Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-04-25
PAUL
Reception and Departure Of the India
Rubber Navigator at vIckshurg.
vieksburg Herald, gal

Vieksburg Herald, I'D.
About 2 O'Clock in the afternoon
the Silverthorn showed out from the
wharfboat with a very large party on
board, and with a large model barge
in tow.
A large gun, secured for the occa-
sion, announced the departure of the
boat, and fired several salutes as the
Silverthorn steamed up the lake
toward the point. When nearly in
sight of Duckport, the captain, look
ing like a mere speck in the water,
was spied some distance ahead, fol-
lowed by a number of skiffs, and there
was a rush 70" the forward deck of the
steamboat and barge, every one being
anxious to see the yoyager. There
he is" exclaimed an excited individ-
ual, and he nearly went overheard in
his eagerness to see him more dis
tinctly, and as the crowd moved to-
ward the position from which his view
was obtained, he stood in jeopardy of
being pushed into the river. In due
time, though, the captain came neal
enough to be in full view of the excur
sionists, and then he commenced an
exhibition which was as novel as it
was interesting.
He padded about for a time, al
ways swimming feet foremost, and then
hOisted a canvass and converted him
self into a sail-boat. He afterward
took a bottle of beer, which was sent
to him, and standing up in the water,
pulled the cork-screw out, took a cup
from his little boat and emptying the
beer into it, drank the health Of his
w~elcOmers. His gun being handed to
him, he fred it off several times, and
finally swan up to the side of the Sill
verthOrn, when his colors, a beautiful
silk flag, a red cross on a white field,
was presented to him by one of the
handsomest, a good many persons said
the handsomest, young lady in Vicks-
burg, The captain bowed his ac-
acknowledgements and fastening the staff
into a socket attached to his feet, swan
off with the colors flying.
After some further exhibition of his
ability to live in the water equal to
any amphibious animal he swan down
below the city and then got aboard the
Silverthorn and came up to the wharf,
There was never such a crowd on the
levee as that which had assembled to
get a glimpse of him, but owing to ia
tigue and the leakage of his suit, he
being already thoroughly saturated, he
was unable to give any exhibition for
their benefit other than swimming
from the boat to the shore. Arrived
on shore City Marshal Groome, assist
ed by members of the police force,
succeeded in making a way through
the crowd to enable him to reach a
carriage, in which Mayor Beck was
awaiting him, and he was then es-
corted to the Washington Hotel where
apartments had been secured for him.
There was some fun while the ex-
hibition was going on. 1t was an
nounced that the Silverthorn would
be the only authorized excursion boat,
but the ferryboat had announced an
excursion to meet him, and a good
many persons took passage on that
boat. The captain didn't desire that
the deadheads should have the same
opportunities of witnessing his per-
f~ormances as those who had paid, and
his efforts, aided by the steamer Ever
green, to keep out of view of the
passengers on the ferryboat, we're very
exciting and amusing to the excur-
s%ionists on the Silverthorn, if not to
any others.
During the whole time the captain
was almost entirely surrounded by
skifs, and when he came into port
there were probably 100 crafts Of this
sort within sight. A lady tried to
count the skiffs but quit at t~hirty-six,
because she found she had undertaken
a hopeless task.
Captain Boyton kept his room at
the hotel pretty nearly all day yes.
terday, being busily engaged with
his correspondence, which we judge
from what we saw of it covers the
whole face of the civilized world, but
he found time to receive the visitors
who called OF him, and they were
quite numerous.
His rubber suit is considerably
worn, having been badly cut by the
ice, and he had to stop here to patch
it. He leaves this morning early foi
New Orleans, and will probably run
all day to-day and all night to night,
as he is anxious to reach New Orleans
as soon as possible. He looks well
but says he has lost twenty pounds o.
flesh since he commenced his journey
His face was very much sunburned.