Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1848-11-11
RUM Nc "sCuuTE Nd, s."
By JOHN OF YORK.

b1 JoiN OF 1Oths
EVERY sold river man'' knows whera-
bouts OF Sc tate 40. 9, one of the many of
the small arms which the Mississippi puts
out to bring in her annual crop OF sand and
cottonwood. The S:hutes always occur at
bends in the river, and often cut off many
miles of travel. Schultz No. &. whi III is
one of the smallest, can be run by first class
boats in hi rh water, and saves perhaps
seven miles, which, in ascending that mi .h-
ty str am, is of no inconsid, rable iinpjr-
tance. On late occasion, one of the class
of Steamers above referred to was coming
up the river with large number of passan-
gers, and loaded down to the guards with
ir N, merchandise, ceteru. As she near
ed the foot OF the schute, the following di-
aloguA passed in the pilot house
"Charlev, can you 90 tn. schute :"
"WcIl, l guess so, Captain; how much
do we draw"
''Siy and ha f."
swell, the register at Memphis rated s
anil falling. I'll try it,"
Charley - is one Of the Oldest and
hest pio's on the Mississippi; he almost
knows the number of stones that bed the
Ohio. The boat ent red the schute it
was very narrow, and from the cautious
manner in which we proceeded and the
Ir quent calling out of the bowsmcn, as
they hauled up the lead line, we all knew
that the boat was experimenting! in rather
shallow water.
The tine was about II P. NJ, and the
night was about as dark as coal hole. In
the middle Of summer, with no breeze and
the a llitional heat of the furnaces under
the boil RS, few can sleep aboard steamer
until near morning, and on this particular
evening there was large company of the
wakpiul sitting ON the forwar deck, discus
sin poi les, ci rars, M,1onrahela, and 9TH
cr inter stiny su jrctsand objects. Among
this party We're two old river pilots, the
Captain and the clerks of the boat, some
three or four of the .'als," and gentle
man who hailed from the Old Dominion
one Of the f. f. r's, and nothing less. This
person was youth of aboat twenty-five,
large, we'll made, hand omely dressed and
possessed of an extraordinary share of in
quisitiveness, backed by bump of conver-
sational powers not to b. found on many
top pieces. We had not been a day out
before he knew nearly every person on
board, had talked politics with the men,
sirhed poetry to the ladies, and romp d
with the children, besides kissing an IN
linited number of bahis. 1t was his first
essay from the maternal mansion-his first
trip up the bi river; but he ha heen down
once, and in that one going dow, had l. ar =
cd the names of all the prin 'ipl' towns on
the ba0ks, AMI could til yon tn distances
rom one to the 9th r, as we'll as nu n'r,ns
legends connected with TIL ir ilr.a history.
T, fact. h was a vry ttt:ta5le youth, fi'l
~ rarrnli'v, irprdeac' a, inquiry, who
rol'l n Yer see two p rion' conv"ran; to-
rethr without p,tting il his nose a1i a
may wor Is rs ihsv would 'is'en to. Yo1
cou Pm, sit Iowa at rame If whist but
wol' he al about the boar looking at a.
the hands and alvising each Of the plr;ie.
how to pay. aJ-. .-..
Well Reus, ias we called hin,N was, as
before stated, one OF the forwar deck part,
on the night in qu stion, and as we brra'
to get into low watr, was very solicitor
about the fate of the boat. Nine feet wa
called for some time, then eight aud halt
and finally eight and seven and half an'
seven; and at length, when near the hea
of the schute, the keel began to CRATE upo
) the bed. In a few minutes we wrr. at
dead stand, and in very lively CO nnotio,
: The Captain said it was best to put bacI
\ hut Charley insisted that he could get owe
! OF course, every body hal something
say in the matter, but REUB verv naturall
had the majority, and volunteered TO 60 U
: to the pilot, on behalf Of the passenger
and advise him to turn down stream q
take the broad river for it. In prrformi.
!. this mission, he received some very stran!
J. news from the pilot, which he told us grea
ly sgitated. Charley had assured him tn