Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1890-03-08
WOMAN CANAL C1PT4TN.
Pretty Mary Hetciett, Ne,c Jersey Girl.
Who Handles the Tifier.

Hewlett is her name. She is tall,
well-formed woman, almost Juno-like
in appearance and decidedly handsome.
She is on the sunny side of thirty, and
her hands and face show signs of ex-
posture, but they do not in the least mar
her beauty. Captain Hewlett's boat
was at the wharf here one day this
week and the female captain was inter
viewed. She consented to tell the
story of her life and her boat, and, after
opening box of cigars for the benefit
of her visitor, she proceeded as follows,
in a rapid tone of voice:
away back about 1852 my grand
father, John Hewlett, came from Leeds,
England, and worked on the old Tide
water Canal from Harrisburg, Pa, to
Havre de Grace, Md When it was
done he became a boatman on it.
When he died my father, Adam Hew-
lett. his only son. got his boat and his
business. Father and mother lived on
the boat summer and winter for great
many years until they we're able to buy
the little farm that is now mine, upon
the Susquehanpa, below Neville
After they got the farm they boated in
summer and lived on land in winter
just as / do now, having the place
worked on shares by neighbor.
II was born on the Aurora, some
where between McCaulls Ferry and
Peakbottom, and | was never half a
mile away from the canal until the farm
was bought. When I was years old
my mother Taught me to read and write
and father taught me to cipher and to
keep his accounts. Whatever else !
may have in the way of educational
equipment / worked out for myself. !
never was inside a school as pupil in
my life.
Father died when | was 10 and the
boat became mine. Her name was now
the Minerva, of Neville, and she wa:
nearly new. / could steer and manage
boat f.om the time. ! was II year,
old, aud, excepting the loss of father,
scarcely noticed the change, for during
| the past few years he was i'll much o.
| the time and | had to manage every
thing. My mother only survived fathel
a year and then / was alone ! laid he
away beside father beneath the cedar
on little hill on our own place, wher,
they had themselves prepared their owl
little cemetery.
I'VE had been boating so long tina
father and / were known to every ship
per from the head of the canal to Havr
de Grace and through the Chesapeak,
and Delaware and the Delaware anC
Raritan canals to New York, for we car
ried only merchandise. These al
rallied around me when father wa
gone Most Of our business came from
Baltimore, and the first time | arrived
there after fathers death three ole
shippers, friends of my father, cam
down to the boat aud gave me SOM
sound advice aud the Slrance OF thei
help and protection ahd most faithful.
have they kept their word.
Five years ago | had this boat, tn
Beiyidere, built to suit myself. SD
cost me So 00), but she has been out @
my debt long ago This cabin is double
as you see by throwing open this dool
and ] can carry twelve passengers, an
in summer | never go out empty.
: THE men sleep in this front cabin
and all the cooking is done in that ittl
caboose, that can be shifted every
where, according TO what the deck loa
is. The hull is built on almost clippe
lines, and she has fifteen inches dea
rise, and | am not afraid of her outsid
in any kind Of weather that schoone
can live in. ! lave never made a 10;
ing trip since | was a captain, and o
some ] have made almost as much as
could with steamboat OF the sam
size
"Boatmen, as a class, are not polishe
or gentlemanly; but they never sho'
their rough side to me, because the
know me as one of themselves, and b,
cause ! have bad the chance to do littl
kindnesses for their wives and familie
There is not boatman on the lid,
water Chesapeake or Raritan thu
would not turn ont and make thing
verj unpleasant for any one who ofIere
% me insult or injury, aud many a tim
have they done it with good deal MOI
r. enthusiasm than | desired"
HHERE MONEY ~ PLENTY.
q, In some of the vaults Of the Unite
, Statps sub.trpagurv in Wall street Ne