The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1883-12-07

Inc rtret StG0mUO0t whistle.
4 An old-sime river captain or 81. Loris
who was among The earliest nnyiesior
0f the trencheroua Missouri. relatet
s,yesterday % The Globe Democrat riveI
EDITOR The story of the first steam boa
.!v hIstIc on that river. Its int, odnction
''Idates back 10 1874. Attbas time settler.
don the Missouri river were III the habi
EI0f making yearly visits 10 81. Louis t(
Ido their trading for themselves and llieiI
r'friends. They were not provided with
'idaily intercourse with the outside world
sand many who lived back ffom the river
seldom, II ever, saw steamboat more
than once year L happened that du-
ring the fail Of 1874 the steamboat Lex.
fington started up the Missouri river
! loaded down to The guards with freight
n The steamer was provided with q
. steam whistIe-the first used on the Mis-.
:souri river-an IS Il happened. no one
knew anything about il except Warner,
who was wag and lover or Joke.
The night after leaving st. Louis the
passengers were collected t0gctIler play
ing cards (for fun) in the cabin, when
1.-THE talk turned upon steamboat explo-
siOns. then very common.
II feel perfectly safe on this boat" said
Warner, Is he dealt the cards.
"Wby?' inquired Yocum, the planter.
sWhyT echoed the rest Of the com
'pany.
II Will tell you why the wsg care
fully studying his cards. The boat Il
provided with : new pstent safety
valve. which notifies passengers on
board when IL Il about 10 blow np. II is
h concern which makesa most unearthly
noise, aud when you hear Il, II IL time
60 get back an or jump overheard
Not withsfandiug she fact that Warner
told his story with the most solemn and
earnest countenaDce, some were skepti-
cal. Not 90, however, with the planter.
Next morning, when the Lexington was
steamtng up the long, straight stretch or
river, just below Washington, Mo-, the
passengers were C breakfast. The meal
had been called, and all were busiIy en-
gagged IN doing justice to the kind or
meals they were accustomed 10 aerve on
steamb0 in those days. Suddenly the
whistle commenced 20 blow, the flrst
time on the trip. The passengers look
ed q each other moment. aud horror
1nd diemay spread over their faces. The
first man to realize the oltuation and act
was Y0cnm. the planter, who, with hair
erect and bIanchcd face, jumped up cry
Ing, - be pulled over one after auothcr|
of the passengero:
run, run FOR your lives; the darn
thing i going 70 bust. Come with me,
and lets save ourselves
Ofcourso there was stampedo FOR the
rear q the boat. and 4 Was only BY tlIoI
exeriions o. some Of The crew thAt thel
most excited were restrained from jump
ng Into the water.-Globe- Democrat.
ra.t.e u,-@--- = w.---
ss wing
me Annual thanksgiving is. says the |
educational weekly, peculiarly an
Z mericas afEair, although thanksgiving |
.ates p.ck 20 the beginning Of history
seeit. - tnis country it took origin
.isn the puritans, the iirst thanksgiving !
'ay - america oeing observed - theI
!, .ntumns suer the landing o. the Piigrims.
ne autumn crop atier ne nrst ten
nontns, reeuiteo ~ ialr y1elu 81 Indian
orr some barley ana lev peas Irnel
!ne impulses q the religious soul
eekin8 tne dressings o. liberty. the lew
nemoere q the colony set aside . dayt
or ne ouering q thanks. Y issaid that
or men were sent Out iow!ing the DAY
'revious ano their hrnt being success
y, our nrst fathers sat down OF me DAY /
\ snanks % dinner o. crisp fowl ana
.nu game a9u'tion @ tnc PLAIN pro-
'ncss ron ne 'arm ana garden. they Il
nsnkeo \, zoo ana TOOK courage.
Ine next yea. ne shanksg,ving ioi-