The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1880-07-14
a Boat.Hand,s Adventures.

1SRninB over the guard-rail of the
steamer Rob Roy, posed a copper-col.
ored African. His general build was OF
that peculiarly reckless type which re-
veals the average negro river aland. He
was addressing a single arldlsor
/" Yes, sal," he said refectively,
slightly changing his position and dis
playing hugh set Of inoIars; ''dat daE
axident 10 the GOl'eh Eagle reminds me
of de f,lst boat | was blowed up otl,"
* What boat was that, " said the single
listener, betrayfng feeble interest
+" Dat dar boat was de Henry VoFnbool
what burned up between SIatkament and
Johnsonville going to New Orleans wild
cotton
"When was that?"
Dat warz twelve or thirteen wears
ago"
We're you huft?''
"No, sab, she caught afire afore we
cotild roHn' her to, TO git ashore. I got
ashore aa a bale of cotton"
Did you ever save yourself form
another boat?'
De mex boat war lie Fashion, I got
saved on her on bale nv cotton. She
cawt atire an the alarm vas made FiIa
SIDE nv Baton Rouge, and she was
going TO New Orleans loaded wild cotton:
Dere wd# q man ON her w1z courtin' a
gal, he continued, confidently, Tan ne
wIlz courtin' her fiji i've yeahs and she
never w'sd give hel wurd to have i'm, an
oey WIZ takin a pleasure trip from
Y1cksburg to New Orleans at dat time.
When de boat Wnz afire he went iip TO
her and seq he wud save her life eff she
would say she'd marry him rite off, and
she saudi 'HoH save me, and I'll marry
YOU rite Oft He tole her when he hmm
overheard you jump over, and when
he jumped over and h. fi2 she jumped
Otfn nine lieT Of cotton iti3 dn the guards.
He 'meditlv swNhl to her when She riS
an, tOie her to ketch hold nv him by de
waist an he carried her ashore on his
back. And when he cum out after he
wus din caught his breath. he SAID,
We'll, I've bin a courtin' You for five
yeahs and could never git you to say
you'd marry me till I ketched YOU In dis
tfess, and then he sez. Tn not an11in5 h
wait till you git dry He went rite off an
saught fur de minister and married her
IN de wet close. He sed he couldn't let
no sich putty gurl ez that go no longer
while he'd chance TO marty her. "
=" Is this all tctt noticed while escap-
Ing on the cotton bale?" was asked.
Dere wuz anodder man dar who'd
bin married long enuf to have heir. but
dey wuz considered 10 be a young couple
just f'rinstance you'd bin married
bout year, turning his eyes moment
IN the direction Of the loiterer. can
deY Wttz a standin' ON de guards on de
cotton an de blaze was so distressin' tin
til she replied to her husband an seq.
Husband, I'll rtitiier do anything H. de
wurld than to see my che-ild burnt up
Den de husband sez, 'Heave him over
board an Tom viii ketch it-a BIG 1awa
he had-a Newfoundland dug-and when
she had chucked de chile overheard she
seq, Go, Tom, an save yer mistress
baby, only Bix months old Tom Jumped
5Vefboard an caught de chile an hilt de
head up out NV de water and swumt
ashore wild it. A few minutes after he
love de chile over he said: Wife, II |
ump over an heave bale % cotton
,ver an ketch it, an YOU Jump over |
She jumped over an he stretched out on |
his stomach an Cawt her by de hair an |
zept her up on the bale NV cotton, an |
ashore an saved her life. Dis |
lawg had dun saved dat chile, draggedit |
bout twenty yards from the waters edge, |
ayin' down by it a-nussin' it, till its
nassau and mistress cum. Dere wuz q |
councilman went to dis chile an aimed !
o pick itup. Dis dawg iumpt fur his
hirt collar an tore his shirt buzzum out !
IN aftel all got ashore, he was offered
alary of money, an dat is 81 900, for dis
lawg, which wuz a walable dawg. He |
onld be sent an deliver note an re-
urn az sensible an ekallize to any pus-
on. An he wuz a whisky-drinker an a
gambler. ST Louis Rep,t6Licags,