Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1853-12-09
"Old keRtuck."
a rRUE - rOHY.
BY r. v. THOMAS, ESQ.

K,,'u,kv
Th- hunters of X -n.ucSv. - W,siern Sn~g.
Some years since left Pittshnrg in first
rate steamer, on my way to New; Orleans.
| wns hound up on arare trip Of pleasure,
and, full Of health and the excitement con-
scquent upon it, was alive to every scene
around and every character about me.
And the chsracters upon our western wa
tiers, fifteen years ago, had more character
in hem just as the scenes around one had
mare Of nature in them than now, inashuch
NJ art had not displayed as much of her
power there as she has since power which.
with enlightened laws and republican in
stitutions, is destined, as | believe, to
make the west the model land of the world.
One day, think it was the day after we
left Pittsburg, we saw white man, with
black boy beside him, evidently designing
to take passage, rs the boy was waving,
with might and mnin. a large handkerchief
on the end of a stick. Impatient that the
steamboat, by her movements, indicated no
notice, on the part of her officers, of the
signal aforesaid, the white man took the
stick, which proved to be ram-rod, from
the hand of the negro, and, leaning on
rife which he held in his hand, waived it,
with good deal of emphasis in his man
ner, while we could hear his stentorian
voice Git was indeed stentorian, to reach us
at that distances exclaiming -"Hello 70
" Hello!" replied voice from the up
per deck of our steamer, the Fort Adams.
ssIt's Samson," exclaimed the captain,
who was standing on the guards beside a
q crowd Of US 'sround to-
No sooner said than done. As the boat
approached the parties, Samson exclaimed
-"Why, you are blind las horse blanket
blind as your boat. don't stand so low
that you can't see me, do l !? stand six
feet four inches in my stocking feet, and
waved this hanikerchief as many feet over
my head besides.''
'Who do you think is looking out for
you from the wheelhouse % replied the pi-
lot. sY1u're big enough to be snag, old
fsllow-bu: I'D rather sec you on the shore
than in the river. But am keeping sharp
lookout ahead, here we hit snag some-
where about here last time. How would
you like to hire out to Uncle Sam for a
lighthouse A little more liquor and
your face would go without any other lig ht."
'Ha, Rogers is that you, you thief, you
That's Joe Miler-you stole it from old
Falstaff in the play, about that chap whose
nose lit HIM up the hill at night. hope
you don't extend your thieveries to other
matters"
''lt's no thievery, Kentuck," replied
Rogers, Sits only like parsons text,
which anybody has the right to apply well
applied, drawed the interference, old
boy.'
"Yes,' replied old Kentuck, as he was
called, "you'll have a bee line drawed upon
you some Of these days, in consequence of
that tongue of yours everybody that knows
you, knows that yours is no slander but
never mind, you'll meet with stranger,
some Of these short days, and that will be
like snag to your boat" BY this time
our yawl had received old Kentuck, and
saw the black boy deposit the traveller.
trunk in it, while that individual deposited
apiece of silver in his hand, which glittsred
like the ivory the darkey exhibited on tn,
occasion.
]. s'Take care of yourself, Pomp, and mint
what told YOU" H
4 eyes, Massa Samson, you pend pom me
dar are no mistake in dis nigger."
'That's tall man,' said to the cap
tain, as Old Kcntsck sprang upon the deck
rifle in hand.
i i" TALL" rsjoiasd the sapssin "wsll