Morning journal and courier., 1890-01-22
A Woman as Steamboat Mate.
from the Memphis Appeal.l


Helena has within its boundaries a lady
who has the distinction of being the only fe-
male steamboat mate in the United States.
She is q young married lady named Mrs.
Mary Simmons. She is only twentY-f0ur
years of age and has lived continuously on
the river for eight years, and is perfectly &C.
auainted with all the details of the manage
ment of steamboats,. Her husband is Mr..
W. w. Simmons, captain of the transfer
J. F. Joy, owned and run by the Lineham
Ferry company, of this place. Mrs. Sim
mons applied for masters license, but ow-
ing to q recent act of Congress, requiring
years experience as mate before one was
qualified as master, she was unable to pro-
cure the license. She will serve her appren.
ticeship for the year on the transfer boat
Joy, Of which her husband is captain.
She procured her license in December, 1853,
In the Galena ml.) district, to act as mate on
steamboats, and railroad transfer-boats on
the Mississippi river and its tributaries on
steamers of 200 tons burden or less.
Benevolent tFrenchwoman.
In all her generous old age, the city of
Paris was the chosen home of the benevo-
lent Duchess of Galliera; and as she had
done so much for her native city, she de-.
termined to leave a name to be equally
revered in the French capital. Almost her
last appearance in public was when shs
went to open an immense orphanage at
Meudon, near Paris, and home for poor
priests, destined to afford shelter to no less
than $50 venerable and aged clergymen,
who, but for her generosity under the anti
Christian Government, which at present ts
supreme in France, might have perished of
want. Every year the Duchess gave sum
of 25, 600 francs to the poor of her parish,
like sum to the poor of the parish in which
her country house is situated. and half this
sum to the poor of Volti, where she has q
villa. and which she left to the Empress
Frederick of Germany. In all the Duchess
Of GalIiera has given to the poor of Paris
and Genoa not less than 123, 600, ,00Of., and
| it is we'll known that her private charity was
almost as great as her public benefactions:
| But in this case the left hand knew not what
| the right hand did. Besides this. she has
| built a museum, which she has presented to
| Paris, and which she has caused to be erect
| ed in new quarter of the city, where such
an institution will be of great benefit to
| the inhabitants. It is destined to contain
| all the works of art which formerly embel-
| lished her palace in the Rue de Varennes.
The Lady ana the Cigar.
| From Texas Sftings.l
The train from Paris to Versailles was to
leave there in five minutes. An elegantly
dressed gentleman enters first class carri-
age. Being gentleman, he raises the win
| dow and and is about to throw out a cigar,
when the old lady says:
sDon't you know that you are forbidden to
| smoke in a first-class carriage when there are
ladies in it?"
"My dear madame, you see was about to
anticipate your wish by throwing away my
cigar. However, will not disturb you fur
ther, and bowling very stifdy he left the car
and purchasing third-class ticket, he took
his seat among some peasants where he could
smoke undisturbed.
There was sitting near the gentleman 9
wretched looking tramp, who smelt horribly
of garlic, and who was about as disagreeable
| a neighbor as can we'll be imagined.
| s'My good fellow" said the gentleman
| "did you ever ride in frstclass carriages F"
tsNever."
stWell here's a ticket that can't use Just
you 60 into that first class carriage. There
is vacant seat next to an old lady; just TAXI
it."
The man, who was sadly in need of disin-
fectants, did as he was told. A few minutes
after he entered the door of the first-clas
carriage was closed, and off went the train
which does not stop at any of the stations be
tween Paris and Versailles You can imag
ina whekher or not the gentleman got even