The Yazoo Democrat. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-07-30
MISCELLANEOUS.
BREAKING A BANK.
BY SOL. SMITH.

low--and the DR.. Franklin" was YER,
superb boat albeit inclined to rock about
good deal, and nearly turn over on her sid,
: when visited by breath of air in the leas
: resembling . gale. Capt. Summons is I
e clever fellow. ALI steam boat captains
are clever fsllOws--or nearly all but wha
mean to Say is, Capt. Summons is par
+ ticularly clever fellow La clever fellow
in the widest sense of the term--a fellow
that is clever in every way-anxious thai
his passengers shall be comfortably be-
slowed, and well fed andwell attended to
and determined that they shall amuse
themselves "just as they d--n please" as
the saying is. If he happens to have
preachers on board, he puts on serious
countenance of a Sunday morning-con.
sents that there shall be preaching-orders
the chairs to be set out and provides bibles
and hymn-books for the ccasion-himself
and officers, whose watch is below, taking
front seats and listening attentively to the
discourse. Likely as not, at the close of
the service, he viii ask the reverend gen.
tleman who has been officiating, with his
back in close proximity to hot fire in
Franklin furnace, to accompany him to the
bar and join him in some refreshments !! If
there are passengers on board who prefer
to pass the time away in playing poker,
ucre, brag, or whist, tables and chairs are
ready for them, too-poker, Drag, ucre and
whist be it All sorts of passengers are
accommodated on the DIR. Franklin-the
rights of none are suffered to be infringed;
.all are free to follow such employments as
shall please themselves. A dance in the
evening is a very common occurrence on
this boat, and when cotillions are on the
carpet, the Captain is cure to be thar.
1t sometimes happens that, at the COM
mencement of a voyage, it is found some
what difficult to reconcile all the passen.
gers to the system of Captain Summons
which is founded on the broad principle 0,
equal TlghIs 10 all. On the occasion oTmyf
voyage in the "Doctor," in December,
1914, l found myself surrounded by
crowd Ofpassengers who were entire Stran-
gers to me-a very rare occurrence to one
who travels so often on the Western rivers
as | do. wished my absence from New
Orleans to be as brief as possible, and the
/" Doctor" was the fastest boat in port at
the time Of my leaving the Crescent City;
so / resolved to secure berth in her, and
trust in luck to find st. Louis boat at the
Mouth.
/ don't know how it is, or achy il is; but
by strangers am almost always taken for
a PREACHER. 1t was so this voyage. There
were three Methodist circuit riders on
board and it happened that we got acquain-
ted, and were a good deal together-from
which circumstance / was supposed to be
one Of them, which suppositiOn was the
means of bringing me into an acquain-
ance with the lady passengers, who, for
he most part, were very Pious, religiOusly
Inclined souls. We had preaching every
lay, and sometimes at night; and | must
Jay, in Justice to brothers Twitchel and
Switched, that their sermons were highly ,
,difying and instructive.
In the meantime portion of the passen- a
yers at the other end ofthe hall " contin- a
led to play sundry games with cards, not 4
the remonstrances Ofthe wor-
by followers of Wesley, who frequently L
the Captain to interfere and !
Freak up such unhOly doings. The Cap i
ain had but one answer-it was something a
ike this Gentlemen, amuse yourselves =
Is you like preach and pray to your hearts, E
shall interfere with your pi- !,
,us purposes some like that sort Of thing n
Il have no objection to it. These men q
refer to amuse themselves with cards let :
hem-they pay their passage as well as II
-ou, gentlemen, and have as much right to /
heir amusements as you have to yours, and o
hey shall not be disturbed. Preach, play e
ards, dance cotillOns-do what you like, =
am agreeable only understand, that all i
ames (preaching among the rest) must r.
ease at 10 o'clock" So zoe preachers got !,
cry little comfort from Captain Summons. 2
Up-up, up,-up we went Christmas
Day arrived. All the other preachers had
olden forth on divers occasions, and It be-
q ascertained that ii was my intention to II
ave the boat on her arrival it Cairo, q
'unal request was perlerred, that I should Al
reach he Christmas sermon The La N
IFS God bless them al y were Uery ur- O
ent in their applications 10 me. "Oh DO, \
rOtheT Smith we rant 10 hear you 3.
reach All the others have contributed p
leir share to our spiritual comfort--you u
INST Oblige us-indeed you must" ] en- Ii