The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1844-06-24
A Race on the Mississippi,
From "Life In The yNetO W'orld."
ny sEATsFIELD.

land behind us; which, rs you well know, Is above
New Madrid, and below the mouth Of the Ohio river
| The poor Helen McGregor has blown up since, as
| you know, just at New Madrid, and took half
hundred of passengers into another world. And so
we arrived at Wolf s Island, where caught the
Ploughboy, the Huntress, the Louisville, and two
Their steamers. II rVns a nice little feet We were
just behind the ladies' cabin, with Miss Warren and
the old gentleman, both very moody, when the
word given that the George Washington had
come up. 1t glorious steamer, this George. 1t
shines and glimmers already in the distance, like
floating palace, and flies upon you as soft and swift
as duck! 1t is real joy such gigantic struc-
ture come up 10 you. At once l hear that George
Washington beats jump up, run to the upper
deck, and true, there it in all its pride and
glory-trarara trararn! and roaring, and oaming and
spoutiug fire, like the Emperor Nap at the head of
his guards and horsemen and huns. This George
presented n magnificent view, in the midst of the five
steamers, the Louisville, Huntress and the others;
had caught them already. We stood and looked
all who the Helen McGregor, and tell you,
our hearts beat stronger and stronger you could
anxiety all faces The bell rang for dinner, not
foot moved. Captain, cried l, we cannot let the
George go ahead of us, cant stay behind with
honor says I. eve must show that are Mlsss-
sppi men, Mr, Doughty, says he, it is the George
Washington says he, two hundred horse power
says he. 1T is all CANNON, says I, 1T has two
hundred and twenty horse power 'You only say
SO TO escape And rthe old George had three
hundred horse power, would shorten my stirrup,
and spur my horse.'
"And the captain became when I said
could see it, his eyes fixed on the hostile
boat, which had left already the FIVE others, and
came up to us now as if we nothing but buck
skinned, dry Britons, and they, free, fresh Ameri
cans who don't farthing about the world. And
as the captain looked at the George, he became
red, blue and green-changed color like dolphin
his teeth crashing, and he bin his lips that tho
blood was running down his chin. And The WASH
ington reared nearer, and the smoke Kissed stronger
and hurrnhs after hurrahs came over to our ears
Captain cried, the Washington beats us, the
honor Of the Helen McGregor is gone The captain
stood il covered with coat OF plaster, the sweat
on his brow, and his eyes bloodshot, IIe had beat
the five steamers, which roared their hurrahs for
Washington, after him, and which were right glad
already TO see the Helen NcGregor humbIed
"'Captain!' cried once more, will You permit
yourself TO be beat out of the field, without even
McGregor is new boat Fire upr Now he ran
down and cried, Fire up, boys! fire up high pres
suren Put it into her, boysrI cried. Fire upr And
the boys fired, and fred so that the sweat poured
down from them like spouts. they poked in their
wood with large tongs, and began 10 hiss from
ohmneys-it a real pleasure. We went right
into the Oho-thc Washington nearly at
side.
'Now,you know that the stream the Mississippi,
it comes down straight presses the Ohio back TO-
miles towards Trinity. finer basin for a des-
perate race, you cannot find in the whole world The
two streams have just the right breadth, for four
five miles in that water circle, which is bounded by
the banks ofthe Illinois, old Kentuck, and her daugh
ter Missouri. The stream is Just in your favor when
you the Ohio, because the river is pushed back
by the Mississippi We nearer the Illinois
side and thereby had nd vantage over our adver
sary, who held himself on the Kentucky side, and
came near to US, roaring terribly, and followed by
the other five steamers, who had likewise put on
their spurs. Our Helen McGregor still in adj
vance. The air trembed with heat, smoke, roaring
and foaming. The enemy was right at back.
The figure head ofthe George was parallel with our
STERN Helen McGregor, hold yourself stiff cried l.
Fire up boys!' said /. Ten dollars il you do the
usiness!' sHurrah!' cried the hundred passengers
-'IIurah" The Washington loses-falls back
The captain looked but he could not speak word.
His lips pressed, if they nailed together
he stood like statue. We made twenty knots
We had to keep up now or fall among the Hunress
and the Ploughboy All the planks cracked; the en-
CINE shook and smoke roared. 'The Helen McGre-
gor,' cried, SIS brave woman-a brave Scottish
lass She has fire in her body And that was true
She was swift as a horse, 10 which, for the
first time, the spurs given. She foated no more
she flew like bird or wild panther or wounded
stag; she swift as the rising storm. The waters
of the milk-whte Ohio flew past us, as if they shot
out of Fulton's steam rockets; still wilder became
our course the Kentucky shores to the right with her
cotton trees, flew mast us; the forest flew by MS II
seized by panic; the Illinois shores, with their mag
nifcen trees, danced past like wild witches riding
on their broomsticks. Behind disappeared The
high banks of the Missouri, with the forest in the
back, and the plantation Of old Kenucl in the fore
ground. She appeared smaller every second and IN
a minute il was only as large as pigeon house. All
SWAN before and behind us-a'l hurried, Drove Hew