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Notes for MARCUS GEORGE LAFAYETTE TROWBRIDGE:
" TROW" IS OLDE ENGLISH FOR " TRUE".
JAY W. KNOWLES RELATES THE FOLLOWING ACCOUNT OF GRANDPA TROWBRIDGE'S DEATH. JAY W. WAS SERVING IN THE BLACKGANG OF THE U.S.S. DORSEY IN THE PACIFIC WHEN SHE RECEIVED ORDERS TO GO TO CUBA AND HAITI. KNOWING THEY WOULD BE GOING THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL HE CONTACTED HIS MOTHER, MADELINE TROWBRIDGE, IN ORDER TO GET HIS GRANDFATHER'S ADDRESS IN PANAMA CITY. SHORTLY BEFORE ENTERING THE CANAL THE DORSEY GOT ADDITIONAL ORDERS STATING THAT SHE WOULD RETURN THROUGH THE CANAL WITHIN 30 DAYS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE OPENING OF THE SAN FRANCISCO WORLD'S FAIR OF 1939. JAY W. HAD INTENDED TO TAKE LEAVE IN PANAMA ON THE WAY TO CUBA, BUT THE OPPORTUNITY AROSE TO MAKE SOME EXTRA CASH IF HE STAYED ON BOARD AND TOOK HIS LEAVE ON THE RETURN TRIP. ON THEIR SECOND VOYAGE THROUGH THE CANAL HE AND A SPANISH SPEAKING SHIPMATE GOT PASSES TO GO ASHORE AND HE SET OUT TO FIND HIS GRANDFATHER HE HAD NEVER SEEN. THEIR TREK LED THEM TO A WOOD FRAME HOUSE, #833c BALBOA IN BALBOA HEIGHTS CANAL ZONE. THEY KNOCKED ON THE DOOR AND IT WAS ANSWERED BY A YOUNG PANAMIAN GIRL. THEY ASKED TO SPEAK TO MARCUS TROWBRIDGE AND SHE TOLD THEM THAT THEY COULDN'T. JAY EXPLAINED THROUGH HIS FRIEND THAT HE WAS MARCUS' GRANDSON FROM THE UNITED STATES TO WHICH THE GIRL SHUT THE DOOR IN THEIR FACES. AN OLDER WOMAN THEN APPEARED AT THE DOOR. SHE INFORMED THE PUZZLED YOUNG MEN THAT THEY COULD NOT SEE MARCUS BECAUSE HE HAD DIED JUST A FEW DAYS BEFORE. AFTER RESEARCHING TROWBRIDGE'S LIFE WE HAVE FOUND THAT HE ACTUALLY DIED 3 YEARS BEFORE JAY W.'S VISIT. JAY KNEW LITTLE SPANISH AT THIS POINT IN HIS LIFE AND PROBABLY MISTOOK 3 YEARS FOR 3 WEEKS.
MARCUS HAD ENLISTED IN THE 1ST U.S. CAVALRY VOLUNTEERS, A REGIMENT OF TEXAS FRONTIER " HE-MEN ", AND TRAINED FOR AWHILE AT SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. THEY ARMED THEMSELVES AS THEY WANTED AND WERE ALSO ISSUED A KRAG-JORGENSON CARBINE. THE MEN FOUGHT AT LAS GUA'SIMAS AS WELL AS AT THE MISNAMED "BATTLE OF SAN JUAN HILL". THEY BATTLED AS INFANTRY BECAUSE THEIR HORSES NEVER LEFT FLORDIA. HE ALSO SERVED AS A COMPANY COOK IN THE STATES AS WELL AS IN CUBA. IT WAS IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THIS DUTY THAT SMOKE PERMANENTLY DAMAGED HIS EYESIGHT LEADING TO PROBLEMS THROUGHOUT THE REST OF HIS LIFE. HE CONTRACTED MALARIA IN CUBA IN 1898 ALSO , AND WAS BOTHERED BY IT AND OTHER LUNG RELATED PROBLEMS UNTIL HE DIED. HE STAYED ON IN CUBA AFTER THE WAR WORKING AS A MINER, A SURVEYOR, A SUPERVISOR IN RAILROAD EXCAVATION, A SUPE. OF BRIDGE WORK, AND AS A SUPERINTENDENT AT THE WATERWORKS. ON MARCH 18, 1899 WILLIE PEARL DIVORCED HIM AND ON JANUARY 18, 1902 HE MARRIED A 15 YEAR OLD CUBAN GIRL NAMED MARIA LUISA ORTEGA Y DE LA TORRE, AND SET ABOUT BUILDING A NEW LIFE FOR HIMSELF. HE DID SOME MINING IN THE BERMUDAS AND HE SERVED AS A WAGON MASTER IN PORTO RICO FOR THE U.S.G.
