
 longer we looked the more interesting it became. 
 There are three causeways; the larger one covers 
 about two acres, extending out into the sea 400 feet. 
 -Its highest i)oint is 50 feet, and it slopes with an easy 
 grade, terminating abru})tly in the water. The blocks 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 445 
 
 are two to six feet, twelve to twenty inches in diam- 
 eter, all of them three to seven-sided, concave at one 
 end and convex at the other, iitting as if made by 
 hand as they stand on each other. Each block seems 
 to have been made especially for its place. But the 
 most astonishing things of all are the eight-sided key 
 stones, which are pnt in at irregular intervals, seem- 
 ingly as a necessity to keep up the regular adjust- 
 ment of the other blocks. Everything seems to have 
 been planned and completed with geometrical pre- 
 cision, and we were slow to receive the truth, that 
 it is the result of crystalization. It is little wonder 
 that it was believed to be the work of a lost race 
 of giants, for scattered along each side are immense 
 bowlder nodules of cinder and slag, just like we see 
 at iron furnaces, and there are great heaps of broken 
 rock against the foot of the cliff, as if prepared for 
 smelting and molding. In many places in the cliff 
 and near the water line there are rudimentary blocks 
 mixed in with slag. It is probable that the whole 
 headland is a mass of crystals below the water line, 
 and possibly it is all made of the same material and 
 only covered with earth. Aside from the causeway, 
 the vicinity is interesting. There are wild, rugged, 
 projecting headlands, their perpendicular sides broken 
 and wrecked by the shock of the great waves, or worn 
 into caves and hollow channels, in which the sea roars 
 
446 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 and thunders in tones of grand music to the ear which 
 loves the terrible. From the top there is a magnifi- 
 cent view inland over a rolling country, all under 
 cultivation or in grass. Out to sea there are always 
 steamers or sailing vessels in sight, with sea fowl 
 wheeling above and below, and screaming on the 
 wind. One can stand long amid the surroundings 
 taking in the picture, which vdll be one of the bright 
 ones that we lay away to keep, ^o American visit- 
 ing Ireland should miss seeing the causeway, but he 
 should be wary of employing the officious guide, keej) 
 clear of hotel runners, use the carriage road from 
 the station, and at the top of the hill take path down 
 the cliff and be his own guide. 
 
 From the causeway we turned south to Lake 
 Xeagh (nuf), then east to Carrickfergus, a celebrated 
 prehistoric place, then southwest up the bay of Bel- 
 fast. On arriving in the city, we found a train ready 
 to start to the old maternal home, near Balynalinch, 
 which we boarded, and were landed in the town just 
 before night. The consciousness of being so near the 
 highest aspiration of childhood, to see the home of my 
 Irish ancestors, and of the lost Albanoids, was so all- 
 absorbing that I could not sleep. During the night 
 I recalled the history of my race, and tried to fix in 
 mind the relative locations in our family history, the 
 better to find them the next day. Morning came 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 447 
 
 with a steady rainfall that was sadly disappointing, 
 but there was a compensating siirpnse, for as I sat 
 looking out of the window, one-hoi'se cart^ came driv- 
 ing by and stopping out in an open square not far 
 away. Each cart contained four, nicely-dressed hogs, 
 weighino- about 150 pounds. Then came other carts 
 with four to six live sheep standing up in them, 
 looking fat and clean. These were followed with 
 more carts, with six to twelve nice, white pigs, all 
 squealing and wriggling in a lively chorus. Then 
 came companies of ten to twelve sheep driven slowly 
 along; then five to twenty head of all kinds of cattle. 
 All this was decidedly interesting. Upon inquiring 
 of our hostess what the demonstration signified, we 
 were told it was the monthly fair for the county 
 (County Down), and that it always took place, rain or 
 shine, and that what we saw here was a sample of 
 all such fairs on the island. I borrowed an umbrella 
 and went through the grounds among the hundreds, 
 who, in spite of the rain, were there to buy or sell. 
 It was interestine' to see and hear the shrewd, sharp 
 trading and sallies of Irish wit, that came as natural 
 as the breath. As in other , places, the women were 
 the sharpest and most persistent traders. Their 
 adroit maneuvering showed them, in many cases, to 
 be far ahead of the whisky-drinking, tobacco-smok- 
 ing men. Tlie cattle and sheep were equal to the 
 
448 LIFE AND '1 RAVELS 
 
 best in America, and the pigs were tlie finest I had 
 ever seen. There was a new industry, which seemed 
 second to none in importance — the sale of second- 
 hand clothing from America, with some from other 
 countries. There was a large cpiantitj on hand, and 
 much of it was sold. Most of it was good, and was 
 bought very cheap. This is succeeding well, and 
 enables many people to dress comfortably at small 
 cost. In this connection it is interesting to know 
 of the many presents of clothing that are sent from 
 America to Ireland by Irish- Americans; when a na- 
 tive re-visit8 his home he always take-^ presents to the 
 ''Old Folks." In my journey through the country 
 I inquired of hundreds of grandfathers and grand- 
 mothers amonp- all classes, and I did not find one 
 person who had not relatives in America; there was 
 not a single grandfather who had not more grand- 
 (ihildren in America than in Ireland or any other 
 country. Statistical home rulers say there are more 
 Irishmen, Irish people, in America than in Ireland. 
 Xearly every boy and girl grows up with the am- 
 bition to go to America some day. This spirit of 
 emigration is disastrous to the business of the coun- 
 try, for no one seems to be settled for life. I can 
 say that I have never been in any corner of the earth 
 but there was Irish blood there. 
 
 The second morning was bright and warm; I 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 449 
 
 was up at daylight and away across the hills to find 
 the lirst traditional landniarii of my ancestors — the 
 old burial gix)und and ruined church. It was easily 
 found, on a hill top a mile from town, and covered 
 about two acres. It was still enclosed by a portion 
 of the primitive wall, and a })art of the old temi)le 
 wall l)uilt 1600 years ago, and some of the tomb stones 
 are still standing. Xear by I located the xVlbanoid 
 village that existed 2600 years ago, and was one of 
 the prosperous communities. Nothing now remains 
 but fragments of slate and building stones. Four 
 miles away I found the well-defined outlines of a 
 small city, whose history goes far back into prehis- 
 toric times, though well rec^orded in Albanoid tradi- 
 tion. It was counted a strong city when the first 
 Hebrew emigrants came to Ireland, 900 B. C. This 
 temple was built and burial ground enclosed at least 
 2500 years before Christ, but how long the Alba- 
 noids had been there before it was' built, tradition 
 does not tell. This much is evident: their civiliza- 
 tion and arts were in advance of the Hebrews in the 
 days of Solomon. In their tradition they claim to 
 have come to Ireland from the West, and describe 
 their original home as being identical with Atlantis, 
 the lost coMinent of the Atlantic. Whether this is 
 a myth or a true history, their civilization was not Eu- 
 ropean, Asiatic or Egyptian in its ongin. Modern 
 
450 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 or Christian tradition says that St. Patrick tiiraed 
 the old "Heathen" temple into a Christian church, 
 which was used for many centuries. 
 
 I will he pardoned if I say that my enthusiasni 
 reached the highest point when I really found my- 
 self standing amid the sTaves of my lost ancestors, 
 for with my glass I located the two beacon hills, from 
 whose tops in ages gone had flashed out the signal 
 lights by night and pillars of smoke by day, as signs 
 of danger, at the approach of an enemy or coming 
 storm, ^ot far to the soutliAvest stood the great 
 watch tower to which the villagers retired as their 
 stronghold in time of trouble, as well as to the tem- 
 ple and its surrounding walls. As in the ages past., 
 the beautiful hills Avere still clothed in grass, and 
 thousands of cattle, sheep and hogs were gTazing, 
 while the smoke was ascending from the stone chim- 
 neys of hundreds of cottages, showing that human- 
 ity, with all its hopes and fears, was still there. But 
 I was carried away in a vision of the past that was 
 overwhelming in its revelations, for once again the 
 veil of "second sight" was drawn aside, and the hur- 
 rying scenes of thousands of years appeared before 
 me. All the fearful past was there in living light, 
 which came rolling down to my very feet, and was 
 too overpowering for my mind, strength and spirit. 
 I had to crv to God to close tlie vision; thouah the 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 451 
 
 fiitniv niitiiit liave l)een revealed, I was too weak to 
 bear it, nor do 1 (•ra^'e to know, for it will go down 
 to its predestined end. My race may vanish, but 
 the Lord will call his chosen Israel from Ireland, as 
 well as from the whole earth, in the final restitution. 
 When that \^sion closed, it seemed again that 
 my life work was done, my highest hopes of earth 
 had been realized, and my heart seemed satisfied. 
 The remainder of the day was spent in walking over 
 the hills and in visiting the old stone house in which 
 my grandmother was born. It had been standing 
 200 years, and it looked as though it would stand for 
 many centuries more. It was built, like many othei^s, 
 of solid masonry and a tile roof, which earthquakes 
 alone will destroy. But now as I walked the hills I 
 saw a double vision, as they were, and as they had 
 been; each vision was alike real. The object of my 
 visit to Ireland now seemed accomplished; I went 
 once more to the old ruin, and as I stood in the midst 
 of the burial gi\)und a feeling of inexpressible sad- 
 ness came over me. I was probably the last of the 
 now nearly extinct race who would ever see, or care 
 to see, that silent and lone spot, and I turned away 
 with a strange mingling of sorrow and joy, sorrow- 
 ful at thought of the lost race, joyful that I had been 
 permitted to stand at last among their graves. 
 
 Later on in the dav I was slowh' retumina" to 
 
452 LIFE A^D TRAVELS 
 
 the town, full of deep tlioiiglit, when I was suddenly 
 startled by a new phase in experience. At the foot 
 of the hill, at a turn in the broad highway, I found 
 myself surrounded by eighty-two large fox hounds, 
 trotting along the road. One huge fellow^ looked 
 nie in the face with a friendly bow-wow and wag- 
 to the tail, which removed my fear of danger; at the 
 same time a much be-buttoned and uniformed keeper 
 spoke, saying there was no danger from them. I 
 had seen droves of all kinds of domestic animals, 
 geese, ducks, turkeys and cranes, but not dogs, so 
 I was curious to know something of the new indus- 
 try, and learned that some of the landed gentry were 
 going to have a grand fox hunt in a few days, on 
 an estate not far away, and the hounds were being 
 sent on in advance, to be in running trim by the day 
 of the hunt. I wanted to know how much it would 
 cost to keep one of those dogs, and was told as much 
 as would board and clothe an ordinary man. Upon 
 returning into the town, I made inquiry as to the num- 
 ber of children who lacked bread and clothing, and 
 the landlady said there were at least two hundred. 
 This was an item among many others that I noted 
 through all my travels, in . contrasting the two ex- 
 tremes in the world of humanity. 
 
 We left Balynalinch in the afternoon for Belfast 
 to take steamer for Scotland. While awaiting the 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 453 
 
 steamer, I gained additional information from the 
 Historical Society, which is making interesting dis- 
 coveries in the seemingly-lost history of Ireland. 
 Among the most so, is the authentic account of the 
 early Hebrew immigration, the coming of the prophet 
 Jeremiah when he fled from his rebellious brethren 
 in Egypt with two of the king's daughters, the ark of 
 the covenant, the coronation stone, and other sacred 
 things. They, also, affirmed the authenticity of the 
 Milesian tablets, and many lost records, all of which 
 show Ireland, when fully understood, to be a most 
 important historical country, but in a biography like 
 this, such things are not in place. 
 
 We took the steamer for Scotland, and crossed 
 during the night, landing near Glasgow. Early next 
 moraing v\'e went by rail to Bonnie Loch Lomond, 
 then took steamer for the head of the lake. It was 
 a splendid ride and the scenery surpassed Geneva, 
 Como, Or any other lake that we had seen on the 
 continent. The hills on either side are almost moun- 
 tains, and come to the water's edge or look down on 
 it from rugged cliifs and bold headlands, giving a 
 touch of dark, romantic grandeur to many of its 
 shadowy ravines. There are numerous islands and 
 narrow passages, which are constantly adding new 
 chamis to the seenery. We stopped a day at the 
 head of the lake, and walked several miles up the 
 
 29 
 
454 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 roaring, rocky river that comes down through the 
 mountains. We passed a succession of falls, up which 
 the mountain trout were leaping, and at one place 
 they would clear a fall of live feet with a single spring. 
 Most of them made it the first effort, others had to 
 try the second and third time. It was a beautiful 
 scene, for the glen was shady, deep and dark, hid 
 away among the hills. Ben Lamond is almost a 
 mountain, as he stands among the smaller hills in bold 
 relief, calling up much of the le,2:ends and songs of 
 the past, such as, "The sun has gane down o'er the 
 loftv Ben Lomond,'' or "'The Campbells are coming 
 from Ben Loch Lomand," etc., etc. These in turn 
 brought to mind incidents in Scottish history and tra- 
 dition, which furnLshed food for thouglit as well as 
 delight for the eye. 
 
 We returned to the lower end and took rail for 
 Dundee, on the east coast, by way of Sterling, Dun- 
 blain and Perth, through a fine, green country, over 
 and among rolling hills and beautiful meadows, equal 
 to the rural scenes in England, all in a high state of 
 cultivation. From Dundee we traveled over the cel- 
 ebrated Tay railroad, one of the wonders of engineer- 
 ing skill. It crosses the Firth, and was the scene 
 of a fearful disaster a few years ago, when a span 
 of the bridge fell with a passenger train, and all were 
 lost. I could not, realize the height of the bridge 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 455 
 
 until I saw a three-masted, ship sail under it. It was 
 a grand, but rather airy, ride over the broad expanse 
 of water. We continued southward through a charm- 
 ing country, and came to Edinburgh, where we 
 crossed the last and greatest achievement in bridge 
 building over the Firth of Forth. It is a combination 
 between the cantilever and suspension bridge, the 
 longest and highest of the kind in the world. The 
 going over these two bridges filled the measure of 
 our ambition in one direction: we had passed through 
 the two longest tunnels, the Mt. Cenis and St. Goth- 
 ard's, and now the two greatest railroad bridges ; while 
 at Port Costo, Cal., had floated on the largest Jerry- 
 boat, or boat of any kind, ever built by man. 
 
 The stop in Edinburgh was full of interest; we 
 were in motion most of the time, riding, walking and 
 looking at the noted historic places which have figured 
 for so many centuries. The wonderful castle of 
 Edinburgh was considered almost impregnable until 
 the invention of heavy guns, now its castles and 
 towers would not stand a single day's cannonade 
 from the top of Arthur's seat. I was especially glad 
 to see the almost forgotten grave of «Iohn Knox. 
 Everybody could tell where the house of John Knox 
 was, but not one in ten knew where he was l)uried. 
 It was too simple a thing for curiosity, no chance to 
 collect a sixpence for showing it, so it is generally 
 
456 LIFE AND TKAVKLS 
 
 unknown. It is marked by a bronze tablet a foot 
 square, which is inserted in the pavement in front 
 of his old church, and carts drive over it without a 
 thought of who is buried there. 
 
 AVe ^vent by rail from Edinburgh to Annan, near 
 the celebrated city of Gretna Green, over the border, 
 to see the largest nursery in Scotland, owned by Mr. 
 Holms. John Van Lindley had met the proprietor 
 in America, and he gave us a cordial welcome to his 
 home, and a very pleasant day w^as spent in rambling 
 over his extensiA^e grounds. He had just returned 
 from a business trip to the United States, and could 
 talk of home events. Adjoining his grounds w^as the 
 ruins of one of the strongholds of Robert Bruce, 
 and a secret passage had recently been discovered 
 by which the garrison could go down to the river 
 under ground, both for water and to escape. From 
 Annan we crossed the country to the eastern coast 
 at l^ewT'astle, and from there returned to London by 
 way of York, arriving August 24th, 1892. 
 
 Our work was done, our travels were ended; we 
 had finished our program on time, had been in all 
 the countnes and capitals of Europe, had seen and 
 accomplished more than ordinary tourists, had es- 
 capes! from all danger, seen and unseen. We had 
 met with but few Ictsses or crosses. V)ut our minds were 
 growing weary o^f the long strain and tension and 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 457 
 
 needed rest. John Van Lindley wanted to see his 
 wife and little ones, and be with his extensive fall 
 work in his nursery. As i was cut off from my trip 
 to the Caspian, Persia and Babylon by the cholera, 
 1 too was readv for home. We spent a few days in 
 London with our kind friends, John E. Watts and 
 family, then bought tickets for New York by steamer 
 ''Ethiopia," Anchor line, and proceeded to Glasgow, 
 where we went aboard and started September 1st, 
 1892, at 5 p. m. The passage down the Clyde amid 
 the long line of ship yai-ds was most entertaining. 
 The steamer was towed by two powerful tugs, one in 
 front and the other astern. In rounding the bends 
 and points on the river, it was amazing to see the 
 precision with which, the signals were given, and the 
 promptness with which they wei'e heeded and exe- 
 cuted by the tugs, each one pulling to an opposite 
 point from the other, thus swinging the great ship 
 as if revolving on a pivot. It was a display of per- 
 fect marine science and skill. It was refreshing to 
 look into the bronzed, but noble, honest faces of the 
 clear-eyed, cool-headed engineers and seamen, who 
 seemed to impart life and intelligence to the crafts 
 beneath their feet. We crossed the channel through 
 the night, and ran down the Irish coast to Movill, 
 to take on passengers coming up the bay from Lon- 
 donderry, in small coasting steamers. At 3 p. m. the 
 
458 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 second of September, we sailed out c»f the bay with 
 over four hundred passengers headed for America. 
 Soon after the last cape disappeared, a strong wind 
 began to blow, and incre^ised steadilv all night, ^ext 
 morning a heavy sea was running, and the ship rolled 
 and plunged so violently that walkini>: on deck was 
 very difficult for landsmen. All day the gale in- 
 creased, and the second night was dark, cold and 
 rainy, so that few passengers ventureil out. On the 
 morning of the third day the gale grew worse, and 
 became a regular storm; many were quite seasick, 
 the worst sickness that men ever have, but the least 
 dangerous. During the day the ship made slow 
 headway against the violence of the storm. All hope 
 of a pleasant voyage was given up, and the passen- 
 gers began to settle down to the situation, and to 
 cast about for some way to pass the time; but at 7 
 p. m. all were suddenly alarmed by the engine stop- 
 ping and the ship falling helplessly into the trough 
 and rolling violently. Great anxiety seized the pas- 
 sengers; each one wanted to know the cause, the ex- 
 tent of the accident, and the possible danger. Word 
 soon came that the main shaft of the propellor had 
 given way, and it would take several hours to repair 
 it. The ship was unmanageable, and began drifting 
 before the wind. The rocking and plunging of the 
 sea was so great that standing or walking was very 
 difficult: signs of alarm were seen on everv face. 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 
 
 459 
 
 That was a terrible night on those suffering 
 with seasickness, and one of anxiety to those who were 
 well. I had no sickness during the whole voy- 
 age and was able to be out all the time, taking note 
 of what passed. I could stand at the stern post an 
 hour at a time and look out over the grandly sublime 
 and terrible surroundings. When the ship was 
 thrown aloft on the crest of the great swells, the 
 eye could take in the perfect scene for miles around. 
 A landsman has no language to describe it. Indeed, 
 it would require something beyond words to convey 
 an intelligent idea of such a spectacle, but this can 
 be said — everything on earth grows small when com- 
 pared with a first-class storm at sea. 
 
