The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1879-04-10
The Louisa.

N0V eVosSos
Stopping 10 at q grocery store for
. moment, I met Captain Binns, the
owner OF eanal boat which is laid
up for repairs ct our town Some.
body was telling about the recent loss
ofa steamship at sea, aud when Cap
tain Binus had chance to express
bis views be said
"In my opinion, all these wrecks
is caused by iSnorance ; just j,cks
assedness. Look at mo. I've been
navigating vessel nigh on to thirty
years. aud I never got into trouble.
I've Carried Tho Louisa, Of PEN
cadder,' through Tho worst storms
thst occurred Cd earth, aud beyond
Dustin of her rudder and having
the cook. stove sweep over. board,
she never shivered a timber. The
reason is because I understand my
businsss. / don't scare no more u
. baby IL there's o hurricane d how
lin
"But, Buns. said Mr.. Lamb, you
must remember that the ocsas 10
more dangerous that The canal
"wsll, I don't See it. replied the
captain / II don't see it. I've heard
. good deal about the ocean, but
you cant make me believe it's any
worse than any other sheet Of water.
You just run tow path across that
Atlantic ocean, and give me my yal-
ler mule and plenty Of half inch rope
aud If I dout take "The Louisa, Of
Peucaddsr, aud 60 swoopin' to
Europe then you may shoot me and
chop me up for cat meat. I'm sick
OF this ovetlastin' hlowia about the
ocean. Where is iti Bring it out |!
Set up your towpath and I'll hop the
Louisa over 10 manner thatll dis
eust it, There's boundin' b,ller that
ever boun led that kin swamp the
Louisa. The Louisa's got dollar
And u quarter tin pump that'd jest
jerk the entire Gulf stream out OF it
in o j,ffy and I wouldn't be much a.
fraid to tie The tow line onto that
mule and chuck him over and lot
him swim across. Hes the most re-
liable aud conscientious mule in the
States What's yer Atlantic Occau
to him ? l never seen no slnoll yet
thst'd fazs him. He's been jerked
into tho canal moro II a hundred d
times, but ont he comes every time,
just a. Indifferent. The only thing
that bothcrs him is the locks. He s
40 impatient that he don't like 10
wait Now, IL they coulI ouly yank
the locks cut Of the ocean I wouldn
be-
"You know there are no locks III
the Atlantic |! said Mr. Lamb.
NO locks Thunder! Yon dout
mean to say there's no locks in tha
ocean How in tho mischief do they
keep the water on level AMI
where do they elect the tolls Z
"They have no tolls.
"Well, we'll no tolls, no locks I!
Why, that mnle'd just hist that boat
across 30 quick you wouldn't Know
you hal left home. Aud spose
they do not even Let the water out
eveu in winter like we d.. Why
look al It and talk to me about it
being hard and dangerous. Why
it's the awfnllest foolishness ! ever
heard Of. When there's trouble ut
ses the man kin go into the risyin
aui be safe bat on canal boat a
mau must stand square on deck and
face the music.
AT sea there's no distractions,
but just look at the risk caual boat
has Of gnin over dam aud Dustin
into kin lilo wood ! At sea there
no mule to git contrary, and to pitch
and kick /, and to want to go up
while you want to go down there s
no boats to pass aud to wear ont
your tow limos scrapin their bottoms
there's No danger Of runuin' sock
agin the bank il you 600 sleep at
the hslum no boys kin throw stcues
at yon from the tow-path and cuss
ys f, and for your ssIslckness that
there's so much hnllahull, about,
why, I pledge you my word,tbat I've
seen a man get 30 sick in canal
boat that he threw mp his boot linin
befors he got through. Yes, sir /!
tia all bo-L, This talk about the ocean.
We never git 10 credit for pluck on
the canal, but I want yod to UNDER
staud that il takes moro to run the
i.onisu bs,wix here aud Pencadder
then IL docs TO sail 10 . steamer 10
China.
"Seems to mes IL they might car
~ out that iiea about a trans-At-
lantic tow path like one Of them
sadlsss thrashin mschiues Then u
mule could take il right along with
him over the water. aud hava soms-
THU dry to stan on white he pulled
tho boat behind him. II kin be
done, and when yom give n mule
chance. 10 I don I raN my boat rego,
lar from hero to Europe it'll be be
CAUSE I'm too dead to feel any in-
tsrsst In the subject