The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1885-02-06

this blessed wintcrP You col burned.
slab- sided. ugly who're you.
my pretty"
And the canal-boat Captain turned
from his two drowsy and happy look
ing mules to the Herald reporter, who
had lust clambered down ON the deck
from the pier Of Old Slip. He was .
hearty old fellow. was the Captain,
with crisp. coal black hair. leathery
skin and rolling movement at tho
shoulders which suggested disposition
20 occupy as much space a po' sible.
His legs were protected from the sharp
weather BY well worn hickory trousers.
above which swelled out big blue coat
with two rows Of polished horn buttons.
On the back OF his head was perhed.
or rather hung, a brown wooden cap.
..who re you? he repeated. land
what N thunder do YOU mean by
wipin' your feet on my clean shirt''
II beg your pardon. Captain, but |
thought il was a mat. explained the
reporter, a. he stepped of the red gar
menf which Jay spread on the deck be-
side the forward hatchway.
The Captain picked up his shirt.
rolled his shoulders threaieningly and
kicked one Of the mules. The reporter
expla ned that a. the State canals had
been closed for the winter it would be
interesting TO know how the season
compared with other seasons.
Glow the season. hey? That's what
YOU want TO know? Wal the seasons
bin burned bad. n j don't kecr who
knows it. burned, bad. sir.
The Captain hitchcd his hickory trou-
sers and rolled his shoulders az the mules
a. II they were the cause Of all the
trouble. The mules looked troubled and
wagged their ears contentedly.
at the canals hadn't bin made free
this year" he continued. ''we'd had to
give them up. II was the only thing
that saved u from turnin pirates or
buccaneers, look fat n conf able. do
i? Wal. small credit 10 any one but
mysrlf il ! am fat n conf able. I've
had to work ike gallery slave. sir;
Just Ike \ gallery slave What's the
trouble? I'll tell whats the trouble.
Charges i the trouble; that's what the
trouble is formation. mile high. sock
dolagers charges what ain right'n ain I
Christian. That's what's the trouble"
Look ut nv two fine canal boats.
trim and steady as sogcrs. sir. Look
at these hyar two mules; i got i've
more Just as hungry n ugly n expen-
sive. gol durn them The hull outfit
cost me more'n $500. I'm capital
ist. that's what am. I'm also : workin'
man. that's what am Wall. sir. after
I've worked n per-pired anal swore q
walloped them mules the hull summer
up and down the old Erie Canal. We
got $500 left. Isn't that less n t'oiher
Captains make? Wall. no faint. It's
good average this year.
These hyar charges begin at Buffalo.
The grain men don't gives " their or
ders. but they let out the hull business
20 scalpers. What Is a scaiper? Wall,
a scalper's man who scoops you. sir
And the Captain reached out his bic
hands and grasped at the air in illusira
ton Of the scooping propensitics OF the
wicked scalper.
..He controls the business, and he's !
public enemy. that's what he - Wal
the scaiper charges u five per cent q
profit for .he cargo he gives US 70 carry
How many bushels? Eight thousand
for each boat. That makes so to tn,
burned scalpcr in Buffalo. Then h
gives us 800 on account n we star
out have two stecrin' men At II
day each. one driver at SO month !
two more drivers at so month.
have seven mules. All Of them hav'
thunderin' appetitcs. think the mule
are a leetle ahead on the eatin' bust
ness, but their grub don't cost rs mucl
as the mems. But I'm gcttin' of tn
towpath Of facts, sir. When get m
cargo I have to pay $2.25 for ever
1000 bushels to the elevator man 1
Buffalo to load my boat. That make
so more 10 the elevator man. When
get 70 New York another slab-sided
wall-eyed. evcrlastin' elevator ma
charges me half cent for every bushe
he unloads- That makes $50 TO IN
elevator man. The elevator man h
Keeps the grain in his storehouse for tn
merchant free for thirty days. lik
his burned impudence. Don't have
pay him for itP It's all wrong 10 max
rs poor boatmen stand the hull racke
cant talk logic. n amt got no boo
larnin', but l know faint right IA
the merchant take half share in II
expenses
I'm the winter do nothin'. ain
1T for nothin' but my boats live Q
one Of them all the year round wit
my wife and one Of my children
T'other ones at school. In the wints
lodge my boats in the Eric Basin, an
II costs mo $40 to keep them there.
got 10 feed n clothc my wife n chi
.dren out OF the soon I've got TO L
these hyar mules fairly gorge then
selves. Ill never get no richer,
guess. N | II always have r. work G.
durn il. il hadn't these mules here
lswar az n wollop ] don il think life !