The Bossier banner., 1886-01-28
movements. This branch of his busi-
ness he has fot,nd yarv luorat;vo

CHANGED upon ''Hughey'' and accepted
an invitation to accompany him upon
one of his expeditions up the river. In
answer to question referring to the
number of bodies found now as COM
pared to few years ago, he said:
81 can not account for it, but there
are fewer 'floaters' found now than
when l first took to the river. / run
against one now and then, but former
ly was disappointed if | did not find
one or more every week. AS for valu-
ables on the bodies, you dom t get much
nowadays. A man generally waits
until his money is all gone before COM
hitting suicide. If he falls overheard
and is drowned, he is nearly always
full, and the land sharks leave
very little in the pockets of
drunken man whose footsteps wander
around to the docks and the streets that
lead to them. To be sure, have found
money on corpse, but not very often,
and unless the relatives are discovered
get nothing, as the money goes to the
city. / recall one case, Jerseyman
who, after drinking more than was good
for him, walked off the Desbrosses
Street dock and was drowned before
assistance could reach him. / picked
up the body over by the Hoboken dock
and towed it across the river. The
police searched the body and found five
hundred dollars in the pockets and
gold watch and chain. | was called to
the inquest and wasted two days on the
case. The relatives of the dead man
questioned me pretty hard and wound
| up by giving me FIVE dollars as a, re-
ward for my honesty as they calN
it. They did not seem to think l de-
served anything for finding the body
and towing it in. On another occasion
was rowing along past the Spring
Street dock when a 'longshoreman,
pointing to something in the river,
asked me what it was. told him I
thought it was dead horse, and after
he had gone back to- his work pulled
out to the object and found it, as sup
posed, body. 1 made one hundred
dollars by that days work.
'Yes, have often heard the state
ment made that the body of male
floats face up and female the reverse,
but it is not true. I have found bodies
in every position, but the strangest case
| ever came across was that of a man
who could not sink and yet was
| drowned. He fell from the Canal Street
dock and some people saw him 60 over.
When he struck the water he lay there
face down for some seconds and then
was seen to try to turn himself over on
his back, but could not do it. / was a
little way up the river and tugboat
Captain told me of the accident, and
pulled as hard as / could for the spot.
Some people showed me the direction
the body had taken and started in pur-
suit. | overlook it little farther down
the stream and was surprised to find the
back of his coat perfectly dry. His
face was under water and in that way
he had drowned without being able te
help himself. / was never able to ac.
count for that case. Usually, when
find a body in curious position, work
out a theory as to how it came so, but
that one was away beyond me. l have
given up looking for 'floaters, as l an
becoming old and am not as active as
was a few years ago. Still, if rur
against one pick it up, for nobody
knows who may be watching for thu
poor victim return to the home he will
see no more. Anumber of the bodies
have picked up are venturesome swim
mers who, having gone beyond thei
depth, lost their presence of mind ant
their knowledge of swimming at th'
same time. The city authorities pay /;
small reward to the finder of bodies
but never claimed it.
Il devote my entire time now to pick
ing up old rope and all kinds of junk
get five cents pound for the rope
and that is about the most profitable
find l can have. Still, business is prett,
good and don't complain. l have tt
watch my boat carefully, for the rive
rats steal any boat they find lyin,
around. had one taken a few year
ago. They sent it to the West Indie
and sold it there. never saw but on
suicide, and that was enough for life
time for one man. It was rather lat
and was returning in my boat from
profitable trip up the river and wa
feeling pretty good. l lay on my oar
to let ferryboat go by. As she passe
/ thought / heard a scream but did no
, pay much attention to it. From lon
habit keep my eyes on the water, an
on this occasion was looking at tn
wake of the ferryboat when, withou
warning, saw white, frightened fac
) rise up right at my side. Twas startle
for moment, but long familiarity wit
'floaters' had made me callous, an
} ] swung the boat around and seize
} the body, pulling it partly out of tn
water. 1t was a young girl, with tn
!. saddest face have ever seen. She wa
still alive and seemed determined t
drown herself, for as I attempted t
J lift her into the boat she wriggled ou
, of my grasp and disappeared. lpulle
} around all night, nearly, looking for tn
, body and was at it again early in tn
morning and toward noon found it u
J opposite Fort Lee. The face of tha
dead girl will come back to me as lon
!, as memory lasts. / never found on
who she was, and the body was burie
/ in Potter's Field along with the othe
] unknown dead.
, II never work on Sunday, but a
ways 60 down to the docks and s.
: around talking to any chance acquain
J ance. think you may learn some
thing from every man you meet, be b
J of high or low estate. The tramp ca