The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1890-11-08
FIFTY YEARS AGO !
BY UNCLE SILAS.
TO-. Z.

The only means OF transportation
and travel was by water. Much of the
early transportation and travel to and
from New Orleans vas by means of
| ~pirogues, and small sail boats.
About 1926 a little steamboat, nam
! ed the Eagle, was brought into the ba-
you by Capt. Ferdinand Streek, a Ger
man, who had been trading in that
stream on a socalled '.chicken thief
This was a small affair, built as the
early steamboats, We're, with her cabin
OF the lower deck. Insignificant as
such Il craft would appear to day, it
was considered something wonderful
at the time. The captain soon ex-
changed her for a larger and better
boat, called the Decatur. Captain
Streck, was il remarkable man. In
his time. and down to 1850, no one
who took passage on a steamboat at
New Orleans could form any idea OF
the time he was going to leave that
wharf. Steamboat captains would
fire up, ring bells, and tell passengers
that their boats wonld leave in half
IN hour, passengers We're directed to
bring their baggage and come aboard.
This they would keep up all day aud
cool down fires at night, and after two
or three days they would finally get
away. In the mean time passengers
were boarded on the boats free, and us
the board was good in port SO it WAS
the reverse on the route.
Capt. Streck, astonisied tie people
by advertising that his boat would
leave at 10 o'clock, ii. m. and the pas
Il a,n ,..-t ,+,, ".,
left. Once the time Of departure zane
when his wife and daughters We're COM
ing across the WHAT. He halloed to
them to get ii carriage and drive Up TO
Lafayette. them four miles above. He
run mp there and landed, and waited
for them.
His rule was to leave New Orleans
every Saturday, ut 10 o'clock, run up
to or near Donald.onville, lay all
night, Oh Sunday run down the bayou
!, to Lockpolt, return to T~Iibodaux, on
Monday, remain oyer night, III Tues
day ascend the bayou to Donaldson
Vile, and then go to New Orleans on
! Wednesday,. Steamboats, did most OF
the mail business. They wonld land,
take on a letter, or package OF money
utlllktI tIltI1 III ANcA oIitdii5 ttEu DliiIG
back the freight which the parties de-
sired.
:, They would throw off a daily paper
to every customer, often distributing
$ two or three hundred on each trip.
j, 1t is said, that Captain Streck was
once hailed by IL person, who was OF
the levee with II eggs, who requested
him to wait for the hen that was OF
the nest to lay another egg, to make
e the dozen which he did.
; The old captain was considered !
: fair drlnker IN his day, and did no
: require more than two dczen cocktail
:. before breakfast.
His drinks, as have often seen hin
take them. were always very light
. Once he had leased his bar to Il man
S who was to supply the captain with hi
: cocktails in lieu of the 5000 pc
month usually paid for rent
At the end of the first month tn
) bar-kaeper told the captain that h
thought she would prefer to pay TIN
e rent, and for him to pay his drinks,
=, which were only five cents each. as of
:: ticers only paid half price.
Gail right says the captain. At til
end of the second month, as the boa
was descending the river lei Bonnie
Care, the bar keeper presented a bill
- to the captain. credited by one mouth
rent, showing IL balance of abou
q $500. whats this the CAPITALS
II demanded in language peculiar t
himself. The barkeeper explained
u He ordered the clerk to pay til
l. bill, the pilot to lard and the mate t
put the bar-keeper ashore. He follow
ed by the next boat when the old ma
N gave him back his position.
Withal he was Il good man, homes
charitable kind. rough it may be, bu
he the rougliness Va that of the diamond
he He was passionately fond of musi,
= and often carried Il brass band on hi
trips. Every spring he made a trip t
the mouth Of the bayou when the pee
pie had a chance to enjoy the sc
Il, b~reezes, a swim i'll the gulf, a feast
p. fishes, and oysters. and of forming
close acquaintanceslip With the Ii,
healthy mosquitoes that held preeml
ID ton rights on the lower Latourche IN
I'd gulf coasts. Capt. Streck, built seve,
as al boats, for the trade. of which ii
: most famous were the music, and NJ
F. NJ. Strcck.
~ His tamilylesided in DonaldsonviIl
but his home was on his boat. As as
or and exposure told upon him, his ey,
:, sight failed and WHEN he had to abal
don his boats, he. in an hour of d,
u SpOndency, drank some poison til,