Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-08-11
A WANDERING JOUR"
A Printer Who Has Travelled Thou
sands of Miles in a Skiff.

L
sands of Miles in Skiff.
The following concerning Savannah
man is published in a Louisville (Ky.)
paper:
Capt. +. r. Law, OF Savannah, Ca, ar
| rived in this city this morning with MIR.
George Ii. Frederick. They left p ittsburg
in IA skiff on May 81. and are on their way
| TO Memphis. 1t was their intention to go
down the Mississippi 10 New Orleans, but
| they have been detained 80 long that they
Will so no farther than Memphis.
Capt. Law Is printer and is one of the
b9sttypes Of the wandering ''iOurs" who
roam from place TO place aud stay no.
where longer than be has time to raise
stake" AS his trips are rather pro-
tracted ones he usually works throu h
! the winter and devOtes about seven
months of the year to journeys on the va.
! rIous rivers of the United States. He al
! ways travels by sklfi, and in this manner
has traversed every naVigable river in
the country from the Hudson
to the streams that roll down
the Pacific slope. He began his wander
| ings thirty years ago, when a very young
man, by starting 10 reinforce Walker in
! Nicaragua, but that daring adventurer
was captured in time to prevent the en-
thusiastic young recruit from following
| IN his footsteps. Since then he has been
IN several wars, served as IA Captain of
| scouts during the late unpleasantness,
aud proposes to keep up his wanderings
as long as he is able.
II 20 a skltf nearly always" he said.
'S0metimes my trips are longer, some
times shorter, Just as nv COMPANIONS
| h0ld out. The boat | am In at present is
a light one, sixteen feet Ia length, which
can easily be showed OF sand bars or got
out OF the way of steamboats,. We travel
just about twenty miles day, starting
about O'Clock in the morning. Usually
| we pitch our tent about IL O'Clock though
II the day IL pleasant We may 90 on until
| II, l or O'Clock IN the afternoon. Our
| tent is pleasant one, and we carry cook
| ms utensils and other arrangements, so
that we always have a comfortable time.
never travel on SUNDAY, but always rest
! and wash up-such tAinSs have TO be done
| some day, and sunday suits best.
Il have been travelling IN this way for
the last thirty years, but not tramping.
have plenty of money always, and when
| run short stop and work. never was
"A genuine tramp, for | never begged "A
meal or anything else in my who.e lite.
don't owe debt in the wOrd--nOL even
nickel--and | never intend LO do so. 1t
has never been any trouble for me to
! make money. For ten years | used to
| carry lead molds with me, and would
mold 'slugs' aud leads for the country
! printing offices, and made more money IN
this way than by printing. | don't do
that now, however, but work at the cases
wherever stop.
1--WE spent three weeks at Cincinnati,
and will stay here for some days II we can
! get work. Then I'll make tor Memphis
/ and spend the winter there, as | have a
| good situation promised ME. ! know
| everybody in that city, and can have "a
better time there tnau here. know most
OF tue printers here, too, but they are
! young fellows, generally, and don't under
stand me like the old ones.
ave never been married." ne laughed
! uerYou5ly in response 10 reporters
| question. That's because I've never
1 staid in any place long enough 10 yet
! acquainted with anybody and not because
| | wouldn't like 10. But when YOU STAY
only three or tour weeks or months IA one
town there amt any time for love making
or marrying"
Capt. Law is n well preserved old gem
,leman. He is about medium size, quick
aud active IN his movements, aud neatly
dressed in spite Of his long river trips.
One OF the first men be met This morning
was MIR. c. +. Luomis, OF the Times com
posing room, with whom be set typ
nearly thirty years ago in Columbia, 5. c.