Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-14
CHAPTER ".
THE VOYAGE.

At last the famous ark was finished, and
a good ark it was, although the building of
it had not taken as long as the building of
Noah's. There was great deal of joking
about the name which the ark should bear,
whether it should be called Sarah, for
Sarah Paris, or Miriam, for Mrs. Titcomb.
Mrs. TItcomb voted every time for Sarah,
and instructed the boys to do so, but Mr..
Titcomb and Sarah voted always fol. Mrs.
Titcomb; and, according as at the discussion
there were more or less of those who had
had a share of the building, the vote went
for the one party or the other. At last it
happened that, on the'same moonlight night,
one eager party painted the name Sarah on
the port bow, if bow it might be called, and
at late hour another party, under the
same moon little further advanced in the
heavens, painted Miriam on the starboard
side of the cabin. So the ark started on her
way with double name.
One does not often see an ark on the
Western waters now, though probably a
diligent antiquarian or adventurer might
find one. As became party of Newbury
men, half Of whom were shipbuilders, and
some of whom had even had hand in the
building of the Protector, the Sarah-Miriam
was more staunch and seaworthy than were
most of her class. Below, the vessel was
what they would have called on the Merri-
mac a good hay-scow. The gunwale on
each side ran up rather higher than it
would have done for a hay scow, but there
was not any very heavy freight to put on
board, and all that one wanted, as John
Fairchild said, was that the CRITTERS and
the babies should not tumble over. Ample
space was reserved for the Critters" fore
and aft. They stood, little as the "crit-
ters'' stand on a Jersey City ferry-boat to-
day. Indeed, there were many occasions
on the voyage where, on a favoring shore,
they were able 10 land, for green food and
exercise. Amidships, cabin, well enough
protected to stand the weather of Juue and
July, took up perhaps half of the spaok
in the long scow. But it was not so wide
but that one could walk on the right hand
and on the left, as one walks on the guards
of a Mississippi steamer to-day. And it
was not so frail but that on the top there
were chairs and long settee, SO that
here was the favorite place for all parties
to sit as they foated along, unless, indeed,
the sun were too severe. As for means of
motion the Monongahela, and afterward
the Ohio itself, took care of that. ALI riv-
ers run to the sea, and these rivers, as they
ran, bore with them the emigrants who
were faring west. 1t is true that the way
is not as direct as the modern railway en-;
gineer would make it. Sometimes they went
north and sometimes south, sometimes they
went east and sometimes west; but their
progress, if not fast, was sure, and, as Red
Jacket said of his life: They had all the
time there was" Cephas Titcomb and the
other men would growl little when, after
a good run to the southwest, the river
chose to bend and take them back again
toward the rising sun; but there was moth
ing to be gained by growing and the
women and children were soon hardened to
all signs in the heavens, excepting those of
threatening or present rain and lightning.
At night, as sunset drew near, all ewes
were eager to find good spot on the broad
bank where the ark might be run up and
tethered, where fire could be made on the
shore and the pork fried and the tea made,
and where children, and perhaps beasts,
might have a run. Then the meh were apt
to sleep on shore; the women generally pre-
ferred the seclusion, and indeed, the securi-
ty of the cabin. There was more or less
talk of risk from Indians, but Indians they
never saw, and Sarah became quite incred-
ulous ofsuch stories as they drifted on. At
the earliest gray of morning the fire would
be built, and whoever was responsible for
the cooking came tc make the breakfast
and to make ready what should be eaten at
noon. AS soon as it was light enough to
discern q Sawyer" or a snag, the ark would
be unmoored and would be floating again
upon its way.
The word snag has come into the English
language, and has meaning generally
known. A Sawyer" was log firmly fixed
at one end, but working backwards and for
wards with the current 1t took its name
from the resemblance of its motion to that
of an old-fashioned saw in a saw-pit.
For the women-folk there was sewing
enough, and knitting enough, and
reasonable share of time and care
was needed to keep the children from
climbing too high, or from tumbling into
the water. There were two or three books
to read, and Mrs Titcomb's invaluable