During the Gold Rush he steered his steamships single-handedly through Nicaraguan river rapids to find a way to get his passengers more quickly and cheaply to the Pacific Ocean.

“淘金热”期间，他还单枪匹马指挥蒸汽机船队遍走尼加拉瓜河路，迅速找到了一条能使乘客更快更便宜的前往太平洋的航线。