The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-04-28
Air" Old folks at Home sung to slow music. ]
Way dozen upon the >usquehanna;
Not far a,Cdy;
Where icdters roar IN ererg manner
There's lchere the ruftSinen StuU

Will du lIOu Span Ill Vic CtuGIc, oNtl
which passes foot passengers, carriages
and trains of cars. | thought how very
interesting it would be to the parties con-
cerned. il one of them should happen to
be driving steed over the bridge and he
should happen to meet another person
driving steam engine, but upon inquiry
found out this event could not possibly
happen, as vehicles are not allowed upon
the bridge but during certain hours in
the day, when there would be no possible
chance of meeting an engine. The even
ing we walked across this long bridge
was moonlight, but within it was dark as
midnight except where the ght pene-
trated the narrow slips, lett open pre-
sumo to furnish light. A lantern at
tant star or like the headlight of an ad-
vancing engine. Wrightsville is directly
opposite Columbia, and of course is at
Black hotel, kept by Marylander from
He is Just my idea how an host should
look. He is jolly, fat and sleek; he has a
good word for every one, although he has
not been there very long; he knows every
thing You wish to know. We had to get
up early in the morning to get our break
fast and take the raft and we asked our
good, kind-hearted landlord if he could
have breakfast for us by 5 o'clock the
next morning. He looked little sur
prised at first, but when we told him we
wanted to go down the river on a raft,
he joined heartily in the project, and just
as the tireless hands of the clock away up
the street pointed at the hour of five, we
bno Ia tan f1,a Il , nd
nouncement that breakfast was piping
hot, and what glorious breakfast it
was; excellent coffee. tender steak, eggs
boiled to perfection, sweet butter, good
bread and the jolly landlord with his wife
at an adjoining table. both intent that We
should not leave their hospitabe roof
hungered. We babe him good bye and
walked down to the raft. 1t appears to
me that Tom knows everybody, at least
he appeared to speak to almost every
person we met, and they seemed to know
him. A few minutes before six o'clock
n the morning we noticed som2 raftsmen
going on a raft. and Tom says "come
on and we went on a square log raft, and
quicker than | can tell it We were off,
slowly but surely off on our journey down
the river. didn't know that we were
moving at all; thought the other raft
which was lying along side of us was
moving up stream; don't believe Bob
knew we were moving either, but Tom
knew it, tor like an old waterman he
grasped the oar and pushed it with the
rest, and | wondered for an instant what
they were doing that for. Have you any
idea how raft is constructed and how
they are managed9 will tell you in my
own way, but having ridden only ON one
raft, my experience will. | fear not, add
much weight to my testimony. The raft
we were on was built of square timber.
and its length was about $50 feet and
about 90 feet broad. 1t is under the
charge of two plots and six raftsmen.
Four men control the front oar and the
same number the back oar. Not word
is spoken by way of command. They
watch the chief pilot who controls the
foremost oar, and whenever he makes a
movement they follow, and they make no
mistakes, and at times they have to work
quick, shooting here and there among
the rocks.
Immediately after leaving Columbia
we enter the "shute' which is a narrow
passageway, just wide enough to let a
raft comfortably through, and the long
bulky raft darts through it with the
speed of an arrow, making the water
foam more than ever until safely through
when it settles down to it's uniform gait
of four miles an hour until stirred by
succeeding eddies.
The name "Susquehanna is of course
of Indian origin and means in that Ian
guage, crock bed" The Indians were
not asleep when they named this river.
can't imagine more app opriate name
than they have given it "Octoraro" is
pretty name too, its meaning in the
same language is = foaming creek" In
coming down on raft the excitement is
intensified by the near approach to the
great rock, that beset us on every side.
The raftsmen apparently determined to
wreck the whole concern, to drive her
right plump into that rock just ahead of
us. and while we stand awaiting the
shock, holding the breath and wondering
VIII at in the world they mean to do, they
in the very nick of time give the raft a
twirl, and she gracefully turns her head,
wirls around and We are safe. But ahead
of us is another eddy, we know them
before we see them; for they toss up their
little white caps and we can hear them
roaring as we approach and spatting and
Gliding us as we rapidly pass through
| them.
At Peach Bottom we saw the little
steamer, that carries passengers across
to the other side. 1t was pointed out to
me, at least the direction in which the
craft lay was pointed out, but for my
| life could not at first see it, but at last
did see it-and what a boat; narrow
little mud scow with paddles like palm
leaf fans; tea kettle for a boiler would
make an exact counter part. But | am
told this little mimic steamer snorts and
puffs at furious rate whilst crossing the
river and feels it's Importance. | don t
know what they do with it at night, but
perhaps the engineer just tucks it under
his arm and Jugs it home with him; and
we saw another steamer laying along
side of it, which was nothing more than
small row-boat, but it assumed the dig
nifty of steamer. for it has boiler, too,
and presume it is the opposition line.
At this place is the termination of the
narrow gauge railway, or gouge, as Bob
insisted upon calling it. This railway runs
from Oxford to Peach Bottom, and when
the little cars don't turn upside down
and kick their little wheels in the air and
turn the passengers all topsy-turvy they
must dismount at Peach Bottom and the
little boat captu -es them and takes half
a dozen or so across the river.
And we pass Bald Friar, and shoot un,
der Conowingo bridge, and pass the
mouth of the Octoraro, and presently
turn bend in the river and see Rock Run,
and farther down the river. Port Deposit,
and still farther down the dim and misty
outlines of the railway bridge crossing
H. l.
Grace and Perryvile. We landed at
Port Deposit about three o'clock in the
afternoon, hungry as bears. tanned by
the sun and little weary. We arrived
at Elkton by the six clock train, Satur-
day evening. Let us now briefly recap
tulate in their order the successive points
of interest from Columbia to Port De
post, and then we will have the whole
journey in a nut shell
After leaving Columbia, pass through
the 6 shute," approach "blue rock" on
the left bank of the river in which the
Indians many, many years ago digged
out a hollow which to this day is called
the Indian soup dish" They filled this
cavity with water and rolled hot stones
into it so as to make the water boil, anG
near this point the river is about 2 and
miles in width Now we approach
Turkey Hill, where it is impossible fol
you to see your way clear, for rocks ap
parently impede the way, aud you can
not possibly imagine how i'll the worlt
the raltsmen can cork screw their great
cumbersome raft through the rocks un
less they put it on stills. but they do it
and not word spoken. Next we are al
Conly's break, rapid about , of a mil,
in length. Next Burt's point, where tn,