Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-01-03
A SINGULAR RIVER.

With his myers locked Ilgntly IN MS
crisp, curly hair, Jaekman Rof-Jack,
for short-sat resting his elbow on. the
table. which supported canvas-covered
copy of Horseberg's Sailing Directions,
ON one of the open pages of which his
eyes were steadfastly fixed.
Opposite him, in similar attitude,
was his brother. Sylvester, now in his
fourteenth year, was two years younger
than Jack. Before Sylvester lay we'll
worn Physical Geography, open at the
map of South America. He was sup
posed to be studying his days lesson.
In reality his mind was far, far at
sea-" For Jack Rolf, who, as every
one declared, was s. a born sailer," had
Just returned from his first voyage with
his father, Captain Merrill Rolf. He
was full of enthusiasm for his new life,
and could talk of little else but the sea
and everything connected with it, to all
of which Sylvester listened eagerly,
particularly as Jack, being keen OBJ
server, and possessing good memory,
was most delightful talker.
81 say, jack
No answer In fancy Jack was again
clinging to the Paul Revere's weather
mizzen-rigging, as she scudded at light
ming speed before a terrible cyclone
which they had encountered on the re-
turn passage. And Jack. aided by the.
map before him, was mentally compar-
ing the route over which they had sailed,
to escape running into the dreaded
storm center, with the route there laid
down
Jack" this time rather louder.
CAV, ay, sir!'' was the dreamy" an
swer. And then, with a sudden start,
Jack came back to his home surround
ings-to the old-fashioned furniture,
and his dead mothers picture over the
mantel, and Sylvester opposite him
yawning over his lesson.
'.Well, what is it, Sillybub?' Jack
asked. good-paturedly.
Il should like to sail up the Amazon,
the biggest river in the world" replied
Syl. glancing at the map. He didn't
really care in the least about the Anna
zon, but he wanted to make Jack talk.
Three weeks ago crossed q bigger
and wider river than the Amazon ever
pretended to be-" said Jack, briskly,
as, shutting the cover of his book with
a bang, he leaned back in his chair and
softly whistled an old sea-song. > ~
..Why, Jack Rolf!'' exclaimed Syl-
vester. 'Ihree weeks ago you were at
sea-
..Yes.n replied Jack, calmly as he
fixed his gaze on the fiy-studded cell
ing, land it is altogether different from
any river that ever saw or heard of. -
s.Howr' questioned Sylvester, curl
Gus to get at Jacks meaning.
s'Oh, every way" was the somewhat
indefinite answer In the first place.
Jack continued, slowly, sit flows in
sort of immense circle"
"A river flowing in a circle!" scorn-
fully interrupted Sylvester. ..ta.
And there is one part of it." .pur-
sued his brother, z''that for guite~a long
distance some hundreds of miles, /
think flows uphill =
''Oh. no doubt" was the .ironical re-
spouse. Anything else?" Sylvester
had managed by great effort to guip
down-if may SO express 1.-THE cir
cular flow of this wonderful river, but
the uphill movement was rather TOO
much of strain.
"Anything else?' repeated Jack
s'oh yes, lots. No matter how cold it
is" he went on, graveiy, s.this river
speak of never freezes, for two reasons;
one is, that the water is almost warm:
and the other, because it won't stop
running long enough for Jack Frost to
get his grip on it, for there. is always a
three or four knot current or tide"
81 don't see how it can run when it.
all tied" interrupted Sylvester, with
inward delight at being able to remem-
Der and bring into active service an old
joke.
Jack cast plying glance at his
brother. but made no reply to such an
ill-timed attempt at wit
1.-The river of which speak has no
one definite source or outlet, though it
branches out in two or three directions.
Another curious fact is, that while its
surface is exactly level with the top of
its banks, it has never been known to
them during the heaviest rain
falls, or to lower the fraction of an inch
during the driest seasons"
..Are its banks mud, or gravel, or
rock, or what?" inquired Sylvester, who
was thoroughly mystified. r
Neither y his brother replied, grave
". Banks and bottom alike are of
cold saltwater
'Gulf Stream" exclaimed Sylvester,