Arizona weekly citizen., 1890-07-19
r OLD PILOTS ReMINfscEsrEs.
sThat Capt. J. W. Campbell Has to Sal
 Abont the Upnsr Mississippi.

About the Upper Mississippi.
 Capt. J. ". Campbell, of Fort ATndi-
 son, la, a pioneer pilot of the upper Mis- siSsippi, writes thus about the past and
 present: II emerged from the hazel
 brash in northeast Missouri in 1Sil to
 take first peep at the wide world be-
 yond. Having been infatuated in early
 youth with the cat fish and drift log bus.
 iness, it was but natural I should seek
 nautical pursuit. Consequently I drift.
 cd on board ali upper Mississippi steam.
 boat and began to servo as a cub pilot along shore between St. Louis and Fori Smelling. The first duty of a cub is tt
 designate the difference between fore and aft-larboard and sta=board- and
 with brains enough to determine if the current of the river runs to the north or south.
 ''He is then permitted to enter the pi- lot house and take the wheel, while his senior lights his pipe. and being consti- tutionally tired seats himself on an ele. vatcd bench in the rear and looks con- p!accntly on. Presently, under the ma niDulation of the verdant cub, the wheel begins to spin from right to left-left to fight-hard up and hard down; he strikes
 with his clumsy paws at the revolving
 ~hoel with the awkwardness of his ma-
 -u.'ed naneSalse and invOluntarily his ped>l extremitIes come in contact with the spokes of the inner circle of the
 Eheel below, thereby illustrating the re
 suits of centrifugal force by throwing him outside of the pilot house.
 But after few more experiments of a similar kind he becomes more skillful ard with less exertion guides the boat steadily along, and then begins his great. sst task by learning the shores that he may distinguish unerringiy one locality from another in the darkest night, after which he is directed to observe the foL- lowing landmarks: Head of Island. Foot of Bend, Cut Bank, Willow Tow head, Big Hollow, High Bluff, Point-no Point, Dead Cottonwood Tree, Tall Syca g;oye,' with many more, all of which by ssDciation become indelibly painted upon the panorama of the mind, and when they are recognized by the cut they become welcomed companions to him in the darkness of the night-a warning sentinel by which he avoids the breakers and reefs ahead.
 ''He is now prepared to stand watch, is no longer dubbed the cub, but is en- titled to promotion and receives the cog nomen of star gazer.'
 1t was much harder when I began for one to learn than at present, for the country above Prairie du Chien was un- inhabited, except by Indians and a few white traders, but now we have villages and cities from ten to twenty miles apart, with government lights located al every difficult crossing on the river. While on my first voyage was directed on passing the head of Coon slough to hold her on Wild Cat bluff, where now nestles beneath its shadows the prosper ous village of Brownsville, and on as- tending ten miles farther up we land OF the east side of Prairie La Crosse, con- taining then but two houses. The upper one was occupied by a Mir. Mirick, used jointly as residence and warehouse, and 100 yards below stood a log hut tenanted by Mir. White, while the bar ren sand banks intermediate were dotted with Winnebago wigwams.
 ''On this bleak and lonely sand prairie of the past we behold at present mag ical change. The name is abbreviated to plain La Crosse. Instead of two resi- tents, we fiEd here now population of over 30,000 people. We hear the sound # hn hr.yzsr,fr ,f ,,,1I1- 1--- hundred yards apart for over five miles up and down the river, while in front along the shore are millions upon mill ions of pine lumber and saw logs await ing to be lowed down the river to supply the increasing demands of the great southwest
 Tn place of one solitary steamboat 'anding here semi-monthly, we see them come and go by the dozen every twenty four hours. for more of them are owned in La Crosse than at any other point be- tween St. Louis and St. Paul, and my in days of yOre, with the iedglings of today, have organized a pilot association here with over 150 mcm- Oers, who question the prOpriety of the | government in appointing an inspector whom they deem inexperienced.
 Again we are under way, passing | lpon our letE majestic bluffs arising sey- | 9rai hundred teet above the waters cdgr | wnlle upon 0uc right we view for miles l n rhc distance the valley of Black river. | xnosa pne rmrer haa since added mill | .ons 10 tne w'eann Of the pioneer settler. | After steaming eighteen miles farther up | his rock bound mountain shore l ob- | served pine trees growing upon q ledge )f rocks, and Oil the the face below was | etched the words George Catlin.' On | 'iewing again this once familiar llame, put by me then almost forgotten, my | thoughts reverted quickly back to child 'ood's happy hours, passed in gathering codes along shore for this great Amer ran traveller, an ever welcome guest al he savage wigwam or rrinccly palace Nc cross over to the right hand shore. md the valley Is in CUT rear. wliiie in rent we behold the grcaj st curiosity on he Mississippi river. a conical island nount; ... 7G0 feet in height, conmoEir allcd Mount Stromhclo,' LUS l. thc arly French voyagers Ia Mou'a;.-, iuc trompc l'c&u. Chicago T.mes.