Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-09-12
THE idea OF A SiXT

In little flower pot on the window edge.
Pictures were everywhere about tho
pancllcd sides Of the cabin, and n canary
bird in II gilded cage sang swcctly in the
window near the pretty flower. The
doors of the siatcroom stood open, and
disclosed II pretty picture of snowy bed
spreads and fancy pillow shams, while
the kitchen, with its shining pots and
puns, was an ideal place for II good
cook.
owe do most of our cooking up ON
deck during the warm weather, and the
men put awnings up to shield ny from
the sun. IL keeps the smell Of the cook
ing away from the cabin and leaves it in
much cooler condition." tho woman
explained, MS she kindly offered n cup of
warm coffee TO her visitor.
In the course Of II ten minutes CONFER
saion she succeeded in giving the news
paper man most correct picture OF the
life of the average women who must find
their homes en- the water by the silc Of
n father, brother, or husband. During
the winter months most Of the bonts tie
up in the Erie or Atlantic Bnsins ut New
York city, md through all these long
winter days the women aboard the 200
or 300 beats go visiting and give parties
and dances pretty much tho same as
their sisters on land whose abiding placcp
have rather more stability Through
the summer, Of course, there is less
opportunity for socnl intercourse whilo
the boats are on tho move, but when
they tic up for orders or to load Mt the
principal points tho women get together
and often organize party to go Off on
picnics and excursions on land, the men
being busted in loading their cargoes.
When the artist boarded the second
boat tall broad -sh0uldcrcd man, evil
IDENTIFY the captain Of the boat, seemed to
bc in especially good humor, for he
laughed over the mission the artist had
stated to him before interviewing tho
women Mt tine other end of tho boat,
which, as the Captain explained, was
their especial stamping ground" While
going mp he stopped the newspaper man
suddenly, and after mi inquiry rs to
whether he were married, explained that
nc had two good-looking daughters in
the after cabin, and that he would, after
discovering that mis- caller was single
man, have to consult their mother before
he would run the risk Of letting him scs
them. This he did in n good naturcd
way by calling down the hatch OF the
cabin: "Say, there, Jennie, here's a
young dude that wants to mako pictures
of how We live; think it's snfc to let him
down there among the g,lsl"
In answer his wife came up the com.
panionway and welcomed the reporter to
tac cabin helm, with Instructions to
make himself "to home.o 1t would have
been most bashful young man, indeed,
who would not have felt ut home among
this jolly party. The Captain was YER
bose to the limit. His wife insisted that
her visitor needed cup of warm coffee
and some cakes, and cakes and coffee he
must have. The girls, with their pretty
faces, came right up to the interviewing
scratch, and told everything they knew
about canalboat life, and how they were
treated by clerks in the stores when they
went shopping in town il they asked that
their purchases be delivered ON q canal
boat.
why explained the youngest of the
two, "thosc CLERKS were all just too nice
to us for any Use until they discovered, as
we were paying our bills aud giving or
ders for delivery of goods, that we were
living on n canal boat. II was Just two
rich to see how their jaws fell when they
thought how nice they had been to or
binary canal people"
The gestures and tone of voice which
accompanied this little bit of information
we're laughabic. Then the two came over
to where the artist sat skctching the
cabin, and while they watched the draw
ing grow they each in turn gave him the
full story OF how they had spent last win.
ter in the Erie Basin---of the dances and |
parties and weddings and the fun they
had had roaming over the 300 bouts.
And when he c!ambcred over the side they
called after him: "Now mind and send
us each paper with the pictures in, for
you know women on canal boats can
read -