Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-05-17
llAIET II.
sINrY CENTS WOETII.

wonder how many passengers on the
Oakland ferry ever speculate seriously on
what they would Do, In fact, on what
would happen-should they fall over
board on the trip.
If such gloomy calculation filled their
minds. and, impclled by them, the passen.
ger strolled forward or aft on the main
deck to inspect the lilo boats, be would
not need 10 possess very intimate knowl-
edge of nautical affairs to be omnously
impressed by what he would see.
OF course, VIC all know that a general
law requires each steamboat, in addition
to other life-saving facilities, to provide a
number Of life-boats in proportion to the
steamers capacity. These are, in the
language of the specifications relating
thereto, "to he slung on the main deck,
kept in constant working order, ready for
instant use, and the deck.hauds familiar
Izcd with the working Of the same by
weekly drills"
The inquiring passenger referred Ia
would notice, we repeat that on the ferry
lines referred to, these regulations are
practically ignored. The boats, he would
perceive, are slung on davits, stout by
rust; the lowering tackle solidatcd into
iron-like rlgidity by tho use OF paint; the
life-boats themselves covered by an elab'
orately fastened canvas hood, and the oars
fastened in q sort OF rack, and the whole
apparatus tied, strapped and incumbored
in manner perplexing to the most ready
fingered, much less TO the chuckle- headed
slow-moving deck-hand Of the period.
A very impartial little calculation woult
then show the astonished passenger il
question, that should he fall overheard OF
Jump over and then repent him ol the act
as most suicides do, it would be at leas
fifteen minutes, in all human probability
before he could be reached. Adding thi
cheerful result to the fact, statisteally
proved, that not more than four person.
out of thousand, including swimmers
can keep aloat for ten minutes in smootl
water with their clothes on, the passenge
would doubtless conclude by keeping a
far away from the side railing as possible
and even read tho next published ;Lccoun
! of "a Determined Suicide" on the ferr'
line with as much skepticism rs interest
And yet our steamboat inspectors do no
look as if few hundred indirect murder
weighed very heavily on their possible
minds, somehow.
a few davs a wear had slinned nv sine
the lion had reversed the fabie bv gnaw
;n@ The not for the mouse to escane Tho
mornino The merchant who, for soma in
scrntahie reason resided in thot cornora,
cemetery known as Oakland had fred th
imaoination of his little dsncbter hv read I
ino at the breakfast fable The insnir;n,
nnSys ,h,t two habv ,i~nrs had inst boa,
horn Of IvooJwarI,s SarJsnS mo-
essarv sentence he hal t;nallv yieIdeJ T.
tho mandate Of the Iomostic desnot tba
sho should hc ronvcvrJ Cnrtbwitb to tha
Taa,m Of ;nvnnile dolight Saw n,o'n
mo- ma and ibo roIden.ho trad m;yeat IN ~, h.
Fan,iIv Load took m nsriv hoat fo ,ho na e;t ''-
-t,o crown folks nravcIv nre,endingtho
thew al NOT themselves care e. IN look =, In th
sn;,,ois bn. ,bnt Il ,yonIdnif IL, g., trn, -"
tbn nnrso aItoao,bnr IN Snnb , nj,na '''''
! Tho CarrS lboat naoroJ ,hn ,rborf d,
,bn c;tv edo },n r,othor ,s.s in haoah;
eno.ond in tho diecnssion of n',rsary | T,,J' NV.
terics with some noi~bhorinr n,,tror
While ,hc rocrchant who had JSsocnSnd ,r, IL +
tho lower dcck with the child, was baa
over ears in a noliticaI Jisouisition re@arI '
inc the new cabinet. LttIIc LilIie u
in5cIh rettinr tired Of banring f. ,hp ur
reenonsive foretin rcr Of her fafher,s h,nl