 At 10 a. m. on the 4th, the glad sound of the 
 low boom of the engine in motion sent a thrill of joy 
 through the hearts of all, and the ship came around 
 and once more headed westward. We had drifted 
 thirty-tw^o miles eastward, but were in the lane of 
 the steamers on the Glasgow route. Though the 
 storm still raged and we were in a rough sea, we 
 were glad to be in motion and feel the ship under 
 control. But, alas! in a short time the shaft again 
 gave way, and a second time we were at the mercy 
 of the waves. To add to the gloom and sadness, it 
 was soon known that the main shaft was broken, and 
 it would take many hours, perhaps days, to repair 
 
460 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 it. It was now impossible for many to suppress fear 
 or "conceal terror. Pale, sick faces looked up with 
 sad, imploring eyes, yet the lips were closed; mothers 
 nestled their little ones; stout-hearted men, who had 
 hitherto looked brave and reliant, showed signs of 
 nervousness and fear, though they seldom spoke. 
 The morning" of the 5th came with the same dark, 
 stormy sea, slowly drifting us helplessly away, this 
 time out of the lane, where we might not be found 
 for many days, if succor was sent from either end of 
 the line. During the afternoon the storm increased, 
 and the night came on dark and terrible, filling the 
 bravest hearts with fear for the unseen horrors that 
 seemed to close around us with the darkness. It was 
 impossible to walk or stand up without holding fast 
 to some support. Little children could not lie safely 
 in their bunks w^ithout beine^ held; even men could 
 not lie still in their berths in the bow and stern, 
 where the tossing was most severe. The mothers, 
 among the emigrants, sat down on the floor and held 
 their children across their laps to prevent them from 
 being thrown down. There w^ere several ladies 
 aboard who suddenly developed into grand. Chris- 
 tian characters. They went among the emigrants 
 and encouraged the mothers who had little children 
 to care for, and whose strens-th was failing and faith 
 almost gone. Where least expected, tliere were scenes 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 461 
 
 of sublime trust and Christian heroism, as well as 
 abject fright and despair. One picture, the grandest 
 of them all, was a middle-aged mother with four 
 children. The infant was bound to her breast se- 
 curely with a shawl, so that in death tl^ey would not 
 be parted. The two next older ones were lying on 
 either side, with their heads in her lap, holding tightly 
 to her, and she to them. With tears slowly falling, 
 she was gazing into their little, upturned faces, while 
 bv her side a girl probablv eight or ten years old 
 was clinging to her arm and looking at her mother, 
 saying: "Manuna, don't cry; you know the Lord will 
 not let you drown. He is too good for that ; you know 
 He won't. Now do not cry, mamma." T'here was a 
 supernatural, yes, a divine light, in those childish 
 eyes, and her face was like the face of an angel. I 
 felt in my heart, and said : 'No ship will sink with such 
 faith and innocence aboard. There were many other 
 touching scenes among the seemingly poor and lowly, 
 giving evidence of true. Christian faith that put to 
 shame the contemptible cowai-dice of the wide- 
 mouthed unbeliever when he found himself near to 
 almost certain death. Still another incident will be 
 in place. In a room amidships wavS a lady with two 
 bright little children, four and six years old. They 
 had been confined to the room and in the ])unk most 
 of the time by the storm, and the mother had shed 
 
462 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 silent tears while watching her children, who at last 
 fell into a qniet sleep. When they awoke they looked 
 lip into the mother's face and began to sing a child- 
 like, cradle^ scmg. I had not slept for two days and 
 nights, and was alive to all that was transpiring. 
 When I heard the scmg of the children it seemed 
 like the voice of angels from heaven telling me that 
 all was well — in spite of the storm and the dark waves 
 around us we were safe. 
 
 During all this time brave men — the engineers 
 and assistants — were down in the hold of the ship 
 working with tireless arms and sleepless eyes on the 
 broken shaft. Steel bolts had to be drilled and cut 
 out, great iron bars and plates must be removed be- 
 fore the work could be done. AVhile others w^ere suf- 
 fering with terror or ccmrageously awaiting the end, 
 I was, part of the time, quietly but eagerly listening 
 to the whir of the drill, the heavy thud of the maul 
 and the sharp, quick stroke of the hammer on the 
 chisel^ which sounds came up a ventilating pipe ^dth 
 the distinctness of a telephone. In this way I knew 
 the extent of the damage, the difficulty to overcome, 
 and the extreme danger we were in if the cargo should 
 shift its place. In the depressed and excited condi- 
 tion of many of the passengers, it would have been 
 disastrous for them to have known what the pipe was 
 telling me, for it would have caused a panic that 
 could not be controlled. 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 463 
 
 About 3 a. m. on the 6tli, I went on deck to see 
 if there was any prospect of the storm abating. 
 Everything aronnd was awe-inspiring, jet grand; we 
 were wallowing in the trough of the waves and roll- 
 ing so that the deck would almost stand perpendicu- 
 lar, and I seemed to be hanging against a wall instead 
 of standing on my feet. Twice it seemed impossible 
 for the vessel to right itself when struck by the heavy 
 seas. A part of the cargo was pig iron, which was 
 put in the bottom, the bulky part on it. This made 
 the center of gravity down near the keel, so when 
 the vessel was careened and began to go down the 
 keel sank the fastest and righted the ship every time, 
 and this it was that saved us. But it was trying on 
 the nerves to st>aiid on the deck under such circum- 
 stances aud see death, as it were, at arm's-length and 
 coming right in. Heart, nerves, faith and courage 
 have to be well drilled, or nature will recoil under 
 such circumstances. At the end of two hours the 
 wind began to slacken and I could stand on deck, and 
 the shock of the waves was less violent. By 6 a. m. 
 the woather had so moderated that the rolling of the 
 ship was gTeatly lessened, and the strong and active 
 could walk about. This seemed to revive the hopes 
 and courage of all, especially the weaiy mothers, 
 whose bodily strength was well nigh gone. Soon 
 cheerful conversation was heard, pleasiant greetings 
 
464 LIFE A>iD TRAVELS 
 
 and anxious inquiries made for friends in different 
 parts of the ship, and to still more revive the weary 
 hearts and hands, a young lady in the isfternoon giave 
 some cheerful music on the organ, but when she arose 
 from the stool a sudden lurch of the ship threw her 
 down with such force that she was seriously injured. 
 That evening the table was set and several ventured 
 out, as regular meals could now be resumed, though 
 the racks had to be kept on- the table to make it pos- 
 sible to keep the plates and cups in place, and with 
 the greatest precautions there were many amusing 
 mishaps of spilt coffee, tea, soup, gravy, etc. etc., caus- 
 ing much merriment, notwithstanding the serious 
 surroundings. 
 
 The morning of the 7th was dark and gloomy. 
 The wind freshened for a few^ hours and another 
 storm seemed near, but by noon the clouds began 
 to break away, and through the rifts broad streams 
 of sunlight flashed, lighting up the waves with daz- 
 zling brightness. During the afternoon the wind 
 ceased and the sea went rapidly down; the continued 
 showers of sunlight were cheering and reviving to all. 
 The next morning was dark and rainy, but the rain 
 soon ceased and the sunlight came out, and there was 
 now a long, heavy roll, that was not unpleasant after 
 90 much violence. The passengers came out on deck 
 with pale, but ha])py, faces, p-lad to feel safe after 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 465 
 
 die hcjiirs of peril, aud ready for a bath of wann 
 yriiiliiilit. The little children ran about with totter- 
 ingMeps but joyous faces, happy to be safe once more, 
 though weak from the ordeal they had passed through. 
 September 9th came in with a beautiful sunrise, 
 and the sea was almost calm. Everybody came out 
 or was carried out, to enjoy the beautiful day, and 
 the children, true to childhood and innocence, filled 
 the air with glad shouts, sweet songs and romping 
 play. To add to the general joy, the captain an- 
 nounced that the last bolt was in place, and we would 
 start in a few hours. A glad cheer w^ent over the 
 water; soon all w^as life and joy where it had been 
 fear and danger. At half past nine the engine 
 throbbed and boomed, the signal bell rang, and again 
 a glad shout rang through the ship as the regular 
 sounds of the engine were heard. There seemed to 
 be another lease of life ; the children ran in high glee, 
 slapping their hands and shouting, "She's started! 
 She's started I Hurrah! Hurrah!" and away and 
 around they ran beyond control. In fact, no one 
 wanted them controlled, for they but expressed the 
 feelings of all ages. In a few hours the young people 
 began promenading and the older ones to collect in 
 groups, talking in subdued tones or sitting* in silence 
 in the bright sunshine, looking serene and happy. 
 As I gazed on the beautiful scene which lay before 
 
466 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 me, I could but ask: Who, of all the hundreds who 
 were rejoicing over their deliverance, thought of the 
 brave engineers who had toiled night and day through 
 these hours of danger, re|3airing the broken shaft 
 with unwearied arm, steady hand, sleepless eye and 
 noble souls. Alas! I feared but few. Too often 
 the self-sacrificing toilei*s are neglected or forgotten 
 in this life, but in that which is to come, when jus- 
 tice is meted out to all, they will wear the laurel crown. 
 After supper on the evening of the 9th, life 
 aboard the ship was deeply interesting. The re- 
 bound in feeling was sudden and wonderful. In the 
 dining room small groups of six to ten were gathered 
 in cheerful conversation; music was heard overhead, 
 which had a more lofty and triumphant tone than 
 before; there was sweeter melody in the close of each 
 rounded refrain. The children's voices were softer 
 and their faces brighter as they discussed their pic- 
 ture books and toys. Among the emigrants there 
 were glad voices, glad songs and glad hearts, and 
 their children breathed sweeter, higher music, for 
 it came from hearts acquainted with sorrow and pain. 
 To me, as I sat silently listening, or slowly walking 
 to and fro, the evidence of joy for our deliverance 
 more than paid for all the anxiety and privation we 
 had endured, for all had come through the wiser and 
 better from the trial of nerve and faith. The Chris- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 467 
 
 tian was stronger than ever before; the unl>eliever 
 hung his head with a conscious shame for his cow- 
 ardice in time of danger. He had leai-ned that death 
 to him was but a plunging into darkness, whik^ to 
 the Christian it was passing from darkness to light. 
 
 We were adrift, after the shaft broke, eighty- 
 eight hours, during which time the engineers never 
 quit work. The emergency was so great and so many 
 lives at stake they could not, nor did they want to, 
 rest. Diuing the weary hours there were many 
 amusino; and ludicrous mishaps constantly occurring 
 that broke the monotony. Sometimes a boastful pas- 
 senger who tried to defy seasickness, the storm, God 
 and man, would be sent sprawling on deck or cabin 
 floor, or suddenly collapse in his defiance of death, 
 and present such abject terror in his looks that all 
 were either amused or disgusted. There are few 
 situations that will test Christian faith more thor- 
 oughly than being adrift or in a wreck in a storm 
 at sea. The dark water has no horror for the Chris- 
 tian; death by drowning is quick and painless, and 
 to the Christian it is but a passing over to where there 
 is no sea, no storm and no more change, while the 
 unbeliever shrinks back from the dark gulf, for to 
 him there is no light or hope beyond. This makes 
 him the more contemptible and pitiable when his ani- 
 mal courage fails. 
 
468 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 On the morning of the 11th a gladsome cry ran 
 through the ship, ''Sail, aho!" Sail, aho!" a:nd sure 
 enough, not far away the steamer ''Circassia" was 
 seen bearing down upon us in majestic style. It 
 was a grand sight to watch it rise and fall on the 
 great swells, with signal flags flying in answer to our 
 call. Soon a boat was lowered and pulled away to 
 the ship, for both vessels were now lying to. All 
 eyes and all glasses were in active use. The ''Cir- 
 cassia" was much surprised to meet us in mid-ocean 
 when we should have been in xs^ew York. AVe were 
 truly glad that we were found, and to hear from the 
 far-ofl" world once more, and were gratified to know 
 that our situation and safety could noAv be cabled 
 to both worlds. At the end of an hour our boat re- 
 turned, laden with needed supplies, beef, pork, cheese, 
 ice, etc. The ships then steered away, the ''Circas- 
 sia" for Glasgow and we for New York, now 1,800 
 miles distant. AVe were forced to sail on slow time 
 to avoid further accident — ten miles an hour — but 
 the remainder of the voyage was very pleasant and 
 enjoyable; music, games on deck, couA^ersation, dis- 
 cussion and controversy on the politics on both con- 
 tinents was indulged in. The weather continued 
 good, with thunderstorms enough to give us some 
 very beautiful sunsets; we also saw the singular phe- 
 nomenon of lightning strike the waters, once not far 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 469 
 
 away. There were several western passengers who 
 were nearly always out in time to see the sun rise 
 each morning, and talked much of its beauty. We 
 were greatly astonished one day wh^n an 18-year- 
 old son of one of the first families of New York 
 asked what was meant by "Sunrise." He had never 
 seen one, so the next morning he was called up to 
 witness it. After looking at it for a time with won- 
 der and delight, he innocently asked if the sun always 
 rose that way. 
 
 In the forenoon of the 19th we were met by 
 a pilot boat, which had been sent at the proper time, 
 as our whereabouts had been cabled from Glasgow, 
 and, therefore, they knew just when to meet us. 
 The morning of the 21st we sighted Sandy Hook, 
 and were soon anchored at quarantine. When the 
 health officer came aboard he was surprised to find 
 every person sound and well, as far as sickness was 
 concerned, rightly judging that if there had been 
 germs of cholera aboard they would have developed 
 in twenty-one days. On the 2 2d we landed once 
 more on solid ground, and almost everyone made 
 haste to telejoraph home. Finding that I was safe 
 and sound, I did not rush home like some, but came 
 through northern New York and the fruit region 
 of Canada, and thence to Detroit ; from there to Rich- 
 mond, Indiana, attended Indiana Yearly Meeting, 
 
 30 
 
470 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 then started for Indianapolis, but wa- captured by a 
 cousin on the way and delayed for a day and night. 
 1 finally reached home, in better health than when 
 I left ten months before, ha^dng traveled 32,000 miles 
 by railroad and steamship, beside much by carriage, 
 horseback, street car and on foot. 
 
 At home I found another precious little grand- 
 daughter, a few^ w^eeks old, with which the other chil- 
 dren had arranged a surprise for grandpa; this was 
 nicely done, and all was joy and rejoicing. Yet I 
 could hardly believe that it was all reality, but the 
 events of the last ten months were real and not a 
 dream. When I met my friends at Richmond and 
 received their warm congratulations, it seemed past 
 belief that it was I, instead of a more gifted one, who 
 had accomplished the wonderful journev under such 
 unlooked-for conditions. Among my neighbors, with 
 whom I had toiled and struggled through long years 
 of privation and hardship, it was a matter of sur- 
 prise that I alone should be the favored one and 
 able to succeed in carrying out early aspirations, and 
 this, too, without wealth or outside influence. Yea, 
 it was marvelous in our eyes, and we simply said, the 
 Lord helped. 
 
 When a few weeks later I returned to Guilford 
 College to spend the winter, it was no less an aston- 
 ishment to mv old childhood associates that I had 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 471 
 
 returned alive from what to tliem seemed a miracu- 
 lous iouruey, especially those of my own age, who 
 had remained near their childhood homes. Often 
 when addressing large companies of bright-faced 
 eager children, I felt a strange sensation at my heart 
 when I realized that they looked upon me as a won- 
 derful old man, while I saw myself as one of them 
 sixty years ago. 
 
CHAPTER THIRTEEN. 
 
 Visit to Yucatan and Southern Mexico — Coasting 
 Voyage Around the Gulf — Visit to Chichen-Itza 
 Ruins — In Merida Again — Uxmal Ruins — The 
 National Festivals — The Homeward Journey. 
 
 In early life I borrowed and read part of Mr. 
 Stephen's account of his visit to the ruins of South- 
 ern Mexico and Yucatan, and afterward when B. M. 
 Norman published his ''Rambles in Yucatan/' in 
 1842, I purchased the book, read and re-read it with 
 the deepest interest. Through all the intervening 
 years, everything t(uiching upon that wonderful re- 
 gion was eagerlv read and enjoyed; a desire to see 
 for myself became one of life's ideals. Like nearly 
 all other readers of books of travel, I had taken it 
 to be true without question that Egypt, Palestine, 
 Syria, Greece and Italy held the oldest ruins in the 
 world, and in my early dreams of travel placed them 
 first and those of Central America last on the list. 
 So my life work began slowly and went on through 
 the weary years of toil, disappointment and suffer- 
 ing, as heretofore set forth, until the time came when 
 (472) 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 473 
 
 opportunity- opened np for me to finally realize my 
 last fond dream. 
 
 It seemed as though a special Providence had 
 prepared the way for my trip to Yucatan. A niece, 
 Jnlia L. Ballinger, had been engaged in establish- 
 ii.g a Friends' Mission for Girls at Matamoras, Mex- 
 ico. She had been there twelve years, and had mas- 
 tered the Spanish language, as well as the Mexican 
 Spanish. She was also conversant with the prevail- 
 ing diseases of the climate, and the proper remedies, 
 so she conld be interpreter and doctor. Upon corre- 
 sponding with her I found that a time had come in 
 her work when she could and would take a vacation, 
 and that she would be able to start on short notice. 
 
 I left Amo, Indiana, the morning of December 
 19th, 1895. At Indianapolis I took the Big Four 
 Hailroad for St. Louis, and from there went by the 
 Iron Mountain route to Little Rock, Arkansas, and 
 to Galveston, Texas, on the gulf, making close con- 
 nection, but arriving on time after traveling forty- 
 fc^ur hours. I was much disappointed to find the 
 steamer delayed by a storm down the coast. When 
 it came, in two days, it had to go to Morgan ( 'ity 
 and return, causing a vexatious delay of eight days- 
 While waiting for the boat, the time was taken up 
 in exploring the island and learning the history of 
 the city, picking up items of interest along the dock, 
 
474 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 listening to sailors' yarns and witnessing the half- 
 barbaric celebration of Christmas, which was in strik- 
 ing contrast to that of northern cities. 
 
 On the morning of December 29th the steamer 
 returned and took a krge amount of freight for 
 Brownsville, and one passenger, but woe to me! I 
 was doomed to another delay. We were scarcely out 
 to sea when an ugly thunderstorm came up, making 
 it so dark one could not see to read, and soon a hur- 
 ricane began to blow with a deafening roar that was 
 gTand and inspiring, thoup'h at times rather violent. 
 The steamer had to lay to and double anchor. All 
 night the thunder boomed, the cordage about the 
 ship hummed like harp strings, the rain fell in tor- 
 rents, and outside the waves dashed and roared, keep- 
 ing time with the deep-toned thunder. I began to 
 think I was a lineal descendant of Jonah, for of 
 seven voyages I had made, six of them were stormy. 
 On the 30th the sun rose bright and clear over the 
 troubled sea, the wind was falling, and about 8 a. 
 m. we steamed on again, but kept under shelter of 
 the land imtil noon, then stood off, for we had bright, 
 cool weather overhead, though the sea was still, chop 
 and rough. 
 
 The Gulf of Mexico has its peculiar character- 
 istics. There is not room to get up waves as in mid- 
 ocean, but there is space for the vicious West India 
 
UF ADDISON COFFIN. 475 
 
 tornado, which, comes on with a sharp, shrill scream 
 like the scape valve of a locomotive, whizzing and 
 twanging like a bow-string, blowing all around a per- 
 son at once, and is as hard to face as a iirst-class 
 blizzard on the great plains, the driving rain being 
 as blinding as snow. 
 
 The sea still being quite rough, the steamer an- 
 chored three miles off the bar at Point Isabel, early. 
 New Year's Day, 1896. I stepped into the little boat 
 and was carried ashore with the mail bags, through 
 the chop sea on the bar, and landed once more on 
 solid ground. But alas! for me again; the morning 
 train was gone and there was no other till 4 p. m. 
 A pleasant sui^Drise awaited me in my use of the 
 Quaker language. I attracted the attention of a sea 
 captain, who accosted me at once in his mother tongue, 
 saying he was descended from one of the Nantucket 
 tribes. He soon called others, so that shortly there 
 gathered about quite a circle of descendants from 
 Nantucket, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Many 
 were glad to hear the language of childhood, and 
 all were pleased to talk over ancestral reminiscences, 
 and what seemed still more pleasing and interesting 
 to them was the family genealogy that I could give 
 them, much of which they had not known, and now 
 they could locate some of the lost kinsfolk. So pleas- 
 antly did the time slip by that the day was gone 
 
476 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 ere we were half satisfied witli the unexpected re- 
 union. Among the family names reviewed were 
 Macy, Kennedy, Folger, Worth, Bunker, Barker, 
 Wheeler, Starbuck, Hussey, etc., etc. 
 
