The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1883-12-26
LOADING AN OHIO srEaMBoAr.
Cheerful Roastabeuts Who Sing and Work
by the Light of Resin Torch.

The grand river steamer Starlight lay in
front of the wharf-boat in Pittsburg, taking
in cargo. We were sitting (you and / and
the cat in the grand saloon, trying to get
over the feeling of awe inspired by the
grand furniture, and wondering how soon
supper would be ready. On the lower
deck, as some able person has previously
remarked, all was hustle and confusion"
Here was q noble river, with confessedly
IA inches of water in her, and they were
putting enough freight on this poor little
boat to load one Of our Hudson River
steamers down to the waters edge, They
were piling her up full of bales and barrels
and boxes, and wagons drawn by mules
were constantly arriving with more. While
this loading was going ON there came the
first indication that really was 900 or 400
miles from New York, and approaching
what once was the land of cotton. Waited
in through the open doors of the saloon,
coming in side by side and end by end with
clouds of fog and smoke, and dampness
that steamed--along with the sound Of roll
ing barrels and general moving of freight
there came the music Of the roustabouts
who were singing negro song. What the
words were | think no live white man could
find out. But the tune was lively and
musical, as all such tunes are. Some pas
senger ON the upper deck, who had teen
sitting outside twanging o fiddle, took up
the air and played it through. The great
resin torch WIS burning ON the lower deck,
making circle of light in the fog. II was
raining hard, and the darkies were wet as
rats. But no matter they had to work,
and singing helped the work. 1t was q
scene one was not likely to forget in hurry
the song, the big torch, the fiddle, and
the circle of light. The twenty or more
roustabouts came in out of the darkness
into the circle of light with boxes on their
shoulders, or rolling barrels before them
They disappeared in the darkness of the
lower deck, deposited their burdens, and
returned for more. But whether they came
loaded or went light they kept up the song.
The singing made them happy and as they
went ashore empty-handed they danced,
skipped, jumped, slapped each other ON the
back, and shouted. You might go down
and watch for such scene ON any of our
New York piers till your hairs we're gray,
and you never would see anything like it,
These darkies, it seems to me, rather have
the advantage of our longshoremen, for
their music makes them jolly. and helps
them forget how hard their work ~.
don't remember ever seeing one of our
longshoremen do anything more inspiring
or humorous than to engage in strike
The romance of this thing was helped Won
derfully by the great resin torch. II was a
big wire basket, hung on the end of pole
like broom-stiek. The end of the pole,
beng shod with iron, was stuck into the
deck on a slant, so that the basket hung
over the water. The basket was filled with
resin from pail of it that stood handy, and
in minute the deck was bright as day
brighter than the foggy Pittsburg day just
.naeu, Whenever the arc burned now
more resin was snoveIeu U0ffespoh-
.dence Neio York Times.