The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1867-02-14

packet Doats running between Pitts
burg and Cincinnati. One OF these
line boats went up, and another down
the river every day; but it was Gus.
tomary for the passengers to wait sew.
epal days for the steamer commanded
by Captain Pres. Devol. @
At this time he was about twenty.
five years old He was six feet high,
and weighed about ono hundred aud
ninety pounds, portly, but not cofpu-
lent, well built, erect IN his gait, and
of commanding presence He was al.
ways dressed in excellent taste, and
his gentlemanly, fine looking figure
attracted the eye among q crowd. His
features were of the Roman cast. and
his voice, though powerful, was agree.
able in its tone Captain DevoI was
pronounced, by the men, the most
buoyant companion, and by the la
dies, the handsomest man upon the
river.
) Take the following incident as illus
trating his character at this period
One night, at Pittsburg, Pres. went to
the theatcr. A man had left his seat
for short time and gone out, Pres
coming in. took the vacant place. Pres
emily the man returned, a coarse, ruff
fianly fellow, and said to him: "Get
out of that, you are in my seat Pres.
looked at him a moment, with his great
black eyes, and said "lf you had
asked me for it in a gentlemanly man
ner, you should have your seat but
now shall keep it. Help yourself if
you can" The man went to call the
police, and returning with an officer
stated his grievance. Pres. told the
policeman that if the seat had been
asked for in proper manner, he would
give it up, but now he intended to
keep it, The policeman talked quiet
ly short time, but told Pres. be must
give up his seat, or he would call his
comrades and put him out of the the
ater, Thereupon Pres. blew his boat
swain's whistle, aud called out, "All
the boys in the thcater that belong to
Clipper No. 2, COME HERBl' Forth
with, a dozen stalwart fellows came
tumbling toward him, fierce for fight.
"Now," said Pres to the Police, 'if
you want a muss, you can have it, and
we will clean out the theater. Or, il
you choose TO be quiet, very well but
| am going to keep my seat" The
police withdrew, and Pres, said to the
actors, who had suspended the per-
formance, "Now you may go on with
your play"
Through the next eight or ten years,
Pres. continued TO act as an officer up
on steamboats,, "a part of the time on
the Ohio river, and a part OF the time
in the Southern trade, on tho Missis-
sippi, and as far downward as Mo-
bile.
Innumerable adventures occurred
during this portion of his life. Take
a few as samples, A feeling of bitter
rivalry existed between the cities of
Piusburg and Wheeling. Pres. sided
with Pitts5urg A magnificent wire
suspension bridge, among the first in
America, had been built at Wheeling
across tho OHIO river. Suits at law
against the bridge were instigated by
the citizens of Pittsburgh, and i'm
mense sums Of money were expended
While the contest was il its hight
Pres. steamed under the bridge one
day, with very tall chimneys erect on
his boat, that were said to have beer
eighty feet in hight. The Ohio was
flooding its banks, and the gigantic
chimuoys, of course, were knocked
fat upon the deck, thus furnishing th'
citizens of Pittsburgh with a coveted
opportunity of demanding the reno
val of the bridge, as obstructing th,
navigation of the Ohio. Tho citizen
of Wheeling were stirred into whirl
wind OF excitement as they witnessed
the act, and threatened to stone Cap
tain Devol's boat on its upward pass
age. But no serious results, either a
the law or from the mob, followed thi
huge, practical joke.
In those days. fleets of coal barges
lashed together by twos and threes
Aoated to Cincinnati. The returning
crews, flushed with money, were Otter
riotous. The butcher. knife, worn a
| the waist in its leather sheath, ant
employed to cut bread and meat, wa
often drawn in quarrels, and some
times used with deadly effect. Or
one occasion, when in q sudden quar-
rel several were wounded, and on
man was killed, Pres. put the rioters i
irons, and returning to Cincinnati
committed them to Jail to await thel
trial.
At another time, riot having bro
ken out on the boat, Pres ordered hi
mate to quell it; oaths and yells aros
from the deck, knives were drawn
and in the center Of the r,elee q g
gantic Irishman was hourishing hi
fists in the wind mill style, and knock
ing down his enemies like nine-pius,-
The mate was afraid. Thereupor
Pres. won't down among them, sling
ing the angry men to the right an
left like children, and making straigt
for the tall leader, seized him from b'
hind by each elbow, and trotting hi
i prisoner before him as if he were a Ii
tie boy to the edge of the deck sal
to the pilot, "Head her in to shore
| AS the boat neared the land, Pres. gay
his captive a tremendous hoist thu
pitched him into the mud and watt
at the rivers edge, and the boatmove
back into the channel, leaving an il
furiated Irishman stamping aud yel
ing on the river bank, far away fro
any human habitahon.