 Point Isabel is a small, straggling village, built 
 on a sandy point almost surrounded by water, noth- 
 ing within itself, but historic from being the place 
 where General Taylor started on his invasion of Mex- 
 ico. The embankments of his fortifications still show. 
 In its streets, and on all the sand banks, I was first 
 introduced to the fan-leaved cactus, which I saw in 
 different forms for two thousand miles thereafter. 
 The railroad across the neck to Brownsville is narrow 
 gauge, and much of it built on piling driven into the 
 marshland, which is partly covered with water. On 
 every side were vast numbers of water fowl, which 
 would sometimes darken the sun when they took wing. 
 It was a bright afternoon, and memories of local 
 events vivid. We passed over the ground where 
 General Taylor gained his first victories in the cele- 
 brated Mexican war, the result of which changed in- 
 directly the destiny of the Anglo-Saxon race. My 
 niece met me at the station in Brownsville. She had 
 come over from Matamoras with several of her friends, 
 who, together with other citizens of good old Nan- 
 tAicket, Xorth Carolina, Ohio and Indiana names, gave 
 me a warm, kindly reception, with the heartv hand- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 477 
 
 shake of pioneer days. 1 spent the night in Browns- 
 ville, and at the solicitation of the minister of the 
 Episcopal church, agreed to give a lecture on Pales- 
 tine the coming Saturday night. The next morning 
 we crossed the river in a row boat, took street car, and 
 were trotted across a low, alluvial soil, one mile 
 into Matamoras. 
 
 My niece and Miss Anna Dysart, matron 
 of the Presbyterian Mission, had arranged for me 
 to stop there while in the city. Miss Dysart, like 
 mv niece, had been instrumental in building up their 
 missions, and knew all the privations and disappoint- 
 ments incident to work in Mexico. My brief so- 
 journ under Miss Dysart's care was very pleasant and 
 will long be remembered. Through her kindness I 
 was introduced to many of her friends. Miss Bal- 
 linger also introduced me to our consul and many city 
 officials, by whose combined kindness I was dined, 
 visited and talked to, to my utmost capacity. 
 
 From Matamoras the program of our trip was 
 to be perfected. Accordingly we consulted the maps 
 of the countrv, the possibility of travel, for be it 
 known that travel in Mexico, other than by railroad 
 and on foot, is very slow, rough and uncertain busi- 
 ness. The roads are bad in every sense of the Avord, 
 often passing over long distances without inhabitants 
 or place of rest, so it requires much planning and a 
 
478 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 knowledge of where and how to go. It is impossi- 
 ble for an American, especially one born in the Ohio 
 Valley or Lake region, to know how different the world 
 of nature and humanity is in Mexico from anything 
 he has seen at home, for in Mexico many trees, bushes, 
 plants, vines, grasses and flowers are armed, and there 
 are thorns and poisonous juices and l^erries, while 
 men are armed with guns and knives. Then, too, 
 animals, reptiles and insects are vindictive and ag- 
 gressive, so that it requires much thought when you 
 propose taking a trip of a few thousand miles through 
 such a country. 
 
 Matamoras being a tvpical Mexican city with 20,- 
 000 inhabitants, I took a few lessons in every-day 
 life while I stayed there. I formed some acquain- 
 tance with it« miserably poor people, its dirt, dogs 
 and fleas, all mingling in one common herd. While 
 thus engaged Mr. Gorman, our consul, was very kind 
 and attentive in aiding me. He, too, was a traveler, 
 and we had been over much the same ground. He 
 was a fluent talker, a plausible reasoner, and gave me 
 many valuable items for the journey south. I also 
 met Dr. McMannus, who could speak many languages, 
 a traveler and noted chemist, then in government 
 employ. He was a shrewd reasoner and a judge of 
 liumanity. He, too, gave me many way marks and 
 suggestive ideas that were valuable further on. My 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 479 
 
 talk at Brownsvilk had called up old memories m 
 our past lives, and our adventures and the fountain 
 of memory was unsealed, and we became kinJred 
 spirits. 
 
 On the morning of January 6th, lS9(i, we started 
 on our long trip. My niece, Julia Ballinger, completed 
 the details of the journey by many ne<.*essary additions 
 to our outtit, in cases of emergency or accident. We 
 took rail and ran up the Rio Grande river seventy- 
 five miles, through a level, rich country, thinly set- 
 tled, but capable of almost limitless production if 
 properly cultivated, especially in corn. 
 
 Then we took stage for Monterey, two hundred 
 miles away. The stage trip proved to be full of 
 interest, hardship and novelty. The coach was drawn 
 by two, three or four mules, as necessity required, 
 sometimes driven by headlong, wild drivers. The 
 stages were clumsy, uncomfortable and rickety; the 
 roads were very rough in places, sideling, rocky, full of 
 deep chucks and gullies. We traveled day and night, 
 on level ground, at a fast tr<:)t, down hill at a break- 
 neck run, making the old stages sway and bounce 
 so that it was almost impossible to keep one's seat. 
 On two of the relays of twenty miles there were 
 out-riders used — men mounted on strong, active mules, 
 with twelve feet of rope attached to their saddles and 
 to the end of the tongue of the stage. When the 
 
480 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 driver snapped his long whip the wheel mules started, 
 the oiit-riders applied their spnrs, and we were off 
 with a wild bound. 
 
 One cool, bright, afternoon, the road led across 
 a wide, rolling plain, covered with an immense growth 
 of prickly pear, with the fruit nearly ripe. The 
 out-riders wore broad-brimmed hats anl red blankets, 
 which fluttered and flashed in the sunlight as we 
 dashed dow^n the long slopes with shouts and yells 
 that seemed to enter into the spirit of the mules, for 
 they stretched out in a long, steady run, and for 
 the time seemed unconscious of weariness. Such a 
 run of four to six miles down a seemingly boundless 
 plain is calculated to arouse the spirits of any one 
 fond of wild, free life. What mattered it; for the 
 time being we were thrown in all directions and 
 wildly grasped at everything in sight. But we for- 
 got it all and entered into the spirit of the surround- 
 ings; yet .when it was all over it made us think of 
 Horace Greely when old Haunk M<:»nk drove him 
 over the Sierras. 
 
 The larger poi^tion of the staging was across a 
 rich, almost unoccupied cactus plain, capable of sup- 
 porting a dense population if properly imgated. The 
 small villages we passed were mostlv made up of mis- 
 erable huts, destitute of comfort, where children, 
 dogs, pigs, and donkeys mingle on terms of friendly 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 481 
 
 equality. The nights were quite cool, and there was 
 not a single place where we could get wann. Twice 
 a shovel of live coals was dropped on the dirt Hoor 
 over which we warmed our feet, while half-dressed 
 children were rolling in the dust, seemingly "face all 
 over," as they heeded not the cold. One part of our 
 oiittit was a colfee stewer. At the relays my niece 
 would put her coffee and water in the pot, go into 
 a hut and put it on a tripod over the small tire, and 
 while it came to a boil talk to the wondering women 
 and children, who had never seen an American lady 
 do so before, and they seemed to count it an event 
 in their lives, and invariably asked for the coffee 
 grounds after we had used them, out of which they 
 would have a small feast. Everywhere the jx>or, de- 
 oraded women ha<l a kind word for my niece at 
 parting. She talked to them in their own lan- 
 guage, and they felt in their hearts that she had a 
 pitying sympathy for them. The little dirty, black- 
 eyed children gathered around and looked up with 
 a momentary flash of humanity in their faces. 
 
 At Monterey we took rail for Mexico City, 700 
 miles further on. The route lay, part of the time, 
 through one of the well-cultivated valleys, where 
 there were fields of wheat, rye and barley, and thous- 
 ands of acres being plowed for corn, but in most 
 places the work is done after the old primitive way 
 
482 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 — no iiiachineTv, no labor-saving tocds of any kind. 
 It was a very interesting trip, as it took me tlirougk 
 a new section of the country, giving me a still wider 
 knowledge of our next door neighbors southward. 
 The average American has an incorrect idea of Mex- 
 ico because it is down in one comer of the map. 
 When seen and traveled c>ver it is a large place, cap- 
 able of great advancement, and of supporting mil- 
 lions of people. 
 
 We arrived in Mexico in the morning, and be- 
 fore the train stopped five dogs boarded and came 
 into our car, eagerly hunting for anything eatable. 
 When we stepped off there w^ere enough dogs in 
 sight to be five each for all the other cars, and beer- 
 gars more repulsive and thievish than dogs, thrust- 
 ing themselves forward, and last, but equally annoy- 
 ing, the tricky, treacherous porters swarmed around. 
 We found the home of Dr. Johnson, who formerly 
 lived at Matamoras, and was known to my niece. 
 He and his family bade us welcome, and we had a 
 pleasant home during our stay in the city. Mexico 
 is a wonder within itself, and becomes more so when 
 contrasted with other cities on the continent. In 
 all its general outlines it is distinctively Moorish, and 
 belongs to the time of the Moors in Spain. The 
 railroads, street cars and electric lights are out of place, 
 when compared with its internal structure and the 
 
OF ADDJSON COFFIN. 483 
 
 daily life of its people. Six years had passed since 
 1 was in the city. The changes that had come in 
 that time were tangible evidence that there was yet 
 hope of a better day for the Republic. The num- 
 ber of vehicles had largely increased, the fine Eng- 
 lish coaches had doubled, street cars had trebled, 
 express wagons had become a necessity, the fire de- 
 partment had been improved, the soldiers were cleaner 
 and under better drill, the number wearing Ameri- 
 can clothes had increased, American residents had 
 doubled, foreigners were treated with more civility^ 
 and many of the animosities and antagonisms were 
 disappearing; yet the peculiar type of humanity 
 formed by the amalgamation of Spanish and Indian 
 will continue for many a day. We still noticed fully 
 twenty different physiognomies, and the same num- 
 ber of languages were spoken in the market. The 
 gradation is from the highest type of pure Castilian 
 nobility down to the little, black, dwarfish mountain 
 Indian, w^hose humanity, in some eases, is but one 
 remove above a well-trained shepherd dog. We were 
 pleased with one feature of city life, as seen on the 
 streets, in the churches and befoi^ civil law — the 
 miserable begirar and dw^arf Indian are accorded equal 
 rights and privileges everywhere, to go and come, to 
 seek life, liberty and happiness. 
 
 To a thinking, observing American, all of Mexico 
 
484 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 is interesting, for everything is in contrast to the 
 United States. The daily vocations, and even the 
 tools used, are different from ours. There are five 
 ways of yoking cattle to a plow or cart, and none 
 of them are as we do it. Instead of cutting their 
 grain, they pull much of it up, root and all. They 
 are still using the treading floor and hand flail in- 
 stead of steam separators ; in this way they are like the 
 people of Spain and Egypt. The primitive plows 
 used in the days of Abraham are yet ^een in the val- 
 leys of Mexico. In the streets of the city the porter 
 goes pacing by with great loads on his back; the lit- 
 tle donkey carries the same shaped bundle, has the 
 same rambling gait that his elder brother has in Cairo, 
 Egypt, Damascus and Syria. 
 
 There are many things in and aroun<l the city 
 such as churches, chapels, cath-edrals, shrines and 
 historical places that are very entertaining, but none 
 had so much interest for me as the great National 
 Museum, with its collection of relics of the wonder- 
 ful prehistoric past, which the government is gath- 
 ering from all parts of the Republic; the curiosities 
 had visibly increased in quantity and quality. The 
 great calendar stone is the wonder of the wonders; 
 next to it the image of Ohack Mull, found at Chi- 
 chen, in Yucatan, by Le Plongeon, and confiscated 
 by the government; then comes the colassal head of 
 
OF AJkDISON COFFJxV. 485 
 
 (liorite stone, staiidiiig three feet liigli, wliicli is an 
 object of study to archaeologists. Its history and 
 significance, like the others, is yet a mystery. The 
 scientist and general reader hnds in Mexico a mine 
 of hidden knowledge. As we walked among the 
 ruins of the past, the desire to know^ what lav beyond 
 our reach was constantly intensified by new discov- 
 eries that upset favorite theories. 
 
 The murderous and treacherous spirit of the 
 Spaniard was imparted to the conquered Indians, and 
 the worst element of the Indian was absorbed by 
 the Spaniards; then this unfortunate combination fell 
 under the influence of the woi-st characters of the 
 Roman Catholic church, and was doubl}^ poisoned 
 by it^ superstitions, and this polluted mass vented its 
 venom on the dumb relics of the lost, prehistoric civ- 
 ilization, w^hich destruction now fills the thinking 
 world with loathing and indignation. Many speci- 
 mens of architectural beauty bear the mark of the 
 sledge hammer, wielded by a blood-thirsty, bigoted 
 (^atholic priest, or by his order it has been shivered 
 by gunpowder. When I recall the history of the 
 Spanish race in the past, and see the fruits of its con- 
 quests, it fills me with horror. In Mexico they con- 
 quered a superior race and left them far worse than 
 they found them. There would be more hope for 
 the people of Mexico to-day were they intelligent 
 
 31 
 
486 ' LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 atheists instead of Roman Catholics. It would be far 
 better for the government if every Catholic priest 
 was forever banished; there would be more hope of 
 building up free schools and a stable government, 
 and of arresting and reforming the terrible state of 
 iimnoralitj that exist everywhere^ for it makes 
 the heart sick t-o know the amount of wickedness 
 and impurity that can be laid at the door of the 
 Catholic church in Mexico. 
 
 Our next journey was by way of Puebla and 
 Jalapa to Vera Cruz, through a beautiful valley and 
 tolerably well-cultivated country. The people were 
 still treading out the rye a,nd l)arley on the tread- 
 ing floor; shocks of rye were standing thick in some 
 iields, which was harvested two month>i before, with 
 a month of dry weather still ahead. The whole pro- 
 cess of harvesting and threshing was just like I had 
 seen in Spain and Portugal. AVe stopped a day in 
 Puebla, a beautiful city of 120,000 inhabitants, with 
 a cathedral not surpassed in beauty by anything on 
 the continent. It was verv interesting to watch the 
 effect of this imposing edifice upon the poor, degraded 
 mountaineers when they entered the building for 
 the first time. They came from huts and caves where 
 cleanliness is unknown, and where misery and want 
 make up their live.s. When they entered the splen- 
 did hall with its dazzling beauty, and heard the soft, 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 487 
 
 sweet music rising and floating away, the scene was 
 to them what a vision or a visit of a convoy of angels 
 would be to spiritual Christians, when engaged in 
 their solemn worship. So startling and overwhelm- 
 ing was the impression made upon them that ever 
 after they w^ere the willing slaves of the priest, who 
 had them under his oare; his word was law; to them 
 he was their highest ideal of God. 
 
 Mne miles from Puebla is the celebrated pyramid 
 of Cholula, supposed to be the largest structure ever 
 built by man. Knowing that there were doubts 
 about it being an artificial mound, I was prepared 
 to look with an impartial eye, though rather wish- 
 ing it to be artificial, but in ten minutes after reach- 
 ing it, the mistake was apparent, for the whole out- 
 line of the mound, its relation to other natural hills 
 in the vicinity, was proof of its natural formation. 
 It is the last of a line of detached hills, projecting 
 into the valley from the mountains to the west. 
 The axis of the line comes straight to Cholula, yet 
 it is evident the hill has been terraced and adorned 
 as a place of resort by all the generations of people 
 inhabiting the. country for thousands of years. 
 Though I was somewhat disappointed in finding it 
 a natural mound, I could but admire the taste and 
 ideal judgment of all the people of the past in se- 
 lecting it as a resort or place of . worship, for there 
 
488 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 are few more cliariniiig and beautiful. It is in the 
 niidst of a romantic valley, while rising high above 
 the mountain range stands Popocatepetl, covered with 
 perpetual snow, which crowns the scene with a splen- 
 dor that is almost intoxicating in its effect on any 
 lover of the sublime. 
 
 In Puebla we had an experience with dishonest 
 porters, who attempted to extort and defraud, but 
 Julia was equal to the emergency. She bade 
 me watch the luggage while she found a guard, 
 and in a few minutes had the thievish brutes scat- 
 tered like frightened curs, and all was well. On 
 the way from Puebla to Jalapa we passed thousands 
 of acres of the maguay, or century plant, from which 
 the vile pulque, the national drink, is made. It 
 was in rows from six to ten feet apart, and presented 
 a novel sight. As food, it is as worthless to Mexico 
 as tobacco is to the States. This intoxicating drink 
 is as imbruting to the Mexicans as tobacco to white 
 people. 
 
 Jalapa is an old Spanish town built on the side 
 of a hill so steep that there are no public carriages 
 in use, and l)ut one street car line. It is located 
 in the heart of the banana and coffee region, where 
 everything in sight is in strong contrast with the 
 wide cactus plains passed in coming to that ])oint. 
 There we wei-e first introduced to the perpetual green 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 489 
 
 of the sub-tropieal growth. The change was as sud- 
 den as it was delightful. We looked with glad hearts 
 upon our new surroundings; every form of organic 
 life had altered, and we seemed to have entered a 
 new world, where vegetable and animal life appear 
 to be governed by new laws, and where humanity 
 merely vegetate. The banana fields on the mountain 
 side, with coffee orchards, form a beautiful pano- 
 rama. As we wound in many a graceful curve of 
 wonderful engineering skill over and among the ever- 
 green mountains, we drank in the glorious scene 
 until w^e began to feel as if we were paid for the 
 long journey. As we gradually emerged from the 
 mountain scenery, we had glimpses of the lowland, 
 and were soon 2:oing down grade to the tangled for- 
 ests and impenetrable jungles with which they are 
 covered. In many places the growth was so thick 
 that a man could not cut his way a hundred feet 
 an hour, and nearly all the plants are unknown in 
 the states. We felt that the slower the train the 
 better, for it gave opportunity to take in more of the 
 wonders that were flitting by. Our car windows 
 were all open, and the hot sunshine came in with 
 astonishing intensity, especially when we remembered 
 the zero w^eather in the Ohio Valley. Amid such 
 surroundings we were hurried across wide expanses 
 of i>Tass land, with cattle feeding on the ever-green 
 
490 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 pastures, and stretches of naked, hot sand, stagnant 
 lagoons, until suddenly the wide gulf district and the 
 city of Vera Cruz was before us ; we entered and were 
 horrified. I would speak a good word for all places 
 and people, if I could do so in truth, but I can say 
 nothing in favor of Vera Cruz as a city, and very 
 little for the people. It is one of the most loath- 
 some and disgusting cities, more vile in filthiness than 
 the outlet of the Chicago river, more dirty than the 
 market streets in Jerusalem and Constantinople, the 
 stagnant canals of Hamburg, the Chinese quarter in 
 San Francisco, or the fumes of Colter's Hell in Yel- 
 lowstone Park. Every step we took we smelt a hor- 
 rid stench, every breath we breathed we inhaled vile 
 odors into our lungs, and at night when the muck 
 was stirred up wath long brooms, it became foul be- 
 yond belief, and to crown the horrors there are thous- 
 ands of carrion crows or southern buzzards eating 
 and fighting in the streets, sitting on the gates and 
 roofs of houses, in and around the market house, 
 awmino- posts, and everywhere there is room for their 
 feet. We soon imagined that the foo'd was impreg- 
 nated. Foreigners try to overcome it with strong 
 perfumes, but in vain; it persistently asserts itself. 
 ALL, ALL IS YILE. 
 
 On the 20th of January we boarded a Mexican 
 coasting steamer, loaded to its utmost capacity in 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 491 
 
 tonnage and bulk, with a. miscellaneous oai-go suited 
 to the wants of a thousand miles of coast around the 
 gulf. Its final destination was Progreso, the main 
 shipping port of Yucatan, and we thought it a rare 
 opportunity to see the coast and the shipping busi- 
 ness, as we could not go by a direct sea voyage from 
 port to port by the regular lines. After we left 
 Vera Cruz we sailed down the coast southward, and 
 the first important poin^ of any interest was Coat- 
 zacoalcos, at the mouth of the river of the same 
 name, at the north end of the Tehuantepee railroad. 
 We arrived that night and made fast to the dock, 
 and for a time all was still, but when morning came 
 we were in the midst of tropical splendor. There 
 were gTOves of stately palm and mahogany in sight, 
 with endless variety of new and unknown trees, bushes, 
 vines and flowers. The grass grew to the water's edge ; 
 pendant vines hung from the trees and waved in the 
 breeze; many new and beautiful birds sang in the for- 
 est; cocoanuts, half grown, were seen in great clus- 
 ters; the date palm was full of growing fruit, and 
 many varieties of nuts, fruits and berries were seen 
 on every side. It was a marvelous contrast to any- 
 thing ever seen in the States, especially in the lake 
 region, and it is difficult to give an intelligent de- 
 scription for lack of a common standard of compari- 
 son. Evervtliing is new, and at fii^st we felt bewild- 
 
492 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 ered with the strange surroundings. We knew it was 
 the season of mid-winter, yet we were standing amidst 
 mid-summer hfe. 
 
