Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-07-23
MtsreIIamp.
BREAKING A BANK.
BY SOL SMITH.

Captain Summons is very clever Eel.
low-and the " DR.. Franklin tras very
superb boat, albeit inclined to rock about a
good deal, and nearly turn over on her
side when visited by breath of air in the
least resembling gale. Capt. Summons
is clever fellow. Allsteamboat captains
are clever fellows-or nearly all; but what
] mean to say is, Capt. Summons is par
ticulGrly clever fellow!--a clever fellow
In the widest sense of the term-a fellow
that is clever in every way-anxious that
his passengers shall be comfortably be-
slowed, and well fed and well attended to
and determined that they shall amuse
themselves "iust as they id please,n as
the saying is. If he happens to have
preachers on board, he puts on serious
countenance of Sunday morning-con-
sents that there shall be preaching-orders
the chairs to be set out, and provides bibles
and hymn.books for the occasion--himself
and officers, whose watch is below, tax
ing front seats and listening atteniively to
the discourse. Likely as not, at the close
of the service, he will ask the reverend
gentleman who has been officiating, with
his back in close proximity TO a hot fire in
q Franklin furnace, to accompany HIM to
the bar and join him in some refreshments
If there are passengers on board who pre-
fer to pass the time away in playing po-
ker. ucre, brag, Backgammon, or whist,
tables and chairs are ready for them, too
poker, brag, ucre and whist be it! All
sorts of passengers are accommodated on
the DR.. Franklin-the rights of none are
suffered to be infringed ;-all are free TO
follow such empioymentS as shall please
themselves. A dance in the evening is a
very common occurrence on this boat, and
when cotillons are on the carpet, the cap
tain is sure TO be thar.
1t is sometimes the cgse that at the com.
mencement Of 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
of equal rights to all. On the occasion o.
my voyage in the g Doctor" in December
1874, | found myself surrounded by q
crowd of passengers who were entire
strangers to me--a very rare occurrence
to one who travels so often on the West
ern rivers as do. wished my absence
from New Orleans to be as brief as posi-
BILE, and the s'Doctor" was the fastest boa
in port at the time of my leaving the ores
cent city; so resolved to secure bert
in her, and trust in luck to FIND st. Loui
boat at the mouth.
/ don't know how it is, or aDhy it is, bu
by strangers / am almost always taken 70
a PREACHER. 1t was so this voyage
There were three Methodist circuit rider
on board; and it happened that we go
well acquainted, and were good deal to
gether--from which circumstance wa
supposed to be one Of them; which suppo
sition was the means of bringing me int
an acquaintance with the lady passenger.
who, for the most part, were very piou!
religiously inclined souls. We had preach
ing every day, and sometimes at night
and must say, in justice 10 brother
Twitchel and Switched, that their sermon
were highly edifying and instructive.
In the meantime a portion of the pas
sengers sat the other end Of the hall'' cor
tlnued to play sundry games with cards
notwithstanding the circumstances Of tn
worthy followers Of Wesley, who frequent
~ requested the Captain TO interfere an
break up such unholy doings. The Car
tain had but one answer--it was some
thing like this: " Gentlemen, amuse YOU
selves as you like; preach and pray
your hearts content--none shall interior
with your pious purposes; some like III,
sort Of thing have no objection TO i
These men prefer to amuse themselyt
with cards; let them-they pay their pal
sage as well as you, gentlemen, and hay
as much right 10 their amusemcnts as 20
have TO yours, and they shall not be dis
turbed. Preach, play cards, dance colt
q Lone Il. IL. -. Ii -. !,