MARCUS CAME TO PANAMA WITH OTHER ROUGH RIDER VETERANS AFTER THEIR WORK WAS FINISHED IN CUBA. PANAMA BELONGED TO COLUMBIA AND COLUMBIA WAS NOT COOPERATING WITH THE U.S. PLANS TO BUILD THE CANAL THROUGH HER TERRITORY. SO, TEDDY ROOSEVELT DECIDED TO AID PANAMA IN A FIGHT FOR INDEPENDENCE WHICH OCCURRED IN 1903. THE NEW GOVERNMENT SOLD THE NEEDED LAND TO THE U.S. FOR $10,000,000 AND WORK BEGAN ON THE CANAL IN 1904. MARCUS STAYED TO WORK ON THE CANAL ( BASED OUT OF NOMBRE DE DIOS AND LATER TORO POINT) UNTIL IT WAS COMPLETED IN 1914 AND BY THEN HE HAD CARVED A PLACE FOR HIMSELF IN HIS NEW HOMELAND AND NEVER RETURNED TO THE U.S.A. DURING AN EARLY 1920'S BOUT WITH MALARIA THE DOCTORS RECORDED THE PRESENCE OF A LARGE CIRCULAR SCAR TO THE RIGHT OF THE LOWER THORACIC VERTABRAE & ANOTHER OVAL SCAR ON THE OUTER LOWER THIRD OF HIS RIGHT LEG. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT THE TATTOO OF A SEMI-NUDE LADY WAS NOTED ON THE UNDERSIDE OF HIS RIGHT FOREARM. ON THURSDAY OCTOBER 11, 1931 M.G.L. ATE SOME FRESH PIG'S FEET. A FEW HOURS LATER HE DEVELOPED ABDOMINAL CRAMPS AND SEVERE DIARRHEA. ON THE 12TH HE WAS ADMITTED TO GORGOS HOSPITAL IN THE CANAL ZONE AND WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CRONIC FOOD POISONING, HIS WEIGHT DROPPED FROM 154 TO 145 POUNDS IN A MATTER OF HOURS AND HE HAD TO REMAIN IN THE HOSPITAL UNTIL THE 16TH. THE DOCTORS FEARED HE MAY HAVE INCURRED AMEBIC DAMAGE TO HIS LIVER AND KIDNEYS AND RAN TESTS FOR THIS FOR QUITE SOME TIME AFTER HIS RELEASE, BUT HE WAS LUCKY AND MANAGED TO SIDESTEP THIS, AT THE TIME, ALWAYS DEADLY INFECTION.
HE HELD MANY POSITIONS IN THE CANAL ZONE DURING HIS LIFE TIME STARTING AS A GENERAL FOREMAN SEPT. 16, 1904. WHILE A FOREMAN FOR THE PANAMA RAILROAD HE WAS REPRIMANDED FOR THE LOST OF KEGS OF VINEGAR ON THE NIGHT OF 10-9-1920. ON MARCH 19, 1920 WHILE SERVING AS A STEVEDORE FOREMAN HE WAS TOLD TO FIRE SOME EMPLOYEES FOR SHOOTING CRAPS ON DUTY, BUT HE REFUSED AND SAID HE WOULD DISCIPLINE ALL CONCERNED IN ANOTHER WAY. ON JULY 25 OF 1920 HE TESTIFIED IN A CASE INVOLVING THE DISAPPEARANCE AND DAMAGE OF SEVERAL 100LB BAGS OF SUGAR BEING TRANSPORTED TO NEW ORLEANS ON THE SANTA LENORA. HE HAD BEEN THE FOREMAN OVERSEEING THE LOADING IN CRISTOBAL, C.Z. HE WAS REPORTED DRUNK AND UNABLE TO PERFORM HIS DUTIES OVER THE JULY 4th HOLIDAY OF 1919. ON MAY 24, 1911 HE WAS ORDERED TO QUIT FISHING FROM THE TRESTLES OVER THE CANAL WITH COMPANY DYNAMITE. HE WAS MADE A DERRICK BARGE FOREMAN IN OCT. 1915. ON FEB. 5, 1918 HE WAS CITED FOR BEING INTOXICATED AND USING PROFANE AND ABUSIVE LANGUAGE WHILE AT WORK. On 10-20-1925 HE AND HIS FAMILY BEGAN A 60 DAY WITH PAY VACATION IN CARTAGO, COSTA RICA. THEY HAD TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED BY THE UNITED FRUIT COMPANY ON BOARD THE SS PASTORES FOR FREE. HE WORKED IN BRAZIL FOR 3 YEARS AFTER HIS RETIREMENT FROM CIVIL SERVICE WORK IN THE CANAL ZONE.
IT IS OF INTEREST THAT IN 1923 THE RENT FOR HIS HOUSING FOR A FAMILY OF 5 WAS ONLY $10 A MONTH. DUE TO A MISTAKE IN REGARDS TO HIS BIRTH DATE AND LOCATION ON HIS MILITARY ENLISTMENT PAPERS AND SIMILAR, BUT DIFFERENT MISTAKES ON HIS CANAL ZONE EMPLOYMENT RECORDS HE HAD CONSTANT PROBLEMS RECEIVING HIS VETERANS AND GOVERNMENT PENSIONS. THERE ARE DOZENS OF LETTERS IN HIS FILES FROM THE MID-1920'S UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1936 ATTESTING TO THESE DIFFICULTIES. THE FAMILY BIBLE IN WHICH HIS BIRTH WAS RECORDED WAS DESTROYED IN THE SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE WHILE IN THE POSSESSION OF HIS OLDER SISTER NEVADA. AFTER HIS DEATH HIS WIDOW WAS DENIED PENSION BENEFITS WHICH SHE FOUGHT FOR UNTIL HER DEATH IN 1943. THERE ARE EVEN LETTERS AND REPORTS IN HIS FILES DOCUMENTING PROBLEMS HIS 3 CHILDREN HAD IN CLAIMING THEIR BENEFITS WELL AFTER THEIR FATHER AND MOTHER'S DEATHS. THEY EVENTUALLY CAME TO THE UNITED STATES AND HIS SON CHARLES ENDED UP WITH A MBA FROM THE HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL. CHARLES WOULD DIE IN NEW MEXICO IN 1973.
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