 The steamer had much freight to land, and all 
 day the demck was kept busy hoisting this to the 
 wharf. It was afterwards earned off into an en- 
 closed lot and piled up close to a train of cars wait^ 
 ing to receive it. There were no trucks, drays or 
 carts of any kind; all wa^ carried on the backs of 
 men or mlled on the ground. They seemed bent on 
 making instead of saving work. It was an inter- 
 esting day to us, for both men and nature were en- 
 vironed, developed and actuated by impulses that 
 were entirely new to us. It was our first lesson in 
 sub-tropical life, and firmly fastened itself on the 
 memory. When nearly sundown the ship steamed 
 southward up the river to a landing thirty-six miles 
 inland. The trip was very fine, the air was soft, cool 
 and refreshing; the moonlight gave a charming out- 
 line to things on shore, while strange soimds were 
 heard in the dark forests. Small fires were blazing 
 neai' the native huts on shore to frighten away nox- 
 ious insects and reptiles; new constellations had come 
 into view in the southern heavens, which enhanced 
 the night scene. Sometime after midnight the ship 
 landed, and soon all grew still and we too lay down 
 to rest and dream of wonderful things. In the morn- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 493 
 
 iiig there was a grand serenade of cock crowing, 
 turkey gobbling, dogs barking, donkeys braying, par- 
 rots screaming, and as the morning advanced the 
 whole forest was vo<,'al with the singing of birds, and 
 to me it was the beginning of a glorious day. The 
 ship was close in shore, the river was narrow and 
 deep, and all the surroundings were more beautiful 
 and inspiring than at Ooatzocoalcos. Soon after 
 sunrise canoes began coming down the river. They 
 were some forty feet long and made of a single tree; 
 all were loaded with manv varieties of vegetables and 
 fiiiits. There were large numbers of all kinds of 
 domestic fowls, with a vast amount of eggs in small 
 wicker baskets, palm branches thirty feet long for 
 thatching houses, and rolls of a leaf 6x8 feet, which 
 seemed very valuable, besides other things new and 
 unknown. Soon the local market of the town was 
 a busy, noisy place, where human nature and sel- 
 fishness were as conspicuous as in other parts of the 
 world. Across the river were grand forests, beneath 
 the dark shade of which v/ere many conical, thatched 
 huts, in which the natives were lazily smoking their 
 pipes and spending their aimless, indolent lives. 
 
 Soon after noon the signal was given to cast loose, 
 and we steamed oif down the river, making rapid 
 headway, and were ere long at the coast again. The 
 down tri[) was mor(5 than ordinarily entertaining. 
 
494 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 With the field glass we could look off into the deep 
 forests, into the fniit orchards and gardens, off among 
 the palm groves, ont on the low, green pastures, where 
 there were thonsands of fat cattle and hundreds of 
 poor horses grazing. AVe could also look over the 
 marshlands and see immense flocks of large, white 
 cranes slowly floating about, and other water fowl 
 in abundance. Every turn in the river presented 
 some new object of interest or new scene of beauty. 
 Above, below and all around seemed to have some- 
 thing charming to the eve and impressive to the mem- 
 ory. 
 
 When w^e annved at the mouth of the river, the 
 vast pile of freight left the day before had been lifted 
 again and packed in the cars, thus doubling the amount 
 of labor it would have taken under proper manage- 
 ment. We took on more freight, an-.l just at night- 
 fall we steamed out to sea and turned eastward. The 
 night was at first calm and clear. The outline of the 
 shore formed the horizon on one side, and the quiet, 
 silent sea on the other. It was a luxury to sit in the 
 solemn stillness and l)reathe the soft, pure sea air, but 
 in the night a stiff breeze come on, and by morning 
 we had a rough, chop sea, that took the romance out 
 of the surroundings. We anchored off the port of 
 Frontera, and awaited the coming out of the mail 
 boat, the sea being too rough to enter the harbor. 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 495 
 
 After waiting several hour? it came, but there was 
 much difficulty in making it fast to the steamer. It 
 rose and fell six to eight feet, and passengers, mail 
 bags and luggage had to be transferred Avhen the decks 
 were even. There was danger, excitement and merri- 
 ment connected with the work, but after many slips, 
 bumps, thumps and tumbles, the transfers were safely 
 made, and the boat cast loose, and while bounding 
 away like a cork, we again put cait to sea. 
 
 The next important place was Carmen, on Car- 
 men Island, in the lagoon. It is one of the centers 
 of the logwood and mahogany business; there were 
 many ships in port loading for Xew York and Eu- 
 rope. The amount of logwood shipped, and the man- 
 ner of preparing it, was quite a sui-prise to me. Every 
 part of a tree, even stumps, roots and small branches, 
 are saved. All tjie bark and sap wood is shaved off, 
 and the whole is cut into short sticks like ordinary 
 cord wood is prepared for market, and bought and sold 
 by the pound. An active man will prepare from six 
 hundred to one thousand pounds per day, and true 
 to their shiftless way, all is done by hand instead of 
 trucks and wheelbarrows. The dealers say it is now^ 
 used vevj extensively for coloring wine and other 
 drinks. The mahogany is cut in logs from eight to 
 twenty feet long, lined up and straightened for close 
 packing in ships, and rafted down the rivers and la- 
 
496 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 goons to the coast^ and there hoisted aboard ships 
 with derricks, quite an exciting and dsngerous busi- 
 ness. 
 
 We went ashore at Carmen, and visited the beau- 
 tiful Plaza, with its fountains and flowers, one of the 
 public schools, and one of the splendid private homes, 
 with it-s inner court of rare fruits and flowers. Julia 
 Ballinger's good Spanish created quite a sensation 
 in the school. Teachers and students gathered around 
 with eager looks and questions, to which she could 
 readilv reply, and they in turn were willing to an- 
 swer questions relative to their school system, theirs 
 class books, the school appliances and their thoughts 
 concerning jDractical education. While listening to 
 their talk we perceived the primitive ideas, jvhich, 
 ^\atli their meager school furniture, left us no longer 
 in wonder as to why they were so far behind in 
 general intelligence. The influence of the priest- 
 hoo<:l was dwai*fing and blighting soul and mind. At 
 the end of an hour we withdrew, for we saw the whole 
 school was completely disorganized and had gath- 
 ered around the wonderful American lady. One of 
 the teachers could speak some English, and he and 
 I did quite an amount of talking while Miss Ballinger 
 was interesting the school. Later on in the day four 
 bright boys came to the steamer to bid us good-bye, 
 and ask more (juestions about some points which were 
 
OF ADDISON COFFJN. 497 
 
 making a discussion in the school. They finally left 
 us in high glee, starting off on a run. 
 
 At Carmen we met the Maya people, the rem- 
 nant of the oldest race in the world, and speaking the 
 oldest language. One of the physical characteristics 
 came at once into view. They are plantigrade, and 
 have prehensile toes; the great toe of the body stands 
 off' an inch from the others; with it they can grasp 
 a rope, the limb of a tree, or any small object that 
 they can with the hand. This makes them first-class 
 sailors and boatmen. They are wholly distinct from 
 all other races and tribes of people. Their cleanly 
 habits were so marked that w^e noticed it at first con- 
 tact, and we soon recognized and reverenced many 
 lingering characteristics of their lost civilization. We 
 became attached to them through sympathy for a 
 ruined and conquered race, who were once the rulers 
 of all that land. 
 
 The natural scenerV' around Carmen has much 
 of the marvelous and beautiful in it to people from 
 our lake region. The luxuriant sub-tropical growth 
 comes down to the water line in forests of magnifi- 
 cent palms, or jungles of vines and flowers, impene- 
 trable by men or large animals. Sometimes they are 
 all aflame with flowers of yellow and crimson with 
 i-ipening berries. Everywhere is the everlasting 
 green of perpetual spring time, where frost is un- 
 
498 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 kuowii. The song bii*ds were new, as were the mul- 
 titude of bugS; worms aud iusects. Some of them 
 were bright and pretty^ others loathsome to behold, 
 jet all diligent to till their brief mission in life, while 
 everywhere, unchanging and singing the same low 
 tune, the mosquito makes himself known. 
 
 i^rom the lagoon we sailed for Campeche, tak- 
 ing all night to make the run. We came in sight of 
 land eaidy in the morning, but on account of low 
 tide, the steamer anchored three miles from shore. 
 We were tired of coasting- and sick of the dirty cook- 
 ing, tobacco smoke and general slov^enliness aboard 
 the steamer, so w^e took a small sail boat and came 
 to land after a rough sail among the breakers and 
 hot sunshine. We thought of stopping in the city 
 a few days, but We learned that the railroad train 
 toward Merida would leav€ at 3 p. m., and as it did 
 not run every day, we decided to go on at once 
 and trust to seeing the city at another time. We 
 took lunch and a walk through the streets, and then 
 to the railroad station, and at 6 p. m. reached the 
 end of the track where there was a gap of thirty - 
 nine miles, which had to be made in a volon, or two- 
 wheeled cart. When we first saw that style of ve- 
 hicle, we had to acknowledge there was something 
 new under the sun. It was a combination of dray 
 and ox cart, log wagon and mud wagon, such as were 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 499 
 
 used sixty years ago in the northwest. Hideously 
 ugly, uncomfortable, unwieldy and repulsive, it was 
 drawn by three mules, one between the shafts and 
 one on each side. There was no especial place to 
 get in OT out; to do either was like climbing a rail- 
 road fence. The trip had to be ma-le in the night 
 to reach the train on the other end of the road next 
 morning-, so we mounted a cart, ready for an experi- 
 ence. The driver proved to be unskillful and head- 
 long in his driving, and we had to sit in a half re- 
 clining position or lie down. We started on a lively 
 trot over a very rocky, broken road, the cart sway- 
 ing sideways, endways and all other ways, bounding 
 in the air and dropping into chucks. At midnight 
 we stopped to feed the mules and take lunch where 
 there were many other carts, then on again just be- 
 hind the mail cart, but in less than two miles one 
 wheel came oif our cart and dowai we went with a 
 bang. The mules took fright and were soon beyond 
 control, but the driver and attendant of the mail cart 
 sprang out and caught the outer mules, and by vig- 
 orous jerking and rough yanking, iinally brought 
 them to a halt. They were detached and tied up, 
 the wheel found, and by all hands lifted, replaced and 
 secured and we resumed the niDnotonous trot and jolt- 
 ing over the stones, none the worse for the adven- 
 ture, but with one more experience. 
 
500 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 Tliuiigii rough and uncomfortable, the cart trav- 
 eling was not wholly without interest. The bright 
 moonlight enabled us to see the villages and towns 
 on the wav, and gave shadowy sublimity to the stately 
 palm groves through which we passed. The dense 
 tangles of bushes, vines and creejiers had a softer, 
 sweeter sheen than under the glare of the noonday 
 sun, and now we remember that night's experience 
 with much more kindly feeling than when we arrived 
 at the railroad station at daylight next morning, tired, 
 stiif and sore, ready to think hard thoughts and say 
 hard words about that night's journey. Once aboard 
 the cars in a reclining chair, we were soon asleep 
 and knew little more of the outer world until aroused 
 at Merida at 10 a. m. January 2nth, 1896, thirty- 
 eight days out from Amo, Indiana, and 3,000 miles 
 or more travel. 
 
 To be in Yucatan, as heretofore expressed, the 
 land of wonderful ruins, was one of the ideals of early 
 life. It was associated with Egvpt, Palestine, Syria, 
 Greece, Italy, Ireland, Sweden and the Land of the 
 Midnight Sun in all my dreams of future achieve- 
 ment, all of which I had seen, and now in my old 
 age my last fond desire was gTatified; its realization 
 filled me with emotion words cannot express. Of 
 course, I saw things through a rose-colored light and 
 a charmed me<lium. What to others would have 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 501 
 
 been of small account, to my aroused imagination 
 might have had exaggerated interest, were it not that 
 the long, devious journey made in getting there had 
 toned down my enthusiasm, I think, to a tolerably 
 reasonable point. At all events, I was glad I was 
 there at last, and thanked the Lord for it. 
 
 Merida is a city of 50,000 inhabitants, the clean- 
 est in all Mexico or Central America, with less ap- 
 pearance of poverty, suffering and want, fewer beg- 
 gars, less drunkenness, less idleness and loafing 
 around public places, I am sorry to say, than our 
 own cities of the same size. The streets are unpaved, 
 but are mostly on solid rock, but like those of all Mex- 
 ican cities, are narrow, with very narrow sidewalks. 
 Sometimes a sudden rainfall turns the limestone dust 
 into regular brick moitar, which for a few hours 
 splatters and smears things terribly, but as a general 
 thing the streets are clean. 
 
 The inhabitants are the greatest objects of in- 
 terest to be found in the city. Four-fifths of them 
 are pure blood Mayas, and speak the Maya language, 
 which is distinct from the Aztec, Toltec, and in fact 
 all languages. For aught we know, it was the lan- 
 guage of Adam and Seth. They are very cleanly 
 in their habits and dress. IN'early all wear light gar- 
 ments; the men light pants, with shirt on outside, 
 confined by the revolver, knife and belt: all go bare- 
 
 32 
 
502 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 footed or have sandals. The women wear a flow- 
 ing underskirt, with the chemise on the outside hang- 
 ing to the knees, many of them tastefuly ornamented 
 around the neek and wrists, with lace around the 
 skirt; the girls dress as the women. The garments 
 of both sexes are very appropriate for the climate 
 and business of the people. They are clean all over, 
 even to their feet, and this too in spite of the dujt 
 of the streets and highways. Many of the high- 
 toned ladies wear slippers when walking out, though 
 they go barefooted at home. The ladies have a 
 charming appearance as they pass in the bright sun- 
 light with flowing garments, every adjunct of which 
 is so extremely neat. In the morning, when thous- 
 ands of women are in the great market house, the 
 scene is wonderful. The women do all the market- 
 ing, and the huge, open shed is a sea of white gar- 
 ments, reddish-brown faces and coal black hair, while 
 the soft hum of voices makes it a scene to be re- 
 membered. Three-fifths of Yucatan is almost a level 
 plain, very rocky, imderlaid with a coralline lime- 
 stone formation, but with little tilt in the bedrock of 
 the whole area. The highest point is only seventy- 
 five feet above sea level, the average about twenty- 
 five feet, an'd what is more singular, there are no rivers 
 or running streams. The water supply is in large, 
 fininel-shaped sink holes, where the water stands at 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 503 
 
 sea. level. All villages have one or more wells dug 
 in the solid rock; they are as inexhaustible as the 
 ocean. This well is to the women and children what 
 the saloon is to the men — the place of general meet- 
 ing, where all the news and gossip is discussed. They 
 are generally in a shady place; around these fountains 
 of water the natives congregate in the cool of the 
 day. They seem to live a dreamy, contented life, 
 with but little aspiration, and we soon learned to look 
 with kindly interest into their clean, broad faces as 
 the}' turned them toward us. According to Ameri- 
 caji ideas they are not beautiful, but they are a lov- 
 able race: their quiet civility is especially charming, 
 when compared with the Aztecs in the City of Mexico. 
 The Spaniard did not impress as much of his Moor- 
 i:?h character on the Mayas as on other tribes, and 
 they have many distinctive, redeeming traits, which 
 have come down from their ancient, grand civilization. 
 The natives proudly sav, ''We were conquered by the 
 Spaniard, but w^e never amalgamated with our con- 
 querors, as others did,'' and to-day the viler elements 
 of society are of the mixed races. The more we mingle 
 with the Mayas, the more convinced we were that 
 they are the parent race of Central America and Yu- 
 catan — the cradle of American civilization. If not of 
 the world. There is more evidence that the Egyp- 
 tian was copiefl from the ^laya than the Maya from 
 
504 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 the Egyptian, and just now there is no place better 
 suited to furnish material for plausible theories of 
 the origin of civilization than Yucatan. 
 
 Merida stands on the site of an ancient city, and 
 the great pyi'amid furnished a large amount of build- 
 ing material. The conqueroi*s erected a strong fort 
 on the ruins, enclosing a church and other buildings 
 now falling into decay. The limestone is still abun- 
 dant, notwithstanding the vast quantity used in the 
 immense ruins. The city of Merida is built of this 
 rough stone; the houses are plastered in the irmer 
 courts, and cliaml)ers, concreted and painted white 
 on the outside. At noonday the reflection from the 
 whited walls is almost blinding to the foreigner, but 
 at night, beneath the brilliant electric light, the ef- 
 fect is magical and the evenings on the great plaza 
 are most enjoyable. 
 
 We had letters of introduction to our consul, 
 Robert Oliver, and by him were introduced to ex- 
 consul Dr. Edward W. Thompson, who is making 
 a life work of studying the ruins of Yucatan and 
 adjoining states, collecting relics of the prehistoric 
 ages, and taking casts and impressions of the picture 
 writing and other hieroglyphics, of which he is mak- 
 ing a grand success. To have had the privilege of con- 
 versing with him and seeing his sanctum, his mar- 
 velous curios, such as paintings, photographs and ob- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 505 
 
 jects of scientific interest, was alone worth a trip 
 from Indiana to Merida. His enlarged photographs 
 show the ruins with almost the same clearness as if 
 standing in the sunlight before the originals. He 
 did most of the work of preparing the exhibit of the 
 ruins at the World's Fair at Chicago. He has a com- 
 plete copy of the only history of the Maya race that 
 has escaped the destruction of the Spaniards, and 
 he has succeeded in deciphering many passages in the 
 book. 
 
 We spent a week at Merida studying the people. 
 My niece gave a great deal of her time to the 
 language, the pronunciation, intonation, etc., for 
 though the Spanish was the public and state language, 
 the natives spoke the Maya among themselves. Our 
 housekeeping was an interesting feature of our 
 stay. Julia purchased an outfit, including an al- 
 cohol stove, for $3.92. The alcohol for a day's cook- 
 ing cost five cents. Our utensils could all be put 
 into a three-gallon bucket or market basket. We 
 rented a room in the middle of a large building where 
 the heat did not penetrate. It was 24x30, and 
 twenty-five feet from floor to ceiling; it was lighted 
 by a skylight. We bought bread from the baker, 
 coffee ready ground from the mill, Irish and sweet 
 potatoes, small heads of cabbage, turnips, eggs and 
 fruit in the market. We brought with us canned 
 
506 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 butter, meat, milk and koney. The rent of the room 
 was sixty cents a day, while our food cost twenty- 
 eight to thirty-two cents per day. The most enjoy- 
 able i^art was watching the cooking on the minia- 
 ture stove with its tiny, blue blaze. When one came 
 out of the dust and heat of a long walk, this house- 
 keeping wa^ as delightful as camping in the moun- 
 tains or the plains of the far north. AVe gathered 
 all the information we could about the towns and 
 villages we proposed to visit, besides taking note of 
 the habits of the people who came to the city market 
 from distant places. Sometimes we picked up items 
 of gossip that were of value to us in other places. 
 
 On the 3rd of February, 1896, we started, in 
 company with Dr. Edward Thompson, for Izmal, the 
 end of the railroad, on the trip to Chichen-Itza ruins, 
 one of our objective points. To get there we must 
 travel 120 miles, though as the crow flies it was only 
 100 miles away. We left most of our luggage in 
 the city, the doctor having made ample provision 
 by the way and at his splendid mansion at the ruins, 
 which are located on his 72,000 acres, purchased from 
 an old Spanish family. The doctor had given us 
 due notice that there would be no soft places on the 
 trip, that there would be rough carting, rough fare, 
 heat and hard (dimbing all along the way, but the 
 object in view would repay all the privation. The 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 507 
 
 railroad travel was to be done by day, but much of 
 the carting by night, to a\^oid the heat and dust. 
 Traveling by night is a national custom, and it is 
 often done from choice. In all our night travel 
 we met or passed more people than by day. Vege- 
 tables and fruit are taken to market during the night, 
 the street cars in Merida run until after nudnight all 
 the time, and in hot weather all night. Men and 
 mules seem made for night travel in Yucatan, as the 
 Arab of the desert. 
 
