The union Democrat., 1870-08-27
"ovrrsoara. Jim Pcck.,

tory of old-time boatman, well known IN that
vicinity:
/ Among the steamers that Eavigated the
western waters in early days. was the Old
| Rob Roy. Captain Pearce. At that time hard
swearing seemed to be requisite in the sue
cessfu. management of steamboats,; at all
events, it was very generally practiced by
commanders, and much more so by mates
and il the Rob Roy did not prove successful
boat, it was not for the want of this qualitica-
| ton in her officers, for Captain Pearce was
considered by many to be capable of stamp
! ing harder, cursing louder and giving more
force, venom and point to his oaths than any
other commander on the river, while his mate
James Peck, for veracity, endurance and q
natural gift of language in that particular
line, laid the Captain perfectly in the shade
| The talents of the two in this respect, howev-
| er, were never brought into collision, for al
though the Captain claimed The right to curse
everybody on the boat, he conceded, as mat
ter of privilege, the rough cursing, such as
the crew aad deck passengers, to his mate.
who sometimes made serious mistakes, and
not unfrequeutly "woke up the wrong pas
sengern Never were two men better pair
ed; for whenever the Captain wanted q soft
subject to pour forth his wrath upon, he Sc
lected Peck; and never did man stand with
bowed head and submit more meekly to a
cursinc than Peck did to the Captain. No
sooner. however, would the Captain exhaust
himself, than the crew would catch it from
the mate with ample interest.
It was in the Fall of 1927, while the Rob
Bow was ascending the Ohio that she stuck
hard and fast on bar. and for time bafied
all efforts to get her of. Captain Pearce. on
this particular occasion, got nader and swore
harder. if possible, than usual-at least he
went further, for after puring forth torrent
of invectves and giving all hands thorough
keelhaulng, he wound up by expressing the
least mite of an incinntion--or, in his words,
"a id good notion"-to make them jump
overheard No answer in words was made
to him, but certain shakes Of the head and
side mods, INDUCED in by those addressed
intimatei that this last threat might not be
so easily accomplished. The Captain saw
these indications, and they determined him
to show them that in one case at leastit could
be done; so, bucking up to his mate, he roar
ed out .'Overbcard. Jim Peck ~ That indi-
vidua wilted. and in the most piteous tone
replied, "Captain, can't swim |" The Cap
tain became furious az the delay, and raising
his voice to its fullest extent, he yelled, ''Over-
board YOU Cd id mutiucus scoun-
drel ~ "Overboard it is, then !" whined Jim,
and into the river he plunged, headfore-
most One general shout went up from all
on board, and seeing that Jim could swim
( like dog, they were in no especial hurry
about getting him out of the water. They
were, indeed, for some moments unable to
aid him, for incessant laughing; but at last
they pulled him on board, thoroughly moist
and crest-falen. The Captain, having attain
ed glory enough for oae day, retired to. his
cabin, and the mate followed SUIT, while the
crew, without the aid of the cursing, soon got
the boat under way. Never did set of men
enjoy any occurrance more than the crew of
the Rob Roy did this one. No sooner did
they arrive in Louisville than it was told and
retold, and acted up to life in every crowd:
and to the extent that Peck disliked was the
: joke relished.
Never did saying travel further or faster.
In two years it was used wherever an Amer
lean seaman or steamboatman was to be
found. The gamblers took it up, then the
politicians, and finally it became general. If
any body got strapped, if candidate was de-
feated, il. in fact, anything happened to any
body, sOverboard, Jim Peck ~ was exclaim-
ed by some one, AS for poor Jim. be never
heard the last of it. Every passing boat bail
; ed him with the offensive words, concealed
foes shouted them in his ears wherever he
went, and many foot-race or fight was the
, consequence. 1t met his eye written with
chalk upon the walls, and sometimes even up
on the door of his stateroom; innocent persons
were daily assailed for nsing the remark in
his presence, without the slightest idea of his
connection with the affair. When the hull of
the Rob Roy lay, two years later, st Algiers,
some heartless creature wrote the hateful ex-
clamation in rude but very distinct letters on
her wheelhouse, and. to make the matter
worse. Peck was then running on the tow
boat Porpoise, and passing the hull two or
three times a day. 1t was customary with
! the negro firemen at New Orleans. after their
work was done at night, to get together. with
: such other negroes from the city as chose TO
join them. sometimes to the number of hun
drcds, and parade along the levec with old
Picayune Butler, the great banjo player, or
some other leader with trumpet lungs, and
they would make the levee fairly shake with
their combined voices in response to the
songs.
In 1882 the writer of this was lying at the
wharf on the old Huntsville, one of the finest
boats of her day, and Peck wes at that time
mate on her. About 10 o'clock one night the
negroes came along, apparently more loud and
numerous than usual. When opposite the
. | AAuueSNiAO tuCy ou00Ouiy Soho W % PoNoSs
and for few moments oil was silent as the
4. grave. when one in boisterous tone exclaim-
ed-"Overboard, Jim Peck ~ Another blub-
bered out-"Captain, can't SWIM" "Over-
board" shouted the first, and quoted Captain
!. Pearce in full. "Well, overheard tits. then, y
whined the other, and at the same time bea
Wy substance was heaved into the river. max
: ing terrible splash. The thing could no,
have been better performed, bat Peck could
not appreciate the joke, nor wait to see il
through. He rushed up stairs for his shot
gun, which he always kept in readiness, bu
before he could bring it to bear on them the
negroes, having completed their programme
/. fed with yell in all directions. He, how
ever. rendered the atmosphere sblue with
curses for the next fve minutes. We al
: symrathized with Jim, but to avoid laughing
was impossible.
The Huntsville was the last boat on which
moor Peck rem. While ascending the Missis
sippi the following year, she stopped to wood
g Jim had been i'll for several days, bat from
/. force of habit went out on the boiler deck
o and cursed the men with all his power. Blu
Y. y.lr.-.:.a l.d -rory weak and h, eonld NO