Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-05-28

night? That's just the time they
do fish. They sleep all day, or get
drunk, and work at night. They're
out in all sorts of weather, and
nearly all the shad you eat are
caught at night. If the shad
would go to sleep like honest fish,
they wouldn't be caught SO much.
These lights are not all on boats !;
some Of them are on floats to mark
the ends Of the nets. And speak
ing about fishermen's lights, here's
just the place where we licked jim
Kerney's ghost.
Can't lick a ghost? Well, it's
not worth while to argue it, for we
did it, and we can prove 1t. You
see, Jim was fighter himself and
his ghost had to take after him.
Tell you about the ghost? Yes, il
you care to hear it. Jim was an
old shad fisherman, and everybody
along the river knew him. He
used to go up and down with us
often to see how the fish was doing
at other places, and that way we
got to know him, too. He was big
and heavy, and always wanted to
fight, and we never liked him very
well. He had a red boat-said red
was a lighting sign, and he liked it.
Everybody knew Jim Kcrney's red
boat, and most people kept away
from it. Well, one foggy night, we
were fgling our way up slow, Just
about Mere, and keeping a close
watch for lights, when all of a sud.
den we heard a fearful yell.
"a light on the port bow cried
the lookout. We never knew it till
afterward, but Jim and fellow
with him had their lantern in the
bottom of the boat TO play poker
by They leaned over it SO close
they covered it up; but when they
saw us, they showed their light
quick, and yelled very lively. But
it was too late, we were right on tor
Of them. In half minute we
struck them. The little boat wal
so light she didn't break very bad
but just flew about fifteen feet
ahead. bottom up. and landed jim
aud the other man in the water. II
wasn't ten seconds before We
reached them again. They were q
little out Of our line, and this time
we didn't strike them square, but
just grazed them. jim and the
other man had caught the boat, and
were hanging to her. Before yor
could count five the wheel struck
her, and there was grand crash,
1t made so much noise it drowned
jim kerney's swearing. | know
he swore fearful when that whee
struck him, bat we couldn't heai
it. should like to have heart
what he said. George here run aft,
but there was nothing to be seer
but pieces Of the boat, chewed uI
to splinters, going down the rivel
with the tide. The two men was
gone. The wheel uses a man VI
powerful quick. lie never know:
what struck him. We stopped the
boat, of course, but there was moth
ing to be found except Jim Kern
ey'S hat, pretty near cut in two.
,'It was a kind of relief to have
Jim Kerney off the river. Wei
rather somebody else d killed him
than us, of course, but it couldn't
be helped. We sent.the hat to his
widow, and there was no funeral,
We run INTO that boat on the down
trip. The next night we came ur
again. When we got mp to the
place where the accident was there
was red boat, just like Jim Ker
ney's, almost straight ahead of us.
1t had no light, but we could see il
plain in the moonlight. There was
one man in it, and he ked won.
derfully like Jim K5P himself
The boys began to Scd# | coulJ
hardly keep them to f% wheel
The boat kept just far enough
away from us not to be run down,
could see that every man in the
pilot-house was as white as a sheet.
81 didn't feel quite right myself
but it wouldn't do to let the boys
know it, so | braced up and tolt
them it was somebody else's rec
boat, and somebody else in it.
had them pretty well quieted down
when all Of a sudden little Billy
johnson, the youngest fellow in the
pilot house, not much more than ,
boy, gave a yell, pointing towart
the door, and tumbled over in /
faint. We was all pretty nervous
before, but when we looked rount
at the door and saw The hatles
ghost of Jim Kerney, just walking
In, we were nearly ready to follow
little Billy. That is, all but thi
fellow (patting a big, handsom,
young pilot on the shonlder), Dave
Bissell, from Baltimore. lie wa
looking at the ghost as if be wanted
to eat him, but | said, Keep away
Dave; don't touch a ghost
"'Ghost be ~, said he. 4 cal
lick any ghost that ever wore
night-gown. Look out for your