 We were now down to really solid work, and 
 started out with minds, eyes and ears on the alert 
 for all that passed before us. By this time Mis^ 
 Ballinger was full of enthusiasm, and in eager antici- 
 pation of the things which we were to view in the 
 wonder land. Soon after leaving the city, we ran 
 into a region devoted to the cultivation of the sisal 
 plant, from which is manufactured our light-colored 
 ropes and binder twine of the farmer. Tliere were 
 tens of thousands of agres of that singular plant. In 
 leaf it resembles the century plant, but grows up like 
 a cabbage stalk or dwarf palm, with lanceolate leaves 
 four to six feet long, terminating in a sharp, thorny 
 spike. The sisal farms have a very forbidding look, 
 wholly different from anything in the States or any- 
 where else. To strangers it looks like desolation and 
 starvation, but we soon learned to regard it with in- 
 
508 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 terest, for along the railroad, opposite the large farms, 
 are platforms piled up with bales of sisal fibre like 
 cotton bales. Tram cars drawn by nniles run back 
 and forth from the factories in the middle of the farm. 
 
 A farm which w^orks two hundred hands will 
 yield two thousand dollars net profit per month all 
 the year. The value of a farm is not estimated by 
 the number of acres of land, but by the number 
 of men employed. Where ten men do the work, the 
 plantation is worth $10,000, and so on; one that re- 
 quires one hundred men is valued at $100,000, with- 
 out regard to the quantity of land owned. The es- 
 timate is made as to the quantity under actual pro- 
 ductive cultivation; one man represents $1,000 of in- 
 vested capital. 
 
 The harvesting of sisal is continuous from day 
 to day. When the long, slim leaves begin to droop 
 and stand at right angles to the trunk, they are cut 
 oif with a knife much like an Indian corn knife, 
 bound in bundles, and carried to the factory on the 
 backs of men and donkeys; sometimes carts are used 
 for long distances. The leaves are run between 
 heavy iron rollers to squeeze out the acrid juice, then 
 it goes through a mill similar to a thresher, which 
 cleans the long, white fibre, which is baled like cot- 
 ton and shipped to all manufacturing countries, and 
 it will soon supercede hemp in the market of the 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 509 
 
 world. About the time we had become interested in 
 the sisal farming, we ran into a corn belt, where 
 corn was the standard production. Here again all 
 was new, and in contradiction to former ideas or 
 belief. It is not planted in rows, is not cultivated, 
 but is planted on ground so stony that it looks im- 
 possible for it to grow. In fact, everything is so 
 contradictory that we hardly knew what to think 
 about it. A body of thick forest land is ''slashed" 
 down when in full leaf; in a month or two it becomes 
 dry and is burned off, making a large fire and burn- 
 ing even the stumps. The loose stones are partly 
 calcined and the first shower of rain leaves them 
 white as snow\ The lime disengaged with the ashes 
 of the burning furnishes abundant plant food. The 
 corn planter, armed with an iron-pointed staff, goes 
 forth and thrusts his iron spike into the ground 
 wherever he can find a place or it is possible to do 
 so among the loose stones, and into the hole he drops 
 four grains, pressing them down with his feet, and 
 the work is done until gathering time. As there is 
 no need of cultivation, rows or regularity is not a ne- 
 cessity. The first and second years there is a yield 
 of thirty to thirty-six bushels per acre ; the third y ear 
 a few weeds and bushes appear, and the yield is 
 twenty-five bushels; the fourth year the bushes are 
 thick and strong, and twenty bushels is the yield. 
 
510 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 After that they are suffered to grow into a forest, and 
 then ''slashed" again, and so it has been going on for 
 centuries, and so it will ])e while present civilization 
 continues. There is no necessity for cribbing the 
 corn; it ripens at the beginning o^' the dry season, 
 and will keep in the field as well as in the crib. If 
 it falls down on the dry, naked stones it does no in- 
 jury, so the natives get their staff of life with little ef- 
 fort and naturally grow indolent. 
 
 Although we delighted in watching the affairs 
 of rural life by the wayside, other things thickened 
 around us and attracted our attention. Off in the 
 fields and looming up out of the langled forests, great 
 pyramids were seen standing alone or in groups. In 
 the stone walls that enclosed the fields and village 
 gardens, in the houses of the towns, we saw fragments 
 of carved stones, broken columns and ornamented 
 pillars, parts of mutilated statues and other remains 
 of ruined buildings, all of which told us we were 
 among the scenes of prehistoric life. In one place 
 we passed a group of seven mounds from twenty to 
 thirty feet high; then a mile away the glass revealed 
 a pyramid in the midst of another group. A break 
 in the forest showed other still farther away on the 
 other side. Sometimes the road was cut through a 
 mound, showing the peculiar construction and dura- 
 bility. The thorny jungle and tangled forest was 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 511 
 
 tilled witli trees, vines, Howers and berries in every 
 glade and cove, while rare birds, with beautiful plum- 
 age and songs, were everywhere seen and heard, and 
 all were new to us. 
 
 Dr. Thompson was fandliar with the road and 
 the surroundings, and in a few brief words could give 
 -a whole volume of information, in well-chosen con- 
 trasts with countries and things we had both seen, 
 for he, too, had been a traveler, with eyes to see and 
 ears to hear and a retentive memory and fluent tongue, 
 with a perfect mastery of the Spanish and other civ- 
 ilized languages, as well as of the Maya, spoken by 
 the free tribes of the interior. Before reaching Iza- 
 nial, sixty-two nules from Merida, I learned the signs 
 that indicated the neighborhood of gTcat ruins; all 
 the loose stones of a certain size and shape were picked 
 up in field and forest, sometimes for miles around. 
 It was 5 p. m. when we landed at Izamal, the end of 
 the rail, too late to make any tour of the neighboriug 
 ruins, so we took an early supper an«l were ushered into 
 a long, narrow room, thirty feet from paved floor to the 
 ceiling, which consisted of joists of large, peeled poles 
 covered with a net work of small branches, which in 
 turn was covered by a concrete roof nearly a foot 
 thick that was proof against rain and heat, and as 
 time went on it l)ecaine hard as stone and had a 
 metallic ring when struck witlh a hanuner. Ham- 
 
512 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 mocks were swung across the room too high for fleas 
 to jump or for the dogs to rear up and smell our 
 faces. Into these we climl>ed and wrapped in our 
 blankets, slept until the clock in the old cathedral 
 struck four, when we arose and had earlv coffee and 
 were out by daylight. Dr. Thompson went to look 
 for a cart, Julia and I to ex])lore the surround- 
 ings, going first to a very large, fortified ca- 
 thedral built by the Spaniards with material from 
 th€ ruins in and near the town. It is a very mas- 
 sive building, surrounded with string walls and en- 
 filading towers, which could have stood quite a siege 
 against the guns of that period. It is now falling 
 into decay, only a small portion being used for ser- 
 vice. The lookout from the battlements showed the 
 town and its vicinity. From there we walked across 
 the town some distance to the great mound of Izamal, 
 which rises up from the plain in proportion and ap- 
 proaching in size that of Cholula. It is mound- 
 shaped, with a projection from the center extending 
 westward. The body of the mound is solid concrete, 
 cased with hewn stone. The extension is not so high, 
 and is an immense pile of bowlders laid solidly to- 
 gether witli mortar or cement, and about eighty 
 feet high. The ascent is by rough stone steps at the 
 west end of the projection, and very much broken. 
 We walked along the center to the main mound, 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 518 
 
 which we ascended by steps, not so badly broken, a 
 hundred and twenty feet. On top we found a level 
 area, paved with large, well-dressed flag stones, with 
 grooves running across as if to convey water. The 
 rough climbing and singular construction of the ruin 
 took our attention so completely that we forgot to 
 look around until we stood upon the summit. Then 
 we became oblivious as to how or by whom it was 
 built, for the scene was so grand that we lacked words 
 to describe our emotions and for a time stood in 
 solemn silence. We looked off in every direction 
 over a boundless expanse of living green, like an 
 ocean suddenly hushed to silence and rest. It is truly 
 one of the world's beautiful pictures. Scattered 
 over all were little white villages as on a map, but 
 four-fifths was an unbroken forest, save where green 
 mounds of tr-ees rose up as islands out of the water, 
 marking the sight of other ruins hidden away in the 
 great forest from the outside world, possibly all as 
 large as the one on which we stood, which covered 
 three or four acres, while many seen on the hori- 
 zon's utmost verge seemed even in the distance higher 
 and more vast in extent. We gazed long, with eager 
 eyes and active memory upon the dazzling scene, 
 bathed in the sunlight of the early morning, think- 
 ing, thinking, thinking, then with glad hearts de- 
 .scended and made preparation to meet the ordeal of 
 
514 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 the cart ride oi fortv-five miles tliat was allotted for 
 that day's work. 
 
 At 9 a. m. we mounted the niugh cart and 
 rumbled off over the uneven road, going southeast, 
 and everv mile the road seemed to grow worse and 
 the heat and dust greater, but fortunately the wind 
 was in our faces, so we escaped mo«t of the blind- 
 ing dust. The timber grew taller and thicker, the 
 large, funnel-shaped sink holes became frequent, and 
 many held water; the country was more undulat- 
 ing. Immense lizards were seen running across the 
 road or looked at the procession from the jungle with 
 brilliant eyes, while new trees, flowers and bird« 
 continued to come into view. At noon we reached 
 the relay and stopped an hour for lunch. The docr 
 tor stretched a hammock for me, while Julia 
 prepared hot coffee, and in Ave minutes I was 
 asleep like a tired child and had a good rest. After 
 lunch we rumbled on through an ever-changing suc- 
 cession of contrasting contradictions. At 5 p. m. 
 we came to the end of the cart line, worn and sore. 
 We spent the night in the native village in ham- 
 mocks, and slept soundly till early morning, when 
 the doctor was astir so as to have an early start. 
 He had horses prepared for the trip, with two native 
 footmen and a pack horse. By 5 a. m. we were in 
 the saddle and moving out in single file along a nar- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 515 
 
 row, pack-horse trail, tlirougli deep woods, the doc- 
 tor in front, then Julia, then i came with the 
 footman aif rear guard. The trail was winding 
 and rough, over ridges, loose bowlders and tangled 
 thickets, and alongside a few corn holds. For sev- 
 eral hours it was a delightfully roni:intic ride. We 
 were in touch with nature in a multitude of new 
 forms, and we realized more and more that we were 
 beyond the frost line amid pei-petual green. At one 
 place, swaying in the Avind from the tree tops, were 
 nests of the tree ant, shaped like a large hornet's 
 nest, with the big end dowmward, while close beside 
 the path were many giant sisal stalks, one sixty feet 
 high supposed to be fifty or more years old. On the 
 side of trees were wasps' nests, shaped like birds with 
 one wing extended and wing feathers so perfectly 
 imitated that at first we thought they were birds as 
 big as crows. All along the path and in the woods 
 are holes in the rock and openings into caves of all 
 sizes and shapes, while occasionally we would come 
 unexpectedly on scvme relic or reminder of prehis- 
 toric life, where all was now silent and desolate. 
 
 Toward noon we stopped at a Maya hut for lunch 
 and to rest. It was in the midst of the forest and 
 by a deep-water hole. While looking at the hut and 
 its lonely situation we were startled and amazed to 
 see a Mava woman sit down bv the side of the door 
 
516 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 and begin to spin thread just as they did in Egypt 
 in the days of Abraham. She had a wooden spindle 
 about nine inches long, which she stood in a small 
 earthen cup; then she drew a thread of cotton fibre 
 out about a yard. She held it to the spindle and 
 t\\irled it mth the fingers of her right hand very 
 rapidly. When the thread was twisted the spindle 
 was reversed and the thread wound on it. This con- 
 tinued twenty or twenty-five minutes, when the spin- 
 dle was full, as in spinning on a big wheel in the 
 old days. The woman then stood the spindle be- 
 tween her toes and reeled the thread into a skein on 
 her hand, running the surplus twist back and cor- 
 recting all blemishes and defects. The thread was 
 AS perfect as the best machine thread of the commerce 
 of to-day. She could easily have spun six cuts per 
 day, as our mothers used to count. To find this lost 
 art in a Maya hut in the forests of Yucatan was more 
 than we, or even Dr. Thompson, expected. I had 
 to think more than once and handle the yarn with 
 my own hands before it was set as a fact of real life. 
 The doctor had the w^oman spin another broach, and 
 then purchased the whole outfit for his museum at 
 Chicago. As the woman sat spinning in that door 
 way, she looked as though she might have been the 
 model from which the paintings in Egypt were taken 
 four thousand years ago, and she was the perfect 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 517 
 
 living picture of Alaya woiiicii painted seven to ten 
 thousand years ago in the inner chambers of Yuca- 
 tan and Canipeche ruins. We resumed our journey 
 with new thoughts and strange emotions, for it seemed 
 as though we had seen a vision of the buried past 
 and our minds were being prepared for revolutions 
 in thought, which were near at hand. The after- 
 noon was oppressively warm, and I became quite 
 tired, but held out until nearly the end of the trip, 
 llien I dismounted, turned my horse loose to keep 
 his })lace in line, and being in my native element 
 on foot, 1 walked on with little inconvenience. The 
 doctor and Julia protested against leaving me 
 behind, but seeing 1 moved all right, they rode on. 
 In ten minutes I came in full view of the castle 
 pyramid of Chichen-Itza ruins, one of the grandest 
 of all. The sight of it took the weariness out of 
 my limbs, tilled my head and heart with new life, 
 and in due time^ I reached the Hacienda. Though 
 1 had been tired, hot and hungry, I was far from 
 being spent, and a good hot supper and native coffee 
 set me all right, and we had a very pleasant even- 
 ing amid tine surroundings. 
 
 In the cool of the morning we started out with 
 Dr. lliompson in tlie lead. In passing over a rough 
 ridge we could hear the picks of eight men under- 
 ground, excavating sand that was very white and 
 
 83 
 
518 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 chalky, but of great value in plastering. The first 
 ruin visited was a long, massive building, tolerably 
 well preserved. Its many low, dark chambers were 
 covered with hieroglyphics, giving it the name of 
 the House of Dark Writing; it is massive and gloomy, 
 though of great interest. The next was the House 
 of the Xuns; in 1842 Gorman called this the House 
 of Cacique. It is a huge building of peculiar form, 
 and elaborate in its arrangement of chambers. On 
 rhp outsi<le it is ornamented in a marvelous man- 
 ner. The angles have been tastefully carved and 
 adorned with stone hooks and rings; raised lines of 
 drapery run around the sides; over the doors are beau- 
 tiful female figures, surrounded by a variety of finely- 
 executed borders, encircled v^th wreaths. Some of 
 tlie figures have head dresses of feathers and tassels, 
 ^lany of the facades are highly decorated with square 
 blocks of stone, apparently cut with the most per- 
 fect instrument. Other ornaments are attached to 
 the wall by a shaft. The body of the building is 
 made of solid concrete, cased with finely-hewn slabs 
 of limestone, some of them highly carved. Their 
 outer easing adheres to the concrete as firmly as if 
 they were one and the same mass; the concrete seems 
 to be imperishable. 
 
 Everv^ part of the ornamentation of the build- 
 ing is different from anything of the kind seen else- 
 
OP ADDISON COFFIN. 519 
 
 where. The wonderful beauty of the cornice and 
 exquisite molding is original, and belongs exclusively 
 to Yucatan. Nowhere in the world do we lind more 
 perfect architecture or more refined ideals. In say- 
 ing this for the House of Nuns, I say it for all others. 
 On the north side is a flight of small, stone steps, which 
 leads to the top, forty feet from the pavement. The 
 area of the summit platform is an oblong square, one 
 hundred and seventy feet long; in the center is a 
 range of chambers occupying two-thirds of the space. 
 They are twenty-five feet high. These rooms are 
 cased with carved stones and plastered inside with 
 a very fine, white plaster, covered with paintings, 
 symbolic and hieroglyphic writing. Though many 
 of the rooms are now much broken, yet the fragments 
 give evidence of their marvelous beauty when they 
 were perfect. 
 
 Near the eastern front of the main building are 
 two small, single-room buildings, both elaborately 
 ornamented with original designs of people, birds, 
 wreaths and flowers, everywhere interlined with hie- 
 roglyphics. In front of these buildings are pillars, 
 while all around for many rods are heaps of hewn 
 and broken stones, sculptured work, such as carved 
 images in sitting posture, others broken and fallen. 
 In fact, the whole forest is full of wreckage of once 
 beautiful buildings; we cannot turn over a slabstone 
 
520 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 but fresli beauties meet our eyes. Xo one can walk 
 among suck scenes without learning new lessons of 
 humanity. 
 
 We next passed a large ruin with a central dome 
 rising high above a mass of broken walls and crum- 
 bling chambers that once must hstxe been a marvel 
 of architectural beauty and originality. Further on 
 toward the north we passed a very large, deej^water 
 hole, which had been the great central fountain for 
 the water supply of untold thousands; it stood at sea 
 level, and w^as inexhaustible. AVe next approached 
 the castle pyramid, the central figure of Chichen- 
 Itza, but we postponed climbing until the morrow. 
 
 We crossed the great terrace, covering an area 
 of five to seven acres, in circular form and one thous- 
 and feet in diameter, to the temple or Tennis Court, 
 a great ruin tw^o stories high, and with connecting 
 walls four hundred feet long with double rows of 
 chambers. We now went north into the forest to 
 see a recent discovery. At first it seemed a shapeless 
 mass, but many long, hewn stones, witli unusually 
 elaborate carving, indicated it was a place of inter- 
 est. By running a tunnel into the mass, strange 
 things were found. First a stone mortar thirty inches 
 deep, twenty-four across, with a close-fitting, carved 
 stone cover six inches thick, in a })erfect state of pres- 
 ervation. It had been filled with something which 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 521 
 
 tlie shrewd tinder did not see fit to make public. In 
 
 a vast number of cone-shaped . dressed stones 
 
 eight inches in diameter at the large end, tapering 
 to a point, and three and a half feet long, were found 
 standing on end^ packed closely and covered with a 
 mass of concrete; above this had been a circle of 
 chambers. What this stone safe, as we may call it, 
 contained, and why those conical stones should be 
 so securely hidden away, are mysteries we cannot 
 know until further discoveries are made. 
 
 From this strange spot we went far into the 
 dark forest to a secret fountain, where living human 
 offerings were made to the rain god in cases of extreme 
 drought. It was a deep, dark, ^vater-hole, completely 
 hidden by the rocks and forest. There were heavy;, 
 stone chambers near the pool, where the devotees pre- 
 pared for the last act. When a sacrifice was deemed 
 absolutely necessary a number of priests offered them- 
 selves, then an equal number of virgins also volun- 
 teered. On the solemn day, and at the appointed 
 hour, the priests would take the virgins in their arms 
 and throw themselves into the dark ])ool, and so go 
 down to death; the fall was nearly sixty feet and the 
 water very deep. In this day of achievement, a div- 
 ing bell may some time make startling revelations from 
 that pool. My niece. Miss Ballinger, and I were two" 
 out of three of the only white ])eople who liave seen 
 
522 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 that dismal spot in more than hitj jears, if not for a 
 much greater period, and we could not find it again 
 without much hunting, nor would we under any cir- 
 cumstances abuse the confidence imposed in us. By 
 a break in the dense forest we saw looming up the 
 castle pyramid, and were safe again. We returned 
 to the mansion by another route than the one by 
 which we went. Our hearts were overflowing with 
 silent wonder and thankfulness to the Lord for per- 
 mitting us to see these things. The amount of walk- 
 ing, climbing and creeping we had done would under 
 ordinary circumstances have been exhausting, but 
 we still felt brave, though '.omewhat weary. A good 
 hot dinner soon restored our strength and courage. 
 
