The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-04-30
The Benny Lltt;e Won1an Who
Wanted a Steamboat Cap
tain's License.
New Orleans Picavnne1


Mrs. Miller is q trim, bonnv little
woman, whom nobody would credit
with years enough to Re the mother,
as she il, of a family of four children,
two OF whom are almost grown.
II came Of a steamboat family"
said the lady, my father was a
steamboat man. and after I married
Captain Miller-that was seventeen
years ago-of course I spent much of
my time on the river. We have q
beautiful hone in Louisville, and nv
little ones are all there now. but for
past four years l have been living
mainly on a boat. My husband used
to do nothing but pil,.t, and 1 spent
much Of my time in the pilot house,
and learned to manage a boat and to
navigate certain rivers in spite of n.y.
self. There is no reason why a wo-
man should not know or learn how
to manage a boat as well as a sewing
machine"
women ofteh lack confidence In
themselves" ventured the reporter.
She stared a lit and then said:
Yes, that is 50. They know what
to do, but prefer to stand Nv and tell
sonie man how to do it for them.
But, as l Was saying, 1 learned how
10 haodie u boat as we'll as any man
on the river, and several years ago 1
bad an occasion to test my ability.
Since my husband fell ill with fever.
and We had a run of half u hundred
miles to make with several landings,
IN u very crooked bayou, I took the
boats wheel and got through all
right, although you would have
laughed to Z the amazement of the
natives to see q woman plotting. |
several Years ago we had to 90 and |
take OFT loaded barges from a large |
ooat stuck on a sand bar above Cairo. |
NY husband had to leave our boat to |
on the other, which was now
leaking badly, and so l took the deck
barge made fast to us, turned the
6oat around, and carried her down to
cairo. Capt. Cannon said I had as
good q right to a captains license as
any man on the river"
"What do you do with yourself all
time. Mrs. Miller?" asked the re-
"Well, I manage all the MONEY!
matters. When we are up in The
l buy and load the boat with
cotton seed. which 1 buy after ill.,
!pectlng samples, and bring to New
orleans and sell out to merchants.
carry other freight, of course.
md l buy all the boats provisions
nd provisions also to sell to the
olantat1on hands up in the country.
l do all the collecting and
'ank1ng business. At first the mer-
hants thought it odd to see a WOMAN
IN collecting, but I have never
zee treated with anything but
ourtesy and kindness; and besides.
ney never halIOO out to me to cali
gam as they might to a man." :
Possessed of your captains license
90 YOU intend to do?" +
II shall keep on just a. I am now ;
lovlng, except that I shall be more >
o deck and looking after the boat .
lei she lands and puts freight off r
on. l wanted a license because y
I'd earned it, and wished to under f
Re when necessary tho duties of q h
captain. y
you must not think nv life has r
eventfu]. We have never had 4
accldent happen to US since we f.
we been on the river, and I am not
raid OF any. Ours is a Thousand =,
lie trip, and 1 sew, read, write to - :.
. chill. rem, make out bills and take :,
9 deck when necessary. Not many =,
to take our route. It Is through alb "
billy country, and the peo- v,
y we meet at the landings all know r.
e.: Most of them call me Captain ~
lller already"
do you think steamboatine would o,
good profession for q woman?I 81
Certainly not, unless it had come o.
her mot she t. it-as in nv own ~
se. SteambOating was forced upon g.
and the happiest thing it has $
lght me Is that whatever a man ~
] learn to do a woman ma also. = ~ !
'vided 1t is not q question of mus, ~,
w
somebody poked an inquiring bead VI
ut the door and asked Mrs. Miller 90
he had taken on that circular saw ,
the evidences" ~
frs. Miller donned her business -.
and the reporter withdrew. tn,