The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1890-02-21
AN OLD PILOTS "REMINISCENCES.
What Capt. y, w. Campbell Has to Say
About the Upper Mississippi.

son, Ia, q pioneer pilot OF the upper MIS-
sissippi, writes thus about the past and
present: II emerged from the hazel
brush in northeast Missouri in 1874 TO
take a first peep at the wide world be-
vond. Having beer infatuated i'll early
youth with the cat fish and drift log bus
mess, it was but natural | should seek a
nautical pursuit. Consequently drift
ed on board all upper Mississippi steam
boat and began to serve as a cub pilot
along shore between st. Louis and Fort
Smelling. The first duty of a cub Is to
designate the difference between fore
and aft%-larboard and starboard-and
with brains enough to determine II the
current of the river run to the north or
south.
He is then permitted to enter the pi-
lot house and take the wheel, while his
senior lights his P1pe, anu sEng constr
~tutionallv tired seats himself on an ele-
waited bench in the rear and looks COM
placently on Presently, under the ma
nipulation of the verdant cub, the wheel
begins to spin from right to left-left to
right-hard upand hard down; he strikes
with his clumsy paws at the revolving
wheel with the awkwardness of his ma
tured namesake and ~involuntarily his
pedal extremities come in contact with
the spokes of the inner circle of the
wheel below, thereby illustrating the re-
suits of centrifugal force by throwing
him outside of the pilot house.
But after a few more experiments of
a similar kind he becomes more skillful,
and with less exertion guides the boat
steadily along, and then begins his great
est task by learning the shores that he
may distinguish unerringly n 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-
more with many more, all of which by
association become indelibly painted
upon the panorama of the mind, and
when they are recognized by the cub
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 Ell
titled to promotion and receives the cog
nomen of star gazer.'
st was much harder when l began
for one to learn than at present, for the
COUNTRY above Prairie du Chen was I'M
inhabited, except by Indians and a few
white traders, but now we nave villages
and cities from ten TO twenty miles
apart, with government lights located at
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
Gus village of Brownsville, and on as
cending ten miles farther up we land on
the east side of Prairie La Crosse, II
tanning then but two houses. Theupper
one was occupied by a Mr.. Mirick, used
Jointly as 4 residence and warehouse,
and 100 yards below stood q log hut
tenanted By Il Mr.. White, while the bar
rem sand banks intermediate were dotted
with Winnebago wigwams.
son this bleak and lonely sand prairie
of the past we behold at present q mag
ical change. The name is abbreviated
to plain La Crosse. Instead of two resi-
dents, we find here now a population Of
over 10000 people. We hear the sound
Of the buzzing saw of mills less thar a
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.
In place of n solitary steamboat
landing here semi-monthly, We see them
come and so 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
companions in days of yore, with the
fledglings of today, have organized q
pilot association here with over $50 mem
bers, who question the propriety Of the
government in appointing an inspector
whom they deem inexperienced.
Again We are under way, passing
upon our left majestic bluffs arising sew
eral hundred feet above the waters edge.
while upon our right We view for miles
in the distance the valley of Black river,
whose pine timber has since added mill
ions to the wealth of the pioneer settler.
After steaning eighteen miles farther up
this rock bound mountain shore | OBJ
served pine trees growing upon n ledge
of rocks, and on the the face below was
etched the words George Catlin.' On
viewing again this once familiar name,
but by me then almost forgotten, my
thoughts reverted quickly back to child
hoods happy hours, passed in gathering
goedes along shore for this great Amer
lean traveller, an e welcome guest at
the savage wigwam or princely palace.
We cross oeer to the right hand shore.
and the valley is in our rear, while in
front we behold the greatest curiosity on
the Mississippi river, a conical island
mountain, 200 feet in height, commonly
called Mount Strombolo,' but by the
early French voyagers La Montague
que t4ompe a leau."-Chicago Times.
Misleading Statistics.
To implicit a trust should not be