 We lay down for a time to rest the body and 
 arrange the world of new thoughts, impressions and 
 revolutionary ideas that were crowding our minds. 
 We began to realize of how little humanity knows 
 of what wonderful things are in the world. In the 
 cool of the evening Miss Julia and I went out 
 to the House of the Nuns again and examined its 
 chambers and exterior once more, and we again 
 walked over and among the broken and scattered 
 j'emaiiis of the former tower and temple. Later on 
 we climbed the steps to the highest point of the 
 central chambers to see the sun go down. It was 
 a grand scene; we seemed to stand on an island in 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 623 
 
 tlie midst of a green, silent sea, which had no limit 
 but the horizon. As the last rays of sunlight sank 
 into that sea, a solemn stillness fell over the wide 
 expanse, the noise of the day ceased and the hum 
 of the night had not begim — it was a stillness that 
 entered the soul and gave it rest. As darkness gath- 
 ered around we descended and returned to the man- 
 sion, thinking of the past and of the millions who 
 had borne their brief burden of life and departed, 
 leaving these stupendous wrecks to tell their story. 
 
 After supper w^e spent some hours in listening 
 to the doctor's account of his nine years' residence 
 in the country and his many, long journeys through- 
 out Yucatan and other Mexican states, Guatemala 
 and Central America in search of new^ ruins, exam- 
 ining and photographing those already known; of 
 his adventures, dangers, trials and escapes, his bat- 
 tles with tigers, serpents, savage desperadoes and hos- 
 tile natives, his sufferings from hunger and thirst 
 on his journeys through trackless forests and tangled 
 jungles, being lost among the kgoons and swamps, 
 barely escaping with liis life, etc. Listening to and 
 discussing these adventures made us unconscious of 
 time, and hours would pass unheeded, until Julia, 
 who was always in the chair, woiild declare the meet- 
 ing adjourned. 
 
 On the second morning we started early wdiile 
 
524 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 it was cool^ directing our steps toward the Castle 
 pyramid, intending to ascend on the west side while 
 shaded from the hot sun. On the way the doctor 
 turned aside to show us a life-sized ligure of a tiger, 
 cut in the surface of the solid rock. Trom the chisel- 
 ing, it had been don© a long time, and probably 
 marked the spot where the animal had been killed 
 in a fierce battle. Cattle pyramid stands on a terrace 
 twenty to forty feet high. As heretofore stated, it 
 is the grand, central figure of the gToup, and is in 
 the southeast portion of the great circle, one thous- 
 and feet in diameter. It is built of concrete, cased 
 on the outside with large, hewn stones, and stands 
 with the cardinal point at a variation of twelve de- 
 grees east of our present meridian. It measures five 
 hundred and fifty feet at its base. On the east and 
 north side are flights of narrow stone steps; on the 
 southwest they are broken up by gradations of about 
 four feet, then recede about three feet. The steps 
 on the south and west are much broken, making rough 
 climbing. On the south and west front have been 
 many small chambers, accessible by the gradations 
 in the steps. 
 
 The pyramid terminates in a rectangular area 
 in the center of which is a chambered edifice one 
 hundred and seventy feet long, twenty high and forty 
 wide. Around the structure was a broad, level, prom- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 525 
 
 c^iiacle, paved with solid stone, still in a good state of 
 preservation. Down eaeli angle of the pyramid an 
 immense stone seri)ent has been constructed tiiie to 
 life, with it^ tail on the summit and its head rest- 
 ing on a S(}uare block of stone, with wide-open mouth 
 and protruding tongue, and double rows of teeth. 
 Sections of these huge serpents have fallen out and 
 lay at the base, but enough remains in place to show 
 the symmetry and perfection of the work. Each side 
 of the four flights of steps, raised four feet high, are 
 serpents with o])en mouths, as at the angles, seem- 
 ingly to protect the ascent. Some of these are still 
 in place, some have fallen, and one is gone. The 
 chambers in the crowning building are wonders that 
 baffle all iefforts to describe. They are finished in 
 white stucco, in a style not equalled in delicacy by 
 similar work found in any other country, ancient or 
 modern. The stucco is covered with beautiful pic- 
 tures, finished with a taste and refinement not 
 equaled by the best modern art. These ancient paint- 
 ers seem to have had four additional primary colors 
 to those known to us, or else they had gTeater skill 
 in blending than we. Though executed thousands 
 of years ago, when carefully cleaned they are to all 
 ap])earance as bright as when new. The ornamen- 
 tation on the outer walls is fine; over and ar(Hind 
 a door on the east there is trace of marvelouslv del- 
 
526 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 icate sculpturing to have been done in rough limestone. 
 The north end was the front, if we judge by the beauty 
 and amount of the decorations. Around and over the 
 doorways is hieroglyphic writing, and it is on this 
 side that there is a receding portico, supported by 
 massive stone pillars about four feet square and eight 
 high. The inner surface of the portico is elaborately 
 adorned with figures and hieroglyphics, and so are 
 the pillars, excepting on one- side. There a skilled 
 hand has cut the figures of two men with long beards, 
 wearing the costume of the ancient, Syrian Hittites. 
 There are no other figures in North or South America 
 of ancient date, with long beards and Hittite dress. 
 Who were these bearded men ? From whence ? When 
 and for what purpose did they come to Chichen- 
 Itza? We know not; but this we do know, that the 
 Hittite empire was in its prime when Egypt was young 
 in years. Here we had an item for memory that 
 was revolutionary in spite of ourselves. 
 
 Fortunately. Dr. Thompson has succeeded in 
 copying the most important part of the hieroglyphics 
 and historic paintings for the (^hicago Museum. 
 Every square foot of the structure bears a record of 
 the past, ready to tell the story when the key to the 
 sealed book is found. A story which, if ever known, 
 may reverse the favorite theories of the great men 
 of our day, and put to blush the Darwinian craze and 
 boasted light of the nineteenth century. 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 527 
 
 The scene, from the top of the castle is beautiful 
 and inspiring. It enables one to see much farther 
 than from the House of the ]S^uns, and being there 
 early in the morning the other side of things was il- 
 luminated, adding greatly to the sunset view. With 
 the glass we could see green mounds rising out of 
 the vast forest, marking the site of ruins hid away 
 in the impenetrable forest. Within a radius of four 
 miles there are eighty-two large ruins, and within 
 the range of the glass are a hundred more, giving 
 a faint idea of what Yucatan was in her early prime. 
 
 West of the castle, and occupying the same rel- 
 ative position in the great circle, stands an immense 
 ruin, called the Temple, or Tennis Court, for want 
 of a better name. It is two stories high, and is more 
 elaborately adorned than others, and probably has 
 the most important records. Its numerous chambers 
 are astonishing to behold. The hieroglyphics seem 
 to have an especially significant meaning, for new 
 combinations appear, the lines are more sharply 
 drawn, the outline and details more perfect in finish, 
 and everything shows that it is soniething of great 
 consequence. The eastern half of the outer wall of 
 several chambers have fallen, and the stuccoed ceil- 
 ing of the other half stands solid and perfect. In 
 the morning sunlight it presents a picture that is as- 
 tonishing beyond expression. The lines of both the 
 
528 • LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 writing and sculpturing stand revealed with such dis- 
 tinctness that we were spell-l)(3und as we gazed on 
 the scene. In the midst of one of the large rooms 
 thus exposed is the most singular object found in the 
 ruins. A block of stone four feet square has been 
 shaped into a table, with top and bottom the same 
 size, the central portion of the mass hewn away to two 
 and a half feet wide and one foot thick. Through 
 the middle of this is a round hole fifteen inches in 
 diameter, worn as smooth as glass. Behind this table 
 is a nicely-carved, stone chair or stool, standing: the 
 ju'oper distance away so that one sitting upon it could 
 conveniently write on the tal)le, the top of which, 
 like the ring, is woni smooth. That chamber seems 
 to have been the recording room or judgment hall; 
 the one occupying the stool could thrust his feet 
 through the ring and be at ease. The table and stool 
 escaped destruction when the walls fell; they would 
 be an object of interest in a museiun. The whole 
 west side of the edifice is in a good state of preserva- 
 tion, and should be especially preserved until the 
 writing can be deciphered. 
 
 Southeast from the castle, and three hundred 
 feet away, a number of small churches seem to have 
 been built around the entire circle, one thousand 
 yards. The (diambers were eight by ten or twelve 
 feet, and twelve feet high. In front of them was 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. o2^ 
 
 a row of stuiie pillars, making a culuiinacle twelve 
 feet wide. From the pillars to the chamber walls 
 heavv wuodeii beams were laid; then the chambers 
 and colonnade were covered with a heavy concrete 
 roof, on wliicdi tliousands of people conld stand by 
 day and sleep by night, while the colonnade and cham- 
 bers furnished shelter in time of rain for other thous- 
 ands. 
 
 The circle was interrupted for a fifth of the dis- 
 tance on the west side, and a straight wall was built. 
 Kunning out from the north end of the temple, a 
 parallel wall leaves a level, enclosed space suited 
 for national games of ceremony, hence the term Ten- 
 nis Court now given it. The w^alls are thirty feet 
 high, and the inner one thirty feet thick and nearly 
 perfect. East of the castle many chambers and pil- 
 lars are still standing amid the thick tangle of vines 
 and bushes, but are very easily seen and studied from 
 the top of the castle. The wdiole area of the circle 
 is level, and may have been used to celebrate relig- 
 ious festivals or public games — possibly both. By 
 digging into the surface the same solid concrete is 
 found everywhere. By a careful estimate, this mass 
 of concrete is nowhere less than twenty feet thick, 
 and where there are depressions it is forty feet. Cas- 
 tle pyramid is not nearly sf) high as the great pyramid 
 of Egypt, but its }>eculiar construction makes it look 
 
530 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 much higher. Had it tenninated in a pinnacle like 
 those in Egj^t, it would have been taller than any 
 in the world. 
 
 When we think of the work it took to make the 
 foundation terrace, then to build the castle, pyramid, 
 the temple and circle of chambers, we begin to under- 
 stand what an immense amount of work it cost. Then, 
 too, we must remember that the ancient Maya had 
 no beasts of burden, that all was done by human hands 
 and mechanical contrivance unknown to us. Tak- 
 ing these things into consideration, we realize that 
 more labor and ingenuity of man has been bestowed 
 upon these ruins than any other in the world. 
 
 It was in the vicinity of this circle that Le Plon- 
 goon tested his assertion that he had the key to the 
 Maya language, and could read the hieroglyphics. 
 He claimed that he had found a secret passage, and 
 upon deciphering the writing therein he was informed 
 that the image of Chack Mool, one of the three broth- 
 ers who founded the Maya empire, was buried at a 
 certain point and a certain depth underground. He ex- 
 cavated at the exact spot and found the statue, or re- 
 clining figure, but while removing it to the railroad for 
 transportation to Chicago, the Mexican government 
 took possession and put it in the museum in Mexico 
 City. It is a wonder, next in importance to the calen- 
 dar stone. Le Plongeon now conducts his explorations 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 531 
 
 in secret; he may know soiuetliiiig of the conical 
 stones and the secret of the contents of the mortar, 
 but if so, he wisely keeps still. Rumor has it that 
 he read another record at Uxmal, and by it he found 
 the image of a brother of O'hack Mool, but that after 
 taking twelve photographs of it he re-buried it be- 
 fore the government officers arrived. He showed the 
 photographs, but refused to disclose the spot where 
 it was concealed. It is quite probable that many 
 secret excavations may be made, for it will be im- 
 possible for the government to guard all points. On 
 general principles it is all right to prohibit relics from 
 being removed from the country, though just now 
 it seems rather like acting ''the dog in the manger.'^ 
 We hope the time will come when the Mexican gov- 
 ernment will be able to collect into its national mu- 
 seum many remains of the prehistoric age, for the 
 material is in their country in great abundance. 
 
 Our second day's exploration terminated as the 
 first; we were tired, hot and dust begrimed, covered 
 with ticks, hungry and thirsty, hands torn with thorns 
 and briars, and last, though not least, smarting from 
 the bites of ants. Rest and a good supper, and a 
 cleansing from dust and insects restored us to cheer- 
 fulness again, and before we retired for the night 
 the doctor gave us another chapter of his life among 
 the ruins and natives, the life work before him, his 
 
532 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 aspirations to make his place the model in Yucatan, 
 Mexico and all Central America. 
 
 He has built his splendid mansion so as to com- 
 mand a view of all the ruins of Chichen-Itza. From 
 the roof a good eye with a good glass can see the 
 inscriptions and beautiful facades on three of the most 
 interesting ruins of the group. It is his intention 
 to have, a little further on, a village of several hun- 
 dred families, with a school maintained and controlled 
 by himself. 
 
 At a late hour my niece again adjourned 
 the meeting and we lay down, the othei's to sleep, 
 but my mind was too full for that. As the saying 
 goes ''Reading between the lines" t(j get a double 
 meaning out of a written article, so I was reading 
 between the stones nearly all night of things not seen, 
 things that came out in startling distinctness, so at 
 A^ariance with my former opinions and the accepted 
 ideas of the world, that I had to write a reserAT^d chap- 
 ter in my memory to aAvait the results that Avill follow 
 the researches of Dr. Thompson and Le Plongeon. 
 
 We had seen \A'ith our eyes, handled Avith our 
 hands, stood on Avith our feet this wonderful group 
 of ruins, and Avitli the aid of the doctor's perfect 
 knowledge of all their details, Ave had an intelligent 
 idea of their real A^astness, so Ave determined to re- 
 turn to Merida and rest for a few days, then start 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 533 
 
 out again. On the morning of February 8th we were 
 astir early, intending to make a forced march to the 
 end of the cart line, then make the ride during the 
 night and take the cars the next morning at 6 a. 
 m. We had an early breakfast, mounted our horses, 
 bade the natives good-bye, and were soon passing 
 under the shadow of the great pyramid, and we cast 
 many thankful looks behind us as we went on into 
 the forest. We observed the same line of march 
 in returning as in going out. In this trip we saw 
 things from the other side, as well as many that were 
 new. In some places the opposite side of the stones 
 were carved, showing additional signs of former life. 
 At one place there was a little black tube like a 
 small hose pipe attached to the sides of the trees from 
 the ground to the thick foliage at the top, constructed 
 by a large, but tender, variety of ant as a protec- 
 tion from enemies and sunlight, for if they are ex- 
 posed to the hot sun for a short time they curl up 
 and die. We next came to a little smooth path which 
 crossed the road. It was about two inches mde, and 
 along it a multitude of ants were traveling both ways 
 from an ant hill to a large tree. Those coming from 
 the tree carried a piece of leaf from the size of a 
 dime to a half dollar, with which they fed their young. 
 They are called umbrella ants, and are first-class 
 fighters when their nest* are disturbed; they are 
 34 
 
534 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 equally as willing to attack a man as a mouse. There 
 was a deep-water hole near the path, overhung with 
 dark trees. Julia Ballinger wished to look into it, 
 so dismounting she made her way to the brink, then 
 sprang back with a sujDpressed scream, but quickly 
 called out: "Oh I I thought it was a snake." When 
 she returned she had in her hand what seemed to be 
 a real snake; it was about fifteen inches long, and 
 of brown color. It was a section of a vine that climbs 
 the body of trees and is in snake-like parts, an almost 
 perfect imitation, and they were growing on the trees 
 around the pool. The ride was very pleasant in the 
 early morning, but as the sun rose higher the heat 
 became oppressive and I had to slacken pace. So 
 Dr. Thompson and footman pushed on to have din- 
 ner ready, and Julia Ballinger and I moved more 
 slowly, resting in the shade occasionally, and about 
 noon we made the village all right, but as usual, tired, 
 hot and hungi'v. A bowl of first-class chicken soup 
 revived ns, and we rejoiced in making the cart line 
 in safety. 
 
 After a few hom-s we monnted the cart and 
 started on the long, rough ride, in the same cart and 
 with the same headlong driver. We started at a 
 lively trot, to coA'er as much ground as possible be- 
 fore night. On we pounded for an hour or so, when 
 a rival cart came up and attempted to pass us in the 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 585 
 
 dust. In an instant our driver's eyes flashed and 
 lie seemed on Hre. With a long, shrill ''halloo," he 
 flourished his long whip, lashed his mules into a dead 
 run, and for a time the race was wild and furious. 
 The two carts were abreast in a road twenty-live feet 
 wide and very rocky. 1 expected to see the carts 
 wrecked at once, for they bounced and bounded like 
 foot balls, with a deafening clatter. I was sitting 
 by the driver and saw the whole thing. The rival 
 cart frequently bounded a foot high when striking 
 bowlders, and I had to be diligent to business to keep 
 my seat. This continued for several miles, when our 
 driver headed oft' his rival and took the center of 
 the road, but still on the run. 
 
 At last the other cart turned down a fork road 
 with a shrill shout of detiance and disappeared, the 
 mules still running. We soon toned down to a reg- 
 ular trot again, and none too soon for me, for it was 
 taxing my powers of endurance rather severely. It 
 was the wildest ride I ever made on wheels and I do 
 not want a second experience, yet I must confess that 
 when I saw^ the carts were indestructible and the mules 
 seemed made of steel, I entered into the spirit of the 
 race and wanted our driver to win, almost forget- 
 ting my bumps and bruises. After the race we 
 jogged monotonously on, made the relay, took lunch, 
 rested and reached Izama! on time. With the ex- 
 
536 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 citement of the race and night coming on, there was 
 little opportunity to take notes on the way. We 
 stayed with the same lady at Izamal that we did go- 
 ing down. She welcomed us back and seemed pleased 
 to have an American lady in her house who could 
 speak her own language, and she kindly prepared 
 an early lunch for us to meet the train. The run 
 from Izamal was made in about three hours, but we 
 were too full of what we had heard, felt and seen to 
 give much attention to things by the way, excepting 
 to see ruins, though all bear the same general outline. 
 When we arrived at our former quarters we re- 
 sumed housekeeping and resting for a few ilays. 
 Xotwithstanding we had a rough trij) we f(nind our- 
 selves none the worse for it physically, l)ut we began 
 to look at Yucatan in a new light, for it had to us 
 become to the western continent what Egypt and 
 Greece are to the old world. Yea, far more, for there 
 had opened up to our astonished minds a prehistoric 
 past that was revolutionizing all former ideas and shak- 
 ing our faith in much of modern philosophy. We 
 were also beginning to compare the character of the 
 Spaniard as a murderer and destroyer in the new 
 world, with the Mohammedan of the old, and were 
 ready to decide that if it were possible for either to 
 excel the other in wickedness, the Spaniard was ahead, 
 and would receive the greater condemnation in the 
 final day of retribution. 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 537 
 
 While resting in Merida we enjoyed the cool 
 evening sitting nnder the green trees in the plaza, 
 watching the ever-changing scene that passed before 
 us, and in looking into the faces of strange people, to 
 whom a double interest was attached. Sometimes we 
 sat near a group engaged in animated conversation, 
 and my niece would interpret to me. At other 
 times she told me the comments that were made about 
 us. Although they were not always complimentary, 
 yet it enabled us to see ourselves as they saw us. In 
 the market we heard the gossip and news from neigh- 
 boring tow^ns and villages. All the time the people 
 never dreamed that their conversation was being 
 turned into Anglo-Saxon as fast as they spoke. In 
 this way we gained an insight into home life and the 
 home thoughts of that quiet, simple, civil people, nor 
 did we ever grow weary of studying that Avonder- 
 ful race, whose antiquity we had discovered went 
 so far back into the unknown past, and who have 
 remained unchanged through so many thousands of 
 years, for in their oldest paintings on the ruins the 
 form and feature is a perfect photograph of the liv- 
 ing race of to-day. The sandaled foot, prehensile toe, 
 the bare-headed women, their single, flowing gar- 
 ments, the plumes of feathers worn as ornaments for 
 the head on state occasions, are all painted on the 
 stuccoed wall, a perfect type of the living reality. 
 All, all was wonderful. 
 
538 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 There were two national festivals approaching, 
 and active preparations for the occasions were being 
 prosecuted. We were much interested in the musical 
 department, though thev have music bv the mili- 
 tary band everv evening. Private bands were prac- 
 ticing for the coming events, and in this connection 
 came in one of the strange incidents of my life. I 
 had heard the brass bands in Cairo, Egypt, try to 
 recall the lost melodies of Memnon's harp, the glad, 
 triumphal songs of the Christian pilgi'ims returning 
 from Jerusalem, and of the devout Mohammedans 
 coming from their sacred shrines. I had also heard 
 the sweet notes of the Dorian flute on the Grecian 
 hills, the wild, barbaric notes of the Turcoman and 
 Cossack of the Caspian, the national airs of all the 
 nations of Europe and from early childhood our own 
 grand tunes, but when I heard the soft, sweet, low 
 melodies of the Maya there was a new revelation, 
 my spirit caught the echo of a lost sweetness that once 
 filled the soul of the vanished civilization. It came 
 to my ear like the sad wail of a conquered race, and 
 called to mind the lament of the captives by the 
 rivers of Babylon when they thought of the lost and 
 fallen glory and beauty of Jerusalem. 
 
