The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1875-07-08
MARK TWAINS BIG FRIGHT.


While sitting front of the Southerr
Hotel, talking to 4 future great citizen
about the old steamboat days OF st.
Louis, when captains, clerks and pilots
ran the town, and ran it urder a full
head Of steam, nm ancient mariner let
mp on whiting the arm of the next
chair, turned toward rs, and remarked
/" lon WA speakin2 of the old river
days?" eve was,' / replied. "Per.
haps now, YOU have been reading some
of Sam Ciemens's yarns 2" held mp Il
copy Of the Atlantic, opened Mt Mark
Twain's article, which had really
brought about the conversation. eyes,
/ thought so well, he don't tell all he
knows, said the social riycrman, reach-
ing over for Il tobacco-pouch which Il
gentleman was passing to friend
{" There's one little affair he 'aint work
cd into print yet, and it 'aint likely he
will"
The social stranger qnit of on his
reminisceucP at this point and talked
generally about the bad outlook OF the
crops and the universal disadvantages
of dryness. Seeing that nothing ,ut
gin and sugar would start him anew, he
was persuaded INTO convenient bar
room, and after hosting in three fling.
ers (held vertically, a handful OF crack
ers and several chunks of cheese, he
proceeded with his anecdote, interrupt
ing himself number of times 10 re
mark to the barkeeper. "The sane,
pard.
." | was first engineer Of the Alrx0u.
der Scott when Sum Clemens Mark
rwain) was a cub in her pilot house.
He was Il clipper young chap, with legs
no bigger'n casting line, and fuller of
tricks than mule colt. He worked off
Jokes on everybody aboard, from the
skipper down to the roostefs (darkey
deck hauds), but they We're all taken in
good part, but 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 vent into the
lower river trade, carrying cotton from
Memphis TO New Orleans. Perhaps,
now, you never see q boat IN the cotton
cotton from stem to stern with lnrpau.
Inns and keen your donkey engine
steamed nm Init ifa spark of fire touch,
es cotton, enough 10 fill a tooth, youI
boats corpse. It's quiCkern 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 see, everybody in that trade is
on the watch. and an alarm of fire in a
boat loaded with cotton will turn a
mans air gray quicker'n M alligator
can swallow niger.
"Sam, being Young pilot, aud new
TO the cotton trade. was told over and
over again how the profession would
lose promising cub if ever fire broke
our ON the Scott, and The boy got ner-
vous, Nv striker and me always man.
AGED to be in the lunchroom when Sam
came of, watch. and as he came in we
would talk ab,ut the number of cotton
hoots that burnt in sncb wear, and how
sucb Il cub would have made lightning
pilot if he hadn't got burned up in the
cotton trade and we always noticed
that Sam's fppetitc failed him after
that. and instead of going to bed nc
would 20 prowling around the lower
deck and peering about the hatchways,
smelling at every opening like pup
that had lost its master.
uOno dor wba, wo b,ckcd ont ot
,roNnbis NH % witI, y bic c.rg, of cotton
oananlaimoJ oar , in San's be9rinr tnat iii,
0oi1 o,i"a i''l I'nI inoJa5 tIa hoot Too near IN,
ni,',;, ln',,U as ,l tn how followed me INTO IN,
on ono e,;ne.room @ and witbont seeming I
na,;na un1 @ him r toId NV atriker | woplf
Io Io'iue w, NIn, Iansi host 20 koon That cottor
=" snorl oatcbino fira bnt that il was ,
ai;,l ~ oh"nna 1;th boles niIed rigbt M
haSn,e I, % the furnace doors sam 90
IT, '"' hrIthnod onJ Nor, mn to III,