The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-02-06

but not aloud-Well, the finding OF thai
plantation was the luckiest accident that
ever happened; but IL couldn't happen
again In "A hundred years. And fully be
lieved IL i0as an accident, too.
by the time we had gone seven or eight
hundred miles mp the river, had learned
10 be tolerably plucky upstream steers.
man, in daylight, and before we reached
ST. Louis l had madea tribe of progress In
night work. but only a tribe. 1 had q
notebook that fairly bristled with the
names of towns, ''points." bars, islands,
bends. reaches, etc. but the information
was 10 be found only i'm the notebook
none Of IL was In my head. Ii made my
heart ache 10 think had only got half OF
the river set down; for, as our watch was
four hours of and four hours on, day and
night, there was a long four-hour gap In
my book for every time had slept since
the voyage began.
My chief was presently hired TO go on a
big New Orleans boat, and packed my
satchel and went with him. She was a
grand affair. When stood in her pilot.
house L was so far above the water that
seemed perched on a mountain: and her
decks stretched so far away, fore and aft,
ever have considered the little Paul Jones
large craft. There We're other differences,
too. The Paul Jones' pilot-house was a
cheap. dingy, battered rattle-trap, cramp-
ed for room: but here was n sumptuous
glass temple; room enough to have a
dance in; snowy red and gold window
curtains; an imposing sofa; leather cush-
ions and back 10 the high bench where
visiting pilots sit, TO spin yarns and "look
AZ the river;" bright, fanciful ''cuspadores. y
instead of broad wooden box filled with
sawdust; nice new oil-cloth on the floor /:
hospitable big stove for winter; wheel
as high as my head. costly with inlaid
work; wire tiller-rope: bright brass
knobs for the bells; and tidy. white
aproned. black "texas-tender," TO bring
up tarts and ices and coffee during mid
watch, day and night. Now, this was
something like - and so began TO take
heart once more TO believe that plotting
was 2 romantic sort of occupation, after
all. The moment we were under wav
began 10 prowl about the great steamer.
and fill myself with joy. She was as clean
and as dainty as drawing room when |
looked down her long. gilded saloon, it
was like gazing through splendid tunnel:
she had an oil picture, by some gifted
sign-painter. on every state-room door (:
she glittered with no end of prism-fringed
; the clerks office was elegant
the bar was marvellous. and the barkeeper
had been barbered and upholstered at in
credible cost. The boiler deck Ii. e., the
second story OF the boat, so TO speak was
rs spacious as church. it seemed to me
so with the forecastle; and there was no
pititul handful OF deck-hands. firemen and
ts.na
talon of men. The fires were fiercely
glaring from a long row of furnaces, and
over them were eight huge boilers This
was unutterable pomp. The mighty en-
gines-but enough of this. had never
felt so fine before. And when I found
thai the regiment of natty servants re-
spectfully "sir'dr me. my satisfacti on
was complete.
When returned 10 the pilot-house 1T.
Louis was gone and was lost. Here was
a piece of river which was all down in my
book, but could make neither head nor
tail of it YOU understand, 1t was turned
around. had seen IL. when coming up
stream. but | had never faced about TO see
how it looked when il was behind me.
My heart broke again. for il was plain that
had got 10 learn this troublesome river
both ways.
The pilot-house was full of pilots. going
down 10 "look at the river What Is
called the supper river" 1.-THE two hundred
miles between st. Louis and Cairo, where
the Ohio comes in) was low. and the Mis-
sissippi changes its channel so constantly
that the pilots used to always find it neces-
sary to run down to Cairo TO take a fresh
look when their boats were to lie in port
week, that Is, when the water was at low
stage. "A deal of this looking At the
river" was done by poor fellows who sell
dom had a berth, and whose only hope of
getting one lay in their being always
freshly posted and therefore ready to drop
into the shoes OF some reputable pilot. for
a single trip. on account Of such pilots
sudden illness. or some other necessity.
And good many of them constantly ran
mp and down inspecting the river, not be-
.ause they really hoped To get a berth. but
because (they being guests of the boat Ii
was cheaper to look at the river'' than
'tay ashore and pay board. In time these
elbows grew dainty in their tastes. and
,nly infested boats that had an established
equation for setting good tables. All
visiting pilots were useful, for they were
always ready and willing, winter and sum-
ner. night or day, to 90 out in the yawl
md help buoy the channel or assist the |
'oat's pilots In any way they could. They |
we're likewise welcome because all pilots |
ire tireless takers, when gathered to-
yether, and as they talk only about the |
liver they are always understood and are |
always interesting. Your true pilot cares |
nothing about any thing on earth but the |
liver, and his pride in his occupation sur
passes the pride of kings.
We had fine company of these river
inspectors along this trip. There were |
light or ten and there was abundance of |
Dom for them In our great pilot-house. |
Two or three Of them wore polished silk |
RATS, elaborate shirt-fronts. diamond breast |
,ins, kid gloves, and patent leather boots. |
They were choice in their English, and |
'ore themselves with dignity proper to |
men Of solid means and prodigious repu- |
q ion as nilnfs The ofhers uero mora or |