Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-01-16
A GRATEFUL MAN.
A CAPTAINS STORY OF OLD DAYS
ON THE MISSISSIPPI

A Native Saved from Drowning During
Big Rise in the Rivera Basket of
Pecans That Cost 50 In Coal Consumed,
Yet 1t Was Worth That sum.
a weather tanned, benevolent looking man,
of rather less Il an medium stature. sat in the
lobby of one Of the city hotels, conversing
with friend. His bronzed face and healthy
complexion, at least SO much of it as was not
hidden by a full black beard in which the
silver threads had begun to appear, betok-
ened an ont door life of healthful exercise
y Journal representative was introduced 20
the gentleman described, and found himself
in conversation with Capt w. d. Miller, for
many years before, since and during the war
commander of II number of boats on the Mis-
sissippi and It's tributaries, now superin-
tendent of one of tho Detroit gas companies
The conversation drifted to the old days on
the Lover Mississippi, and many were the
interesting anecdotes related by the captain
OF his eXperienCe es in the service
The most grateful man l ever saw" said
Capt. Miller, ''yas detected specimen Of the
native along the bottoms in Lower Missouri
As you are no doubt aware, it not infre-
quently happens that the foods in th4 river
wash away the levees by which the adjoining
country is protected, and whole counties are
inundated by the deluge of water that is
emptied in upon them through these
'crevasses,' as the washouts are called.
II THE TREE TOP.
"O1e day, many years ago, in period of
exceptionally high water when the levees
had broken and the river was a perfect sea,
we were steaming down the stream at very
rapid rate aided, as we were by the stiffest
kind of a current. The water was well ND
into the tree tops along the banks. and the
few shanties that were to be found about that
particular locality had all but disappeared
below the surface. The Gay was very cold,
and a raw wind swept down from the north,
making it almost impossible for me to keep
comfortable by bundling up and moving
about constantly. As we went plowing along
| saw ahead of is an old tree which had been
washed from tie shore probably miles above,
the roots of which had evidently become
fastened to th3 bottom in some way, and
the switch end rose and fell with the
waves and current, sometimes almost disap-
pearing from view | heard cry, and,
looking closely into the tree top as we went
by, saw man clinging to the branches,
hanging on for dear life and yelling as often
every receding wave would let the sinking
branches souse him to his eyebrows. 1t was
impossible to get alongside in that current,
and we were soon away below the poor fell
low. made up my mind to get him off for
knew he must surely perish if not speedily
relieved, so | ordered the pilot to put her
about and so back. He objected vigorously
and insisted that we would get aground on
the bar below i we made any such hazardous
attempt, but l insisted and he glumblingly
consented 1t was the work of an hour TO
get the boat about, and when we did it
seemed an hour more before We could get
her to moving up stream, So swift was
tie current. Finally, however, we got her
back above the tree top, and then put out a
boat and crew, and, at great risk, got the
man aboard He was rs crude specimen as
one ever saw--a regular dog eater, whose
hair had never seen comb and who had
doubtless just taken, invOluntarily, his first
hath. He explained his presence in the tree
top by saying that he lived Il short distance
above where we found him: and his house
had been flooded, and, after having gotten
his family safely to house ON little rise
near there, he lad been capsized in an effort
TO get back to lis house for some household
effects. He pleaded so earnestly to be put on
.
ties and proceeded on our way to New Or
leans Beyond a mere much obleeged to
yer he had nothing to say, but it was plain
to be seen that he was grateful enough.
DON T GIT MAD, CAPN."
We'll, we spent a week or more in Orleans,
and then starte1 back on the up trip. had
forgotten all al out the incident of the man in
the tree top, an was one night soundly sleep
ing, when an hour or two after midnight one
of the mates caino to my stateroom and awole
me, to tell me that there was n signal on the
bank. l dresse hurredly and went on deck
and there on the bank saw lantern waving
a signal Tho night was very dark, the river
was still badly swollen, and hardly knew
what TO do. Tie shore along there wss dan
gerOus, but | reflected that there might be
something serious the matter, so | let her
drop back down stream quite a distance, and
then worked her iI to the shore We burned
at least 81 worth of coal getting in and ran
the risk of grounding the boat, but we finally
got her there al right. When l go, close
enough saw man and q woman, standing
hand in hand, the man holding little willow
basket. They were natives, and evidently
miserable enough. / put out a plank for
them, and they walked aboard and ap-
preached me-
ing me this kind of night3 What's the mat
terF | asked.
Don't yer know me, capnr asked the
man.
9 No. l don't know you, and this is -
poor occasion for introductions. What's the
matterT | repeated.
Don't git ad, cap'n,' pleaded the man,
I'm ther feller yer fetched outn that dinged
old tree top two weeks back, an me an tn
old oman thort as how we'd like to do suthin'
fer yer, jist to show yer 'at we 'preclated
what yerd done fer me- We hain't got
nuthin' much ter give yer SO we jist picked
this basket o pecans and lowed as how you
might hev some chil'rn to home at 'ud likes
ter MUNICH 'em Hyar they be, capn, an
we hopes ycr'ii AXE EN-
when first recognized my friend, as he
began his speech, my impulse was to throw
him overheard, but as he continued so ear
nestly | forgave him the trouble he had
caused me, and accepted his token of appre-
citation in the 81 iI'it in which it was offered.
Then an idea occurred to me, and / asked:
How the deuce did you know this was ny
boat' The night is SO dark you couldn't tell
her from any other
''Ohl | know her 'scaper was the ready
reply, and me an the ole woman is been
lookin' fer yer day and night fer more'n
week
Il took the pecans to the chil'r'n to home,
by whom they were much enjoyed, and hon
estly don't believe ever received present
in my life the reception of which look back
to with so much satisfaction as 1 do that
hacket of pecans. Indianapolis Journal.
Business Like, but Unconventional.
ia. h,iorh 10 W
boy, with energy and piety pretty well COM
hinad Tho otIar uioht ba e,,r-Y,ricnd I;c nm