The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-05-29
Graphic Descriptions OF a0SfeambOat
I Race.
Corresponding st. Paul Pioneerl,s -
= : 80 Sr.s LOUIS. May II. 1857.

Race.
| corresponding St. Paul Pioneer.l.. r,
- iE Sp. EoUIs, May II, 1867. -
I have frequently heard of steam
boat races, and fast boats on 8 the
Father of Waters, but had my first
experience on Thursday last The
Lady Gay left Memphis an hour and
a half ahead Of us, 9 A. M. The
Sheridan steamed on steadily until
about twelve M,, when we came in full
view Of Ny Lady, darkening the
shady, gloomy swamps with the
black smoke from her chimneys. The
Sheridan great pulses throbbed on
with their usual regularity. But You
soon perceived a growing excitement
the muttered expressions of that
natural desire to beat. The darkies
below broke out in. stirring refrain,
beginning (and ending, too, with
II think heard my captain say, siil
Use gwine to build a boat to beat de Lady
The Captain took the hint-the
Sheridan began to culver like high
bred horse. The pilots handled the
wheel with, more nervous decision;
the passengers crowded the upper, the
deck hands the lower forward deck
the blacks giving vent to their enthu-
siasm in various characteristic ways
DE Lady Gays gwine to walk right
away, directly. " Watts dat You
say, you fool nigger?" says another.
The steward steps up to Sambo and
asks, Have you any money to bet? T"
Passengers went in to dinner and out
again with half meal, and / really
believe my Hebrew friend swallowed
piece of that splendid sugar cured /:
ham in his excitement .9gaTgs
A steady old engineer walking qui-
city out of the dining saloon, picking
his teeth, chuckled as he went below,
muttering,, think / can overhaul
her about the middle of the after
noon" This raised storm of indig-
nation among the sage blacks. Cap
tin better get somebody else at de en-
gines," ought to give her another
turn anyhow" &C., &c. But an old
ex-mate of New Albany, of three
score and ten experience, his eyes
twinkling with excitement, says, $ All,
boys, a stern chase is a long chase.
But we are crawling on to my lady
bless US |, of course, mean the
Sheridan, and my, lady is trying to
crawl away but it's no use; my Lady
Gay. Spanker, you must go under"
- She better take in hersmoke stacks
WE'LL be Under EN- in a minute
savssan officer at my side. And now
we are close on to her stern-her
wheels are -dashing the muddy foam
in our faces i asked Captain Hutch
inson if he had ever tried the Sheri-
dams speed. Il don't know that I /
have; I generally pass all
though says he, with that
quiet self-possessed smile. We are
now only fifty feet in her wake-she
cuts us off when we try to pass. But
the pilot boldly turns his boat right
across the boiling current, and the
two boats run mile or two on oppo-
site sides, when the Gay strikes
across to a point. When she gets
over the two boats run neck and neck
amid the widest excitement. But.
alas for my lady's jaunty hat and her
white plume, and Juno-like air. the
Sheridan has lost his gallantry, and
only thinks of his bottom. She loses |
ground inch by inch, and at last drops
gracefully with her head drooping.
into the Sheridan's wake, the muddy
tear trickling down that old wheel
house where stands her ladyship. and |
her prestige is gone forever. But
Sheridan and his men took it as quietly |
aswhen he headed off that lion, Lee. |
at Appomattox Court House Sa01t
{ The steward (my friend who wanted |
to bet) remarked, with some empha-
sis: She no business getting lin the
Sheridan's way-she might have
known it. And, oh! the beaming |
tace of that portly barber! that sober
Falstaff, who has eschewed sack and |
taken to purging as a nobleman should |
since hesbecame great = How his face
beamed and shown like Aurora and
all that. But my pen cannot reach
him and his magnificent rotundity. [
The contest was over-the race was
won. The darkies took in their ivory,
the pilots and engineers a little
a-hem! lice water, and my Hebrew I
friend from st. Louis subsidized into
hiG usual pecuniary look, and we
greeted the Gay next at Cairo an hour
or Two after our arrival Once during
the night, however, / am pretty GER
tain I heard a sdoubtingI ebony cry
OUT By golly, here's the Lady Gay
- ~