Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1862-01-16
THE REPUBLICAN.
BEN BLOWERS STORY.

ssAnd you will overhaul hers
"Won't we. thought l tell We. stranger
so sure as my name is Ben Blower. the
last tar bari hove in the furnace has put
just the smart chance of go-ahead into US
TO cut of the Flame from the pint yondcr,
or send our boat to kingdom come
''Ihe DEVIL" exclaimed q by-stsnder,
who. intensely interested in the race. was
leaning the while against the partitions of
the boiler-room I've chosen q nice place
to see the fun, near this Internal powder
bsrsell''
''Not SO bad as il yer was in it!'' cool
ly remarked Ben. as the other walked rap
idly away.
AS if he were in it. in what! in the
boiles:" +
"Certingl Don't folks sometimes 60
into boilers. nanny"
al should think ther'd be other parts of
the boat more comfortable
That's right-pokin fun at rae at oncct;
but wait till we're through with tie brush
with the Flame. and I'll tell you of regu-
La fixin' scrape that man may get into
It's true, too. every word of it-as sure as
my name ia Ben Blower
"You've seen tho Flame then atore,
stranger"
six years ago. when new on the river,
she was q real cut and outer. l tell ye. l
was at that time a hand aboard Of her.
Yes. / belonged to her at the time of her
great race with the Collar. You've heern,
mayhay. of the blow-up by which we lost
it? They made great fuss about it but
1t was nothing bot mere fzz of hot wa
ter. after all. Only the springing Of few
rivets. that loosenod a biler plate CT two,
and let out thin spirting upon some mig
gers that didn't know enough TO get out oil
the way. Well. the Collar took off our
passengers, and we ran into Smasber' i
Landing to repair damages, and bury the
poor fools that were killed. Here we lay
for . matter ofthirty hours or so, and got
things to right for bran new start. There
was some carpenters work yet 10 be done
but the captain said that might Just as well
be fixed off when we were under way-we
had worked hard, the weather was sour,
and we needn't do any more list now--wt
might take the afternoon to ourselves. but
the next morning he'd get mp steam Nigh
~ airly. and we'd sll come out new
There was no temperance society at Smash
er's Landing. and went ashore on larl
with some of the hands,"
/ omit the worthy Benjamin's adventure,
ON land. and. despsiring OF fully conveyin,
his language in its original Doric force
will not hesitate to give the rest Of his sin
gular narrative in my own words, saw,
H. i
precise phraseology. which the reader will
easily recognize.
1.-THE night was dalk and sleety when
Tegained the deck of the boat The off
GERS, instead of leaving watch above, hat
closed up everything. and shut themselve,
IN the cabin. The fre-room only wa.
open. The boards dashed from the out
side by the explosion. had not yet been re
r:aced. The floor of the room was wet
and there was scarcely corner which af
forded shelter from the driving storm.
was about leaving the room. resigned t.
sleep in the open air, and now bent only
upon getting under the lee of some bulk.
head that would protect me against tn,
wind. In passing out kept my arm
stretched forward to feel my way in tn
dark, but my feet came in contact with ,
heavy iron LID; l stumbled. and, as / fell
one Of my hands struck into the man hole
i think this was the name he gave to th
oyal-shaped opening In the head of the boi
Ter, through which the smith had entered
to make his repairs. l fell with my arm
so far thrust through the aperture that
received pretty smart blow in the face a
it came in contact with the head OF tn
boiler, and did not hesitate to drag m,
body after it, the moment recovered iron
this stunning effect. and ascertained m,
whereabouts In a word. crept into tn
boiler. resolved to pass the night there
The place was dry and sheltered. Had m
bed been softer, would have had all tina
man could desire; as it was, slept, an
<sIept soundly. m zkf
e I sho uld mention. though. that befor
closing my eyes. several times shifted m
position. had gone first to the farthe
end Of the boiler, then again l had crawl
ed back to the man-hole and put my ham
cut, to see if i was still open. The warm
est place was at the farthest end. and Their
finally established m self, and that kne,
from the first. It was foolish in me I
think that the opening through which
had just entered could be closed witho.
my hearing It. and that too when no on
was astir but myself But the blow o
my face had made me . little nervous, pc,
haps, and besides I never could bear to /
shut up in any place--it always gives vile
like feelings about the head. You ma
laugh. stranger, but believe should su
locate in sn empty church. if / once fe
that was shut up in it, that coaH n.
get out. / have met men before Just lii
me, or worse. rather much worse. Ne
that It made sort Of furious to be tied dow
to anything. yet SO soft Ike and contr
dictory In their natures. that you migl
lead them anywhere so long as they d
net feel the string Stranger. It takes q
sorts Of people to make q. worldi and v
may have q good many Of the worst Kin
of white men here out West. But haV
seen, folks on this river-quiet lookir
chaps. too, as ever you see--who were
tetotallY carankterankterous that they
shoot the doctor who'd tell them thu
couldn't live when ailing. and make a
<of It Just out Of spite, when told they ma
Ill W. fol1o~xc. -, -f~,1 ~ Al