New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-12-20


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earn On t. beakas Of H. .@old Big Md
Il oonei:n an1 I'm = WuaN n % ard u
I ahoat ho0 nanv eoWne eho ulpe Of ours
/ we're hurnoA do1n theSo thae dsy. Two OF
thpee Of tko Nm hsd Ing hem psesoos Of
consideration among % 6eeoass they had
been to St. Louis once and had svsgue gen.
ersl knowledge of its wonders, bat the day
Of their glory vas over nsv. They lapsed
| into an hum0le silence, and leaened 70 dis.
| eppear, When tho ruthless scubv engineer
approached. This fellow had money, toe,
| and hair on. Also, IN ignoeant silver watch
and . SNOWY brass vatch chain He wore
. leather belt and used no suspenders. II
ever youth Was cordially admired and
hated by his comrades, this one was. Nc
girl could withstand biz charms He ''cut
out" every boy in the village. When bis
boat blew up ct Last, it diffussd q tranquil
contentment among US such - We had not
known for months. But when he came
| home the next week. alive, renowned, and
sppeared in church all battered up and
bandaged, . shining hero, stared at and
wondered over by everybody, it seemed 70
US that the partially Of Providence for an
| undeserving reptile had reached . point
where it was open to criticism.
This creatures career could produce but
1 0O8 t0eQIGs 8QO SVG0Uly IOklOWoOs OOy
| after bow managed to get On the river.
The minister's son became an engineer.
| Tho doctors and the postmaster's sons
became "mad clerks" the Wholesale liquor
dealers con became . barkeeper on q
boat; four sons of the chief merchant, and
| two sons of the county Judge, became
pilots. Pilot was the krshdest position Of
| I'll. Tho pilot, even in those days OF
| trivial wages, had priucely salary-from
i A.
nav. Two months of his wages would
pay . preachers salary for . year. Now,
soine of us were left dieconsolate. We
could not get ON tho riyer-at least our
parents would not les 10.
So that by and by I ran sway. / said /
never would come home again till / was .
pilot and would como in glory. But some.
how l could not manage it. went meekly
aboard few of the boats that lay packed
together hike ssrdines ct the long st. Louis
wharf, and very humbly inquired for the
pilots. but got only = cold shoulder and
short words from mates ana clerks. he'd
to make tho best OF this sort Of treatment
for the timo beng, but l had comforting
day dreams OF future when should be
great and honored pilot, with plenty OF
money, and could kill some OF these mates
and clerks and pay tor them.
Aonths sfsorwsro the nope WITHIN me
struggled 70 . reluctant death, and found
myself without IN ambition. But was
ashamed to 20 home. was in Cincinnati,
and Get TO work 20 map out my new ca
roer. had been reading about tho recent
exploration OF the river Amazon ~ an ex.
pedttaen oene out by our government It
was said that the expeditaon, owing 70 DIM
Culees, hAd NOT coorougnly explored part
OF tho country lying s0ous the head waters,
some 4OOO miles IRON Sne mouth OF the river.
Iewas only eoCus laUo miIee from Cincin-
nati to New Orleans. where could doubt
less get ship: had Us? LETT; would 60
and complete the exploration Of the Amszon.
This was ell the thought gave to the sub.
tect. never was great in matters OF detail.
packed my veiise and took passage ON an
ancient tu6 called tho Paul Jones, for New
Orleans. FOR the cum OF ZIG had the
SCARED and furnished spIendors Of 'her"
main saloon principally to myself. for che
was not . creature 10 attract the eye of
wiser travellers.
When We presently GOT under way and
went poking down the broad Ohio, became
q new being. and the subject of my own I'D.
miration. I was q traveller! A word had
never tasted 90 good in my mouth before.
/ mad an exultant sense of being bound for
mysterious lands and distant chimes which
I never have felt in 90 uplifting . degree
SINCE vas in such Q glOrified condition
that all ignoble feelings departed out of me,
and was able 70 look down and pity the
untraveled with Q compassion that had
hardly o trace of contempt in it. Still.
when we stOpped at villages and wood.
yards, l could not help lollins csreleesly
upon the ratings of the boiler deck to enjoy
the envy Of the country boys on the bank.
If they did mot seem to discover me. I
presently sneezed to attract their attention,
or moved to q position where they could
not help seeing me. And as soon as knew
they saw me / gsped and stretched, and
gave other signs Of being nightly bored
with travelling.
1 kept my hat off ell the time,l land stayed
where the wind and the sun could strike |
me, because l wanted to get the bronzed |
aud weather beaten look Of an old traveller. |
Before the second day was half gone. ex. |
perienced q JOY which filed me with the |
purest gratitude; for l saw that the skin
had begun to blister and peel off nv face |
and neck. wished that the boys and girls |
1t home could zee me now.
We reached Louisville in time-at least
The neighbOfhO0d of it. We stuck hard |
and fast on the rocks in the middle of the \
river and lay there four dave. was now
to feel strong sense of being
part OF the boats family, sort of infant
NON 70 the captain snd younger brother to
ne officers. There 10 NO estimating the
PRIDE took IN this grandeur. or the aztec
ION that began to grow and swell in me for
nese people: could not KNOW how the
ordIy steampoatmsn scorps that sort OF
.reeumpnon IN mere landeman. / par
lcnisriy longed 10 acquire the least trifie
I notice from tho org stormy mate. and
!ss ON tne alert ior an opportunity to DO