The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-03-13
MARK rwAIN,s YOUTH.
How He Learned the River-His First
Literary Work.

How He Learned the River-His First
Literary Work.
Capt Horace Bixby, of the magnificent
steamer City of Baton Rouge, is the most
popular man on Southern waters, writes
the Chicago Tribune's ST. Louis represent
alive. Capt. Bixby is a well-preserved
relic of the golden age of the river. and
has been a constant student of currents
and chutes for 40years. Horace Bixby is
the man who taught Mark Twain how to
steer steamboat, and the success of his
whilom cub has reflected considerable
glory on the tutor. That was away back
in the SOS, when Bixby was a pilot, and
after all these years he Is now of the opin-
ion that a pilot is bigger man than a
captain any day, and especially on dark
night in tight place. Capt. Bixby is
now 81 years of age, and he says, Il am
just nine and half years older than Sam
Clemens" When in a reminiscent mood
the other day he said: 1T was quite re-
markable how Sam Clemens happened to
become pilot He has written great
deal about himself, but don't believe he
ever told it all 1t was in the spring of
81. | was then running regularly be-
tween st. Louis and New Orleans and &C.
casionally doing an outside Job on the
Ohio river from Cincinnati to New Or
leans. 1t was on one of these outside trips
that l first met Clemens. l was taking
the Paul Jones down from Cincinnati, and
the pilot house was &, great loafing place for
passengers and pilots out of work. They
came in, spit all over the wheel, snapped
lies, and then left the pilot on duty to
slOsh round in the debris | didn't like it
bit, and was mighty short with all pas
sengers who attempted to talk with me.
One morning when the boat reached Isl
and No. 81 in the Mississippi river, and
we were booming along at good gait, a
young man walked into the pilot house,
and after watching we for few minutes,
said Good morning. in drawing
manner
Il said good morning mighty sharp,
thinking it would freeze him out, but it
didn't. He said:
ID ont You want a boy to learn
the river?
No; don't want any boy to learn the
river. What are you pulling your word.
that way forg'
81 don't k-n-o-w;y-o-u will have
ask my m-o-t-he-r She does TIL e
same thing
Il thought he was chatting me when he
said that and looked up. but his face was
Just as sober as preachers He then
asked me if l knew the Bowens who were
on the river. l told him that l did and
worked with one of them in 1853. He told
me that the Bowens lived next door to his
father, Judge Clemens of Hannibal, Mo.
In his drawing way he told me of his
plans. He learned printing in Hannibal
on his brothers paper, but It did not agree
with him and he was going to South
America for his health. He liked the
river, however, and would abandon his
projected invasion of South America for
an opportunity to become pilot
" There is only one thing that would in
duce me to teach you the river, said l.
wv hats that? he asked
Money said l.
How m-u-c-hP he gasped.
Five hundred dollars said l.
We'll, | amt got that much, said
he.
Then you better get it if you want to
learn the river l replied
" I've got eight Lots up in K-e-o-
k-u-k, Iowa, but l don't know what
they would bring, an I've got 1000
acres of land in Tennes see that | can get
% cents an acre for, said he, summing
up his assets. We talked for some time
and he impressed me very favorabIy 1t
was finally agreed that he was to paw me
500 down and $75 every six months I'm
til the debt was paid. | told him that he
would have to provide his own clothes
and board while in port. On the river he
would receive his board and lodging. He
started as cub on the 'Aleck Scott, aud
he learned rapidly. He was then just
past q and rather eccentric. He ALWAYS
had writing paper and pencil around the
pilot house and was eternally scribbling
away at something l seldom ever tried
TO investigate the mysteries of his manu-
script, but | soon turned his talents to
good account In those days pilots made
out reports of the condition of the chan
mel, anu Clemens at once developed into
brilliant and picturesque river reporter.
His reports were humorous and contained
all the information. and were frequently
copied into the papers just as he wrote
them. This, | think, was the first public
writing that he did, except perhaps. some
squibS for the Hannibal paper. He was
good boy, ', not addicted to dissi-
patton and Obeyed orders. He
hated suspenders. and used TO enjoy him
self IN very loose clothes, with his hair
brushed back. We Steered together on
many trips, and then he changed around
and in two years received a license that
made him full tledged pilot His first
boat was the 'Alonzo Child under Capt.
De Haven, and he kept turning the wheel
until the war broke out His boat was
then in the South, and he piloted three
months for the Confederacy. Then he got
through the lines and went home, but after
a short stay at Hannibal he went as vol
unteer for three months in the army of
Gen. Sterling Price, the Missouri COnfed-
crate. He fought for the Confederacy
three months on land, and then retreated
in good order, with his right resting on
81. Louis. His brother, Orrin Clemens,
was at that time nominated secretary of
the territory of Nevada, and Sam accom-
panied him West. Everybody knows the
rest
Three years ago Clemens accompanied
Capt. BiXby down the river, and the old
stories and glories were revived. The re-
suit of the trip was the book "Old Times
on the Mississippi"
Dangerous Feat.
After many years of retirement Blondin,