The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-02-19
PILOT WYLIE'S Achievement.
An incident of Life on the ttOld Mas
SassiP.''
Efrom the Virginia New Enterprise. !

made my famous ''triumphal'' start from
the good old city Of St. Louis, Mo-, on
tic steamer Bully Arabia, for New Or
leans, and now l propose to briefly in.
form you why never planted foot any.
| where within five hundred miles of New
Orleans.
The story is Of still another case Of cool.
ness in the midst Of wreck and disaster,
and principally relates to "Pilot Wylic. .
The Bully Arabia, Capt. Sam Bowen
(well known at st. Louis and all up and
down the river), left St. Louis with "all
,, below" full of hay in bales.
We got off about the middle of the
afternoon all right, and went bowling
along down the river at slashing rite.
AS long as We had daylight we did we'll
dayli Ill., and the pilot who was then at
the wheel.
Some time along in the night Pilot
Wylie was called up to take the watch.
He came up as full Of Bourbon as The
lower deck was full Of hay, but he kept
his mouth shut and looked wise.
Capt. Sam Bowen was, as all know who
have ever travelled much on the lower
Mississippi, one of the mildest and even.
tempered men in the world. He was also
very polite and gcntlemanly in all his
intercourse with all Of his officers and
men. 1t appeared to be positively pain.
full for him TO swear; but sometimes, in
the discharge Of his duties, it became
necessary for him to do that violence to
his feelings.
CAPT. Bowen did not discover that
there was anything wrong with Pilot
Wylic when that gentleman came up to
take the wheel.
We went booming along down the river
at great rate, carrying full head of
steam, and with Wyl,e at the wheel,
turning it back and forth in the most Sc
date and exemplary manner.
Presently we sloshcd into the left bank
Of the river, against some trees, and tore
out the barber-shop.
Up rushed Capt. Bowen, crying: mr..
Wylie, how is this? You have been into
the bank, and have raked out the barber.
shop!'
EYES," said Wylie, 81 heard sort of
a rip as bore off from shore.''
On we went again for eight or ten
miles, when we slapped into the right
hand shore and tore out the pantry.
Capt. Bowen ran up to the pilot-house
in hot haste. swell, Mr.. Wylie," said
he, ''you are playing the deuce tonight. ,
eyes, said Pilot Wylie, ibid YOU ever
hear such a rafting of dishes in all your
life p
Without deigning reply, Capt. Bowen
turned and went below, while Wvlie
went on with his "screwin' on her up. :"
as Yankee passenger termed the bust
ness of steering the vessel.
Away VIC went, bowling and ecrceching
down the river, with the black smoke
streaming back from the chimneys.
Wylie was industriously engaged in
''screwin' on her up" and in ringing the
engineers bells-"tap, tap, tap T. now
this way, now that-only stopping occa-
sionally to slip small flask out of his
pocket and take IMP"
Presently the engineer sung out from
below, through the speaking-tube:
''Mr. Wylie, no man in the world could
make out those bells -
"The bells are all right! Mind the
bells ! sententiously answered back pilot
Wylie.
A few minutes after, as we went Zig
tagging down the river, we ''picked up''
q snag that ripped nearly the whole bot.
tom out Of the boat.
There we stuck, rapidly settling in
about eight feet Of water.
Capt. Bowen bounded up to the pilot
house and said: "Well, Mr.. Wylie Sir,
you We made killing Of it this time! p
eyes" said Wylie. 81 think so. Do
her!''
''She's down in eight feet Of water, Mr..
Wylic,' said the captain.
"About that, should think, SIR" said
Wylie.
After making this last remark, Pilot
Wylie ''lit out over the 'front.' and 60
ing down into the ''texas," got his old
fiddle, when he sat down and went to
playing the ''Arkansaw Traveller" His
business was finished, and he was indulg-
ing in his favorite recreation.
A nice mess We were in! However,
about IN hour after the snaggink Of tho