Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1878-04-25

preached old Sam and stated his mission.
t, II wish had seen you Sunday. yo;;h
+ man, and could had cit down and CAV
e you good three hours talk. and told yo,
:, about the fatlling times there used to b
IS on the river. But times amt like they wa
S then. Times never was like times befor
j. the times talked about. There are alway
: fellers that talk about times not being wlla
4 they use to be. and they don't know moth
n ing about it, but when it comes to steam
!, boating know what am talking about
Look around on this levet; and you dom
see twenty boats. l have counted IL:
steaiiiboats right at this identical wharf,"
'What is the reason of it?''
s ''Railfpads. of course. Look what tht
1 Missouri trade used to be. When the G ov
cr1ihient sent its supplies and troops by
t boat. around to Omaha and st. Joe, ther.
used to be fleet in the service. Look al
the times of ls49, when everybody was
gone plum crazy on Californy. Every
< body used to &C by boat to St. Joe then
Them times pilots got from $1,000 to S..
600 month, and mates $780, | often go,
$3.50 and once $500. Then look at the
mountain trade. Regular lines of boats
used to run rom here to Fort Benton. and
every one would be chuck full of freight.
} Then along comes Jay Cooke. and builds
the Northern Pacific from Duluth 10 Bis
marck. Chicago jumped in, and now she
puts her goods on the railroads, sends them
up to Duluth, then they go to Bismarck,
and st. Louis boats carry them the rest of
The way. It's enough to make a feller sick
to think how things have gone to pot.''
The Reporter suggested an adjournment
to the bar until Mr.. C.lrbis could calm his
feelings so pertufbed We're they at the
destructive recollections. Mr.. Carbis con-
sented, and as he subsequently, drew the
back of his hand across his mouth he con-
tinucd:
"Well. l ought to know. have been
mating for forty years. In 1886 was up
the Red River as a hand on the John Lin
ton. She was a darling them days. seven
boilers. and carried 400 bales of cotton
without ever sheering. Guess how old
am The reporter gave it up. and the old
man said. ''G6 and is sound rs a dollar.
and good for ten years more. Why Ihaye
got twenty-three grandchildren living and
four dead"
HE reporter expressed surprise.
IL have been the water eyer sinea
that age and shipped as a cabin boy, and
sailed the seas until 1855. when came
West and got into stcamboating, and have
been Oil deck ever since. Was ever blow
ed up? No, but came pretty near. The
little cller;lb that sits up aloft and looks
out for Jack. the sailor. has taken care of
me pretty we'll missed trip on the
Crossman by accident, and on that run she
was blowed sky-high. Lots Of st. Louis
people were killed. Dan Taylor's wife
was among them. Another time l didn't
feel well and laid off a trip; was mating on
the st. Nicholas, and when she was COM
ing up the river she blowed mp. Another
time staid off the Alvin Il. Tracey on ac-
count Of an argument about wages and she
never got back, cause her boilers matie
drittwood out of her.
"Were you ever on vessel that sunks''
asked the reporter.
Il have been on nine sich. can't swim
a lick, but got otthrough all right, and that's
what makes NE think wasn't born to be
drowned
''The Helena is pretty well loaded, amt
she?''
Now. that reminds me of a story. A
green plantation nigger was standing on
the levee at New Orleans when the Medi-
terranean, the first three decker, and the
biggest boat on the Mississippi up to 1910,
came along loaded to the guards. 'Goity,'
says the niggcr, If de Yiher war two inches
higher dat boat would sink"
The old man laughed long and hearty
over this story. and, af>er a little Interrupt
ton, followed by the drawing of the back
Of his hand across his mouth, he continued:
II know the Missouri from Fort Benton
to the Mississippi, the Mississippi from
Minneapolis to the Gulf; 1 know the Ohio |
like book, the Cumberland, and the Ten
nessee and the Wabash and the Kentucky,
all Of them, and have been as far up as
any of them; l have had some adventures;
went over the falls at Louisville, in 1910.
in one of the old-time coal boats, and
thought that it was goodbye, Sam. The
time of the big steamboat fire at St Louis,
on the 18th Of May, 1S49, when the White
Cloud got on fire, was cut loose and float
ed down the stream and set thirty-ninc
boats on fire. was mate on the Alice.
There were three kegs of powder on her.
When it looked like she would catch fire,
me and another fellow went on board, and
l threw two of the kegs into the river.
He threw the other on the levee. When
the Alice caught fire [ run on board to get
my vest, which had a months wages in a
pocket. Just came out, this key of pow
der exploded and was blown, l thought,
to pieces, and was blind for nearly three
months. Some time when see you again
will tell you some stories about old Capt.
Jessie Grey, Capt. Ned Grey. old Bill Dean
he is living at Pittsburg Bob Greenleaf,
,e is dead now, and''-
''Sam," came the voice of Capt. McGar- !,
". '.get these planks in; we are ready to
,ull OUT
The reporter hastily babe his new-found .
riends goodbye. SKINNED over the gang /.
flank Just as it trembled on the rise, and
watched the handsome little craft as she !
'rlvely started on her journey of 400
niles through the wilderness. 5
.z s. Advice 10 = Lover. g T
~ Boston Post.l IN
Ardent lover: We do not think you Fl
hould remit your attentions to the girl y
imply because her father kicked you out. G
10 to the old man and say frankly that if t:
e repeats the action you shall regard it as Il
n insult. 1t was sr-ely rather unladylike II