Arizona weekly miner., 1875-04-30

There used tO be an excellent pilot on the river, a Mir. X--, who was srmnamhu- list. IL was said that if bis mind was troub- led about bad piece of river he was pretty slre 10 get up and walk in his sleep and d" strange things. He was once fellow pilot for a trpor two with George E., on Il great New Orleans passenger packet. Late one night the boat was approaching Helena, Arkansas the water was low, and tnc cross ing above the town in very blihd and tan gled condition. N had seen the cross ing since E. had, and as the night Was partir ularly dark, B. Was considering whetheI he had not better have N cal led to assist Tn running the place, when the door opened and X--walked in.
 ''I.et me take her Mr. E.; I've seen this place since you have, and it Is so crook ed that recon could run it my'elf easier than could tell you how to doit
 "II IS kind of you, and 1 swear l am will ling l haven't got another drop ui perspi- ration left in me. l have been spinning aruund and around the wheel like a squirrel. It IS so dark 1 can't tell which way sue Is spinning till she is coming around like whrligig."
 SD E--took a seat on the bench, pant ing and breathle>s. N assumed the wdeel without saying anything, steadled the waltzing steamer with d turn or two, and then stood at ease cuaxiny her to thIs side and then To that, as gently and as swcetly as If the time had been nuunday. When E. observed this marvel of steering, be wished he had not confessed. He stared an wondered, and finally sald: "Well, l thought know how t0 steer steamboat, but that was another mistake of pIne."
 K said nothing, but went serenely on with hs work. He rang for leads; he rang to low drwn the steam; he worked the boat carefully and neatly into the visible marks, then stood at the centre of the wheel and peered out blandly into the darkness, fore and att, 10 verify his position, AS the leads shualed more and more, he stopped the engines entirely, and the dead >il nee a"d suspense of drifting" followed, when the shuale,t water was struck he cracked on the steam, carried her handsomely over, then be- gan to work her warily into the next system of shnal marks the same patient, heediui use of lead, and engines followed the bual slipped through without tourhlng hoIt"m, and entered upon the third and last intrica- cy of th crossing; imprrceptibly she moved through tbe gloom, crept by inches into her marks, drif ed tediously till the >hoaest wa terwas cred, and then, under tremendous head of steam, went swinging over the reel and away into the deep water and safety!
 E. let his long pent breath pour out in & long relieving sigh, and said: "That's the sweetest Iiece of plloting that was ever do ie on the Mississippi river. l wouldn't bavc believed it could be done. ifl hadn't seen it."
 There was no reply, and he added: "Ju hold her five minutes longer, partner, anu let me run down and get cup of coffee"
 4 minute later E-- was biting into | pie down in the "rexaS." and comforting | himself with coffee. Just then the n,gh, ] watchman happened in, and was ahout tn happen out again, when he noticed E. and exclaimed:
 "Who Is al the wheel, sir !"
 .Dart for the pilot house quicker than lightning.'
 The next moment both men were fivirg | up the pilot bou>e companion way three | steps It a jump! Nobody there. The great steamer was whi>tling down the md de of the river at her own sweet will The watchman shot out of the place again; E-- seized the wheel, set an engine back with power, and held his breath while the boat r. r>luctantly swung away from "t'w headn which she was abnut to knock into the mid de of the Gulf of Mexico!
 By and by the watchman came back and said:
 Didn't that lunatic tell you be was asleep when he first came up here 2''
 .sNor
 "Well, be was. I found him walking along on top of the railings just as uncon- cerned as other man would walk pave ment; and put him to bed. Now just this minute there he was again, away astern, going through that sort of tight-npe devil [ try the same as before.n ' "Well, think I'll stay bv. next time he [ has one of those fits. But hope he'll have them often. You just ought to have seen ? him take this boat through Helena crossing never saw anything so gariy befare. Aud And if he can do such gold-leaf, kid glove, diamond -breastpin p;luting when be is { .nund asleep. what c0aldRt be do if be was dssd r'-I Mark Twain in Atlantic Monthly.
 Give your son good education and settled ;n i,fa and when he is a man he vill