The Dickinson press., 1889-03-02
A GRATEFUL MAN.
a CAPTAINS STORY OF OLD DAYS
ON THE MISSISSIPPI,

sS " WI
Fecans That Cost Cd in Coal Consumed.
Yet 1t Was Worth That Sum.
OF rather less than medium stature, sat in the
lobby of one of tho city hotels. couverslng
with a friend. His bronzed face and healthy
complexion, at least so much of it Us was not
hidden by a full black heard in which the
silver threads had begun to appear. betok-
ened an out door life of healthful exercise
~ journal representative was introduced 20
the gentleman described, and found himself
in conversation with Capt. w. D.. ilillcr, for
many years before, since and during the war
commander of q number of boats on tho Mis-,
sissippi and its tributaries, now superin-
tendent of one of the Detroit gas companies.
The conversation drifted to tho old days OH
tho Lower Mississippi, and many wero the
interesting anecdotes related by tho captain
of his experiences in tho service.
Tho most grateful man | ever saw" said
Capt. Miller, was n detected specimen If the
native along the bottoms in Lower Missouri.
AS you are no doubt aware, it not infrc-
quently happens that tho floods i'll tn, river
wash away tho levces by which the adjoining
country is protected, and whole counties ore
inundated by the dcluge of water that is
emptied in upon them through these
'crevasscs,' as the washouts are called.
IN THE TREE Tor.
One day, many years ago, in a period of
exceptionally high water, when thu lcvces
had broken and tho river was a perfect sea,
VIC were steaming down tho stream ut a very
rapid ratio, aided, as We were, by tho stiffest
kind of u current. The water was well up
into the tree tops along tho banks. and the
few shantics that were to be found about that
particular locality had all but disappeared
below tho surface. The day was very cold,
and u raw wind swept down from tho north,
making it almost impossible for me to keep
comfortable by %bundling up and moving
about constantly. AS VIC went blowing along
l. saw ahead of us al old tree, which had ben
washed from the shore probably miles abo.e,
tho roots of which had evidently become
fastened to the bottom in some way, and
tho switch end rose and fell with the
waves and current, sometimes almost disap-
pcaring from view. l heard u cry, and,
looking closely into the treo top as we went
by. | saw q man clinging to the branches,
banging on for dear life and yelling us often
as ho could get his head above water, for
every rcceainS wave would let the sinking
branches so,sc him to his eyebrows. 1t was
impossible to get alongside in that current,
and We were soon away below tho i"u. fell
low. made upmy mind to get him OFF, for l
knew he must surely perish if not speedily
relieved, so | ordered the pilot to put her
about and go back. He objected Vigorously
and insisted that wo would get aground on
tho bar below If We made any such hazardous
attclapt, but | insisted and he grumblingly
cOOsnNtn1 In t,oS fbn V.o,,i. Df IN I,n,, fo
get the boat about, uaI when we did it
seemed an l.nur ,:lorc before wc could get
her to movin,, up stream, so swift "as
the current. Finally, however, VIC got her
back above the tree top, and then | put out 4
boat and crew, and, ut great risk, got the
man aboard. Lie was as crude u specimen as
ono ever saw-a regular dog eater, whose
hair had never seen q comb and who had
doubtless just taken, involuntarily, his first
hath. He explained his presence i'll tho tree
top by saying that lie lived a short distance
above where v.o found him: and his house
Ga, lecn flooded, and, after having gotten
bis family safely to q house Oh q little rise
near there, ho had been capsized in an effort
to get back to his house for somo household
effects. He pleaded so earnestly TO be put Oh
shore that ! got him off after great difficult
ties and proceeded on our way I" New Or
leans. Beyond n nero much obleeged to
yer" he had nothing to say, but it was plain
to DO seen that he was grateful enough.
DON GIT MAD, cAr'N."
well, we spent u week or more in Orleans,
ind then started back on tho up trip. | lad
forgotten all about the incident of tho man in
tho tree top, and was ono night soundly sleep
ing, when an hour or two after midnight one
of tho mates calno to my stateroom and awoke
me, to tell me that there was q signal III the
bank. | dressed ht.rricdly and went on deck,
and there III the baak saw Il lantern waving
aaignal. The night was very dark, the river
was still badly swollen, and | hardly knew
what to do. The shore along there was dan-
gerous, but | reflected that there might be
something serious tho matter, so l let her
drop back down stream quite u distance, and
then worked her in to tho shore. We burned
at least S. worth of coal getting in aud ran
tho risk Of grounding tho boat, but VIC finally
got her there all right. When | got close
enough l saw Il man and q woman, standing
hand in hand, the man holding a little willow
basket. They were natives and evidently
miserable enough. l put out a plank for
them, and they walked aboard and up
preached me.
"'Iyhat the devil do you mean by signal
ing mo this kind of a night' What's the mat
tcrF l asked.
Don't yer know me, cap'n?' asked the
man.
"'No, l don't know you, and this is u -
poor occasion for introductions. What's the
matterl ! repeated
Don't git mad, cap'n,' pleaded the man,
Tin Their Teller yer fetched out'n that dmged
old trcc top two weeks back, an me an tn
old oman thort us how we'd like to do suthin'
fer yer, jist to show yer at we 'prcciated
what yer'd done fer me. We hain't got
nuthin' much ter give yer, SO we jist picked
this basket o pccans and lowed as how you
might hev some chilr,Sto hosnc at nd likes
ter MUNICH EN-. Hy'af' they be. cap'n, an
We hopes yeru take EN-.
"When | first recognized my friend, US he
began his speech, my impulse was To throw
him overheard, but as he continued so car
nestly | forgavo him the trouble he had
caused me, and accepted his token of appre-
citation i'll the spirit in which it was offered.
Then an idea occurred to me, and | asked
How the deuce did you know this was My
boat! The night is so dark you couldn't tell
her from any other.'
"'Ohl l know her 'scapel' was the ready
reply, and me an the ole woman is beer
lookin' fer yer day and night fer more'n q
week
II took the pecans to the chil'r'n to home
by whom they were much enjoyed, and hon
estly | don't believe l ever received a present
in my life the reception of which | look hacl
to with so much satisfaction as | do tina
backet of pecans. "-lndianapolis Journal.
THE GAME OF TEN PINS.
Something of Its Origin and How 1t I
Played in America.
Bowling is an ancient and noble sport. A
an carly period it was a ~favorite pastime il
England. 1t was first played on tho opel
ground. 1t was the custom to clean up, shaw