The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-02-23
PILOT wYLIE.
AN INCIDENT OF LIFE ON THE GOLD M1s-
sIsTPPr," TOLD BYIDAN. DE QUrLLE.

snO oeOomOi DuiiJ hIoUiu, iOT A'oW vi
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
coolness in the midst Of wreck and dis.
aster, and principally relates to "Pilot
Wylie."
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 af-
ternoon all right, and went bowling along
down the river OF slashing rate. As
long as we had daylight we did we'll
daylight and the pilot who was then at
the wheel,
Some time along in the night Pilot
Wylie was called up to take his 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
most even tempered men in the world.
He was also very polite and gentlemanly
in his intercourse with all of his obi GERS
and men. 1t appeared to be positively
painful 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
Wylie. 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 Wylie at the wheel, turn.
ing it back and forth in the most sedate
and exemplary manner.
Presently we sloshed into the left bank
OF the river, against nome 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 !"
"Yes," said Wylie, 81 heard a sort of
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. well, Mr.. Wyic," said
he, "you are playing the deuce tonight"
"Ie-, said Pilot Wylie, 'did you ever
hear such rafting of dishes in all your
life ?"
Without deigniug reply, Capt Bowen
turned aud went below. while Wylic went
on with his "screwin' on her up" as o
Yankee passenger termed the business Of
steering the vessel.
Away We went bowling and screechDg
down the river, with the black smoke
streaming back from the chimneys.
Wyle was industriously engaged in
"screwin' on her up" and in ringing the
engineers bells-"tap, tap, tap ~ now
this way and now that-only stopping
occasionally to slip small flask out Of
his pocket and take "nip."
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
a snag that ripped nearly the whole bot
tom out of the boat.
There we stuck, rapidly settling in a.
bout eight feet of water.
Captain Bowen bounded up to the pi
lot house and said "Well, Mr.. WyIio
you've made killing of it this time -
"Yes," said Wylie, 81 think so. Do
you see them bales O. hay floating out
Of her ?"
"She's down in eight feet of water, Mr..
Wylie," said the Captain.
About that, l should think, sir" said
Wylie.
After making this last remark, Pilot
Wylie "lit out over the 'front.' and going
down into the "texas" got his old fiddle,
when he sat down and wen. to playing
the "Arkansas Traveller" His business
was finished, and he was indulging in his
favorite recreation.
A nice mess we we're in. However,
about an hour after the snagging Of the
boat we heard, some distance down the
river fearful howl from steam whistle.
"The Glaucus the Glaucus !" cried
several Of the passengers in breath, mo
other boat has such whistle, 1t is the
Glaucus coming up"
This was not the old Glaucus, as she
was burned at St. Louis in 1852 or 1853,
but was new Glaucus built by the same
owners and provided with second edi.
tlon Of the same unearthly whistle which
rendered the old Glaucus famous all a.
long the Mississippi.
Well, we made signals of distress and
the Glaucus came alongside, when We
passengers were soon transferred to her
decks.
"Mr. Clemens" said Captain Bowen.
addressing the pilot of the Glaucus-Sam-
uel l.. Clemens, now better known as
Mark Twain-"Mr. Clemens, can hard
y understand how you could recommend
Mr., Wylie to me as being good pilot ?"
81 recommend Wylie sober, not Wylie
drunk. dryly answered Mr.. Clemens.
"Well you see what he has done with
the Bully Arabia. He has killed her,
sir :"
II see," said Mr.. Clemens, "but he
does not appear to be utterly broken.
hearted, as [ hear him playing the same
old tune that he used to play when was
"cub" under him."
The Glaucus safely landed US at St.
Louis, and never again attempted the
trip to New Orleans, nor ever again met
Pilot Wylie, who, for aught / know to
the contrary, may still be seated in the
"texas' of the wrecked Bully Arabia,
saving away at the "Arkansaw Travel.