St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1883-10-06
queried the scribe, ''by the trip OF by

quer'eu the Scflpe, NY liz tIip VI W
the days''
..Bofh ways. A man can git a dollar
a day, or he kin hire out by the trip, and
git about twenty dollars a moDth. But
when he works by the day he gets moth
in when boat unloads, and workin'
by the trip his pay goes right on, SO it
makes it even. y
GLOW long does it take to make trip
from Buffalo to Albany and returnp
"Depends on the load. About three
weeks on an average. The current
goes east, SO it's easier goin' to Albany
than comm back. =
"How many trips can boat make in
a season.
..About nine or ten
s.This boat you are driving is loaded
with wheat. Hoy many bushels does
it hold?a
About eight thousand
lis the rate of payment larger this
year than last?''
"Oh, yes. They git six cents
bushel this year, and only three and
half last; and no tolls to pay neither.
Bizness is mighty good this season"
How are your hours OF duty di-
videdp''
"Wal, thare alters is two drivers.
Each un has six hours day aad six hours
night driving. His mules change when
he does"
g Is pulling canal boat very hard
work for the mules?"
ga mule kin stand it better'n boss.
Take boss and it only takes few sea-
sons to wear him out. Now you mayn't
believe it, but that off mule there has
been pulling boat twenty-three years"
.. But isn't mule harder to driver"
"Wal, yes; they git kinder rambunc-
tious sometimes. Whoa, tEere"' he
suddenly shouted to his mule, who was
attempting to execute fandango upon
the tow-path. After the brute became
quoted, he proceeded: Something
Gurus about them mules. You can
ca late their age pretty close every
time by the way they wobble their ears.
| Take Young mule. and he twists 'em
| all shapes all the time; when he gifts old
he quiets down, and holds 'em kinder
steady. They're mighty good for tell
! ing the weather, too; when mule
keeps his ears pricked up it's sure
sign of rain.'
DRIVERS sometimes have cart be-
hind the mule" proceeded the loqua-
cious driver. s'but too many mules gifts
drowned. When mule rares up in
front of one of them things, he's mighty
likely to tumble in the canal. It's q
snap for the driver, though
:. DRIVING nights is pretty lonesome
work. isn't it?''
Nov yer shouting. All alone in the
dark, and no one to talk to 'cept q
mule; it's mighty lonesome. Then
when it rains an is stormy it. S not much
fun peggin' along an hollerin' at your
mule. =
How many months of year does a
| driver work?''
ssOh, eight or nine months is fair.
Sometimes nine or ten, though, when
the weather is good. "
/ ..And what do you do winters?'
.sHaul up ateither end, and get what
YOU can. Sometimes you can work on
the railroad, and sometimes nothin' at
all
..How many men are there on .
boat?.
Give, centrally. There two drivers,
two steersmen and the Cap'n.
ssThe steersmen, OF course, get high
er wages than the driver?'
"Oh, yes; a steersman can get about
forty dollars month. That's the
place the driver is alters fshin' fur. It
takes about four of five years driving to
get there, though.
/ Then the mule began to elevate his heels
I'M manner that rendered a position
in the rear extremely precaTious, and
the reporter sought a safer ground
than on the tow-path within two feet
Of the kicking apparatus which makes
every well-organized mule respected
! Rochester IN. y Democrat and Chroaa-
!! iele.