The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-07-15
MARX FwAINs BIG FRIGHT.

1 G-@a-A = ~ 49, - --[N &[sA6LLA -
A Story OF OId Times on the zIssissIPpI,
| Not sn 4hs Aalss.ss@ HOnthIy.
While sitting IN front of the Southern
Hotel, talking TO future great citizen
about the old steamboat days OF ST.
Louis, when captains, clerks and pilots
ran the town, and ran it under a full
head of steam, an ancient mariner let
up on whiting the arm OF the next
chair, turned toward us, and remarked
- You was speaking of the old river
days ?" Eve was, - replied. 81 Per
haps. now, you have been reading some
of Sam Clemens's yarns ?" held up a
copy of the Atlantic opened at Mark
| TWain's article, which had really
brought about the conversation. !" Yes,
I thought so well, he don't tell all he
knows, said the social riverman, reach
| ing over for a tobaeco-pouch which a
| gentleman was passing 10 a friend
s' There's one little affair he 'aint work
cd into print yet, and it 'aint likely he
VIII. -
The social stranger quit of on his
| reminiscence at this point and talked
generally about the bad outlook Of the
crops and the universal disadvantages
of dryness. Seeing that nothing but
gin and sugar would start him anew, he
Was DSEEuauGu G4tO n SuuNEnACns bhE-
room, and after hosting in three hng-
ers (held vertically, a handful of crack
ers and several chunks of cheese, he
proceeded with his anecdote, interrupt
ing himself a number of times to re-
mark to the barkeeper. "The same,
pard. -
4" was first engineer of the Alexan-
der Scott when Sam Clemens Mark
Twain was a cub in her pilot house.
He was a chipper young chap, with legs
no bigger'n a casting line, and fuller of
tricks than a mule colt. He worked off
jokes ON everybody aboard, from the
skipper down to the roosters (darkey
deck hauds), but they were all taken in
good part, but I lay by two or three to
pay back. About the time Sam got the
run of the river enough to stand alone
at the wheel, the Scott went into the
lower river trade, carrying cotton from
Memphis to New Orleans. Perhaps,
now, you never see a boat IN the cotton
trade burn Well, you may cover your
cotton from stem to stern with tarpau-
Inns, and keep your donkey engine
steamed up, but If a spark of fire touch
es cotton, enough to I'LL a tooth, your
boats q corpse. It's quieker'n gun
powder to burn, and no pilot can reach
the lower deck from the texas in time
to save himself, let alone this Saratoga.
So, you zee, everybody in that trade is
on the watch, and an alarm of fire in
boat loaded with cotton will turn a
mans Lair gray quickeF'n an alligator
can swallow a nigger.
Sam, being young pilot, and new
to the cotton trade, was told over and
over again how the profession would
lose promising cub If ever fire broke
out on the Scott, and the boy got ner-
vous. My striker and me always man.
aged to be in the lunch broom when Sam
came off watch, and as he came IN we
would talk about the number of cotton
boats that burnt in such year, and how
such a cub would have made lightning
pilot if he hadn't got burned up in the
cotton trade; and we always noticed
that Sans appetite failed him after
that. and instead of going to bed ne
would 60 prowling around the lower
deck and peering about the hatchways,
smelling at every opening ike a pup
that had lost its master.
Zone day when we backed out of
Memphis with big cargo of cotton, /
complained, in Sans hearing, that the
mate had loaded the boat too near the
engines. The boy followed me into the
engine-room, and, without seeming to
notice him, I told my striker | would
do my level best 10 keep that cotton
from catching fire, but that it was a
slim chance with bales piled right mp
before the furnace doors. Sam got
whiter'n bulkhead, and went up to the
texas, where he packed his Saratoga,
ready for any business that might come
before the meeting. When be went on
watch osted the second clerk to keep
I. = L. = 4
stack and saw Sam alone in the pilot
house, his hair on end, his face like a
corpse's, and his eyes sticking out so
far you conld have knocked them of
with a stick. He danced around the
pilot house, turned up his nose like he
was smelling for polecat, pulled every
bell, turned the boats nose for the
bank, and yelled "Firei" like Ohero-
kee Indian on the war path. That yell
brought everybody on deck. We had
big cargo of passengers. and the women
scrseched, the men rushed for cork pill
lows, and the crew yanked the doors off
their hinges and rushed to the guards,
ready to 60 overheard at the first mod
Grafton of weather. The skipper had
hard work to make the crazy passing
believe that there wasn't any fire, but
he brought them to reason finally. /
paid no attention TO Sans frantic yells,
50 the boat didn't run her nozzle against
the bank he aimed for.
The captain and pilot and a lot of
passengers, after hunting all over the
boat, couldn't find a sign Of fire any
where outside the furnaces, aud then
they went for Sam. He swore up and
down that he smelt cotton Burning; no
use talking TO him-he knew the smell
of burning cotton. and. by thunder, he
bad smelt it. The first pilot said kind
of soft and pityingly to Sam, Ny boy,
If you'd told me yOu was 50 near the Jim
jams I'd stood double watch for you.
Now, yC u go and soak your head ia a
bucket of water aud take a good sleep
and you'll be all right b5 tomorrow.
Sam just billed over at this, and when q
pretty young woman passenger said to
the eskipper, loud enough for Sapa TO hear.
6 So young and nice looking, too-how
sad it would make his poo mother
feel to hear how be drinks, he fairly
frothed at the mouth. You never see a
fellow so toned down as Sam was after
that, and though the boys never quit
running him, he never talked back, but
/ looked kind of puzzled-as though he
was trying to account for that smell Of
cotton smok :"
"And what was the cause Of the
| SMELL ?" l asked mina Ancient. He
! ohuckled full minute and then said
- You see there's a speaking tube run
aing from the engine room 70 the pilot
/ house. had in mind the tricks Sam
had played on me, and having worked
him to a nervous state about the Ere.
waited till he was alone IN the pilot
/ house, and then set FIRE TO a little wad
of cotton, stuffed Il into the speaking
& a.. s9.-N.M
der his nose. A little 8 gar on it,
pard. ."-sSt. Louis Letter.
NATURAL BEAUTY. All ouF moral
feelings are 50 inssrW0ven with ouE
intellectual powers that We cannot ef
feet the one without IN some degree
addressing the other and. IN all high
ideas OF beauty, It is more than prob
able that much Of the pleasure depends