The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-12-25
VOLUME 2.

of consideration among us because they
had been to ST. Louis once, and had
vague general knowledge of its wonders,
but the day of their glory was over now
They Iapsed into an humble silence,
and learned to disappear when the ruth
less "crb" engineer approached. This
fellow had money, too, and hair oil. AL
SO. an ignorant silver watch and showy
brass watch Chain He wore leather
belt and used no suspenders. If ever
youth was cordially admired and hated
by his comrades, this one was. No girl
could Withstand his charms. He "cut
out" every boy in the village. When
his boat blew up at last, it difiused a
tranquil contentment among us such as
we had not known for months. But
alive, renowned, and appearing in
church all battered up and bandaged,
shining hero, stared at and wondered
over BY everybody, it seemed to US that
the partiality of Providence for an un-
deserving reptile had reached point
where it was open to criticism.
The creatures career could produce
bat one result, and it speedily followed.
Boy after boy managed to get on the rig-
er. The minister's son became an en-
gineer. The Doctors and She postr1as-'
ter's sons became "muG clerks" the
wholesale liquor dealers son became
bar-keeper on boat; four sons of the
chief merchant, and two sons of the
county judge, became pilots. Pilot was
the grandest position of all. The pilot,
even in those days of trivial wages, had
a princely salary-trom a hundred and
fifty to two hundred and fifty dollars a
month, and no board to pay. Two
months of his wages would pay
preachers salary for year. Now some
of us were left disconsolate. We could
not get on the river--at least our parents
would not let us.
So by and by l ran away. / said |
never would come home again till was
a pilot and could come in glory. But
somehow | could not manage it. Iwent
meekIy aboard a few of the boats that
lay packed together like sardines at the
long St. Louis wharf, and very humbly
inquired for the pilots, but got only
cold. shoulder and short words from
mates and clerks. had to make the
best of this sort of treatment for the
time being, but had comforting day
dreams of future when l should be a
great and honored pilot, with penty of
money, and could kill some of these
mates and clerks and pay for them.
Months afterward the hope within me
struggled to q reluctant death and found
myself without an ambition. But was
ashamed to go home. I was in Cincin-
natl, and ! set to work to map out my
newspaper. had been reading about
the recent exploration of the river Am
azon by an expedition sent out by our
Government. It was said that the ex-
pedition, owing to difficulties, had not
thoroughly explored a part of the coun-
try lying about the head waters, some
four thousand miles from the mouth of
the river 1t was only about fifteen
hundred miles from Cincinnati to New
Orleans, where I could doubtless get a
ship had thirty dollars left; would
go and complete the exploration of the
Amazon. This was all the thought
gave to the subject. I never was great
in matters Of detail. 1 packed my
valise, and took passage on an ancient
tub called the Paul Jones, for New Or
leans. For the sum Of sixteen dollars
1 had the SCARED and tarnished splen-
dors of cher" main saloon principally to
myself, for she was not creature to at
tract the eye of wiser travellers.
!. When we presently got under way
and went poking down the broad Ohio,
1 became new being, and the subject
of my own admiration. was a travel
er A word had never tasted so good in
my mouth before. had an exultant
sense of being bound for mysterious
lands and distant climes which never
have felt in SO uplifting degree since.
/ was in such glorifed condition that
all ignoble feeling departed out of me,
and / was able to look down and pity
the untraveled with compassion that
had hardly a trace of contempt in it
Still, when we stopped at villages and
wood yards, 1 could not help lolling
carelessly upon the railings of the boiler
deck to enjoy the envy of the country
boys on the bank. If they did not
seem to discover me, presently sneezed
to attract their attention, or moved to q
position where they could not help see.
ing me. And as soon as I knew they
saw me l graped and stretched, and gave
other signs of being nightly bored with
travelling.
, l kept my hat of all the time, ant
stayed where the wind and the sun could
strike me, because 1 wanted to get the
, bronzed and weather. beaten look of al
> old traveller Before the second day wa
half gone, 1 experienced joy which
i. filled me with the purest gratitude; for
saw that the skin had begun to bliste
and peel off my face and neck. wish
ed that the boys and girls at home coult
;. see me now.
. We reached Louisville in time-a
I least the neighborhood of it. We stucI
! hard and fast on the rocks in the mid
IS dWsof the river and lay there four days
Y 1 was now beginning to feel stron
d sense of being part of the boats fami
It ly sort of infant son to the captain an,
is younger brother to the officers Their
d is no estimating the pride took in thi
IS grandeur, or the affection that began t
e grow and swell in me for these people.
V could not know how the lordly steam
IT boatman scorns that sort of presumr
a ,oo.o IoaIsDoaD T 10