 In listening to the mournful undertones in their 
 music and songs, and in looking into the faces of 
 those around me, I felt oppressed with inexpressible 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 539 
 
 sadness. In their fallen, ruined conditio^ there was 
 much that was l)right and beautiful. The question 
 came up again and again: What were they in their 
 glorious prime, when tower and temple were new 
 and the glad songs of happy thousands were heard 
 on the soft evening air^ It is truly a sad thing to 
 see the crumbling ruins of a once mighty people, 
 and a conquered, broken remnant still lingering 
 among them. It was with a feeling of relief that 
 we turned away from this line of thought aud be- 
 gan preparing for a second trip off into the interior, 
 where the doctor assured us we would still find rough 
 traveling and possibly new experiences, but gave it 
 as his opinion that we were equal to the trip and could 
 endure its privations. 
 
 In making preparations for our trip to Uxmal 
 ruins, the most essential thing was a well-lilled lunch 
 basket, supplies being scarce at that point, as it was 
 near the frontier, where there were many soldiers and 
 much excitement. The distance was seventy miles 
 by rail and twenty-two by cart, nearly south from 
 Merida. We took the train at 2 p. m. and ran down 
 to Ticul by 5 p. m., through a much better cultivated 
 country than toward Chichen-Itza. There were many 
 large fields of wheat, rye and barley, with less ground 
 given to com and sisal. In addition to the rural 
 beauty along the way, we were surprised to see so 
 
540 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 many ruins towering up out of the forests and in the 
 open lands, in groups of five, ten and fourteen, and 
 in every group there was a large pyramid with its 
 square-chambered edifice on top. They were from 
 one to three hundred feet high, many still well pre- 
 served but some very much broken. A majority of 
 the pyramids in Yucatan, in the small groups, are 
 from seventy-five to one hundred and fifty feet high. 
 Occasionally one is three hundred feet in height, 
 but this is where there has been a great center of 
 population. Everywhere they show the same general 
 outline of architectural design. We were scarcely 
 ever out of sight of the ruins, showing that the coun- 
 try had once been densely populated, an almost con- 
 tinuous city, for there were places that half the sur- 
 face of the country was covered with wreckage of 
 buildings. Xearly all the stone fences are constructed 
 from the ruins; they are made up of carved pillars 
 and pieces of cornice. There is evidence of ancient 
 highways crossing the country. Like the old caravan 
 routes in Palestine and Syria, the solid rock is worn 
 smooth b'^ the bare and sandaled feet of the multi- 
 tudes that have passed over it. In more than one 
 place entire villages have been built of the ruins of 
 a pyramid on its teiTaced foundation, where the an- 
 cient wells have been found and cleaned out. As 
 successive ruins and evidence of former life were 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 541 
 
 passed, the thought of the riurriLer of human beings 
 who had lived in that country became oppressive, for 
 with each individual had been labor, care, anxiety, 
 pain and death. And the question came: Why had 
 they Hved, toiled and died^ Had it all been in vain? 
 Is the world better for it^ 
 
 When we reached Ticul another surprise awaited 
 us. Instead of being an unknown railroad station 
 it was in the midst of the ruins of a once vast city. 
 Far off to the north and west many square miles are 
 covered with ruined heaps, so much so that a great 
 deal of the ground cannot be cultivated. We spent 
 the night with a wealthy man who owned, and w^as 
 reading, a Protestant Bible, and he and his family 
 Avere very glad to have us there on .account of my 
 niece being able to speak their language. The old 
 gentleman took a long lesson in a better pronuncia- 
 tion of Spanish, wdiile he helped her in the Maya 
 tongue. After that the wife and daughters, with 
 some oi the neighbors, eagerly gathered around Julia 
 Ballinger, asking an endless variety of questions about 
 her teaching, the States, and why we were going to 
 Uxmal, etc. She was the first American lady they 
 had seen who could talk wath them about home life. 
 
 Early next morning we secured the one idle cart 
 in town and began our twenty-two mile drive. We 
 found the road much better than anv we had seen 
 
542 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 ill the country, and what was still more pleasing we 
 had a sensible, practical driver, with a cool wind in 
 our faces, so we made a quick trip, passing over a 
 range of foothills thrown out from the mountains 
 to the west. At 10 a. m. we reached the village, 
 one and one-half miles from Uxmal, took a lunch, 
 watered the mules and then drove on. The first sight 
 we had was of the great pyramid, with its square 
 edifice on top giving it a peculiarly airy look. It is 
 not three hundred feet high, but its fonn makes it 
 look much higher. A fiight of stone steps on the east 
 side leads to the top. These we ascended and looked 
 down upon one of the grandest scenes in the world. 
 Within the radius of a mile are fourteen vast build- 
 ings, som-e of them nearly perfect, others badly broken 
 and crumbling. They stand on the edge of a green 
 forest, lone, silent and desolate, so vast in extent and 
 representing such an incalculable amount of human 
 labor that it impresses the mind in a way words can- 
 not express. Beyond those near at hand the glass 
 brought to view about one hundre<l more, which were 
 shut off from examination by the impenetrable 
 jungles. We stood long in wonder, gazing on the 
 bewildering and sublime view, for the longer we stood 
 the more impressive became the feeling of utter desola- 
 tion that hung over the ruins. Somehow this scene 
 of wreck came to us in a way that, with our feelings 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 543 
 
 of sadness, there was also one of joy and thankful- 
 ness that we had lived to stand on that spot and we 
 involuntarily ran over a list of our friends whom we 
 would have been glad to have had with us, that we 
 might have looked into their faces and read their 
 thoughts. 
 
 The pyramid had a smaller edifice on top than 
 usual, and its chambei*s and walls were rapidly fall- 
 ing into a shapeless heap. On the western face, twenty 
 feet below the top, are two chambers running back 
 into the body of the pyramid, which seem to have 
 been held in high estimation. They are more elabo- 
 rately sculptured than others and the approach is 
 well guarded. The steps and doorway are but little 
 worn by use, showing them to have been objects of 
 special care. From their doors we looked down into 
 the great quadrangle, some two hundred feet from 
 the base of the pyramid. These rooms are nearly 
 perfect; the carving, painting and writing, to a good 
 eye, is still distinct. We next went to the college, 
 entered the open court one hundred feet wide and 
 three hundred long, surrounded by massive buildings 
 one story high, excepting the north side, where there 
 are two stories. The second one is back from the 
 front so as to give a broad promenade. There are 
 numerous rooms on all the sides of the court opening 
 inward. The court is entered bv one main door in 
 
544 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 the middle of the south front. There are two other 
 smaller doors, one in each end near the northeast and 
 northwest corners. The principal door is really two, 
 with one entrance, and has been closed by massive 
 shutters which swung in stone sockets. Every square 
 foot of the walls facing the inner courts of all the 
 buildings is beautifully ornamented. Some of the 
 designs on the facades are not surpassed anywhere 
 or by any people, which is all the more astonishing, 
 as the w^ork is done in the rough limestone of the 
 countay. The tracing of vines, wreaths of flowers, 
 fruit and figures of men and women, birds and ser- 
 pents, are so life-like in design and so perfect in finish 
 that our astonishment was ever on the increase. 
 Across the west facade are two plumed serpents carved 
 in stone, but so true to nature that, seen from a disr 
 tance, they seem to be living types. They are twined 
 together in such a natural position that no painter 
 has since equalled them, and they were carved thous- 
 ands of years ago and are yet nearly perfect in all their 
 parts. 
 
 The college is surrounded by massive walls which 
 extend out to smaller buildings, and to raised terraces 
 on which may have been tents, arbors, awnings, or 
 wooden buildings that were perishable. The con- 
 necting walls are fifteen to twenty feet thick, and on 
 a level with the floor of the inner court. The two 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 545 
 
 most interesting walls connect the g-overnor's house 
 with the college, which stands about tifteen rods south. 
 The two walls have been twentv-live feet high, and 
 had many chambers in them opening into the avenue. 
 These walls are badly broken, but must have formed 
 a beautiful passage-way in their perfection, and one 
 can easily imagine students oi'cupying the room while 
 attending college. 
 
 The governor's house (for lack of a better name) 
 is one of the distinctive figures among the ruins in 
 America, both in its structure and the immense la- 
 bor it has taken to build it. First, there is a solid mass 
 of concrete 400x500 feet and sixty feet high, then 
 in the center of this is another mass of concrete 
 200x350 feet, raised six feet high, the longest way 
 being north and south. On top of the central terrace 
 is the governor's house, 300x(30 feet and fifty feet 
 high, with walls six to eight feet through, with a 
 flat roof eight feet thick above the points of the high- 
 est arches. Through the center of the building, run- 
 ning lengthwise, is a solid wall eight feet thick at the 
 base, but increasing in thickness as it goes upward 
 until it fills all the space between the chamber, which 
 is lengthwise like all the others; thus there is a ('en- 
 tral mass of immense density. We must remember 
 that this building is concrete, cased on the outside 
 v/ith hewn stone and stuccoed inside, and we get some 
 
546 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 idea of its solidity. Througli the center, east to west, 
 is a hallway with a pointed arch, though not so high 
 as the chambers. The two doors to this hall have 
 been profusely ornamented, especially the one fac- 
 ing the east, which must have been dazzling in its 
 splendor before the brutal Spaniard destroyed it. 
 Beautiful fragments still lay in heaps before the door- 
 way. The west door, in like manner, was blown to 
 pieces by gunpowder, and the very stones seem to 
 appeal to heaven for retribution on the destroyer. 
 The north end, facing the college, is finely decorated, 
 and the high doorway to a square is quite imposing; 
 the chamber seems to have been a public place, as 
 the doorways and walls are much worn. The main 
 body of the building is laid off in chambers forty to 
 sixty feet long, twelve to tw^enty wide, and thirty feet 
 high, terminating in pointed arches. There is but 
 one door to each room, six by eight feet, with no 
 other opening for either light or air; this is the case 
 with the rooms in all the ruins. There is a singular 
 arrangement of stone rings and hooks around the 
 walls, with cavities where strong, wooden beams have 
 extended across that would have been capable of sus- 
 taining much weight. 
 
 Some of the most perfect and marvelous paint- 
 ings are found in these long, dark, high chambers. 
 This house confirmed my opinion that the ancient 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 547 
 
 i\la,\a understood electricity, and lighted up these 
 otherwise dark cdianibers with it, as the appliances 
 for using it are there to speak for themselves. When 
 Dr. Thompson and Le Plongeon copied the paintings 
 they could not get light strong enough from oil or 
 gas, so they had to arrange a system of reflectors to 
 throw the sunlight into the dark corners, which 
 brought out the marvelous coloring, and drew aside 
 the veil for a moment which covered the past in ob- 
 scurity. A few hundred feet southwest from the 
 governor's house, and connected with the lower ter- 
 race by a maseive wall, stands a flat-topped pyra- 
 aiiid, fifty feet higher than the house. In one side 
 of the connecting wall there are chambers, some much 
 broken, others perfect, but covered with bushes and 
 rubbish. The wall and pyramid is overgrown with 
 trees and vines, though an ascent can be made by 
 broken steps on the east and west side. Beyond this 
 pyramid, and connected by parallel walls, formin^r 
 an avenue, are two other large edifices in a fair state 
 of preservation, and elaborately oraamented with new 
 and ever-changing designs. 
 
 Xorth and west from the college extends another 
 line of ruins, massive and grand, varied enough in 
 form to keep up a pleasing variety in the whole group, 
 while all seem as if designed by one mind, there is 
 no monot.)ny. From the top of either pyramid the 
 
548 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 view is grand, and cannot be described for lack of 
 words and standards of comparison, for everything 
 is wholly different from ruins of any other part of 
 the world, or any other age. The effect on the mind 
 and eye of the giant ruins rising up out of the for- 
 est in lone, silent and desolate gTandeur delles descrip- 
 tion; it cannot l)e put into words. Go where you 
 would to take a view, it was always the same — im- 
 mense, overwhelming and vast in extent. From 
 every side, from every object came to us a conscious 
 reminder that we were gazing on the ruins of a civi- 
 lization once possessed of wisdom and refinement 
 more glorious than our <:)wn, that with these ruins 
 there perished a knowledge that may never come back 
 to men: the highest attainments of the nineteenth 
 century are but the alphabet of the ancient Maya. 
 
 It was with feelings of regret that we had to 
 pass by so many beautiful objects that would \ye highly 
 valued by college and private museums, but the gov- 
 ernment has forbidden their removal and there is 
 little chance to have them handled carefully. The 
 natives value them no more than other stones, so we 
 left them where they had falkn, possibly to look up 
 into the faces of tourists for generations to come. 
 While we were wandering about and climbing over 
 the wonderful things that strewed the ground on every 
 .side, we were aroused by the rumble of distant thun- 
 
OP ADDISON COFFIN. 549 
 
 der coming from the west, and soon dark clouds .came 
 drifting over the hills and we had to hurry to the 
 house in the village. We had arranged to make a 
 night trip back to Ticul, but the storm, coming on 
 v^'ith heavy rain, compelled us to stay with the na- 
 tiA^es. AVe were near the hostile borders where there 
 was much excitement and many soldiers in camp. 
 The situation was dangerous and we had been ad- 
 vised not to stop over night in that vicinity. As 
 darkness fell wild-looking natives came in and watched 
 all our movements with eager curiosity, and finally 
 I became uneasy about our lunch basket, and possi- 
 bly our money, for there was evident excitement 
 among them. My niece smiled at my fears, say- 
 ing if they did take our lunch we were only twenty- 
 two miles from supplies, then added: ''Uncle, just 
 sit down and be easy; after supper I will teach thee a 
 lesson of William Penn Quakerism, and show what 
 can be done with these fierce-looking natives." "O, 
 ye of Httle faith." 
 
 By this time it was nearly dark and a circle C)f 
 faces was seen gazing in through the door. Julia 
 Ballinger stepped outside right into their midst, and 
 began talking to them in their native tongue. She 
 asked them about their work, the corn planting and 
 the common things of life, and told them how the 
 same things were done in the States. They were 
 
 36 
 
550 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 at first dumb with astonishment, for they had never 
 before heard a white lady speak their language, or 
 one who would notice them at all. After their sur- 
 prise was over they were eager to ask questions. Who 
 ai'e you, and wdiy are you here alone? Why do 
 you travel without a guard i Your driver tells us you 
 go unarmed, is it so? How do vou manage to travel 
 that way ( This is a sample of the character of their 
 questions. 
 
 Julia told them we trusted in the Lord to 
 take care of us: that He had })romised to pro- 
 tect all who put their trust in Him; that I had trav- 
 eled many years and in many lands, always unarmed; 
 that the Lord had taken care of me, and would con- 
 tinue to do so. This was a revelation to them; they 
 had never heard such teaching before, never seen 
 a man who was not armed when away from home. 
 They shook their heads in bewildeniient and coidd 
 not comprehend it, but the wild look left their faces 
 and was replaced by one of kindly astonishment. 
 Without l)eing conscious of how time passed, she 
 talked for nearly an hour and then bade them a kind 
 good-night, and the impressive lesson was ended, one 
 that I shall always remember and these natives 
 will never forget. We slept in lianmiocks that night 
 with no thought of fear. 
 
 Xext morning when the cart came around for 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 551 
 
 starting the native men were standing in line, ready 
 to bid us good-bye and to look with wide-open, kindly 
 eyes into the face of the ^Svonderful" lady. They 
 called after us as a parting blessing, ''May your lives 
 be happy," and we were soon out of sight on our re- 
 turn trip. 
 
 The storm was the first of the approaching rainy 
 season. It cleansed things from the accumulated 
 dust of several months, cooled the air, revived vege- 
 tation and loosened the tongue of the sone" birds among 
 the trees. We felt so refreshed by the change of 
 aiT that we walked up the rocky side of the foot- 
 hills, and enjoyed the pounding and bouncing over 
 the stony descent and the trot back to Ticul. We 
 spent another night with our kind friends in the town, 
 who were so pleased with Julia's talks with them that 
 they refused compensation, and gave us a standing in- 
 vitation to stay with them if we should come again. 
 
 An earlv train next morning landed us in Mer- 
 ida once more. This time we went to the Presby- 
 terian Mission, the native minister in charge having 
 invited us to make our home with him; his wife could 
 speak some English, and she wanted to practice. We 
 stayed several days and were pleased with the ])r<is)Kr- 
 ity of the mission. AVe attended some of their relig- 
 ious services and, at their request, gave them talks 
 on my travels in Palestine, Julia inteii>reting. 
 
552 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 Many of their questions were at first a surprise. 
 One thing they wanted to know was: "If the hole 
 made by the cross of Christ was still there, and if blood 
 was still coming out of it and running down the hill." 
 This they had heard from early childhood from the 
 Catholic priests. The new converts in particular 
 were much astonished t(j hear me say it was a false- 
 hood. 
 
 We now applied our minds to the question of where 
 we should go after the coming festivals were over: 
 if we were going farther south it was time to be mov- 
 ing, for hot weather was near at hand. We felt that 
 our personal visits, together with what we had seen 
 in Dr. Thompson's photographs and charts, had given 
 us a tolerably clear idea of the ruins of Yucatan, and 
 we would visit some others on the homeward trip, 
 so the question was whether we would go south or 
 not. Just at this juncture news came that the out- 
 break in Xicaragua w^as more serious than expected, 
 and would probably inteiTupt travel for some months. 
 This settled the question, with little regret on our 
 part, for we had seen more than we expected, and 
 much of it was so novel and wonderful that we would 
 suffer no loss by digesting it, and we trusted to go- 
 ing south at another time, for it seemed that the more 
 we traveled the more instinictive our discoveries be- 
 came. As we read up the subject, and the more we 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 553 
 
 talked with Ainerieaii and Englisli residents, the 
 more amazed we became to find such astonishing 
 things so near home, and yet so little known, even 
 bj professed scientists. Every day's experience only 
 added to our conviction that Yucatan has more <;£ 
 the truly marvelous than any other country. 
 
 While on this subject 1 wish to say that I was 
 so fortunate as to meet Clayton Byers, of Onzaba, 
 Mexico, who is a national surveyor, employed by the 
 government to locate old Spanish grants, and to lay 
 them off in sections, as was done with our public land. 
 He had been through the Mexican states and South 
 America, and had visited and studied the ruins. He 
 is a man of close observation, discerning mind and 
 retentive mem<jrv. He unliesitatinglv confimied my 
 opinion that Mexico and Central America have more 
 interesting ruins than any other part of the world. 
 He, too, had taken the bearings of the meridian on 
 w^hich they were built, and gave it as twelve degrees 
 east of the meridian' of to-day; with imperfect in- 
 struments I had made eleven degrees. He further 
 stated that as far as he knew, there were no ruins 
 built on a meridian west of the present one. 
 
 When T studied Burritt's Geography of the 
 Heavens I learned that Thuben was the ])olar st^ir 
 2300 years B. C, so it is evident that the ruins were 
 built long before that time. If we run our pole back 
 
554 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 through Thiiben until it is opposite a point twelve 
 degrees east of the present pole, where will we be? 
 Is it not possible that this would confirm Le Plon- 
 geon's suggestion that the Maya race was in Yuca- 
 tan 18,000 vears a^o, as he thinks the records will 
 prove? Startling as this may seem, the record has 
 been engraved in stone by skillful hands. From 
 my observation and reading, I agree with Byers in 
 his assertion that, nowhere in the world have ruins 
 been found built on a meridian west of the merid- 
 ian of to-dav. Investigation along this line will set- 
 tle the question as to how long man has been a builder. 
 I am convinced that the architecture in Yucatan 
 originated there, that no part was copied, and that 
 people lived in Yucatan centuries before the first 
 foundation stone was laid in Egypt, or before the 
 Hittite became a nation. The most astonishing thing 
 is that the oldest ruins are the most perfect. The 
 Maya civilization had no infancy; it came from the 
 hand of the CVeator and had its beginning before 
 war was known, for there is no trace of a defensive 
 wall, citadel or fortification. This remarkable fact 
 had astonished Clayton Byers. All the other ruins 
 of the world have walls and battlements, citadels and 
 defensive towers showing they were built by men 
 of war, and not of peace. 
 
