Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1848-03-30
Nlistrllolrcolts
ONE OF BANVARD'S STORIES.

Banvard tells the following good joke of fool
ing Mississippi steamboat. lie was layng-to,
wind bound, with small trading boat, at the head
of the ''chute" Of Prophets island, and it being
the first Of April, his hands were determined TO
have u "lark" Of some kind. During The day
they had observed sawyer close in shore, about
n half a mile above where the stat" lay. THIS
sawyer had been constantly bobbing its head up
and down, all day long from this, taking the
hint, they procured some of their old clothes,
and stuffed them with Spanish moss, which they
drew from neighboring tree; then making a
papor face, and surmounting the whole with a
paiamotto hat, they made quite a respectable
looking backwoodsman. After sundown, near
dark, they took this imitation OF humanity. up
the river, to where this industrious sawyer was
working. As probably many of our readers
will not exactly understand what a Mississippi
SAWYER is, we will say, for their Information, that
it is merely loose snag, which is kept in mo-
tion, swinging up and down, by the force Of the
current, not unlike person saving. When
opposite the sawyer, they drove two upright
stakes into the earth, and drew The pantaoons of
the figure over them, so as TO make it stand per-
pendicular; then teing an unIighted torch in its
hand, and placing couple OF empty boxes and
keg near by, TO give the appearance of "Pun-
DER" they had quite respectable passenger
All things prepared, they sat down to wait for a
steamer. twas not long before they heard one
escaping" round the point, and coming into the
"chute." They then hastily kindIed fire near
by, lit the torch in the figures hand, conveyed
a small cord from The hand that held it, over
light limb, out to the snag or sawyer, and made
il fast. The motion of the snag kept the torch
in the figures hand moving up and down, exact
ly like person hailing a steamer. The wag-
gish boatmen then jumped into their skilf, and
pulled off into the shade Of an adjacent cove to
watch the result.
Soon the steamer hove in ght. The cap
tain seeing the light, supposed of course that it
was hail, (as the projectors intended he should)
at once commenced ringing his bell 10 answer,
and gave orders TO ''lay over" towards Mr.. STUFF
Gy, as the boatmen had named him, who was
busy shaking his torch. "Stop her!" shouted
abe captain. Dng-a-ng went the bell, and the
engines ceased their mollon. "Open the fire.
doors!" shouted the engineer, and away streak
ed the light from the fiery furnaces, lighting up
the surrounding gloom, and hiss went the escape
steam, reverberating through the everlasting cot
ton.wood forests; and there was as much bustle
and noise on board the "Clipper," for this proved
TO be her name, as if she was going to take ION
twenty cabin passengers, "Sand by the yawl,
Ghere!" the captain ordered. Soon the yawl
was off, with two deck hands pulling, and the
mate, as usual, standing up in the stern, steering,
making for Mr.. Slufy. "Stop shaking your
iight--don't you think we see you!" shouted The
mate from the yawl. "Get your 'Plunder' down
under the bank there, if you want to come on
board, sung out the captain from the deck of the
steamer, "or we'll put off again and leave you
where you are!"
But SIulfy heard not. There he stood, wav-
ing up and down the fre.brapd he held in his
hand. "Ihe fellows cross, 'sald the captain,
"He's fool, "mutered the mate, with an oath.
between his teeth. mo he aint, ,'said one of the
hands, "but he's drunk see, he has tumbed
down the bank there" Just at this momentth the
yawI was run in near shore, and, passing be-
tween The snag and the shore under the line at
tached to the figure, the line caught under the
mates chin, throwing him back in the boat, at
the same time Jerking Mr.. Stpfiy over the bank,
and rolling him into. the river, Man over
board!" was then the cry, and the passengers
rushed from the cabin 10 The deck-to behold the
sad catastrophe. "Calch him, quick!' shouted
several voices al once, "or he will drown!'--
\ few hurried sIfokes brought the yawI 10 the