St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-12-28

freight. There was more freight on
her than a dozen boats could be ex-
pected to carry. l met the captain be-
fore we started, and said to him:
"Gou have about as much of load
as you can carry, haven't you ?"
He looked at me scornfully, as if he
would have said, Z" You're precious
fresh, you are ~
" Load - said he; "why my dear
boy, there amt nothing on her vet.
Well take on freight all the way down
the river, and by the time we git to
Memphis we may have enough to make
decent show :"
The roustabouts went through the
same performance | described in Pitts
burg, singing while they worked,
dancing, and taking hard life as
easily as possible. At last our freight
was all on, the bell had been rung and
the whistle blown two or three times,
and we started. We had supper, we
filled the room full of tobacco smoke,
and we went to bed. ! was in one of
those calm and peaceful slumbers en-
iOyed only by people who know how
good they are and thoroughly appre-
ciate themselves, when there came a
racket that is to be likened to nothing
else that mortal ears ever heard. 1t
would have been impossible to tell
whether it was an explosion, a whistle,
IA long continued clap of thunder, or
an escape of steam just beside your
ear. 1t lasted for about two minutes
and ended in an unearthly wall. 1t
was like a combination Of the steam
] llinnn onI 1rnpI-nr la,
have tried to spell out something that
would approach such sound, and
miserably failed. But it proved to he
Il patent whistle, utterly unlike other
whistles, to let people at the landings
know that the Paris G.. Brown was
coming. She carries one of the other
whistles, besides, and this unearthly
one is blown only when she approaches
a landing, to announce that she is
coming. There are only two such
whistles on the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers this one, on the Paris c,
Brown, and one on Il boat called the
VIII Kyle. They are not exactly
alike, and people in the river towns
can tell when either boat is within five
miles 10y the ear-splitting racket. 1t is
Il very good idea, but rather tough on
the passengers. Whenever we APP
preached landing this whistle blew
and when, us sometimes happened, the
passengers were together at table
when il sounded, IL roar of laughter
began ut the tables occupied by the
Swampers and spread all through the
saloon. | defy any man or woman
living to hear that whistle and not
either laugh or cry.
Several landings were made in the
first night, and each time the shrek
ing whistle blew and woke all the pas
scngers. This was rather agreeabl,
than otherwise, for there is no more
picturesque sight in the world, | think
than the loading by night of MissiS
Sippi steamboat great resin torcl
tlaring. the lights and shadows, the
rousters singing at their work, the
wild country on every hand, Will
nothing but thick woods and log cab
us to he seen. Words are miserabll
inadequate to convey any idea of sucl
Il scene but if an artist should take il
in hand he would want some of the
brightest and blacklist of paints. And
even then he would fail, for how could
he introduce the weird songs, or the
crisp night air, or the sharp cracking
of the resin torch, or the sudden
changes from garish light to tota
darkness should he willing to gel
up and dress dozen times a night til
the novelty wore off. Our breakfas
on Saturday morning was Il typicl
southern meal-plenty of hot bread
hot corn cakes, and meat fried il
oceans of fat. | begin to doubt the OK
istence of Il broiler south of Masol
and DixOm's line. Everything is fried
;, and fried in grease. Nine people on
of every ten you see look sallow AIT
wan, and it's no wonder.