Weekly Trinity journal., 1875-12-18
JIM wHALEN's "BACKBONE."

at makes me feel kinder sad," said
the pilot, pointing to the bank as the boat
was ploughing the current near Lake
Providence, twenty-five miles above
Vicksburg. " When they buried him
twenty years ago, the grave was dozen
rods from the water, but the treacherous
current has eaten and eaten at the bank
till another week will float poor Jim
away"
The passengers saw the end of coffin
sticking out of the bank few inches
above the water. 1t is lonely spot on
the river, with no sound to break the des-
olation except the beat of paddle-wheels
as the steamers hurry along.
at was jim Whalen," continued the
pilot, as the passengers turned to him
for an explanation. He has wife and
babe in New Orleans, and was a straight
man. He knew every snag and. bar in
the river, and he could put his boat
through any shute in the darkest night
you ever saw. Jim didn't brag, and the
other pilots called him chicken. Chick
en- He was the biggest eagle that ever
flew up or down this creek, and that ar
coffin proves it,"
He showed the boat out little, answer
ed signal from an ascending steamer,
and continued:
a. was cub then-just learning the
business of Jim. You never seed man
who'd do his level best for boy as kind
ly as Jim would. No swearing or cuss-
ing or cutting, but as quiet and soft-spo-
ken as Il born lady. When they laid
him away couldn't have felt worse if
the old man himself had been pitched in =
to heaven"
He asked for chew Of tobacco, and
when he had settled it against his left
cheek, said :
Over there by that gloomy canebrake,
at midnight nigh on to twenty years ago,
the General TGyior took fire. l was
sleeping in the texas, Jim at the wheel,
and the hundred passengers were asleep.
How the fire started no one knew. The
whole boat bazed right up in minute,
scorching and roasting people alive atore
they heard the alarm. Whew but was
Mt it awful ? / went overheard with
nothing on but my cotton, and my heels
blstering, and passengers and crew tum-
bled after"
The pilot rolled up his sleeve to exhibit
the marks of the flame and continued
OF all of 'em. Thirty or forty ran
for'ard, wild like, afraid to jump. The
texas was alire afore jumped, and as |
Aoated in the river | saw the leaping
tongues Of flame shooting above the pi-
lot house. Jim was thar and thar he
staid. The water was up, the current
heavy, ard the wind blowing against us.
keeping the fire back. film went over
board it was good by to fifty human
souls. He saw it, too, and thaI's whsr
glory covered him from head to foot
lie held her dead level up-she ran till
the engines stopped-till half the boat
was burned-tll the deviIish flames burn
ed every hair off his head, roasted him AS
the women roast piece Of meat. When
the engines stopped the boat d fitted down,
and at last help came from other steam
ers. jim was picked up in the river
swimming like duck, but he died in five
minutes"
There was long pause, and then he
added
"Jim Whalen's backbone saved all
them folks. He died aiore they could
thank him. There wasn't passenger or
deck hand that didn't cry like child
But all they could do was TO bury the
poor roasted body and press the sods
down lightly. Year by year the river
has been eating its way to the grave, and
while we shall miss it, we'll all feel that
the big river had more right to the coffin
of brave Jim Whalen than the Shore
It's only his bones lying there-onIy his
dust which will 6oat away, for though
the gate Of heaven is narrow, it was open
ed plenty wide enough for Jim Whaen
to go through with all steam on"