Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1875-04-18
Old Times on the Mississippi.

Old Times on the Mississippi.
There used to he an excellent pilot on
the river, Mr.. X, who was somnambu-
list. 1t was said that if his mind were
troubled about bad piece of river, he
was pretty sure to get up and walk in his
sleep and do strange things. He was
cnce fellow pilot for trip or two
with George E, on great New
Orleans passenger packet. During con-
siderable part of the first trip George was
uneasy, but got over it by and by, as X.
seemed content to stay in his bed when
asleep. Late one night the boat was APP
proaching Helena, Arkansas; the water
was low, and the crossing above the town
in a very blind and tangled condition. X.
had seen the crossing since E had,
and as the night was 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 Y. walked in. Now, on
very dark nights light is deadly enemy
t. plotting; you are aware that if you
stand in a lighted room, on such night,
you cannot see things in the street to any
purpose; but if you put out the lights and
stand in the gloom you can make out OBJ
.iects in the street pretty well. So, on very
dark nights, pilots do not smoke; they al
low no fire in the pilot-house stove ifthere
is crack that will allow the least ray to
escape; they order the furnaces to be cur
tanned with huge tarpaulins and the sky
lights to be closely blinded. Then no
Light whatever issues from the boat. The
undefinable shape that entered the pilot
house had Mr. KS voice. This said -
''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 it."
at is kind of you, and l swear am
willing. 1 haven't got another drop Of
Precipitation left in me. | have been
spinning around and around the wheel
like a squirrel. 1t is so dark l can't tell
which way she is swinging till she is com
ing around like a whirligig"
So E. took seat on the bench,
painting and breathless. The black phan-
tom assumed the wheel without saying
anything, steadied the waltzing steamer
with turn or two, and then stood at
case, coaxing her little to this side and
then to that, as gently and as sweetly as if
the time had been MONDAY. When E
observed this marvel of steering, he wished
lie had not confessed. He stared and
wondered, and finally said,-
swell | thought knew how to steer a
steamboat, but that was another mistake
of mine"
X. said nothing, but went sercnely on
with his work. He rang for the leads !;
he rang to slow down the steam; he
worked the boat slowly and neatly into
Invisible marks, then stood at the center
Of the wheel and peered blandly out 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 silence and suspense of "drift-
ing" followed; 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, drifted tediously until the
shoalest water was cried, and then, under
tremendous head OF steam, went swinging
over the reef and away into deep water
and safety!~,
E let his long -pent breath pour out
in great relieving sigh and said:
THAT'S the sweetest bit of plotting that
was ever done ON the Mississippi River!
wouldn't believed it could be done, if
hadn't see it,"
There was no reply and he added:
''Just hold her five minutes longer, part
ner, and let me run down and get cup of
coffee"
A minute later E was biting into
pie down in the ''texas,' and comforting
himself with coffee. Just then the night
Waterman happened in, and was about to
happen out again, when he noticed E.
and exclaimed
"Who is at the wheel, sir9"
*"
''Dart for the pilot-house quicker than
lightning"
Tho aext moment both men were flying
up the pf1ot-housc companion way, three
steps at q Jump! Nobody there! The
great stearner WAS w1istling down the
middle of the river at her own sweet will |!
II seixed the wheel, set IN engine hack
with power, and held his breath while the
boat reluctantly swung away from stow
head" which she was about to knock Into
the middle Of the Gulf Of Mexicoi
BY and by the watchman came back
and said,-
Didn't that lunatic tell you he was
asleep when he first came up herea"
ssWell,. then, he was. found him
walking along IN top Of the railings just
as unconccrned as another man would
walk . pavement; and I put him to bed /;
now just this minute there be was again,
away astern, doing that sort Of tight