 The first of the tw<t national festival was IMardi 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 555 
 
 Gras, introdiu'ed by the Spaniards, and (Conducted 
 much after the st\de of our southern states. It con- 
 sisted mainly of hideous burlesque and buffoonery 
 that took some odd shapes and frightful hobgoblins 
 peculiar to the Catholic superstition. It lasted two 
 (lavs, the second being called the battle of flowers. 
 The first dav was mostly nonsensical and disgust- 
 ing, but the second was beautiful and exciting, (xreai 
 towers, domes, pyramids and triumphal arches of flo\v- 
 ers were mounted on hacks, carts and express wagons 
 and drawn throui>h the sitreets amid the shouts and 
 greetings of thousands of delighted people. Hun 
 dreds were in coaches and in other vehicles bedecked 
 with garlands, and as they passed they threw hand- 
 fuls of natural and [)aper flowers into the faces of the 
 crowd, who in turn showered flowers over the ve- 
 hicles and the faces of the passers-by; one never knew 
 when a handful of flowers would be dashed into his 
 face. During the four hours this noisy and delightfui 
 pastime continued, hundreds of boys and girls were go- 
 ing through the crowds with baskets of flowers on theii* 
 heads, thus keeping up the material for the sport, hi 
 an hour after the festival closed there were scores of 
 men and women on the streets sweeping up the great 
 masses of crushed flowers and scattered pai)er, which 
 was carted off to the dump ground, and bv night 
 there was but little sign of the day's frolic. Thougd) 
 
556 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 short-lived, the populace looked iipnii it as a gi-and 
 success, and all were happy, especially the children. 
 While it lasted tliev shonted with nnrestrained free- 
 dom, covering themselves with fallen flowers and 
 gathering loads to take home. A pleasins: trait of 
 Maya character was shown in their thoughtful care 
 of the children, exhibited by old and young, male 
 and female. Of the thousands who ran wild and 
 headlong through the streets few, if any, were hurt. 
 
 The other festival was the great Maya national 
 dance, which has been kept up for thousands of years 
 with unerring regularity. In all the vicissitudes of 
 the country that dance has been celebrated some- 
 where, either in a cave or on a mountain top. It 
 generally lasts two days, or a night and a day. It 
 was held in a large building with an open, central 
 court, in which stood a temporary music stand. 
 Onlv full-blooded Mayas take part, and all are bare- 
 headed and barefooted, with their simple garments 
 of spotless white. The ceremony began with music, 
 the bands rendering into modern meter some of their 
 ancient national melodies, which seemed to be full 
 of life, hope, patriotism and love. Then there were 
 tunes of more recent times, but which had that luourn- 
 ful under-tone of lament, as if wrung from the sad 
 heart of a ruined, conquered race. Finally they 
 pealed a stirring festal melody, that aroused the vast 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 557 
 
 throng from the hush that had covered it; then the 
 performers came out into a large, smooth and paved 
 hall in pairs. For several minutes all stood still, 
 then a few began stepping- out with a slowly-mea- 
 sured, but graceful motion; others joined in the same 
 slow movement, like a huge wheel starting an end- 
 less line of shafts and wheels, and so on until the 
 whole mass, as if by one common impulse, began 
 unwinding, and deployed through the corridors and 
 chambers until all were gone. The music fell to a 
 lower key, then l)ack into the low, sad melodies, as 
 though the scene was ended but suddenly it would 
 rise to brighter, higher tones, and the head of the 
 line of vanished dancers would come in sight, keep- 
 ing time in the same swaying, graceful motion, and 
 again wind up in the great hall, as at the begin- 
 ning. Then another, though different, evolution 
 would bo performed; then they would unwind and 
 disappear again; and so the ceremony went on until 
 after midnight. It was wonderful to witness the 
 agility displaved, especially that of the voung women. 
 Being without shoes, their light footfalls were scarcely 
 heard on the polished floors. In some of the more 
 active turns they seemed floating in the air, a wav- 
 ing, swayino- mass of humanity. 
 
 There were thousands of people looking on, but 
 all were still and seemed bound bv some unseen in- 
 
 36 
 
558" LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 lliience. The inspiring music and the flutter of the 
 bare feet was all that broke the silence, giving the 
 scene a strange, unreal chai^acter; it seemed like look- 
 ing through a glass on an invisible world. It was 
 an interesting vision of young life, with all its youth 
 and beauty, though we were saddened wdien we 
 thought of the superstition and degradation that 
 rested on them like a dark cloud. The second night 
 the dance continued until daylight, and those who 
 saw it reported that the music did not loose its magic 
 melody, nor the young dancers grow weary. They 
 closed with a gTand triumphal refrain, which rang 
 out on the morning air like a shout of glorious ex- 
 ultation. Four-fifths of the participants, male and 
 female, were laboring people, a majority of the women 
 were house maids and working girls, and the men 
 w^ere engaged in every variety of labor common to 
 the country. To strangers it seems impossible for 
 working people to have such natural, gi-aceful mo- 
 tions and skill in evolution in this intricate ceremony. 
 The chief amusement of the children is to play dance, 
 and as we looked into the back yards and inner courts 
 we saw them practicing; girls from eight to twelve 
 years of age were marvels of perfection in the art. 
 Thus we saw that they entered into the spirit of this 
 national pastime from childhood. ^liss Ballinger 
 would often exclaim: ^'Oh, what a field for Chris- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 559 
 
 tian work, with siioli good native ability to work with* 
 think of those beantifnl girls growing up in ignoi'- 
 ance an J degrading superstition; it makes my heart 
 sick to think of it." 
 
 One day when we had been to the outskirts of 
 the city we came up behind the old cathedral fort, 
 where men and women were excavating in a por- 
 tion of the great ruin out of which the conquered 
 Mayas had been compelled to build the cathedral and 
 fort. AVe were surprised to learn that they had been 
 compelled to construct a tunnel underground as a 
 secret passage to a large cathedral three-fourths of 
 a mile away, in which and through which many dark 
 deeds were done. The passage is still there, but is not 
 used. 
 
 Merida seems to have been a noted place in past 
 time, and many of the old highways radiated from 
 that point; especially eastward and south it appears 
 to have been as near the coast as any of the large 
 cities. All the great cities were built inland, seem- 
 ingly to avoid either something belonging to or com- 
 ing from the sea. It is strange that they were not 
 a maritime or commercial people, as the nations of 
 the world now are. This strengthens our belief that 
 they lived in a day when the human race had not 
 filled the earth, and were all of the same language 
 and kindred, and had not learned war and did not 
 need to l)e on the defensive. 
 
560 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 The romantic story of a •'liiddeu nation'- ex- 
 isting on the border of Yucatan, Chiapas and Guate- 
 mala is not a myth, as some suppose, for there is a 
 remnant living in an impregnable valley in the moun- 
 tains, which has been held as a last retreat from 
 the early history of the Maya race. Through all 
 the wars, conquests and vicissitudes that have come 
 to them, that stronghold was a last refuge, and has 
 never been taken by an enemy, nor can it be so long 
 as the present race holds it. That remnant is pure- 
 blooded, and they still speak the original Maya lan- 
 guage and hold their ancient religion, supposed to 
 be idolatrous, though for many centuries no one from 
 the outside has ever entered the valley and returned; 
 they do not suifer their brother Catholics to go there. 
 They come out t*) trade, sometimes go to neighbor- 
 ing cities and attend festivals and gala days. They 
 seem to be a finer, nobler-looking race than those 
 outside, who have been conquered by successive 
 enemies, yet living for so many thousand years in 
 that besieged valley they have lost their civilization 
 and history. 
 
 The man named Furguson, who with a good 
 glass peeped into the valley from a mountain-top, 
 said it looked to be thirty miles long and twenty 
 wide, surrounded by perpendicular cliffs two to three 
 thousand feet high. It was a paradise of beauty, 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 561 
 
 thickly dotted over with white villages, surrounded 
 by gardens, fields and orchards. It seemed to have 
 been especially formed for a last refuge in the hour 
 of danger; their numbers are variously estimated 
 from 50,000 to 40,000. Forty years ago, when a 
 large number of Catholic Mayas rebelled against 
 state taxation and church abuse, the '^hidden nation'* 
 came out to the help of their brothers and were such 
 shrew^d, fearless fighters that they soon over-ran two- 
 fifths of the state, and the rebellious tribe still holds 
 the territory, but the idolators returaed to their strong- 
 hold, simply claiming the right to cultivate a part 
 of the free land. 
 
 There is but one natural entrance to the vallev, 
 to the northeast. It is very narrow and between 
 cliffs one to two thousand feet high, and one thous- 
 and men could defend the pass against all the world, 
 for it is beyond the reach of the heaviest gun, be- 
 side the poisoned arroAv from a hidden archer Avould 
 bring down an enemy like the pestilence that walks 
 in the dark. These people speak the oldest language, 
 and possibly they are the only pure blood in the world. 
 There is one thing settled beyond a doubt, they will 
 never accept a Christianity that has any connection 
 with Roman Catholicism, for they have a perfect hat- 
 red of it and believe all the outside world their secret 
 enemies. 
 
562 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 The time came for us to bid adieu to our kind 
 friends, so we left the pleasant city of Merida and 
 came to Progresso, its shipping point, by rail, antici- 
 pating the arrival of a Spanish steamer bound for 
 Vera Cruz; it came in a few hours after our arrival. 
 A^liile waiting for it we took another lesson from 
 the natives. A porter, with wife and hve children, 
 was sitting in the shade. My niece hailed him 
 to carry our luggage down to the landing, and at the 
 call he and all the family arose and came. The price 
 being settled, we started, the porter in front, we 
 next, and the wife and children following, discus- 
 sing as they went as to how they would spend the 
 fee, thirty cents in our money, so all could have some- 
 thing to eat for their noon lunch. It was interest- 
 ing, yet sad, to hear their simple, innocent reasoning 
 and planning, and it seemed to be an ordinary event 
 in their lives, with no brighter future before them. 
 
 A low tide and chop sea compelled the steamer 
 to anchor well out, and we had a rough trip through 
 the breakers in crossing the waves. AVhen I reached 
 the ship my head was so dizzy I could not walk for 
 a short time, and others stronger than I were in the 
 same condition. The steamer was thoroughly Span- 
 ish in all respects, with Catholic bigotry predomin- 
 ating, which was intensified by the Cuban war and 
 Cuban refugees aboard going to Mexico, as a tern- 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 563 
 
 purary i)lace uf safety from want and danger. 'J'here 
 were a few English and American oassen^ers already 
 on board, and their |)resence wa^s rather irritating'. 
 The conditions were favorable for bad feeling, es- 
 pecially towards Americans, and on Friday Miss Bal- 
 linger brought things to a head. There was no meat 
 of any kind on the table for breakfast; she called 
 for beefsteak. The waiter replied rather haughtily 
 and scornfulh" ''This is Friday, if you do hot know." 
 She replied: "You may have all the Fridays you 
 please, but I am not going to be hungry on account 
 of your senseless superstition, understand that." 
 This was spoken in Spanish, and some one instantly 
 interpreted it into Ene*lish and French. In an in- 
 stant there was a cheer all through the dining hall 
 from the English, Americans, French and unbeliev- 
 ing Spaniards. The effect was astounding to the 
 bigoted Spaniard. All parties joined in praising the 
 brave little American lady, and they had nuite a jol- 
 lification. AVe had an abundant supplv of chicken 
 and other meat for dinner and supper, and the 
 pompous waiter was very polite the rest of the voy- 
 age. The honorable Englishman leaned back the 
 more on his dignity, the American increased the cloud 
 of vile tobacco smoke by at least one-half, while the 
 Frenchman was all a-\\dggle with his gesticulations 
 whenever the American lady's reply was under dis- 
 cussion. 
 
564 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 We had a pleasant voyage^ landing in Vera Cruz 
 in the forenoon. Soon after noon we took the train 
 and ran out to Orizaba, taking another route on the 
 return, so as to see more of the country. Orizaba 
 is one of the beautiful cities in the coffee region. 
 We stopped there over night and until 11 a. m. next 
 day, and enjoyed, the grand mountain scenery around. 
 It is a grand summer resort for people from the low- 
 lands or from any part of the wc^rld. a place not to 
 be forgotten by tourists. 
 
 Next day we took the train for Mexico City, 
 where we made a brief stop and went by rail to 
 Montara. There we had a glad, sad parting. Glad 
 that we were safe and well, up to that point on the re- 
 turn trip; sad to separate after so long companion- 
 ship amid such grand and wonderful scenes. We 
 both must now go Vvack to labor, care, anxiety and re- 
 sponsibility. 
 
 Miss Ballinger took an outgoing stage over the 
 same route we had traveled in going, and had much 
 the same kind of a rough trip, but finally reached Mat- 
 amora safe and well, where she was received with 
 joy and rejoicing by her friends, especially by Miss 
 Dysart at the Presbyterian Mission. She found her 
 school in good shape, and taking it altogether it had 
 been a happy outing for her, and an opportunity for 
 her young- lady pupils to try their skill in teaching. 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 565 
 
 I returned by Laredo, San Antonio, Little Rock 
 and St. Louis, arriving home safe and well with mem- 
 ories that will not pass out of mind, and with pic- 
 tures among the brightest and most beautiful of all 
 my life, and my heart was full to overflowing of all 
 gratitude to the Lord for bringing me home safe, as 
 He had promised, if I would do His will in my simple 
 way of dealing justly, loving mercy, and walking 
 humblv before Him in my joumev. 
 
THE CLOSIi^G CHAPTER. 
 
 (By his daughter, Ida Coffin Doan.) 
 
 In loving remembrance of my father, Addison 
 Coffin, who was born in Guilford county, N. C, first 
 month, 22d, 1822, and died fourth month, 16th, 1897, 
 at my home, Amo, Indiana. 
 
 On the forenoon of a late winter day there was 
 a sudden and unexpected commotion in our house- 
 hold, and thi-ee little girls were seen flying through 
 and around the house into the front yard, banging 
 doors behind them or leaving them open to save time, 
 all the while making such an outcry that no words 
 could be understood. At last it became one glad shout 
 of: '^Grandpa has come!" Then gTandpa could be 
 seen, the girls about him, holding him so that he could 
 scarcely walk; the youngest, a three-year-old, held the 
 place of honor in his arms. Older people had no op- 
 portunity for a word, though we felt something deeper 
 than joy over the safe aiTival home once more of our 
 dear father. 
 
 At the earliest opjDortunity the horse and cow 
 joined in the joyous welcome, each confident of an 
 extra bit to eat or a loving pat. Even the cats purred, 
 (666) 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 567 
 
 arched their hacks and riibbt^d about his feet, in an- 
 ticipation of attention. 'J'he regidar routine work 
 for the day was much neglected in our eagerness to 
 see and hear everything at once. Although worn 
 and weary with his journey, he was ready to answer 
 our many questions. For several days it was very 
 difficult for him to keep warm, as the change of cli- 
 mate had been sudden and very great. It was only 
 with the coming' of the warm spring sunshine that 
 he ventured out to work in the. garden and anioiig 
 the young tree^. A sort of friendly rivalry existed 
 between him aiid some old men about his age as to 
 who should have the nicest garden, and yard. Who 
 won the honor wdll remain one of the unsettled ques- 
 tions, for each one was proud of his own work. Cer- 
 tain, it is, that my father became so interested in hivS 
 growing, out-door family that he was at home almost 
 all of the summer, enjoying himself only as one with 
 a contented and happy spirit can. When he was not 
 doing self-imposed work out of doors he was reading 
 or writing, or in some sort of friendly "row," as they 
 call it, with the girls about some of their carelessness 
 or mischief. 
 
 He made some short visits among his friends 
 near bv, but attempted no long trips. His open-air 
 work brought him better health, the best he had en- 
 joyed since his attack of jrrippe in the spring of '95. 
 
568 LIFE AND TRAVELS 
 
 He attended nearly all tlie sessions of Western 
 Yearly Meeting, and was mucli interested in the pro- 
 ceedings. There he had the pleasnre of meeting 
 many friends, both yonng and old. During the fall 
 and winter he had quite a number of calls for talks 
 on his travels, as he called them, before Farmers' In- 
 stitutes, and in different neighborhoods, mostly in 
 Western Illinois and Eastern Indiana. Such work 
 seemed to cause him some weariness, but he main- 
 tained his strength better than we anticipated. While 
 school was in session he was frequently called upon 
 to talk to the children about things of the far-away 
 countries which he had seen. They seemed never to 
 weary of his stories. In every sense he was the 
 friend of children, in tender memory of the dear little 
 ones who had gone a.way from his own family so 
 early in life. He felt that in his childhood, child- 
 happiness was toe much neglected. 
 
 The last trip he took visiting and talking was in 
 and about Oart.hage. Indiana, among relatives and 
 friends, being gone about two weeks. Upon his re- 
 turn home he told of the pleasure given him during 
 his visit by the thoughtfulness and kindness of those 
 with whom he mingled. It was early in March when 
 he came home, and he appeared in usual health and 
 spirits. The severe cold winds occasioned him much 
 annoyance and disgust with the variable climate of 
 
OF ADDISON COFFIN. 509 
 
 Indiana. Before tlie end uf Marcli those who were 
 with him most discovered that some sort oi a change 
 was coming over him. He was unlike iiimself in 
 being dull and listless, often gi\ ing little heed to what 
 was about him. It was with an effort that he aroused 
 himself to work in tine weather with the things in 
 which he was usually much interested. He was 
 easily tired and would soon come in to rest. On the 
 morning of the 10th of April he called me, and [ 
 found him lying on his bed in a severe nervous chill. 
 At first no serious thought was given to this sickne^^s 
 except that he was unusually weak. The next morn- 
 ing he appeared better and the medicine was having 
 good effect, yet his strength was gone. We all felt 
 hopeful until Tuesday night, when he became de- 
 cidedly woi-se. One lung was showing signs of pneu- 
 monia, though not apparently of a serious character. 
 In the inability of his system to throw off disease, 
 laj^ his danger. He appeared in a vague way to real- 
 ize his condition, and i^ianifested his desire to get 
 well in many ways. In the delirium of his last forty- 
 eight houi-s, many names and various places were 
 spoken of, some of days long gone by. He often 
 wished to go home, though he was unconscious of 
 the meaning of the words and of the nearness of 
 that better home, where he would enjoy grander things 
 than he had known here. He peacefully passed away 
 
570 LIFE AND TRAVELS' 
 
 on tlie Kitlij into the jjortals of "The Xew Jeriisa-- 
 lem," wliere there were many more of those he loved 
 to greet him than he left on this side of the Valley 
 of Death. Xot mam^ weeks before he went away, 
 in a revival meeting, he spoke more truly than he 
 knew when he said his Avork was done and that he 
 was only resting and waiting. 
 
 He did not need to give a farewell testimony 
 in regard to his future, for his life through many years 
 had given assurance of his abundant entrance into the 
 City of God. 
 
 Thus ende<:l a Christian life begun more than 
 half a century before in the old New Garden meet- 
 ing, in Xorth Carolina, through the preaching of 
 Nathan Hunt. It was upon Easter Sunday, a beau- 
 tiful day, that we laid him to rest in the little ceme- 
 tery near Hadley, Indiana, and not far away from 
 the place he always called ''home,'- in Indiana. It 
 was Nathan H. Clark, grandson of him who gave my 
 father inspiration for right living, that stood above 
 the still fonn of his old friend — himself an old man 
 with dim eyes and white hair, and gave out words 
 of comfort to the living. He spoke of God's gracious 
 companionship and help toward those who love and 
 truf;t in him, and the faith which gives us the a^c- 
 tory. The face and form is gone, but the benedic- 
 tion of the life is still with us. 
 
JMoi-iq^ ro ^^I'Kor^, 
 
 ^be undersigned ma[^e a ^PESIALTY 
 of manufacturing boo(^s for 0UTH0RS. 
 ^bis ^ives tbe outbor all tbe profits tbere 
 may be In it, instead of tbe mere pittance 
 of a royalty. Qutbors will do well to co 
 municate witb us, 
 
 m- 
 
 AUTHOR'S PUBLISHERS, 
 
 Cleveland, Ohio 
 
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