The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1875-06-07
ON TIE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
How the Pilots, Association was Organize.
and Grewto bc n nIIshty Power. At

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How the Pilots, Association was Organized
md Grewto be alIishty Power.
Mark Twain in his magazine sketehes,
"old Times on the Mississippi, gives
us IN interesting sketch Of the orRaniz-
ing Of the pilots into m association. The
pilots Ind grown numerous, each one
having M apprentice TO do hisyork for
him, and wages had run down from very
high figures 70 about sl25 per month.
Adozcn Of the old pilots who had been
receiving rs much as o cool thousand
dollars q month could not stand this.
They got q special charter, with large
powers, under the name Of the Pilots
Benevolent Association; elected their
officers, completed their organization.
contributed capital, put association"
wages npto two hundred and Atty dol
lars at once--ard then retired 10 their
homes, for they were promptly dis
charged from employment. But there
wore two or three tinnoticed trihes in
their by laws which had the seeds Of
propagation inthem. For instance, all
idle members Of the association, in good
standing, were entitled TO q pension Of
twenty-five dollars per month This
began to bring in one straggler after an
other from the ranks Of the now.aedged
pilots, in the dull (summer) season.
Better have twenty-five dollars than.
ftarye; the initiation fee was only twelve
dollars, and no dues required from the
unemployed. -ls--. :. isi y
Also, the widows Of deceased members
in good standing could draw twenty-five
dollarslper month, and o certain sum for
each Of their children, Also, the said
deceased would be buried ut the associ-
atoms expense. These things resurect-
cd all the superannuAted and forgotten
pilots in the Mississippi valley. They
cane from farms, they came from ints-
rior Villages, they came from every
where. They came on crutches, on
drays, in ambulances-any way, 30 they
got there. They paid IN their twelve
dollars, and straightway began to draw
out twenty-five dollars q month and call
culate their burial bills p tls2
Byiand.bye, all the useless, helpless
pilots, aud o dozen tirst-class ones, were
In the association, and nine-tenths Of
the best pilots out Of IL and laughing at
II. Hwas laughing stock OF the whole
river. Everybody was derisiyely grate-
ful to the association for taking oil the
worthless pilots out Of the way and leay.
ing the whole field 10 the excellent and
deserving and everybody was not only
iocularly grateful for That, but for q re-
suit which naturally followed, namely,
tho gradual advance OF wages los the
busy season approached. Wages had
gone up from tie low figure of one htr-
dred dollars q month 10 one hundred
and twenty-five, and in some cases 10
one hundred aud fifty /; and IL was great
fun TO enlarge upon the fact that this
charming thing had been accomplished
by body Of men not one Of whom re.
coiyed particle OF benefit from il.
Some, e,oi the iokers used 10 call ht the as-
sociation rooms and have o good time
chatting tie members and Offering them
the charity Of taking them as steersmen
for trip, 50 that they could sec what
tut lulBotttu IlNcE |toVhcu hhts nV".
ever, tie association was content or al
least It gave no sign 10 the conttary.
Nowand then IL captured o pilot who
was tout o. luck, . and added him TO
its list; and theae later additions were
very valuable, for they were good pilots;
tho incompetent ones had all been abb
sorbed before. AS business freahened,
wages climbed gradually up to two hun
dred and fifty dollars-the association
figure and became firmly fixed there
aud still without beneating q member Of
that body, for no nnember was hired.
The hilarity at the association's expense
burst all bounds, now. There was no
end to the fun which that poor martyr
had to put mp with.
and trebled, and an ayalanche oi Mis-
Bouri, Illinois, and Upper Misaissippi
riyerboats came pouring down 10 take
o chance IN the New Orleans trade, All
OF o sudden, pilots were in great de.
maud, and were correspondingiy scarce.
The time for revenge was come. 1T wna
bitter pill TO have to accept associn.
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