The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1877-11-20
DOWN THE RIvRR.



Kansas Ctsy nns~s.
a queer looking craft rounded tn ut
the levee last evening. IL locked like
q gun-boat. but still It was too fr,il to
stand even the charge Of grapeshot.
But still the non,lescript Wa 'qneer."
for it was unlike any boat which had
moOresi at this harhor for many wear.
ast. There was only one man on
hoard III the curious looking floating
structure, which was neither Mack
nav boat ar Missouri river L.,,t.am.
II was n skif al extraordinary sire
and remarkable strength, and it
rounded into the~levee with the ease
ct boat propelled BY steam.
The strange looking craft was
BEARDED and its crew intervie vel.
The crew was one man, and he in
himself would suffice for fifty ordinary
men. ''Liherator Bill" handled the
boat. and Bill Was both captain and
crew. dropping the boat and taking
up Bill, he WAS and Is on his way
from the
YELLOWSTONE COUNTRY
to his old home in Galveston. Bill is
one 81 those waits Of humanity who
drift out To the frontier. spend few
years. stake their lives, win them and
y name, and cume back home to lie ad-
mired, ard 90 lack aud get killed.
William Johnson j, AN lrishman Who
went out to til. Big Horn and Powder
River country four years ago. He
went from Galveston, Texas, where
his friends now reside. lie, like manv
other young men who 70 10 that
toughest Of frontier countries, the
Upper Missouri, entered into the
scouting service.
FRONTIER SCOUTS
Is known how are men who are cheap
er than soldiers. They go where off,
cc's will not permit their men To GO
and the scouts alone are in general
safer than the officers and the soldiers.
The government pays these men $40
per month now ten years ago it paid
them Sd per day. Bill johnson was a
scout and he won not only name but
he brought hack with him the '.trophies
Of the chase" When he ..fOunded
up last evening he came up to
Collopys resort ON the corner of Main
street and the levee and silently took
his seat by the fire. His face bronzed
with exposure to sun and storm,
looked much like an Indians. He
wore buck>kin hunting shirt, frilled
and dirty, and his trousers we're ot
buckskin, stained but well sitting.
MOccasins and y >louch hat, a modest
demeanor. backed by two good revolv.
ers and a two pound knife was the in
troductory..s
HIS STORY
was brief. He desired no particular no
,ice in the papers. He had been with
Gen. Miles. Of the Fifth Infantry. on
Tongue river. He left Fort Little
Horn Of the Yellowstone river, six
weeks ago, in charge Of a party Of sur
veyors ana :geologists. fourteen in
number, under command If Mr..
Herbert Porter. "a college chap"
Bill SAYS they loaded his boat down
with old bones, rocks and fossils. He
brought them to Bismark. where he
was left alone. This was four weeks
ago. Since that time he has been
floating down stream, q journey Of
|. 800 miles, all alone. His descrip-
ton Of his voyage is extraordinarily
interesting. His boat which was
built for strength and defense, il q
confederation Of the mans story. He
says he floats down stream at will, a
lot Of rocks in the stern Of the boat
keeps the boat. bow down stream
When he strikes q snag in the night !
he says his boat swings around, he
hears bubble and q gurgle Of waters, |
and he floats on. Said he: 81 knew
my batteau would not turn over, and
I slept on. II the current took me to
a sand bar l stopped until got nv |
boat I'll. let 'er Aoa. every night she |
would, for was in . hurry"
He says he has been alone four weeks |
and is going to New Orleans. When
il was suggested that he WAS as near to
Galveston. his home. as he would be at
st. Louis. he said: "Don't care; I'm
going to New Orleans" The.
EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR
arrangements Of the boat are perfect.
The boat has sharp PROV. with cord-
age, tackle and nm anchor. In the
center there j. cabin with foot rail
On the outside. There is mast and
sails and an after deck with plenty Of
rom. On the top of the mast floats
one ii the guid"ns Of the 7th u. s.
used as breech clout and
purchased by "Liberator Bill from q
friendly (?) tribe while he vas carving
mail from Fort Buford to Little Horn
Fort. INSIDE there Is . stove. q bunk
or bed (thers are signs Of Eve or six
and an endless store Of scalps and In
dian war trophies.
The cabiusmells like IN Indian tepee.
For an hour or more the young man
4 solitary traveller on the Missouri. con.
versed: but his stories are only those
which have been given before in the
u