The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-04-16

Henry James, who, If he would. could give
TN accounts Ct ,bs sary fla
prod Dee'o to ths Southern market Premi.
nent among these was Col. Cornelius Miller
produces Mr.. James Hastings was another
regularly By Mr.. Iorlne with the products Of
ALSO laden with the products Of the Brown farm
and taken AK to market BY TIE SwaTd No
the products OF their farms to the South. as also
did Col; Samuel Fulton. Major Espy. James
Boyle VIM raoa ct and others whom can
Of the channel q The river. They usually built
lfteen to sixteen feet ia width, and rarely load.
ed them to depth of two feet. Oftentimes the
boat would be run by the family-by the father
some neighborinR young men ambitious of see-
Ing the world-of getting into the "Natehee
pensation to return them home on the deck OF
steamboat. In such cases the father or senior
was the captain. He may have never been down
e FLYER bs but y
and confidently expected to DO able to land his
Gargo safely g T., at profitable market, \, the
or New Orleans. In hose DAYS Memphis
$SuIf, PITT Gull. K,1dnay, Fort Adams a .p
prominent points. There were but few accidents
IN those days, Notwithstanding the want OF any
knowledge Of the river on the part of the pil't
They sometimes grounded, and oeca- ionally
lay on sand bar for several weeks. but. as Rip
Van Wrinkle would say. they didn't count that.
landing tor the night whom they found good
place. although 1t were the middle of the after
noon, rather than take the chances vi being
were also then. as now. professional river
traders. men who made fatboating business,
who built their own boats and ran them. aud
ofsuch merchandise as was likely to find prof.
table sale: AS these men made more frequent
voyages they acquired pretty good knowl.
edge Of the river. and could. of course. and did
make quicker ones. In those DAYS, 1t was
when overtaken by trader aatboatman on the
voyage to ask the latter if he might follow him.
This to those Th9 know The right ct the ons to
strange, but the idea was this: Ii the one party
consented to let the other follow him. hs there
navigate his boat as n much as as il on board it.
ne Modern rFsf ei first Soysss
and thirty wen years ago-but he remembers
let another natboatman follow. him on the
broad bosom of the Mississippi. Among the
traders of the period now ref rred TO We're
eel-boaiman. and who died in 1887 of yellow
fever. on his way home from New Orleans. and
who was buried near Paducah John Hamilton.
Applegate who died of cholera coming up the
river on a steamer. and WAS buried at Dead
Mans Bend in 1882; John I. Fulton, who died
about 1880. and was buried in the Fulton grave
yard John NJ. Barker half brother OF Oscar
APPLICABLE; VIM. Wade. recently deceasrd.
vicinity: Deacon John LaR7w and his brother
Jacob. both many years deceased The boats
run by these traders were rarely larger than
those already specified as being run by the
farmers. and but few of them would AIRY over
forty or fifty tons ofcargo-a wonderfu l contrast
day. They rarely had more than three persons
on board to manage them had two sweeps.
SOM times. but not always a skiff no anchor,
and any length Of bow line over and above the
length of the boat was considered a waste of
cordage. One end of this bow line WIS tied TO
a cross tie In tn, bow OF The b at. and when q
| Ian ling was to be made the boat was pulled
end Of the cable and jumped asho and If he did
nor 1nd a convenient tree, stump or root TO tie
to. he Just braced himself and held ON to her.
and stake to be driven into the ground to tie
to- A little later than the time to which have
referred. the brothers Thompson-Capt. Jo-
sseph. Robert and P!att-.and MT, Daniel Smith
We're pilots as early as 1880. l cannot now call
TO mind any others of the active boatmen Of
that period now living at Rising Sun, and l
their recollections, OF old time boating for the
Information OF the present nav gators who
f1atboat with all the modern fmprovemen,s
OF check posts. anchors long check lines. skiffs
blocks and tao kles. sDars. ETC., which make
fatboating q pleasure. In their early b 'ating
days. when they grounded. they jumped over
pried Der Off Instead Of las now setting a spar
boot sole.'