Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-04
HOW HE GOT HIS SCAR.
old-Time Plotting on the Alabama
River.
ZOO ~ NaaAsLlie Ameriean.

From the Na8hgille american.
"steamboatin' amt what it used ter
be-" remarked the venerable pilot. "And
mighty few passengers nowadays. since
railroads are shOrtenin' everywhere"
had yentured to relieve the monotony
OF the river voyage by breaking the rules
in entering the pilot-hOuse, and the above
remark was in reply to an interrogation
about business on the lower Alabama
river.
We had just passed the ancient town of
Cahaba, and were steaming up the river
towards Selma.
The grim old man was musing in retro
sDectiOn, his hand mechanically %grasping
the wheel and his eye looking ahead from
force Of habit.
Yes be continued presently, "the
trips are mighty anne TO me now. When
! was a young Teller like you, and had lest
TUX charge Of the wheel on the Susie,
whar l had dubbed it under old Cap.
Weir, things was a mOYin' briskly,
/ tell We"
by the way, Mr.. Peterson" said l,
''what caused hat scar on your head -
ut I'd take a long time to tell ye all
about it." be replied, If you're amind
TO set thar an listen when l amt busy,
why the yarns yOurn."
Il warn't more'n 30 then. ! was bring
in up a new boat full o. passengers. We
wal still in sight o. Mobile. when a curly
headed, frightened child KUN umidly to
the door o. the pilOt-hOuse and smiled at
me. | saw she wanted ter come in. 80 /
up an invited her ~, takin' powerful to
her from the fust. AS soon as she told me
ner name ! knowed at wunst all about
her. Her father had beer dead only "A lit
tie bit before. Security debts TUX about
all they had, n she and her mother was
goin' up on the boat to her grandpa's
plantation. Wen, sir, you'd a loved that
child the mint your eyes sot on her, she
wer that uncommon tutcrestIn' Ike. She
I'D play down on the deck with her dolls,
an look up at me AM smile as sweet. /
jest worshiped that child, an never TUX
my eyes off her, 'ceptin' l had a shoal or
q snag TO keep away from"
Here the O!d mans eyes grew misty,
n the sweep Of mis- shirt-sleeve failed 10
intercept a tear that trlckled slowly down
mis- tuirOwed cheek as he resumed:
Fright back here below CANADA, when
| come on watch, / saw fust thing that
innocent child-wOman a playin' jest below
me with her dolls.
"Now, we wal a cRrryin' a crazy feller
chained down on the lower deck up to
Selma, and be I'D be quiet part o. the
time, then again he u take a powerful
~ 1AAA wv va AAAA " AAIarN lAAE a. AiE
time for fear be I'D hurt somebody. Well,
sir, l bad just lit my pipe and war Look
ing ~ icet At the little girl to wupst At the
river, when all or q suddint j heard 3 tur.
rible fuss down below, and atore l know
ed 1t hat crazy teller he'd come q tarin'
up "a the hurricane deck and right to that
child, rushin' to her with his right hand
raised % hit her with a piece o. chain still
hangia' from IT. Great JehOsephati'
yelled, and lit out o. the pilot-house an
dowu 20 the deck. and yellin' to the child
to run, ! grabbed his arm la time TO save
her the death blow. l thought I was
stout, but that demon handled me like a
a straw. He had me down an a beatin'
nue. with that awful chain, the first lick
knockin' the sense out o. me. By the
time the deck hands had keeled him over
with a club | WAS done up so bad didn't
come 10 for a week and was not we'll In o
month. The lick be got hardly fazedlaim
long enough ter be chained agin. About
the girl, you sayy Oh, yes, she grew W
TO be the belle o. the country, anu IS now
the wife OF a Congressman OF u distant
State. She sends me every Christmas q
present, by way O. remindin' me that
saved her liie.'