Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-08-28
A %BOAT-HAND's ADVENTURES.



Leaning over the guard-rail of the
steamer Rob Roy, which vas moored
| at the foot of Locust street, ycster-
day, pesed a unprecedented African.
His general build was of that pccu-
liarly reckless type which reveals the
average negro river hand. He Was
addressing a single auditor.
ayes, ssh," he said re~flec'ively.
slightly changing his position and
displaying 4 huge set of molars "dat
dar axident to de Gol'en Eagle res
minds me Of de fust boat | was blowed
up on" bE
What boat was thal?" said the
single listener, betraying a feeble in
lerest.
DAT dar boat was de Henry Worm
pool what burnt up between Slacka-
ment and Johnsonville going 10 New
Orleans with cotton"
when was that?"
"Dat war twelve or thirteen years
ago.
0"Were you hurt?"
"No, sab ; she caught afire afore we
could foun' her to, to git asnoe. 1
got .ashoe OIL a bale of cotton"
"Dfd you ever save-yeurself from
another boat"
DE mex boat war de Fashion. |
got saved on her on q bale Nv cotton.
| She cawt afire an de alarm was made
dis side Nv Baton Rouge, and she
was going to New Orleans loaded
wild cotton, Dere VIZ a man, on her
wuz ceurtin' a gall" he continued,
confidentially, cam he wuz courtin'
her fur five yeahs and she ever wud
give her wurd to have lin, an dey
wuz takin' a pleasure trip from
Vicksburg 10 New Orleans at dat
time. When de bOit wuZ afire he
went up TO her aud seq he wud save
her life eff she would say she'd marry
him rite off, and she said: "1ou
save me and I'll marry you rite Off
lie tole her when he jump overheard
you jump over aud when he Jumped
over aud he riz she jump of'n nine
Tier of >cottonsup on de guards. He
'meditly swum to her when she riZ
am tole her to kitch hold NV him by
lie waist an he carried her ashore on.
his back. And when he cum out
after he wuz dun caught his breath,
ne said, well, I've bin a courtin' you
Tor five yeahs and could never git you
to say you'd marry me till l ketched
GU in Distress and then he seq, 'I'm
not agoin' to wait until you git dry
lie e rite off an saught fur de
minister and married her i'll de wet
close. He sed he couldn't let no SIGH
putty CURL ez that go 10 longer while
ned u chance to marry her."
'.Is this all you noticed while es-
csping Oh the cotton bale 2" was
asked.
"Dere wuz anuddef mar dar who'd
bin married long enuf to have a heir,
hut dey wuz considered to be a young
rouple-just frinstance you'd bin
married bout a year." turning his
eyes a moment in the direction of
The loiterer. "An' dey wuz a stand
in en- de guards on de cstton an de
blaze wuz so d%istressin' until she re-
piled to her husband on seq, Illus
band. I'd ruther do anything in de
wurld than to. see my che-ild burnt
up Then de husband seq. sHeave
him overheard am Tom will ketch
i,,-a big dawg he had-a Newfound-
land dawg-and when she had chuck
rtl de chile overheard she seq: GO,
Tom. an ave yer mistress baby,
ohIy SIX mOutS OH. ION jumped
overheard an cought de chile am hi,
tie head up out Nv de water an
swumt ashore wild it. A few minutes
after he hove de chile over he said
Wife, I'll jump over an heave a bale
~ cotton over an ketch it, an you
Jump over She jumped over an he
stretched out on his stomach an cav
her by de hair an kept her up or de
bale w cotton, an swumt ashore an
saved her life. Dis dawg had dur
saved dat chile. dragged it 'bou'
twenty yards from de waiter edge
layin' down by it a-nussin it, till it,
nassau an mistress cum. Dere WIZ
II gemmelman went to dis chile an
aimed 10 picket it up. Dis DAVIS
jumpt fur his shirt collar an tore hi
-hirt-buzzuR out. Aa' after all go
ashore, he was offered a salary Nv
money, an dat is 1000, for hi
dawg, which wuz a valuable dawg
He could be sent am deliver a not,
am return AZ sensible an ekalliZe t.
any pusson. An he wuz a whisky
drinker an a gambler"