Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1886-11-25
AN OlD.TIMER'S STORY.
HOW THEY USED TO 90 ON THE
LOWER MISSISSIPPI.
The Struggle fos Lifs or One Mar. Against
Five Land Rirates. and the way it ~

ss-legtlefy i----
At o downtown hotel the other
evening, says the Denver News, there
sat smoking Q number Of men som :
what roughly dressed and well past
middle life, and most of them showing
that their struggle With life had not
been the easiest which is allotted to
mortals here below. Among them was
an old trapper, who, with Jim Baker,
had encountered both grizzlies and
Indians by the score, prospector who |
had visited every new diggings from
San Juan to Fraser River, a freighter |
or two who had awhacked bulls" from
the Missouri to Salt Lake and Virginia
City before the advent Of the railroads, |
and several others who had been listen
ing to the strange tales of danger and
adventure which q casual meeting had
suggested. They had been in many
rush for 4new diggings," and In many
a"stampede !" together, but had never
known each other until old age and
hard luck had thrown them together
in some of the second-class hostelries Of
the Queen City of the plains
The conversation lulled finally, and
the trio relapsed into silence, as over
their Ipipes they recalled the recolec-
tions Of pioneer days, when tall, lank-
looking man, with grizzled locks and
an unmistakable southern accent spoke:
"I've listened to you fellows yarn
about Indians and grizzlies and vigil.
antes, and now let me tell you one 1t
is about an adventure I had down the
Mississippi number Of years ago."
If you have been down the big river,
you know that down below Donaldson
vile itspreads out over acres and acres
of country on each side Of the channel.
The further down you go the more
country you'll find covered by water,
and you can find places where a house
can be hidden away so nicely that fifty
men might search for her week and
not find her. ] went down into that
country ION venture of my own. /
had small, snug house-boat and $50
worth Of trading cargo, and the idea
was to peddle off my stuff to the iso-
lated people along the banks in ex-
change for furs, and to spend the winter
there in hunting and trapping. l took
with me my nephew, boy about eigh-
teen years old, and couple of good
dogs, and reached the spot where was
totie up for the winter about the first of
November. ! had pretty good luck in
exchanging my goods, and when l tied
up there was only about S15 worth Of
notions left. In the bend where pro-
proposed to winter the overflow was
at least ten miles across, and the place
selected was all of three miles from the
steamboat channel. The water over
the bottom lands was about two feet
deep on the level, but here and there
were sinks where 1t was.deeper, and
there were many islands clear above
water. There were panthers, wild cats,
'coons. foxes, woodchucks and musk
rats in plenty, and was counting on
big luck. when something happened to
the boy. He went out with one of the
dogs to inspect some Of the traps, and,
after couple Of hours, one dog came
back alone. The other had been stab
bed in two places and had died just be-
fore reaching the boat. W
1t was just at night when he returned,
and as ! could not get out to search
before morning, you can imagine
something Of my anxiety, and how
slowly the hours dragged away. !
was off at the first peep of dawn, taking
the dog along. After a walk Of two
miles we came upon the boys dead
body. He'd been shot at by one of the
tramps, and by some one who had laid
hands on him before the shot was fired
The bullet had gone through his heart
and his rifle, knife and other effects
had been taken away. Pinned tohi!
clothing was piece Of paper, or
which was, scrawled; t"If you don't
leave within two days wen serve YOU
the same It was the work Of solnt
of the renegades who made that region
their permanent home. I was com
pletely knocked out for an hour or so
but then / braced up and vowed ven
geance. Law could not reach thes
men. I buried the body, and then re
turned to my boat, feeling pretty Ger
tain that the men who had done for tn
boy would soon pay me a visit. ] ha
a rifle shotgun and navy revolver
and the boathouse windows were pro
vided with loopholed shutters. One
shut in no one could get me out unles
/ was driven out by flames.
Itwas just before noon the next da
when I heard from the expected visit
4. ors. / was keeping very shady, know
ing they would shoot me on sigh
when saw men pulling skiff u
the channel. There were three white
and two blacks, and II my dog had no
given them warning, / should certaiIll
have shot one Of them before hailm'
The voice Of the dog drove them
cover ON an island about pistol she
away, and from there they hailed II
and wanted to know what was gon'
to do. detied them, and pretty 500
they opened fire on the boat. The on
alarm 1 felt was that they wol,
seek to board me. In that case five
onewas TOO many After they yhad flrl
thirty-one shots, all of which We
harmless 70 mel gotta bead on one y
the blacks and knocked him ov'
THAR nian WAS than ahandoned IA