The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-04-23

! grinding the cane, they form the refuse
oi the stalks into great piles and set fire
| Ia them, though i'll other sugar countries
tie stalk is used for fuel il tie furnaces
of the sugar mills. Now tile piles of
damp stalks burn slowly. and smoke
ike Satan's own kitchen.
An embankment ten or fifteen f e.
high guards both banks of the Nissis-
sippi all the way down that lower end of
the river, and this embankment is set
back from ten to perhaps a hundred feet,
according TO circumstances; say thirty
or forty feet as u general thing. Fill
that whole region with an impenetrab!e
gloom of Sinoh" from hundred miles of
burning stalk piles, when the river is
over banks, and turn a steamboat loose
along there at midnight and see how sI,a
will feel. And see how you will feel too :
You find yourself away ont in the midst
of vague dim sea that is shorelesS, that
fades out and loses itself in the murEy
distance, for you cannot discern the thin
rib OF embaninent, and you are always
imagining you see a Struggling tree when
you don't. The plantations themselves
are transformed by the smoke, and look
like part of the sea. All through your
watch YOU are tortured with the exduis-
ite misery of uncertainty. You hope
you are keeping in the river, but you do
not know. All that you are sure about
is that you are likely to be within six
feet of the bank and destruction, when
you think you are good half mile from
the shore. And you are sure, also, that
if you chance suddenly to fetch up
against the embankment and tOpple
your chimneys overheard, yOu will have
the small comfort OF knowing that it is
about what you were expecting to do.
One of the great Vieksburg packets dart
ed out into sugar plantation one night,
at such a time, and had to stay there Il
week. But there was no novelty about
it; it had often been done before
thought had finished this number,
but | wish to add Il curious thing, while
it is in my mind. 1t is only relevant in
that it is connected with plotting. There
used so be an excellent pilot on the river,
a Mr.. ", who was II sonnambulIst. 1t
was said that if his mind was troubled
about bad piece OF river, he was pretty
sure to get up and walk in his sleep and
do strange things. lie was once a feI-
low pilot for Il trip or two with George
E., on great New Orleans passenger
packet. Daring a considerable part of
the first trip George was uneasy, but got
over it by and by, as Y. seemed content
to stay in his bed when asleep. Late
one night the boat was approaching
Helena, Ark; the water was low, and
the crossing above the town in a very
blind and tangled condition. y. had
seen the crossing since Z. had, and as
the night was particularly drizzly. sullen
and dark, L. WAS considering whether
he had not better have y. called TO as
sist in running the place, when the door
opened and Y walked in. Now, on very
dark nights light is n deadly enemy to
pilOting, you are aware that If you stand
in lighted rooms on such nights you can
not see things in the streets to any pur-
pose, but l. you put out the lights and
stand i'll the gloom you can make out
objects in the street pretty well. So on
very dark nights, pilots do not smoke; ;
they allow no fire in the pilOt-&Ouse
stove; if there is a crack which will allow
the least ray to escape, they order the fur
mace to be curtained with huge tarpaul-
ing and sky lights to be closely blinded !;
then no light whatever issues from the
boat. The undefinable shape that now
entered the pilot house had Mr.. Y :
voice. This said:
LET me take her, Mr.. f; I've seen
this place since you have, and it is so
crooked that | reckon | can run it my
self easier than could tell you how to
do it.
''It is kind of you, and swear ! am
willing. / havn't got another drop of
perspiratiOn left in ne. / have been
spinning round and round the wheel like
a squirrel. 1t is so dark | can't tell
which way she is swinging; still she is
coming around like whirligig."
SO Z. took a seat on the bench, pant
ing and breathless. The black phantom
assumed the wheel, without saying any
thing, steadied the walizing steamer with
"a turn or two, and then stood at ease,
cOaxing her a little to this side and then
to that, rs gently and as Sweetly as if the
time had been MONDAY. When +. OBJ
served this marvel of steering, he wished
he had not confessed He stared and
wondered, and finally said: ''Well,
thought | knew how to steer n steam
boat, but tina; was another mistake o.
mine
y. said nothing. but went serenely Oh
with his work. He rang for the leads;
he rang to slow down the steam; he
worked the boat carefully and neatly
into invincjbie marks then stood at th'
center OF the wheel and peered blandly
out into the blackness, fore and aft, tC
verify his position, as the leads shoaled
more and more, he stopped the engines
entirely, and the dead silence and sus
penss of drifting" followed. WheI
the shoalest water was struck, he cracked
on the steam, carried her handsomel!
over, and then began to work her waril!
into tie next system of shoal marks
the same patient, heedfHl use OF th'
leads and engines followed; the boat slip
ped through without touching bottom
and entered upon the third and last iutri
eaey of the crossing; imperceptibly she
moved through the gloom, crept b!
inches into her marks, drifted tediousl.
till the shoalest water was cried, an'
then. under a tremendous head Of ste am
went swinging over the reef and ava.
into deep water and safety.
Z. let his long-pent breath pour ont II
a great relieving sigh, and said;
That's the sweetest piece OF pilotin!
that was ever done on the Mississippi
River! wouldn't believe it could hav'
been done IL hadn't seen it,"
There was no reply, and he added:
Just hold her five minutes longer, part
ner. and let me run down and get Gu
of cofTe. g" \ minute later T. was bItln
/ -. :. Ii. dnrrIl In tLa ..-EeNa.-- Y an