The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-12-04
{ Continued fom lst page. J

Continued J.OHt ISt p"9''t
Tin, here 50 long" The kindly tone gave
confidence. and after some conversation, II
came out that the G.. S. had been out hunt
inc cattle. that he lived in the adjacent ham
let of Red Lion, and was named Todd, an
undertaken by trade, or, as he cheeriully ex-
dressed tt fits folks with buryln furul-
mr. But a generous hearted man was Nr.
Todd. and he knew how to make people
comfortable above, as well rs ""der, ground.
For. picking up my vallse, he led the way
to his neat brick-house, IN the village
showed me to a nice chamber. With bath at
tached. very grateful in such weather; and
his pretty Young wife did the honors OF an
excellent dinner with surprising gracetulness
and hospitality. After dinner as all sat
upon the porch, within sight OF the canal,
(the Delaware and Raritanl a boatsman's
horn was heard, and Mr.. T. catching up my
baggage, boots and all, cried-"come as fast
as YOU can while | run ahead to see II the
CAPTAIN of yonder boat, who is a friend OF
mine. won't take you down to Chesapeake,
eighteen miles from here" l babe adieu
to Mrs t., and hobbled on, very grateful
for all this kindness. Whether the family
were Southerners, and saw that | was one,
or whether they acted through shere sym
patty for suffering, it is impossible to say.
ON THE "RAGIS CANAwL."
4 very rough fellow was the boatman,
momentarily roaring a string of oaths as long
as his mule train; but he gave me the only
stool on the deck of his gallant craft, and as
we slowly glided out of view of Red Lion, L
concluded l had met three blessings IN
disguise that day, not excepting the
money-making teamster.
The canal is, in the main, an old creek
deepened and widened, SO that large vessels
use it to pass from Chesapeake Bay into the
Delaware without making the tedious jour
ney around the Capes, thereby greatly les,
SEEMING the distance between Baltimore and
Philadelphia. The Southern end of the
canal is at a village called Chesapeake City,
at the head of the Bay, into which a huge
Lock gives admittance.
Along the whole way, the untutored, but
much footing "Captaln,' gave me sailors
warns and fish stories" with a gusto
which showed he found his customary daily
trip rather monotonous, as his beloved
Mule-MotOr did not carry passengers. IL
deed, his pleasure at having a listener who
accepted all his tales Of the Raging Ca
nawl' and the 'Vasty Deep" without
questioning, was so great, that he did me a
real service. We had reached the Cheese
peake, and l was sitting upon the wharf,
eating a dimes worth of cheese and crackers
for supper, while the strong damp breeze
from off the Bay made me shiver at
thought of spending the night amid the
lumber-piies (as | designed doing,) when q
voice ''interlarded with strange oaths," as
the poet puts it, called through the dark
ness in search of that ''long-haired lubberly
son of gun'-myself, aforesaid. He came
to tell ne that a steamer was coming down
the canal bound for Washington, and coulC
get on board when she was passing through
the lock. This, he explained, was the
'i'durndest piece of luck J" because it WASH
often that vessels took that route for ports
as far South as Washington. The steamer
proved to be the ". ". Whlden, formerly
a Philadelphia and Charleston packet, re
Gently chartered by the Lincoln government
and now on her way to report for service a.
a transport. In this fact there were seed:
of disaster to my hopes. The canal cap
tin" called on the sea captain in my behalf
but was put aside with the curt responst
that bis bark belonged to the government
and didn't carry passengers. Meanwhile ne
time was to be lost, as the steamer was al
ready surging into the Lock. Accordingly
to make a sure thing of it, | walked off, anC
passing to the other gang way, walked 0,
again descended to the Ladies Cabin, anC
asked the stewardess for a cup of tea, as
felt quite exhausted" Ere she returned
the great Lock gate had been thrown open
the Uhlaen's wheels were churning ths
waters of the Bay, and the lights on shore
were growing dim.
ITO BE CONTINUED)