The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-12-03
RIVER "REMINISCENCES

Years Ago-Tbe Boating Of Half Gem
Inry Ago and the Boating OF To-day, as
Told by Captain WIN. Dillon. fg
One Saturday afternoon, last May, an
IxrR11loEScER reporter had occasion to go
to Psrkersburg, and made 9 portionof his
Journey on the feet little steamer Pheton,
Captain VIM. Dillon. While riding In
the pilot house our reporter engaged in
a conversation with the old Captain on 70.
rious subjects, and in the course OF his
talk casual reference was made by him
to early boating days, which led the
I. r. to inquire more particularly about
early boating days upon La Belle RiS'
ire, and some Of the scenes connected
Herewith. These scenes and incidents
proved Of such interest to US that we in.
duced the old gentleman to give us the
story Of his life, otwhich We took notes,
and which we present herewith; The story
win be Of some interest to many old river
men hereabouts, reViving as 1t does, some
OF tho earliest incidents in their career on
the Ohio and other rivers.
1 was born December 10, 1917, In Guern:
sey county, Ohio, and lived In Ohio until
1928, when I came to Wheeling. In 1929
I went into the old cotton factory, the sue.
cessor OF which Is the Norway Tack factory
at the foot OF ChapIine street. In 1888, in
September, / went aboard the Citizen, 81
cnbin.boy, James Patterson was Captain
Of this boat and she piled between this
city and Nashville. The boat was rather
a singular looking craft, or rather would
be in these days OF modern steamboating
She had four single hue boilers, single en-.
CINE and was side.wheeler. The gentle
mems cabin was on the lower deck abai
tho shaft, and immediately over It was the
ladies cabin. This boat was finished with
a ships head, bowsprit and fgurehead
stay chains, and oil the paraphernalia OF {
seapoing weasel, as were all the boats o
that day. I was aboard this boat from
September until December lat oil the same
wear, when shipped aboard the Heroine
a boat similar In construction 10 the Citi
zen. Captain Sam. CLARK, was the owner
whose children are now engaged In the
coal business. and their boats pass thiscity
at short intervals during the year. Capt
Jim Lauderback was pilot, who Is at pres
emit keeping Government lighthouse OIL
the head Of Baden, Grape Island.
CAPTAIN Sam Reno was another pilot or
this boat, and afterwards was one OF the
owners and Captain OF the Buckeye State
t1S47), Evan Morgan was steward OF THU
boat. He is now Captain Of one OF the
FTonshel line, boat that runs from
Cincinnati to Huntington, the Telegraph
l believe. - 3 .o
i left the Heroine in December, 1883
and in February, 1884, engaged as cabir
bow with the, Herald, Captain James Pat
nam Smith, a, Marblehead Yankee. Thii
boat traded between st. Louis and Peoria
on the Illinois river. When we landed q
PeoriR, in 1884, there were Just ten house,
and fifty people. P. g. Deal kept the dry
good store, and d man named Buckner rur
a printing press there. Peoria Is some
thing OF a town now, believe. At tina
time knew every man, woman and child
from the foot to the head Of the Illinoil
river. At Pekin, ten miles below Peoria
there was q distillery, run and owned BY
the father OF VIM. Pitt Kellogg, OF Louis
lana fame. l was on this river until thu
fall OF 1881, when l took the chills anc
fever and fastened home to Wheeling
When Ilsit the boat l was steward.
was ashore during the Winter OF 1884
5. and in the Spring of 1886 went aboard thu
| Caledonia, Capt. Joe Harrison. This boa
wag in the Nashville and Wheeling trade
was only aboard the Caledonia for {
little while as the ague annoyed me Q
great deal. but / finally got rid OF THU
early in 1885, and was just IS good as new
next engaged with Capt, Dohrman, O.
1.-The steamer Wacousta, which ran from
Pittsburgh to Louisville. The engineer
were Capts. IAleck Devinney, OF Steuben
vile, and John Mcclure, Of this city, nov
owner OF the Mcclure Hopse. This boa
was frozen up at Padsn's Island in Decem
Der, 1886, and We walked home to Wheel
ing, and by the way l had asimilar exper
fence with the Pbaton at the same poin
in 1873, Just iorty.three years subsequent
| ". In the Spring Of 1885 was on TIT
Flora as deckhand, q side wheel, two
boiler, single engine! boat, which ran, from
Pittsburgh to Nashville and st Louis
Frank Carter was Captain Of this boat ant
| is sti!la resident OF Louisville.
TheCaptsin at this point digressed littli
to aivsfie reporter the history Of scene
he beheld while at st. Louis In May, 1885
and which we insert ss matter Of inter
eat:
On board the Flora was porter named
Frank McIntosh, a quadroon, very intelli'
gent, quiet and inofensive. AT Nashville
the Flora was lying to at the same time
the Lady Jackson, another boat, was al
the wharf, and Mcintosh became &C
quainted with one Of the cbambermaid!
OF the jackson. When the Flora arrived
at st. Louis the Lady jackson was tied up
to the wharf, and Mcintosh took occasion
to renew his acquaintance with his friend
Of Nashville, en- board the Jackson. he
left the Flora late III the afternoon, went
out on the wharf, and had proceeded per.
haps fifty yards from the boat when be
encountered a white man running at full
speed, with number Of Others in pursuit,
who called 10 Frank 10 catch the fugitive;
but, as he was slave, be thought he had
no right to interfere, ami allowed tha man
to pass. When the pursuers came up 10
Frank they cursed him for not arresting
the man they were pursuing, and started
toward prison with him. On the way Ia
prison he Intercepted his oaptors as to
what the result OF his arrest would be,
and their answer was, "Penitentiary for
ten years and maybe for life"
At this Frank produced three.bladed
penkniie and began slashing right and
left. One OF the thrustD cut open the ab.
domeu OF one Of the men, so that his bow.
els protruded, while another one received
severe cash or two. think one Of the
men afterwards died. Frank at once took
10 his heels, pursued by large and iniu.
rated crowd Of people, and was finally
brought to bay In little Clubhouse not far
from the scene Of the tragedy. The eE-
element was now intense, and the poor
fellow heard more than one diabolical
plan for his torture and death suggested,
discussed and dlsmissed by the blood.
thirsty crowd, who were hooting and yell.
ing around bis place OF Tp!Gge. In few
moments his little house was torn 10
pieces, and before he could turn around,
a brick struck him on the upper arm. dis.
abling It, and causing the knife to drop
from bic grasp. Quick as flash, how.
ever, he seized 1t with mis- left band, and
AGAIN stnod ON the deienaiye, But q gun