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

have seen II, nor endured II, asit was not
in me in those dsys to see any such
cruelty practiced upon G fellow creature.
The negro, however, died game and died
singing "0h, when shall ] see Jesus
This episode In my life made q profound
impression upon me and the recollection
OF Il IL yet green IN my memory"
In July, 1885, resumed the Captain, l
Quilted the Flora and engaged with VIM.
McLain, who had Just finished building
the boat A. NJ. Phillips, OF Murray's boat
landing, in this city. This boat was built
to hy. She was 100 feet long, % feet beam
and 6 feet depth Of hold. Her machinery
consisted OF o 20 inch cylinder, 8 feet
stroke, and her wheel was % feet In diane.
ter, z foot buckets, four ~ inch boilers,
"a feet long, with two return fues, 10
would load her down. This boat ran
from Cincinnati to Wheeling in iorty:fve
hours, and took on twenty-five tons oil
pig iron at Hanging Rock on the way. On
the way up she had fly with the Ben
franklin, and beat the la.ter,s time IS
minutes, from Louisville to Cincinnati.
In this race I took cold and when the
Phillips came to Wheeling / left her.
In July, 1887, 1 shipped as mate on the
Fox, Captain George Bladen, and went to
Memphis with keel boat for the purpose
OF removing the Chickashaw Indians up
the Arkansas river to Fort Coffee, where
they were placed upon their reservation.
En- route down theArkansas we came upon
the steamer John Nelson with 75l
Seminole Indians aboard whom she was
taking TO the mouth OF the river Verdigris,
above Fort Gibson, to their reservation.
We took the Seminoles In tow and carried
them TO their destination where we put
them ashore in the snow, which, by the
way, was little hard on the Indians, com.
| ing from the everglades OF Florida, where
they had been reared in genial atmosphere
and q warm country. This snow was the
first they had ever seen, and they were moi
at all iayorably impressed with it. One
night after we had laid.up for them to &C
into camp and cook their provisions
started out into the woods where they
were for the purpose Of observing theil
habits. Leaning with my shoulder
against q tree, and watching number o.
squaws making FIRE, was suddenly
startled by something striking the tree
near my neck. l turned around and saw
an Indian standing offs piece, laughing 81
me. understood what the laugh meant
He was just trying to show me that be
could as easily have thrown that tomahawl
through my neck as close to 1t. l went Ia
the Fort. Indian peculiarities had nc
further charms for me that night, nor did
l take any trouble to look them up on thai
trip. After we had transported the In
dams 10 their reservation we returned tC
Wheeling in thespring OF 1888, when I, as
mate, went aboard OF the steamer Rich
mond, Edwin Booth, Captain. I made 9
trip or two with him from Pittsburgh tc
81. Louis.
next went on the Gloster as mate, Capt
Dick Crawford was Captain. The next boat
went aboard OF was the celebrated "Mer
chant" built and owned by Jacob and
Thomas Hornbrook. This boat did trad
ing business between this city and Louis
vile, Ky. was the only boatman aboarG
OF her. l stayed on this boat until 1871
when tried to quit the river, and in tht
latter part Of 1S41 made wooden bowls a
what Is now Hobbs, Bfockunier & Col
glass works, but in six months they hat
enough ahead to last q long time, anC
again sought the river to dispose OF the
bowls. This sort OF business was kept M
until 1916, when shipped as second mate
on the Picksyune, Capt. Sam Irwin, iathel
OF w. Fl. and D. K. Irwin, OF this city
Capt. Irwin took bis boat to the Attakapat
country, on the Red River, where he dis
posed Of his cargo, which consisted OIL
wagons, which he had taken from thiG
city. In the Spring Of 1s47, Irwin sold
his boat TO Judge Black, who stipulated
that should stay and command her
which I did for short time, but as the
owner wanted me to whip the negroes
on board I left her and returned
to Wheeling in the fall OF 1S47
l then shipped on the steamer Mi.
ner as Captain. This boat belonged to
the Wheeling and Belmont Bridge Com:
pany, and took an active part in the con.
struction OF the bridge. Wetowed stones
and spliced lines, when they got the ca.
bles In working order. I was elected first
toll.keeper in the fall Of 1S49, and took
the tirpt ten cents toll they got on the
bridge. With this money bought two
pounds Of nails and built my own toll.
house, and took tolls while building 1t.
This dollhouse stood eighteen months. In
August, 1850, became very tired Of my
position and told the President OF the
Company, Thomas Sweeney, that 1t was
not in the power OF man to count money
enough to keep me there, and Joe sauls.
bury, Beverly Hale and myself bought the
Camden, little steamboat, which we took
over into Louisiana and sold to D. P.
Sparks in March, 1851. In the spring OF
1851, Captain Joe Richardson and built
the Orion, which we sold 10 a. D. Dins.
low, Of Wheeling, who took her to Louis.
lana in 1866. ut
In 1854 Richardson and I built the Orb,
which was the largest stern wheel boat
OF her day. Her We sold to Moore and
Shepherd In 1855. This boat sunk
at Plum Point Bend, in the Mississippi, in
1860.
The Lotus was built by Captain James
Davis and myself In 1855, o stern wheel
cotton boat, which We sold to Captain P.
Il. Brinton, OF New Orleans, in the spring
OF 1858. This boat had the biggest and
best whistle Of any boat that has ever
been on the river.
In July, 1858. built at Bellevernon, Pa,
the steamer Morning Light, side wheel
cotton boat, at o cost Of $4,000. This
boat l run In the cotton trade until 1861.
May 4th 1 abandoned my boat at. New
Orleans, leaving It IN charge OF Hiram
Keller, Of West Wheeling, who was my
carpenter, and arrived In this city on the
lSth-the day the Union flag was raised
over the Custom House. / then offered
the boat TO the government TO be used as
q gunboat TO protect the Atchafalaya. l
heard nothing from the boat or the gov
eminent for over year. In the mean.
time, In March, 1852, received tele.
gram from Charles Elliott, Of Pittsburgh,
the originator Of the celebrated ram fleet,
asking that come to Pittsburgh; that the
government needed men who were willing
to risk their lives in her protection. at
once went to Pittsburgh, and about the
lirst question he asked was, HWhere 10
your boatP" Opposite New Orleans,
where left her."
~ am very sorry" was the reply, "ior
II you go with me, the rebels will burn
your boat"