r offer for the six you selected." He
said he had no money now. I said I did not want any (which was a white
lie). I said I would take a draft on Prosper, Whetmore & Co., of New
York city, for $3,000, payable in ninety days, and his note for the
balance, on his own time. He looked over the plan of the houses again.
He said he would not give but so much. I said to him, that was not the
question, what will you give? He said I will give you that amount,
naming the sum. I said at once, they are sold, they are yours. He gave
me the draft on Whetmore & Co., for $3,000, payable in ninety days. Just
at this time, his partner, Dr. Parker, came in. The colonel informed him
he had bought six of my houses. He said, you have made a mistake. Lumber
is in a glutted market. It is falling rapidly. The colonel said, that
makes no difference now, I have bought them. The colonel was considered
rich. No one there questioned the soundness of his draft. I went with it
to all the brokers in the city, but could get no offer for it. I then
went to Charley Minton, the agent of the steamer _Senator_. I thought he
could send it to New York to the owners of the steamer for its face
value. He said, the best he could do with me was to give me $2,250 for
it. Money was ten per cent a month, and scarce at that. Three months
time, at the rate of interest there, would be $900. I said, I would
take it. He gave me a check on his broker for that amount. He paid me in
gold, $16 Spanish doubloon pieces. I tied them up in my handkerchief,
and went to McCondery & Co., and said to him, the vessel, with my
houses, I see, are consigned to you. I will pay you $2,000 now on the
freight, and before they are all taken off of the ship, I will pay you
the balance. He said, take them all off, and pay the balance at your
convenience (we were acquainted and had come up on the same steamer, and
played whist together). It cost me $800 to get them ashore. There were
no wharves then. They had to be taken ashore on lighters. I expected my
brig down from Stockton soon, with $2,000 freight money, so I was out of
the woods financially for the present. I then made arrangement with the
colonel to have them landed on the North Beach on land owned by him,
where I could retail out my other six houses, which I had to sell, when
I got a proper price for them. We formed a copartnership. I was to take
one of my smallest houses, and have it erected there, to be used for an
office, and to use th