The Placer herald., 1856-04-05
Steering by a Red iight,


patch, tells the following amusing story;
A trip to Brooklyn during one Of Z. Ms
cold terms. is attended with as much danger
as a voyage to the Arctic Ocean. few
nights ago found myself on board a South
Ferry boat, and after waiting the usual
length Of time, the paddles began TO move,
and the old boat slowly crawed out into the
stream. We were heavily loaded, and our
cargo consisted of sewing girls, merchants
mechanics, laborers, horses, mules, carts,
sleighs, etc. We were SO crowded. in case
a cake of ice knocked a hole in the boats
bows, we knew that we would all cling to-
gether like cluster of grapes and find
bottom at the same time. | GOT behind
mule, in the hope that if any accident occur
red, he would act up to nature, and kick me
ashore. Large masses of ice were floating
in the river, and every minute the boat
would strike her nose into cake that would
cause her to tremble from her pilot house
to her keel. The passengers were all making
remarks upon the strange course the boat
wss pursuing. One apoplectic old gentleman
swore the pilot was drunk, and an Irish gem
tleman with something less than a cord Of
wood upon his shoulder intimated he was
touched in the brain. At the same time
painter with ladder over his shoulder turn
ed quickly around to reply to Pat and his
ladder knocked twenty mules endways, and
came near sweeping them all overheard.
The passengers declared that it was a new
way of sweeping the decks, which they were
not in favor of. and obliged pots, to remove
his apparatus for hosting painters into eleva-
ted positions, 1t was now just one hour and
l>lt 11r+
we were approaching land once more. but
much to our surprise we discovered that
instead Of nearing the foot Of Atlantic street
Brooklyn, we were heading direct for Castle
Garden. Here the captain of the boat be-
coming excited at the pickle we were in,
rushed up to the pilot, asking what in thun-
der he was about! Ring the bell! said he
or we'll sweep the Emgrant depot off the
face of the earth. The engine was reversed
just in time to save us. For few minutes
all was confusion on board. One Of the
mules, alarmed by the bell got the hists in
his hind legs and kicked till he demolished
a whole load of flour. \ dray horse took
seat in an Express wagon, and the humans
didn't behave a whit better. A reverend
gentemen-wtih Il wife and twelve children
at home seated himself in pretty Widows lap
and she evidently thinking it good time to
show her regard for religion, embraced it
the minister and the opportunity which so
frightened young lady opposite that she
tainted, and falling back in a young gentle
mans arms a hoop burst through her skirts
putting out one of his eyes, and her fashion
able bonnet fell thro' the keyhole of the door
and was lost. heared regular row on
deck and rushed out to find out the cause.
There was a crowd around the pilot, and
he was catching it good He swore lie had
headed the boat for red light all the time
and how he came to be SO much out Of his
course was mystery to him. There, said
he d-n it. don't you see that bright red
light over the bows? We looked, and sure
enough there was the light, just as he des-
cribed it. But, said one passenger, think
it is not stationary It moves. So it does
cried the whole crowd, and we rushed to the
bow of the boat and what do you think we
found. Why, confound it, there stood q six
foot Jersyman with the reddest head ever
saw, and the pilot mistaken his head for the
light at the ferry dock had been steering two
hours by it, making the longest trip npon
record We wound black silk handker-
chief around his head, and reached home all
safe