I was the one that ought to have seen to it, that everything cut was first submittted to me, and I will explain why I did not do it. Upon my reproaching the foreman who had charge of the job, he admitted that he had been suddenly attacked with sickness and did not give the matter his personal attention. They had cut everything that came in their way, big and little, and had cut them at the joints to get the necessary inch. Having examined all I could land there, in the course of three days I returned to the spot where the remaining 3600 pieces had been cut, and decided that out of the whole lot forty pieces would suit me and that I would not pay for any more. The same afternoon I started for a town on the opposite bank of the Cauca, Palmira, by name. I then dispatched a messenger to the gramina plantation with orders to immediately suspend all further work until I called to examine what had been cut. I therefore had to engage peons to reduce them to the necessary length.
THOMAS EDISON THINKING ROCK DRIVERS
The mule drivers made a great kick because a great many of the pieces exceeded 3 ft., in length and absolutely refused to cary any for me.
I could only give cargos for 16 mules as then the pieces did not satisfly me. Seventy mules were on hand to take the stuff to Cordoba. Besides, some of them had but 8 inches between the joints and others were so rotten as to be useless. In utter disregard of my most stringent orders, that they should not cut the gramina at the joints, I found every piece out in that way. Surmising that something must be wrong in thus having 400 pieced of good gramina ready for mule truch in the space of four days, I got on my horse and rode to the place, and never was there a more disgusted being South America than I was. Whilst this was going on, word was brought that the first raft of gramina had arrived at the Ca landing oposite the Cali road from the river.
Trujillo, I managed to get 10 peons to go with me. After the most unremitting efforts by Mr. I was 10 days in trying to find peons to accompany me, as no one thinks of going into the mountains here where tigers, bears and snakes abound. Meantime I was arranging an expedition to start for the Eastern slope of the Western Cordillers to find the big stuff spoken of by Humboldt. I also engaged the necessary rafts to float the material down the river oposite Cali.
I, of course, had to provide the peons with new machetts, new axes and new saws. Simmonds with a request that he should have 150 miles in rediness to take the stuff to Buenarentura to be shipped on the steamer going to panama on June 16th. Having arranged everything satisfactorily as I thought, I sent a messenger to Mr. These peons are accustomed from boyhood to this kind of work. Having been shown the samples of gramina that I requested, I gave orders to cut some 4000 pieces of the length of 3ft each, 10 inches between the joints, nothing less than an inch thick in the shell and for everything over an inch I offer to pay a smalll premium. There I met the peons engaged to do the necessary cutting. Arrived at the field of gramina, my clothes were literally torn from my body by encoutering thorns, branches of trees &ct., in getting to the place. Our path for miles and miles led through deep marshes and over swollen rivers, with long stretches of treacherous mud up to the horses flanks. Pedro Trujillo, son of a former Liberal President of Columbia, and a young man of more than usual force of character and intelligence. I started off on horseback some 25 miles up the Cauca River company with a Mr. I thought to infuse a little American energy into the enterprise, but I might as well try to scull myself up the falls of Niagra with a crowbar as to try to have anything accomplished in a satisfactory manner here. "Immediately after the receipt of cablegram from G ace & Co., authorizing credit with Simmonds here, I started off to send you my first shipment of gramina.
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