Butte record., 1856-11-29
KetfibutiOn.
AN INCIDENT ON BOARD WESTERN
STEAMER.


a large manufacturing establishment,
business of Importance obliged me to
pass several months in travelling to and
fro in the great valley of the west, and
one spring morning beheld me at ST.
Louis, upon the point of embarking in
the snug little steamer Lucy Wilmot,
for New Orleans There were many
passengers on board beside myself, and
the greater part Of them were destined
to some port upon the lower Mississip
pi. Among them were several sturdy
planters with their families, and a num-
ber of merchants and river traders,
making, upon the whole, very res
pectable and pleasant company, The
river was low, and We were delayed
somewhat by the shoals.
After reaching the mouth of the Ohio
river, however, we encountered no
further detention, but plowed the mud.
dy waters rapidly past Memphis, Na>
poleon, and VIchsburg, toward our
destined port.
cure u berth beside one of the paddle
boxes, where my ears were perpetually
salutcd with the din of the machinery
and the splash of the waters. In the
nighttime | was specially discommod-
ed. 1t is Customary for the pilots, in
the darkness of the night, to steer their
boats as near the middle oft he channel
as possible, for the purpose of avoid
ing snags and sand bars. Unhapplly
this is the portion of the sire I'M where
there is a great mass of floating tim
bers and rubbish, and as the steamer
rushes onward, her wheels, at every
revolution, go thump, thump, against
the floating logs SO that the promin-
ent idea IN the mind Of the sleepiess
traveller is that of padding all night
over Il corduroy rold Sometimes the
monotony is varied by the Loarse rattle
of slab Or branch, which becomes en-
tangled in the paddle and is dragged
around by it within the box for an in
terral Of five minutes or more.
Among the passengers with whom |
was breaght most directly in contact,
was a youth Of abaut twenty years of
age, resident of St. Louis. He was
a slender, intellectual looking lad, of
retiring habits, and was on his way to
visit relation in New Orleans, with
the design Of seeking employment in
some mercantile pursuit in that city.
He rarely conversed with his fellow
passengers. Circumstances, however,
conspircd to bring us into somewhat
intimate connection during the early
part of our voyage, and he confdc to
me a portion Of his history. He was
the son ola New England farmer nam
ed Calet who, five years previously
seized by one of those emigration fevers
which from time to time, have ragged
so EXTENSIVELY in this section of the
country, gathered together his nova
able household goods, converted the
principal part Of his property into cash,
and with HIS family, comprising young
brother, wife and three children, the
Oldest Of whom was, at that time, less
than fifteen years of age, began his
pilgrimage towards the land Of pro-
mise,
One day. as their little caravan was
slowly winding its way over the fertile
prairie swclls whieh rise in undulations
from the eastern border of Rock River,
in Illinois, an accident to the wagon
which contained the more bulky por-
ton of their goods caused some delay,
and at length it was resolved that Mr.
Calcf and his son Stephen should re-
main behind and repair the vehicle
while the remainder of the party push
ed on 10 their purposed camping
ground, and there awaited their arriv-
al.
Hardly had the moving wagon pass
ed out OF sight before three rough look.
ing armed men rode up from the direc-
tion of the camp which the travellers
had left on the previous night, and ad-
dressing Mr.. Calef, offered, with the
usual courtesy of the prairies, to assist
in extricating him from his difficulty.
Their proffer of service was thankfully
accepted, for the emgrant supposed
them to be honest, worthy settlers OF
tho country. But it was found neces-
saFy to unload the wagon, and as arti-
ole after article was removed. compris-
ing, Ia the aggregate, far more valu-
able freight Than is usually to be met
with 10 the train of western rover,
the farmer remarked smiles of peculiar
meaning, passing from one to the other
of the strangers. The sinister express
sion of their countenances, too, began
to excite his alarm. Before, however
he could decide upon any course of ac
tion, his arms were suddenly pipioned
from behind by the strong grasp ofont
of the throe visitors, while boarst
voice growled-''Be quiet, or I'll TAXI
the pelt of yer !"
Stephens, as I said before, was a Lao
of fifteen years but within his breas
beat the heart of grown man Hi
first impulse was to raise the OK goaC
which he held in his hand and strk,
the ruffiau with all his force across tn,
forehead, temporarily stunning him 81
that he released his hold, and stagger
ing few steps backward, fell to tn