The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-09-08
HOW HE GOT HIS SCAR.
OId-Timc Plotting on tho Alabama
River

OId-Timc Plotting on the Alabama
River.
Nashville American.
..Steambcatin' amt what it used ter
be-" remarked the venerable pilot ''And
mighty few passengers nowadays,
since the RAILROADS are shOrtenin' every
where"
had ventured to relieve the monotO-
ny of the river voyage by breaking the
rules in entering the pilot house, AMI
the above remark was in reply to an in
terrogation 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 re-
trospccticn, his hand mechanically
grasping the wheel and his eye looking
ahead from force of habit.
''Ics," he continued presently, 'the
trips are mighty tame To me now. When
| was a young fellow like YOU and II ad
Just taken charge of the wheel on the
Susie, whar had dubbed it under old
Cay. Weir, things were moving brislliy,
tell ye."
by the way, Mr.. Peterson said l,
''wiiat caused that scar on your head =
1t nd take u long time to tell yc all
about il. - he replied but if you re- a
mind to set thar an listen when ain
busy, why the yarn is yourn-'
Il warn't more'n 80 then. | was bring
lag up a new boat fun q passengers We
-,
beaded, bright eyed child kun tiInidiy
TO the door . the piiot-house and smiled
at me- | saw sha wanted ter cume in,
SO l up an invited her in, takin' power
full to her from the first. As soon rs she
told me her name llnowod at wunst all
about her. Her father had been dead
only II little bit before, 1Security debts
TUX about all they had, aud she and her
mother was goin' up on the boat to her
grandpas plantation. Well, sir, you'd
loved that child the nlinit your eyes sot
ON her. she nd play down on the deck
with her dolls, an look up at me an
smile rs sweet. jest Wor5hipped that
child. an never tux my eyes off her,
'ceptn' I had a shoaI or snaG to keep
away from"
Here the old mans eyes grew misty,
and the sweep of his shirt sleeve failed
to intercept a tear that trickled slow
~ down his furrowe1 cheek as he re-
sumod
Fright back here below Cahaba, when
I come on watch, | saw fust thing that
innocent child-woman u playin' jest be-
low me with her dolls.
Now, we war carryin' n crazy fel-
Ter chained down ON the lower dccll up
to Selma, and he nd be quiet part o the
time, then agin ieup andtake Il fit and we
war kind o uneasy like all the time for
fear he ud hurt somebody. Well. sir,
had just lit my pipe and war looking
twicet at the little girl to wunst at the
river, when all of a sudden heard a tur-
rb!e fuss down below, and afore i know
ed it that crazy feller lad come tearing
up IL the hurricane deck and right to
that Child, rushing to her with his right
hahd raised to hit her with piece of
cham still hangin' from it. Great Je-
hoscphatr | yelled, and lit out q the
piiot-hOusc an down to the deck. and
Netiii 10 it ttlill u kOsii, / STdDSeti ntS
;rln in time tGaavc her the death blow. |
thought [ was stout, but that demon
handled me like n straw. He had me
down an Il beatn me with that awful
chain the first lick knockin' the sense
out o me- By the time the deck hands
keeled him over W it'll = club was done
up so bad | didn't come to for n week
and was not we'll for II month. The
sit:k he got hardly faxed him enough to
be,Ghained again About the girl, you
say Oh, yes she grew mp to be the
belle . the country, and is now the wife
.af axoa gresham of a distant state Sh'
sends me every Christmas a present y
way q remindin' me that saved hei
life"