The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-12-23
JIM WEALEN'S DEATH.
[Frona the vicksburg Hearld.l

VIC p1lOt, pointing TO the DanA as the
boat WAS ploughing the current near
Lake Providence, seventy-fve miles
above Eicksburg. fsWhen they buried
him, twenty years ago, the grave was q
dozen rods from the water, but the
treacherous current has eaten and eaten
at the bank till another week will float
poor Jim away
The passengers saw the end of coffin
sticking out of the bank, six Or eight
inches above water. Tt is a lonely spot
on Che river, with no sound TO break the
desolation except the beat OF paddle
wheels as the steamers hurry along.
cit was jim Wnalen," continued the
F-lot, as the passengers turned to him
for an explanation. ''He had Il wife and
babe i'll New Orleans, and was q straight
man. He knew every snag and bar in
the river, and he could put his boat
through any shate in the darkest night
you ever saw. jim didn't brag, and
some Of the pilots called him chicken.
Chicken! He was the biggest eagle that
ever flew up or down this creek, and
that ar coffin proves it"
He showed the boat out q little, an
swered signal from an ascending
steamer, and continued:
81 was a cub then-just learning the
business Of jim. You never seed man
who'd 60 his level best for q boy rs
kindly as Jim would. No swearing or
cussing or cutting, but as quiet and soft
spoken as born lady. When they laid
him away down there I couldn't have
felt worse If the old man himself had
been pitched into heaven
He asked for chew OF tobacco, and
having settled it against his left cheek
he said:
cover there lays that gloomy cane
brake where at midnight, nigh on to 90
years ago, the General Taylor took fire.
[ was asleep in the texas, jim at the
wheel, and a hundred passengers were
asleep. How the fire started no one
knew. The whole boat blazed right up
In Minute scorching and roasting peo-
pie afore they had heard the alarm
Whew! but wasn't it awful I went
overload with nothing on but my cot
ton, and my heels blistering, and pass
engers and crew tumbled AFTER
The pilot rolled up his sleeve to ex-
hibit the marks Of the fame, and then
continued:
"No? all of 'em. Thirty CT forty ran
forward, wild like, and afraid to Jump
The texas was afre before jumped, and
as 7 foated in the river I saw the red
tongues of flames leaping around the
pilot-house. jim was thar and thar
he staid. The water was up, the current
heavy, and the wind blowing agin us,
keeping the fire back. If jim went
overheard it was goodbye to fifty hu-
man souls. He saw it, and that's where
glory covered him from head to foot.
He held her dead level up-she ran till
the engines stopped-till half the boat
was burned-tilI the deveilish flames
burned every hair Off his head, and
roasted him as the women serve q piece
of meat. When the engines stopped
the boat drifted down, and at last help
came from other steamers. jim was
picked up in the river, swimming
like duck, but died in five minutes. -
There was Il long pause, and then he
added:
''Jim Whalen's backbone saved all
them folks. He died afore they could
thank him. There wasn't a passenger
or deck-hand who didn't cry like q child;
but all they could do was to bury the
poor roasted body and press the sods
down lightly. Year by year the river
has been eating its way to the grave, and
while we shall miss it. wen all feel as if
the big river had more right to the coffin
of brave Jim Whalen than the shore.
It's only his bones lying there-only his
dust which will foat away; for though
the gate of Heaven is narrow, it was
open plenty wide enough for Jim Wha-
len to go in with all steam on.
=-----------s-----------