The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1875-04-14
SussrssrPPr RIVER NAVIGATION.

sOmnamDullst. IL was Salc that n his
mind was troubled about a bad piece
of river he was pretty sure TO get up
and walk in his sleep aud do strange
things. He was once fellow pilot for
trip or two with George E., Oh a
great New Orleans passenger packet.
Late one night the boat was approach.
ing Helena, Ark. the water was low,
and the crossing above the town in a
very bad condition. X. had seen the
crossing since E. had, and as the
night vas particularly drizzly, sullen,
and dark, E. was considering
whether he had not better have X.
called to assist in running the place,
when the door opened and X. walked
in.
'Let me take her, Mr.. E; I've
seen this place since you have, and it
is so crooked that / reckon can run
it myself easier than | could tell you
how to do H."
at is kind Of you and swear am
willing. | haven't got another drop
of prespiration left in me. / have
been spinning around and around the
wheel like a squirrel. 1t is so dark
can't teihwkich way she ia swinging
till she is coming around like a whirli-
gig"
So E. took a seat on the bench,
painting and breathless. x as.
sumed the wheel. without saying any
thing, steadied the waltzing steamer
with turn or two, and then stood at
ease, coaxing her little to this side
and then to that, as gently as
if the time had been MONDAY. When
E. observed this marvel of steer
ing, he wished he had not confessed
He stared and wondered, and finally
said, ...
"Well, thought l knew how to
steer steamboat, but that was anoth-
er mistake of mine"
X said nothing, but went serenely
on with his work. He rang for leads
he rang to Slow down the stream; he
worked the boat carefully and neatly
into invisible marks, then stood at the
centre of the wheel and peered out
blandly into the blackness, fore and
aft, to verify his position as the leads
shoaled more and more, he stopped
the engines entirely, and the dead ST.
lence and suspense of drifting" fol-
lowed ; when the shoalest water was
struck he cracked on the steam, car
ried her handsomely, over, and then
began to work her warily into the
next system Of shoal marks; the same
patient, heedful use of leads and en-
gines tellowed; the boat slipped
through without touching bottom, and
entered upon the third and last intri-
cacy of the crossing; imperceptibly
she moved through the gloom, crept
by inches INTO her marks, drifted te-
diously till the shoalest water was
cried, and then under q tremendous
head Of steam, went swinging oye%the
reef and away into deep water and
safety
E. let his long pent breath pour
out in long, relieving sigh, and said
That's the sweetest piece of pilot
ing that was ever done on the Mississ-
ippi river! ] wouldn't have believed
it could be done, if hadn't seen it,"
There was no reply, and he added:
"Just hold her five minutes longer,
partner, and let me run down and get
a cup of coffee"
A minute later E. was biting
into pie down in the "texas," and
comforting himself with coffee just
then the night watchman happened in,
and was about to happen out again,
when he noticed E. and exclaim-
ed
"Who is at the wheel, sir?"
*" -
"Dart for the pilot house quicker
than lightning2"
The next moment both men were
flying up the pilot house companion
way three steps at jump! Nobody
there The great steamer was whist
ling down the middle Of the river at
her own sweet will The watchman
shot out of the place again; E
seized the wheel, set an eIgine back
with power, and held his breath while
the boat reluctantly swung away from
"towhead" which she was about to
knock into the middle of the Gulf Of
Mexico
BY and by the watehman came back
aud said;
Didn't that lunatic tell you he
was asleep when he first came up
here ?"
"No."
"Well, he was. found him walk
ing along ON the top of the railipgs,