The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1873-05-16
Correspondence.
For the Journal.
FROM THE SOUTH.
Dixie, March "a, 1878.

OAAAA5 u4ulCn ~ AOtc
ED. JOURNAL left, as you
know, the old rock, some time in the
year Anni Domino. Well, no mat
ter when, that is not important
Arrived at the Queen City, I secured
passage on a New Orleans packet
FIRST, and as she did not leave until
evening, l had some time to look
about me. thought knew the
Ohio river pretty well, as 1 had seen
it several times before. 1 had seen
it on this side, on the other side, had
seen it on the bottom side, but l had
never seen it on the top side before
then. 1t was up, clean up and run
ming right smart las they say down
here.) The river was full of logs,
trees, lumber, and the debris of de-
molished coal barges, fat boats, and
almost every other conceivable thing
that would or could float, rushing
and roaring along the banks, on
either side, like some huge monster
lasted to madness, trying to find
some place to escape from the natur-
al bed of the stream. Well, the
time came for us TO be aboded, and
we / believe that is what you prin-
ters say, when you write of your
selves, even before you have bet
ter half, so use the term, we, J got
on board. Our boat lay above the
bridge, the water was up so that we
could not pass under without lower
ing our smoke pipes. "Ne'er see it
done, hey?" Well, / will give you
some idea of the modus operdndi.
Just imagine two large iron pipes,
about the size of hogshead, thirty
feet high and weighing several tons,
these had to be lowered down to the
deck, to get under the bridge, and
then hoisted again before we could
move on, ordinarily this is no small
job, but now a very difficult one,
the wind blowing 4 perfect gale up
the river, the current running down
at the rate of ten miles per hour, and
the surface of the river covered with
floating logs and timber, but we had
skillful officers, and made the run
in safety, but it was a rub and go. /
own that | expected nothing
else but that we should be crushed
like an egg-shell, against the mas
sive stone piers of the bridge, for we
we're entirely at the mercy of the
wind and current, and to make it
worse two steamers had just been
running above the bridge leaving the
water near our boat in q perfect
whirl. AS we passed the bridge,
every man stood with pale face and
set teeth, and the instant we were
out from under it, our captain turn
ed to me, saying:
"You can bet / feel relieved"
You may be assured did.
Being out of that danger, all the
returned to the cabin, of
course l among the Others, and all
huddled around the stove, for it
was very cold,) and after getting
we'll warmed up l retired to my state
room to think and miditate on the
chances of human life, and human
happiness; but after considering for
,he fifteenth time that the happiness
part was all bOsh, fell into q dis
,urbed sleep, to dream Of the old
North, now far away, and of some
veil remembered faces that know
here.
Morning at last came, and | learn
I'd we had made but little headway.
The wind was right in our teeth, (as
he sailors say, and it had been
showing hard all night, so that it
vas hazardous TO run, and in fact
We could not run much bad we wish
I'd to, against such gale. Oui boat
vas loaded to her guards, this stead
ed her in the water. Many others
hat were lighter than ours, were in
ipite of all the power of steam blown
I'D into the willows and trees that
,lyirf tho sfraam
"What was our loady'
Well, | will tell you. You see we
we're loaded for Orleans, first we had
Iix hundred barrels of whisky, then
.bout four hundred collins, then
eyeral hundred barrels of potatoes,
hen several cords of bacon, then
hundreds Of hay in bales, then more
Whisky and more collins, then
hairs and cabinet furniture, then
.arriages and buggieS, then several
lorses, then more whisky, then the
upper deck was covered with crates
illed with ducks, geese, turkeys and
chickens, and such another hedlam
,eat all my past experience. The
over part or hull Of the boat, held
he whisky, collins, potatoes, bacon,
&C.. and here were the deck hands,
Iearly all of the l4th amendments,
he happiest, the dirtiest and
owest set / ever saw. Above this
irst deck, as you know, is the cabin,
md vet above this is the cabin Of the
,fficers and the colored walters. l
lon't know what the object is, in
putting them over and above us, un-
ess it is to give them so much the
tart in case we have blow up.
| have began to look about me to
zee what kind Of material my fellow
passengers were made of, only two
# whom attracted any particular
.ttention. The first a portly Ger
nan who, so far had not given any
ion OF life except to eat and smoke,
remarked, by way Of calling him
,ut.
"This is rather rough and unpleas-
mt | wish | had taken the railroad
lown the river" This had the de
ired effect, and while drawing his
,ipe he said: