The Labor enquirer., 1884-04-12
Mark Twain's Account of the
Mississippi River Pilots
Organization.
How Determination and Stead
fastness We're Extensively
Rewarded.
workingmen Who Knew How to
Take a Stand and Hold the
Fort. H. .5

Fro N his new book "Life on the Mississippi" "
E.aving set forth in detail the nature
of the science of plotting, and likewise
desc scribed the high rank which the pilot
held among the fraternity of steamboat
men, this seems fitting place to say a
few words about an organization which
the pilots once formed for the protection
of their guild. It was curious and note
worthy in this, that it was perhaps the
compactest, the completest, and the
strongest commercial organization ever
formed among men.
For long time wages had been $3.50
month but curiously enough, as steam
boats multiplied and business increased,
the wages began to fall little by little. 1t
was easy to discover the reason Of this.
Too. many pilots were being made" 1t
was nice to have "cub," steersman, to
do all the hard work for couple of
wears, gratis, while his master sat upon
high bench and smoked; all pilots and
captains had sons and nephews who
wanted to be pilots. By and by it came to
pass that nearly every pilot on the river
had steersman. When a steersman
had made an amount of progress that
was satisfactory to any two pilots in the
trade they could get pilots license for
him by signing an application directed
to the United States inspector. Nothing
further was needed usually no ques-
tIons were asked, no proofs of capacity
required.
Very well; this growing swarm of new
pilots presently began to undermine the
wagee, in order to get berths. Too ate,
apparently, the knights of the tlller per-
ceived their mistake. Plainly, something
had to be done, and quickly but what
was to be the needful thing? A close
organization Nothing else would answer.
To compass this seemed an impossibility.
1t was talked, and talked, and then
dropped. 1t was likely to ruin whoever
ventrred to move in the matter. But at
last abot a dozen of the boldest-and
some of them the best pilots on the river
-lal. 1ched themselves into the enter
prise and took all the chances. They
got a special charter from the legislature,
with large powers, under the name OF
Pilots Benevolent Association; elected
their officers, completed their organlza-
ton, contributed capital, put "assocl-
atom wages up to $3.50 per month at
once, and then retired to their homes,
for ley were promptly discharged from
empl3yment. But there were few
unnoticed trifes in their bylaws which
had the seeds of propagation in them.
For instance, all members of the assocl-
alton in good standing, were entitled to
"a pension of $25 per month. This began
to bring in one straggler after another
from the ranks of the new hedged pilots,
in the dull (summer) season. Better
have S25 than starve; the initiation fee
was only $12, and no dues required from
the unemployed.
Alfo, the widows of deceased members
= in good standing could draw S25 per
month, and certain sum for each OF
their children. Also, the said deceased
would be buried at the associations ex-
pense. These things resurrected all the
supe rannuated and forgotten pilots IN
the mississippi valley. They came from
farms, the came from interior villages,
they came from everywhere, They came
on clutches, on drays, in ambulances-
ANYWAY, so they got there. They paid
in tteir Sl2, and straightway began to
draw. out S25 month and calculate their
burial bills.
b. and by all the useless, helpless
piloss, and dozen frst-class ones, were
in the association, and nine-tenths of the
best pilots out of it and laughing at it.
twas the laughing-stock of the whole
river. Everybody joked about the by
law requiring members to pay 10 pei
cens of their wages into the treasury
each month, for the support of the asso'
citation, whereas all the members were
out>asts and tabooed, and nobody would
employ them. Everybody was derisiVely
grateful to the association for taking all
the worthless pilots out Of the way and
leaving the whole field to the excellent
and deserving and everybody was not
only jocularly grateful for that, but for 8
result which naturally followed, namely
the gradual advance of wages as the sea
son approached. Wages had gone W
from the low figure of 500 a month tc
$125, and in some cases to $3.50. 1t was
great fun to enlarge upon the fact thai
this charming thing had been accom-
plished by body of men not one oi
whom had received particle of benefit
from it. Some of the iokers used to call
at the association rooms, anG have good
time chatting the members and offering
them the charity of taking them as
steersmen for trip, so they could see
what the forgotten river looked like
However, the association was content
at least it made no sign to the contrary