The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1875-01-01

| greatness. ne WOulu AWAY
manage to have a rusty bolt to scrul
Whte his boat tarried at our town, an(
ne would sit on the inside guard ant
scFu0 1t where we could all see him anc
envy him and loathe him. And when
ever his boat was laid up he woulG
come hons and swell around the tow
IN nus blacklist and greasiest clothes, sc
tnas nobody could help remembering
thas he was a steamboatman; and ht
used all sorts of steamboat technical
l'les IN his talk, as If he were 80 useC
to them that he forgot common people
could not understand them. He would
speak of the larboard side of horse il
an easy, natural way that would make
onewish he was dead. And he was al
Wags talking about "St. Looy" like an
oidcitizen he would refer casually tc
OCCASIONS when he "was coming down
Foarth street." or when he was " pass
Ing by the Planters House." or when
there was fire and he took a turn on
tae brakes of "the old Big Missouri ;
md then heFwould go on and lie about
nDw many towns the size of ours were
nrned down there that day. Two OF
tAree of the boys had long been persons
g consideration among us because
hey had been to ST. Louis once and had
avague general knowledge of its won
aers; but the day of their glory was
ever now. They lapsed into humble
ilence, and learned to disappear when
the ruthless "cub" engineer approach,
lsd. This fellow had money too, and
Ihair-oil. Also an ignorant silver watch
and snowy brass watch chain. He
wore leather belt and used no suspen-
.ders. II ever a youth was cordially
admired and hated by his comrades,
this was one. No girl could Withstand
his charms. He scout out" every boy
in the village. When his boat blew up
at last it diffused q tranquil contentment
among us such as we had not known for
months.
But when he came home the next
week, alive, renowned and appeared in
church all battered up and bandaged,
a shining hero, stared at and wondered
over by everybody, it seemed to us that
the partiality of Providence for an un-
deserving reptile had reached point
where it was open to criticism.
This creatures career could produce
but one result, and it speedily followed.
Boy after boy managed to get on the
river. The minister's son became an
engineer. The doctors and the post
sons became g mud clerks the
wholesale liquor dealers sons became a
barkeepcr on boat four sons OF the
chief merchant and two sons of the
county Judge became pilots. Pilot was
the grandest position of them all. The
pilot, even in those days of trivial
wages, had q princely salary-from q
hundred and fifty to two hundred and
fifty dollars month, and no board to
pay. Two months of his wages would
pay preachers salary for a year. Now
some Of us were left disconsolate. We
could not get on the river-at least cur
parents would not let as.
So by and by ran away. / said I
never would come home again till I
was q pilot and could come in glory.
But somehow I could not manage it.
went meeklY aboard few of the
boats that lay packed together like
sardines at the long ST. Louis wharf,
and very humbly inquired for the pilots,
but got only cold shoulder and short
words from mates and clerks. had to
make the best of this sort of treatment
for the time being, but [ had comfort
ing day-dreams of a future when /
should be O great and honored pilot,
with plenty of money, and could kill
some of these mates and clerks and
could pay for them.
Months afterward the hope within
me struggled to reluctant death, and
[ found myself without an ambition.
But was ashamed to go home. Twas in
and set to work to map out
! new career. ] had been reading about
The recent exploration of the river Am
azon by an expedition sent out by our
government. It was said the expedi-
ion, owing to difficulties. had not
explored part of the coun.
frY lying about the head-waters, some
Tour thousand miles from the mouth of
jhe river. It was only about fifteen
hundred miles from Cincinnati to New
Orleans, where could doubtless get a
ship. I had thirty dolla left; would
20 and complete the exploration of the
Amazon. This vas all the thought I
gave to the subject. I never was great
n matters of detail. I packed my va
ise, and took passage on an ancient
NIB, called the Paul Jones, for New
Orleans. For the sum cf sixteen dol
ars I had the SCARED and tarnished
,plendors Of g her /" main saloon princi
1ally to myself, for she was not q crea-
;ureto attract the eye of wiser travellers.
When we presently got under way
ind went poking down the broad Ohio,
became new being, and the subject
il my own admiration. I was trav-
,Ieri a word never had tasted so good
d my mouth before. ] had an exult-
mt sense of being bound for mysteri-
,us lands and distant climes which 7
lever have felt In SO uplifting degree
inee.
I was In such q glorifed condition
hat all iguoble feelings departed out
# me, and was able to look down and
oity the untrayeled with compassion
hat had hardly trace of contempt in
6. Still, when we stopped at villages
nd wood yards, I could not help loll-
ng carelessly upon the railings of the
roller deck TO enjoy the envy Of the
,ountry boys on the bank. Ii they did
lot seem to discover me, I presently
Ineezed to attract their attention, or
moved to position where they could
lot help seeing me. And as soon as /
Inew they saw me I gaped and stretched,
md gave ether signs OF being nightly
,ored with travelling.
4 kept my hat off all the time, and
fayed where the wind and the sun could
trike me because / wanted TO get the
,ronzed and weather beaten look of an
la traveller. Before the second day
vas half gone I experienced joy which
He'd me with the purest gratitude: for