Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1875-02-04
Mark Twain as a "Cub Pilot" :"

The first of Mark Twain's "Old
Times on the Mississippi" contribu-
tions to the Atlantic Monthly, ended
as our readers will remember with
his embarkation at Cincinnati OH a
New Orleans boat with a wild project
of going to the Amazon. Finding
that he was not going to attain his
project very soon, and had only $40
in his pocket, he wisely determined
to provide for the immediate future.
He. therefore, after much persuasion,
induced the pilot of the boat TO
sitsach him the river promising 20
pay him $500 out or the first wages
he should receive after graduating.
His first experiences were not at all
encouraging. He says;
Now and then Mr.. B. called my
attention to certain things. Said he,
''This is Six Mile Point" / assent
ed. 1t was pleasant enough informa-
ton, but l could not see the bearing
of it. 1 was not conscious that it
was matter of any interest to me.
Another time he said, "This is Nine
Mile Point" Later he said, "This is
Twelve Mile Point" They were all
about level with the waters edge;
they looked about alike to me; they
were monotonously unpicturesque.
| hoped Mr.. B would change the
subject. But no; he would crowd up
around a point, hugging the shore
to affection, and then say, "The
slack water ends here, abreast this
bunch of China-trees; now we cross
over" So he crossed over. He gave
me the wheel once or twice, but l
had no luck, l either came near chip
ping off the edge of sugar planta-
ton, or else l waved too much from
shore, and so 1 dropped back into dis
grace again and got abused.
The watch was ended at last, and
we took supper and went to bed. At
midnight the glare of a lantern
shone in my eyes, and the night
watchman said:
"Come. turn outr'
And then he left. | could not un-
derstand this extraordinary proce-
dure; so l presently gave up trying
to and dozed off to sleep. Pretty
soon the watchman was back again,
ard this time he was gruff. was an
moved. | said:
'What do you want to come both
ehng around here in the middle OF
the night for? Now, as like as not
I'll not get to sleep again tonight"
The watchman SAID:
'Well, if this amt good, I'm
blest."
The ''off-watch" was just turning
in, and | heard some brutal laughter
from them, and such remarks as
'Hello watchman! amt the new cub
turned out yet? He's delicate, like
". Give him some sugar in rag
and send for the chambermaid tC
sing rock "a by baby to him."
About this time Mr.. B. appear
ed on the scene. Something like 8
minute later l was climbing the pilot
house steps with some of my clothes
, on and the rest in my arms
Mr.. B was close behind, com
menting. Here was something fresf
this thing of getting up in thu
/ middle of the night to go to work
/ 1t was a detail in plotting that haC
, never occurred to me at all. 1 knew
that boats ran all nigh, but some
/ how l had never happened to reflect
: that somebody had to get up out of {
a.. warm bed to run them. / began tt
/ fear that plotting was not quite 81
romantic as 1 had imagined it was
there was something very real ant
, work like about this new phase of it
: One night the Mate told the pilo
! to land at Jones plantation, and wa
told by the pilot that he could no
| land at the upper end because of tn
D stumps, but would try the lower end
f And then, continues Mark, the Mat,
t left. My exultation began to coo
: and my wonder to come up. Her,
j was man who not only proposed II
c find his plantation on such night
n but to find either end of it you prefer
s red. 1 dreadfully wanted to ask
: question, bnt / was carrying about a
= many short answers as my carg