The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-06-12
HENDERSON, June 8. 1866.

HENDERSON, June 8, 1866.
Editor Journal:
Promptly at the hour, according to
promise, my diminutive q? friend P
and myself appeared at the Office of
the good and feet steamer " Curlew,
as she lay at her moorings at the foot
of Sycamore. Here we were met by
the smiling countenance of that esti-
nnable gentleman, and experienced of
fcer, Cap. B, who kindly well
coined us to his quarter deck, and
Immediately informed my friend P,
who, by the by, did not seem at all
anxious to learn, that the fare to
Henderson was one dollar. P re-
signedly drew forth from some mystic
rious depth the necessary cause
and, handing it over, sleepily remark
ed that he believed he would invest
that other half-dollar with his friend,
Honest JIM" who stood within his
little cuddy anxiously watching P,
as he sported his loose change. p
and the others made demonstrations
on Honest Jim's fertilization, and
after steadily receiving the fire of
the enemy retreated in good order to
the guards. While standing by, a
locker ON, during the above skirmish,
j heard a noise out in front-opened
the door and beheld most extraor-
binary sight. ! saw man, who after
having rang the bell and shouted in
stentorian voice +" to let go, dash
down the stairway, out into the
wharf boat, when, letting his line loose,
he darted back on the boat-back into
the engine room, from whence there
Immediately issued the sound OF
elanking machinery, out of which, in
an incredibly short space of time, he
emerged in hot haste, making his way
over all obstacles in frantic eagerness
to the pilot-house on top, where
calmly assuming the wheel, he scien-
tifically backed out (the boat just in
time to avoid running down on the
great Indiana that was slowly steam
ing up to take our now vacant place
Z ;els . :, !.
some very natural inquiries as to qoho
this remarkable man was, that thus
embodied all the departments of a
steamboat in one. When, upon ar
irving there, we found the indefati-
gable Captain B, busily engaged
in lashing the wheel" After Sc
curing it to his satisfaction, he turned
to US, and wiping the perspiration
from his brow, said: Wait a moment
until | run down and fire up, and
then I will have moments leisure
on my hands to talk with you.
| could not refrain from remarking
eOnfdentially to my friend p that
/ thought that man, if he kept on at
that business long, would, some day.
rise in the world. P stared at me
a moment, when suddenly taking
he smiled grimly and nodded his head.
After several pleasant interviews with
our new acquaintance, Honest Jim, y
we arrived at or near our destination
the enterprising city Of Henderson.
Our little craft, had, by this time.
got her metal up,a and she began
screaming like~a bag of Kilkenny
cats to let the Hendersonians know
she was a coming Very gracefully,
indeed, did she round to at the land
ing and after blowing off," she lay
peacefully and silently sleeping upon
the bosom of the limpid stream that
gently murmured BY" (the last was
an original idea, whispered in my ear
nv Pas we We're leaavi;inls the boat
But before l do leave her, let me
say word seriously in regard to the
Curlew,n and those who run her
In the first place she possesses that
great disideratum speed She made the
trip from Evansville to Henderson in |
a few minutes over an hour. She is
exceedingly roomy for so small a boat |
having spacious cabin, where one |
is not cramped for want of elbow
room. Above all, she is Differed by
gentlemen, who wake it their special |
care to see to the comfort of those
who travel with them. | advise all
who travel that way to take the Curlew
by all means.
/ found Henderson to far exceed the
idea l had formed of it from passing
views from the river, both in regard