The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1878-06-02
JIM kERNEY'S GHOST.
\ NIGHT IN 4 PILOTHOUSE AND
THE PILOTS QUEER STORY,
I0ilerS Of the Sea Running in Close
Quarters Several Kind of Spirits.
New York sun

New York sun.
Yes, said the pilot, setting down his
nigltglas>. Il know every rock and >hoal.
| ought TO; was brought upon the river.
Do all pilots: They ought TO-, but they
don't always, Now right ahead Of Us j. a
stretch of two miles Of deep water from
bank to bank. II don't take no pilot 10
run her there, Any fool could run her
there, You could run her there yourself.
But Just beyond that is one of the worst
places ON the rivcr-broad and shallow.
with q crooked channel not more than two
hundred feet wide. There's been more
than one boat aground there, and more
! than one that did her last mile when she
struck"
While the pilot was talking the biz
douLir wheel kept turning and rwi>rinp
under the llands Oi four men.
"Why does ii take 50 many of lis 10 man
are the wheel; Yes. one man could turn
it well. That j., just now he could but
the time might come when he couldn't.
How 50, Do YOU see that tow coming down
the river: Well, some people haven't no
sense at all. I've seen tow, like that keep
well off from steamer till they was most
together, and then come straight in her
way. Now. suppose that tow should drop
in front of vs. No one man could bring
this boat around quick enough TO stop her
from cutting the tow-it would take all
four Of W.. and be- hard work for Us then.
II cycyhody had any brains this couldn't
happen. Besides. when there's II strong
wind She steers very haro-molc than twice
H. harda> she does ON still night like
this"
Ever run into little boats: YES, some
times; generally fishermen They come out
in all sorts Of weather, in rowboatS, some
times, without lights. When their work i
through if it happens to be heavy night,
they can't find their way ashore and have to
stay all night, Then comes the whisky
bottle and in an hour or So they don't know
what they're about Even if they started
with light. its very apt to burn ont if they
don't watch it. After while. if they're
not 900 drunk, they hear noise and see a
steamboat II hundred feet away, Swooping
down on them Then they bcgin to yclI
and we hear them; but villa, can We do.
We cant see them or tell which way 10
turn. They think We ought To stop and lct
them row ont of the road. Why, bless you,
YOU can't stop this boat in quarter Of u
mile when shes under full Roadway. So
we strike the boat, the paddles catch the
men in minute, and the friend, Of the
family are respectfully invited to attend the
funeral. Then the newspapers say, 'criml-
nal carrlcS>nrs> of pilot and give us all
fits They think We can stop a boat as easy
rs "A street car.
"It's getting cold in here, and about two
tumblcrS Of rum would straightcn things
wonderful. But no man in this pilot
house tastes any spirits while he's ON duty.
Any man that drinks may get drunk, you
know, and four drunken pilots would make
things hum. Why don t shut the window
if its cold: You can't see straight through
glass. II we happen to meet another big
boat in narrow channel and run within
twenty feet other We must have clear sight
II we should see II little crooked we might
have AN accident Accidents don't pay,
YOU know. Keep the pilots windows open
on the sound steamers. Yes. they do.
When they meet another steamer they can
run oil "A mile without any trouble. When
We meet one sometimes We cant keep fifty
yards away from her. Those men on the
soun, ARE sailors, and have rough work
very often, but ours is II great deal finer
work. We have To turn and twist and stop
sometimes in little places that would make
a snunl nilot omen his eyes
Those little lights straight ahead
They're ilShcrmcn's boats. All shad fishers.
Fish So late at 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 'lnd
YOU ca, are caught at night II the sNd
would 90 to sleep like honest fish, they
wouldn't b, caught 50 much. These lights
orr 40. AL on boats; some OF them are on