The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1870-04-21
.taisrnrI qqdsla % dlnsd
Ista abIisheesed ed 1926. {


to insure me nights rest, they
had7sent me to the third story Of
the rear wing of. the building. IN
the morning earlys before the house
was opened, / dressed, and left my
room. In, passing through a long
hall, | stepped overa descent OF
threesteps, that 1,tad not noticed,
and fell lestrainingimy ankle (which
became so painful that / couldsDot
walk alone, and that / could not
walk alone, and two Of our men al
most carried me to the boats on
theriver, above the foot 81 Broad
way. l procured q albottle Of Cpl.
Idildock, and bathed II, and after we
got under way, I got out Of the
boat INTO our sIiih, and washed my
anklsand would swiin It little cold
river water, ,sthendrya il, and wrap
it upAsSo thar bys thz lime We az
rived at Louisville, ! began to walk
With q little help, and was satisfied
that II ] continued the treatment
the cure would be certain; which
II proved to be. - 80, - = s....s
Therainy season over, the wealth,
or became charming. Vegetation
made its appearance in the bud
ding Willow, while The brightgreen
Of the Mistlctoe slone on the trees
on the bank of the river. The falls
in the Ohio were scarcely visible.
We foated On to the junction of
the. Ohio with the Mississippi,
where we lashed our two boats TO-
Fgether, the Increased weight and
I'size causing them to float safer.--
But the high stage of water com
lpelled US to tie up every night.
I'VE now began to meet and be pass
red by steamboats,. An incident,
worth mentioning, occurred in
landing. .l
The manner Of landing a boat,
at a moderate stage Of water, was
ITO pull the boat into an eddy, OF
slack water, near shore, jump out
and fasten to a tree, or root. But
now we were about to land where
the water was far over the. banks,
/ and up almost to the big limbs oi
the elins. There was no such thing
in sight MS land; and our landing
\ was tying our cable to large limb
and thus stop the boats for the
night. We had landed often il
this manner, and begin to think
we were all captains; SO / tool
] hold of,the big rope, with two o.
three others, and threw it over /
limb, 1 was. nearest the edge O
the boat, and as the boat swung
l round, / took bold Of the limb tc
\ hold on as we passed under it, ant
!, before ! could let go, I was swing
ling over, the great Mississippi, bI
an elm limb! Ny first effort wa
! successful. ] swung myself upol
!, THE Limb, the rope was drawn Of
/, and / was left, The boats we're Ii
!, ,i.some current, and swung entifel,
around, and when coming up to tn
/ timber 4 second attempt was mad
} to land, and q second raw ysshand lef
on the limbs of a tree! Then on
more turn and q safe landing ei
, ,fected. We had to make thes
( landings every evening, as it wa
{ dangerous to float at night, in con
) sequence Of the overflow. N
: BY this time it was getting darl
: and the young man left on the low
e er tree began to crow like a rooster
I: and / answered him, and soon a
i ter heard oars in the water. On
a men, SO soon as they had secure
}, the boats, put out two Of. the stout
Y est hands to hunt us up; and whe
r l climbed down that limb, and stel
a ped into the skiff felt better.
e Morehead was a good nature
|. fellow, and seemed to enjoy tt
d mishap. We continued to descer
" -made a stop at New Madrid
It examine the effects of the cart
is quakes of 1911 and 1812-Decer
5, Der to February.
If We had a pleasant stop at MeI
it phis. There the mail was carrie
d to Little Rock, ON the Arlans;
c river, by water, in skiff, in an a
+ most direct line on the overflow
o the st. Francis and White rivers.
4, After leaving Memphis, the riy
Of was making new channels arour
v islands. We had a good map,
l. the river, and all the Islands nuI
ii bered. 1t was getting late, v
re must land. Our captain said ol
Is of the boys should take the ski
so and run forward and examine
u side chute described on the ma
p and if any drift was lodged therei
n give signal and he would run t
s. other side of the Island. ! INN
-s, diatelyo offered to go, for if t
n chute could not. be pass
T. in safety, it would require all han
of to,pull over where the current sc
Hl out 4.aa.s gs.Iaa,ds SOB +
ne IL had on a wooden suit of gr
d. cloth; the coat double breastC
Sc buttoned up to. the neck; wool
L cap, bought for river displa
We black, yellow and green, ring-str
nd ed, and not one cent in my pock
ss- l was soon in the skiff, and uno
Ii way, and had just gained the poi
let where / would have given the
or tice to come on, when one of I
he largest steam boats on the riN
O; came booming out of the cute
O. and was keeping as close to she
ed as was safe to avoid the stro
tn current. My first impression v
ey to make for thewoods on the rig
SO and thus the steamer passed
.th tween me and my boats, maxim
lu. heavy wave that threwme to
ar right, and my boats tothe left,
lie far that they could not make
Of chute, and I had let the skiff d
re, so far into the strong current, 3
All after one hour hard pulling at
ore oars, l was compelled to give