Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-07-06
A REPORTERS TRAVELS.
Graphic sketches queer Coal OF

ofthe paddles and the strong isochronou
Whit Of the steam-pipe," he tells u.s.
The officers eagerly inquired for tn,
Avalanche and every one connected witt
the boat were [one were" = is good anx
ious to know what the world on dry lane
was thinking and saying of this race.
The reporter" at once enlightened
their Benighted ignorance, and gave them
to know that the race had knocked ouI
all other matters of interest from the
heads of "Paris and London, as well as
st. Louis" What other wonderful and
startling intelligence he impaired may
be imagined from the fact that he found
everything extremely dull aboard. He
says
Considering that this is the greatest OF
all the very exciting contests that has
Tanother good specimen of modern gram
mari taken place, on the father Of waters
the events on the steamer Lee from New
Orleans up have been of the tamest de-
scription
Remember the fellow scrambled up
the sides of the leviathan from the
coal barge at Memphisl but there is no
limit to his imagination, as the Assistant
Superintendent of the Little Rock Rail-
road thinks. He tells us what transpired
on the levee at New Orleans, and what
CAPTAIN feathers said. Hear him:
Captain Leathers standing on the levee
at New Orleans, his hat drawn down
over his eyes chewing the stump of a
cigar [pretty good occupation for a hat]
and whiting a stick with slow delibera-
ton Twas deliberation ever fast2], said:
i only want six hours show at that
one; she viii be nowhere before we
reach Vicksburg."
Captain feathers was right, but how
the deuce did the reporter of the Ava
lanche know it, and he thousand miles
away? But it seems he carries long
telescope in his breeches pocket, for he
informs the reader that the Natchez
fired her gun at the same point, exactly
three minutes later" The most inter-
esting part of this graphic narrative,
perhaps, and the most exciting incident
of this "tamest" of all trips, was the
CONSERVATION of the excited reporter
when the clerk gave him berth ia No.
Z, Immediately over the boilers This
part of the wry-face-ment is SO graphic
and of such interest at so much word
1--WE are informed at the outset that it
was telegraphed) we annex it, under the
that the copyright was not
secured:
His first care was to procure a room,
which the imperturbable clerk let him
have at once. You can occupy, said
he, "No. T." No. turned out to be
situated exaQily
OVER THE BOILER.
This was not Balm of Gilead, on
the contrary it was gall and NORWOOD
to the reporter He tried to find conso-
lation in the reflection that coal was not
the worst sort of combustible, and per-
haps there might be
LUCK IN 1T.
He explored this subject, but found
that the coal was fearfully bitumous,
and that it was all in nice Jumps, not
less than a pound each, with rosin scat
tered through it, just as one would scat
ter bran through chopped feed. This |
discovery was comforting One of the |
hands informed reporter that the pine
knots were nearly all out, but it was
pleasure to discover that there were at
least twenty barrels of
COAL OH.
still unused. This oil was used with ju-
dicious calmness, and man of judgment |
and nerve took bucket full of it round, |
and with large dipper, while fireman
opened the doors of the fre-boxes, he
dashed in half gallon into each with |
periodical precision. This was done to
add little tone to the sluggishness of
the bitumous Bitumous is good; it
saves letters
COAL MIXED WITH BosIN.
The pine-knots, of which second sup I
ply was taken in at White river, were |
nearly out, and they were used sparingly. |
This sort of fuel made it particularly |
safe to have berth over the boiler.
Poor fellow he was in bad fix. 1t
is wonder his hair didn't turn white in
a single night, you know, as mems have
done from sudden fears He found all |
on board, as it had been all the way from
New Orleans, Of the "tamest descrip-
ton, and he wanted excitement. 1t
was not that sort, however; but he don't /
say how often he visited the bari He
must have been there, for his narrative
. fires up" and his pencil exhibits an
energy as if inspired by innumerable IL
bations to cool down the white heat. His
description of the Captain is so exact we
must place that, too, in our herbarium"
for preservation:
Captain Cannon, a man Of medium |
height, with a tremendous deep chest. |
rather stopped shoulders and steel face,
for his hair is dark. moves from place to
place, person of weight, yet not lacking
IN agility, He
SPARES NOT HIS OATHs,
but his voice is not loud nor his talk
TOlHble
Won'tsome of the Captains old steam
boat friends recognize that picture? 1t
S as true to life as Claude Melnottes
picture of the lake of Como. But this
S enough of Mulroy" (wonder if he is
my kin to Moline del Roy, and ifhe uses
IN abbreviation for SHORTY The way he |