Telegram-herald., 1888-10-16
THE OLD MAN AND TIE LIGHT.
Experience of Pilot OF Former Days
with Electricity.

with Electricity.
ABERDEEN, ID. T., Oct Capt David
Tibbs, Of tins city, retired Missouri river
steamboat captain, made a trip TO New Or
leans last winter, and has been talking ever
since, when congenisl listener could be
found, OF the changes that have come about
IN river navigation during the past twenty
years
Never did hear the old captain admit
that any change for the better had been
made until few evenings ago.
We were sitting upon the piazza OF the
captains hotel, smoking a twilight cigar,
when the large arc light in front of the hotel
suddenly blazed out n lis cold and searching
brillianoe. The captain started and half
rose from his chair. as he invariably does at
this nightly recurrence of this, 20 him,
strange and unusual phenomenon.
Il can't somehow get used 70 that darna-
tiOp light that flares out all Of a sudden"
said he Somehow it seems a. II something
is going % explode, and the first time saw
it jumped right Up and yelled: Draw the
fires and let OFF steam just as IL was back
on the old John Pexton, with my bow grind
ing on a barr
assured the old gentleman that il was ths
most natural thing in the world for mau
of his years to be startled, and confessed tn
a certain sensation Of surprise and momen-
tary fear whenever the trained ignus-fstuus
OF science suddenly burst out upon the dark
ness OF the street
Queer thing, queer thing" reflected the
old man, queer thing this electricity Why,
you remember I went down the river last
winter, stopped az st. Louis and saw a lot Of
old river menr
Yes, remembered indeed as distinct
q recollection Of the fact as som. forty re-
cItals Of the fact, coupled with various Incl
dents Of the trip, could give.
Yes, captain, believe you told me You
went 70 New Orleans | replied. preparing
myself for the inevitabls tale Of decadence,
wrong and oppression in everything along
th5 river between Fort Sully aud the gulf
We'll, III never forget one night jnSt below
Memphis had been stopping of alqpg the
river. and at Memphis got on 20 a nsr line
steamer with al the modern contrivances,
but none Of the life and dash that a river
steamer carried in old time river days
Well. as | was saying. stood on the deck
smoking cigar. II was as dark night "a
ever tired pilots knowledge Of the stream;
you couldn't see q dozen yards from the boat.
There wsszl't no torch on the jack staff such
a. you would see flaming out over the PROV
years ago, and scattering blood red rehec-
tons ahead But all Of sudden. way out
ahead, mile or 50. I saw circle Of light
drop unto a ciump Of pine trees on =
head land. and then. quicker than cash.
Jump across stream, and land squars
on the roof OF a niger cabin Just of Tire
shore Wei. now. that puzzled ne.
-. -, 49,, 49, -
there 10 was dancing along the piles Of a
cotton landing half mile up strsam lt
made ne feel quaer I'd seen the glow halls
jump and vanish above swamp, but II vas
not thss kind Of lghs Just then the cap
tain cane MP vi.h lautr-p He saw I was
iookiax kind ar1az~d. and saTs hs. Oar
plot n fudiDg landmarks with an siectric
light W. went foTrsrd. and there. SIRE
suouzh, wss q contrivance ike en- engine
headlight moving around ~ pivot and
shooting skose shots up snd down she river
feeling - the darkness. as IL were TIE
po~er dynamo. th~v c.Il r. vas down ~ the
engine sod ne rilot could tnrn y on ard q
wsen he wanted IN From the pilot house be
could switch that siz eszsinz ~. - sny
poizt q the compass Well. tel vos.
vaen thougit = hcw naar tines used
10 tse " a. night Ju<t becsus- rlv ualot hsd
rs.ssed ~ couidut rzsSs oit lard 1saEk ~
dad rrrtai-eT. ! ~ irei ~hss = really
goo5 tss ~ tho~s rbcr- se>r~hinx hxkts ars
anyhc~ Pu- afser A.. re ~ren ruen fhat
r'~~ ~ cagr fuii - bfsgn~ rfsch e. -
th~ iscrstnfg. snd fhs7 vaasd - tb-s1Sh the
Too~s t5ckissa -rcts - fse river -t1hrus
aeTRpasz srAg ~ Eosiaz ~ueo sinzA- hsr p
And 49, -.rtain. 81 4 asasrs~i - as u1o-
rs-nssry sisloyaisv =, - 49, op~nea -fts
mere shaa zs-si ars apoa - fsrorfa~ ssrsr
re seafzlrtson ~ tre s~>st ri~-r .-,sfr ~
ralvsy caznssnst4azz
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