Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1862-01-02
HaW TO RELISH IA lULEP,

shore" |"
"Certlng, nanny; I could tell her pipes
scrost the Missouri"
"And you will overhaul her"
"Won't We, thought 1 tell 20, stranger, so
cure as my name is Ben Blower, that last tar
barr hove in the furnace has put jist the smart
chance Of 60. ahead into us to cut of the Fame
from the pint yOndet, or send our boat to king
dom come"
"The devil 4" exclaimed a bystander, who, in
bensely interested in the race, was leaning the
while against the partitions Of the boiler room;
s'I've chosen nice place to see the fun near
ahis internal powder barrelP
"NOt so bad as If yer was in i'll" coolly
bbserVed Ben, as the other walked rapidly
"Is if be were in I'll In what? In the
boiler"
"Cortingl Don't folks sometimes go into
bileYs, mannYW
"I should think thers'd be other parts of the
boat more comfortable"
"TbaPs right--pokin' fun at me at oncet--
but wait till we're through with this brush with
the old Flame, and I'll tell ye of regular 6xin
Fctape that man may get into. II is true, too,
every word Of it-as sure as my namo is Ben
Blower"
"You've seen the Flame, then, afore, stran.
EerP Six years ago, when new on the river, she
was a raal out and outer, tell ye. was at
that time hard aboard Of her. Yes, belonged
to her at the time of her great race with the
Go liar. You've heern, msyhap, of the blow.up
by which we lost it2 They made great fuss
about it, but it was nothing but mere fz Of
hot water, after all. 0aly the springing of a
few rivets, that Ioosensd biler plate or two,
and let out thin spirting upon some niggers
that didn't know enough to get out of the way.
Well, the Collar took off our passengers, and
We ran toto Smssher's Lsnding to repair dam
ages, and bury the poor fools that we're killed.
Here we lay for a matter Of thirty hours or SO,
srd got things 10 rights for bran new start.
There was some carpenter work yet to be done,
hut the captain said that might just as we'll be
fixed off when We were under wayne had
worked hard-the weather was sour, and We
needn't do any moro jist now-we might take
that afternoon TO ourselves, but the next morn
ing he'd get up steam mighty airly, and we'd
sl come out new. There was no temperance
society atSmssher's Landing and vent ashore
or a lark with some of the hands"
l omit the worthy Bepjamip's adventures on
land, and, despairiDg of fully conveying his
language in its original Doric force, will not
hesitate to give the rest Of his singular naera-
tive in my own words, save where, in few
il stances, 1 can recall his precise phrase
oiogy1 which the reader will easily recog-
pize.
'rTbe night was raw and sleety when re-
gained the deck of our Boat. The officers, in
stead of leaving watch above, had closed up
every thing and SHUT themselves in the cabin
The fre-Ioom only was open. The boards
not yet been replaced The floor Of the room
was wet, and there was scsrcely corner which
afforded a shelter from the driving storm. l
was about leaving the room, resigned to sleep
in the open air, and now bent only upon get
ting under the lee of some bulkhead that would
protect me against the wind. In passing out I
kept my arms stretched forward to feel my way
In the dark, but my feet came in contact with a
heavy iron lid. I stumbled, and IS 1 fell, one
of my hands struck into the 'man hole,' Il
think this was the name he gave to the oval.
shaped opening in the head of the boiler)
through which the smith entered to make his
repairs. fell with my arm so far thrust into
the aperture that received pretty smart blow
In the face as it came 10 contact with the head
of the boiler, and I did not hesitate to drag my
body after it, the moment recovered from this
stunning effect and ascertained my whereabouts.
In word, crept into the boiler, resolved to
pass the night there. The place was dry and
sheltered. Had my bed been softer, would
have had all that man could desire; as it was,
slept, and slept soundly.
"I should mention, though, that before clos ..
ing my eyes, several times shifted my posi-
ion. had gone first TO the further end of the
boiler, then again had craWled back to the
man hole and put my hand out, to see if it was
still open. The warmest place was at the fur
ther end, and there fualIy established myself,
aBd that 1 knew from the first. It was foolish
in me to think that the opening through which
had just entered could be closed without my
hearing it, and that too when no ono was astir
but myself. But the blow on my face had IN ade
me little nervous, perhaps, and besides, I
never could bear to be shut up in any place-it
always gives a wild like feeling about the head.
You may laugh, stranger, but believe I should
eufocate in an empty church, if once felt that
was so shut up in il that could not get out.
have met men before now Just like me, or
worse, rather, much wOrse-men that it made
sort Of furious to be tied down to any thing,
suaNo off md &I.a;s
tures that you might lead them any where so
long as they did not feel the string. Stranger,
1t takes all sorts Of people 10 make world; aud
we may have good many Of the worst kind Of
white men here out West. But have seen
folks on this river-quiet. looking chaps, too, as
ever you see-who were so teetotally carankter-
nnkterous that they'd shoot the doctor who'd
tell them they couldn't live when ailing, and
make die of it just out of spi %, when told they
must get we'll. Yes, fellows as fond of the good
things of earth as you or 1, yet who'd rush like
mad over the gang plank of life, if once brough
to believe they had to stay in il whether thel
wanted to leave IL or not. Thunder and bees
If such a fellOg as that bad heard the cock
crow as did, awakened 10 iud darkness abou
him-dsrkDess SO thick that you might cut i
with knife-heard other sounds, too, Co tel
HIM that IL was morning, and scrambIing u
tumble for that man hole, found it, too, black
clossd-black ana even as the rest of the irOl
coffin around bm-cosed, with not rivet hol
to let God's light and air in-why-Why, he
sweopded right down Oh the spot, as did
and l amt ashamed to own it to no whit
man"
The big drops actually stood upon the poo
fellows brow as he now paused for a momen
in the recital Of his terrible story. He pssse
his hand over bis rough features, and resume
il with lees agi.s Of manner.
"How long may have remained there sense
less don't know. The docto have since toll
ma tina. 1t must have been sort of ft-mor
like an aPopIexy than a swoon, for the attac
iinally passed off in sleep. Yes, slept
know that, for l dTesmed-dreamsd q heap {
things sfors 1 woke There is sut one dream
however, that I have ever besn able to reca
Sith distinetness, and that must have come o.
shortly before recovered my consciousness,
My resting place through the night had beer
as have told you, at the far end OF the boilel
Well, now dreamed that the man hole wa
still open, and what seems curious, rather tina
laughable, if you take it in connection wit
Ovher things, iancied that my legs had bee
30 stretched in the long walk had taken th
evening before, that they now reached the Who'll
length Of the boiler, and extended through tn
opening
"At first CIn my dreaming reAeetions) it wi