The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-02
CAPTAIN MARY MILLER.
What She Looks Like, and the Confidence
She Has i'm Herself.

p4It HIS III E1efSelI
New Orleans Picayune.
Mrs. Miller is a trim, bonny little woman,
whom nobody would credit with years enough to
be the mother, as she is, of u family of four
children, two of whom are almost grown.
The reporter was made welcome with the Off
hand, hearty hospitality that seems natural
with almost all steamboat folks, and being seated
in another rocking chair-sure evidence OF a
woran's management-the talk naturally turned
to Mrs. Miller's unusual life.
I come of a steamboat family, said the lady,
my father was a Steamboatman, and after !
married Captain Miler-that was seventeen years
ago-I Of course spent rauch of my time on the
river. We have a beautiful home at Louis
vile, and my little ones are all there now,
but for the past four wears | have been living
mainly on a boat. My husband used to do moth
ing but pilot, and | spent much of nay time in
the pilot-house, and learned TO manage a boat
ana how to navigate certain rivers in spite Of
myself. There is no reason why awomanshould
not know or learn how to manage a boat as well
as a sewing machine.
"Women often lack confidence in their own
ability" hazarded the reporter.
She stared n bit, and then; Yes, that is true.
They know what to do. but prefer to stand by
and tell some man how to do it for them. But
as | was saving, IleaFned to handle ii boat as
well as any man on the river. and several years
ago | had occasion to test my ability. Once my
husband fell i'll with fever, and we had u run of
half q hundred miles to make, with several
landings, in a very crooked bayon. I
took the boats wheel and got through all
right, although you w0uld have laughed over
the amazemeut of the natives to see a woman
plotting. Several years ago we had to 20 and
take off loaded barges from a large boat stuck on
a sandbaT above Cairo. My husband had to
leave our boat to remain on the other, which
was leaking badly, and so l took the deck, had
the barges made fast to us. turned the boat
round and carried her down to Cairo. Captain
Cannon said then l had as good a right to n
captains license as any man on the river
What do you do with yourself all the time,
Mrs. Miller asked the reporter.
well, | manage all the money matters.
When we are up in the parishes 1 buy and load
the boat with cotton seed, which l buy after in
speeding samples, and bring to New Orleans and
sell out to merchants. We carry other freight
of course, and buy all the
to sell to the plantation hands up the
country. Then lido all the collecting and bank
ing business. At first the merchants thought it
odd to see a woman come in collecting. but
have never yet been treated with anything but
courtesy and kindness; and besides they never
halloo out to me to call again. as they might to
man."
Possessed of your captains license, what Go
you mean to doF
Il shall fieep on just as I am moving, except
that I shall be oftener on deck and looking after
the boat when she lands and puts freight off or
on. | wanted a license because | had earned it,
and wished to undertake when necessary the free
duties of a steamboat captain.
You must not think my life has been event
full. We have never had any accidents happen
to us since we have been on the river, and j am
not afraid of any. Ours is q thousand mile trip;
and | sew, read, write to the children, make out
bills, and take the deck when necessary. Not
many boats take our route. 1t is through a
beautiful, hilly country, and the people we meet
at landings all know me-. Most of them call me
Captain Miller, already"
"Do you think steamboating would be a good
profession for a woman
Certainly not, unless it had come to her, not
she to it. as in my own case. Steamboating was
forced on me. and the happiest thing it has
taught me is that whatever a man may learn to
do a woman may also, provided it is not a ques-
ton of muscle"
Somebody poked an inquiring head in at the
door and asked Mrs. Miller II she had taken on
that circular saw for the wilderness"
hrs. Miller donned her business air and the re
porter withdrew.