Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1876-03-25
Jim Whalcn's Death.


pilot, pointing to the bank as the boat
was plowing the current near lake
Providence, seventytive miles above
Vicksburg. When they buried him,
twenty wears ago. the grave was Il
dozen rods from the water. but the
treacherous current has eaten and eat
en- at the bank till another week will
float poor Jim away
The passengers saw the end Of a coi-
fin sticking out Of the bank. SIX or
eight inches above water. II Is lone
ly spot on the river, with no sound to
break the desolation except the beat Of
paddle W heels as the steamers Lnrr>
along.
1T was jim W:lalen. continued tn,
pilot, as the passengers turned to hi'i
for an explanation. He had Wit
and babe in Orleans, and was 4 et-aigh;
man. He knew every snag and ba,
in the river, and he could put his boa; /;
through any shute in tne darkest
night You ever saw. Jim didn t Drag
and some Of the pilots called him d
chicken. Chicken He was the big
gest eagle that ever flew up or down
this creek, and that ar coffin proves
it
He showed the boat out a little, an
swered signal from an ascendnr
steamer, and continued II was a cub
then ust learning the business ct
jim. You never seed man who'd
10 his level best for boy as kindly 3.
Jim would. No swearing or cussir.
or cutting, but as quiet and soft spoken
as born lady When they laid li,n
away down there I couldn't have iei,
worse if the old man himself had tean
pitched into heaven
He asked for chew If tobacco ana
having settled it against his lef; cheeD
he said
Over there at that cane brake. a,
midnight, nigh on to twenty years ago
the General Taylor took fire. | wa,
asleep in the Texas, Jim at the wheel
end hundred passengers were aslee),
How the fire started no one knew
The whole boat blazed right up in q
minute, scorching and roasting peopl"
afore they had heard the alarm
Whew but WASH it awful ! Wen
overheard with nothing on but my
cotton, and my heels bllstering, and
passengers and crew tumbled after
The pilot rolled up his sleeve to ex-
hibit the marks Of the flame, and then
continued
Not all of EN-. Thirty or forty ran
for ard, wild like, and afraid to Jump
The Texas was ahre before jumped
and as l foated in the river. saw tn,
tongues of flames leaping around the
pilot house. Jim was thar and thar
he staid. The water was up, the cur
rent heavy, and the wind blowing agin
US, keeping the fire back. If Jim
went overheard it was good, bye to
fifty human souls. He saw it, and
that's where glory covered him from
head to foot. He held her dead leve!
up-she ran till the engines stopped
till half the boat was burned-tlll the
flames burned every hair off his head,
and roasted him as the women serve A
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, swim.
ming like duck, but died in five min
utes.
There was long pause, and then he
added:
Jim Whalen's backbone saved all
Of them folks. He died afore they
could thank him. There WASH pas
senger Or deck hand who didn't cry
like 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, we'll 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 float away for though the gate of
heaven is narrow, it was open plenty
wide enough for jim Whalen to 90 i'll
with all steam on. - Vtcks6ug UerQld.
1t is estimated that every tune a
train of cars of the average length
stops, it costs, in wear and tear of
material and loss of power, full seven
ty-fve cents. This is what makes a
conductfr always lonE cn cbaarf, |