Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-12-15
Seine Things I Saw in the City.


to mind my first crossing on steam
ferry at that place, with pair of horses
and buggy. At that time. the river
was just twice as wide as at the pres
ent time. That point of land on which
rests the Eads bridge, was at that time,
an island in the middle of the Mississip-
pi river. At that time the island was
covered with trees, and was called
Bloody Island. How many duels have
been fought on that island, 1 do
not know; but good many have.
In the old. early days, men who thought
much of their standing in society, did
not let an opportunity pass without re-
senting any slight or insult. Anything
that had a tendency to lower them
selves in the eyes of the community.
and especially in the eyes of the ladies,
was promptly met with a challenge to
deadly combat. And if the party
challenged, refused to meet, he was
branded as a coward. which meant to
be cut off from all good society. A
coward better be dead and done with
it; for man was dead politically NOR
ally and financially: an outcast. But il
he met and killed his man, all of his
sins, of whatsoever kind Gn the eyes OF
the community were all forgiven, and
was the hero of the day.
But as I sat and looked, what a
change has taken place in these last
forty-fve years. At that time, there
was a little village of about a dozen
houses, called Illinois Town. just at
the upper end of the island, on the IL
linois side, the wagon road went on the
bank of the river. On the opposite
side of the road was a very dense growth
| of young cottonwood trees; just room
for road between the grove and the
river bank. The bank was some twen-
ty feet above the water. At one place
the land had slid in and taken part OF
the wagon track. When we came to
that place, l tell you we felt pretty
small. How did we know but the next
minute another slide would take place?
We saw that since the slide wagon
had passed along, although one OF
the wheels had slid DOWN the bank a
few inches as it passed. Well, we
thought if somebody had passed per-
haps we could, but we felt pretty small
and creepy about that time. l don't
believe l would have risked it, only
there was an awfully pretty girl way
up the river wanted to see pretty bad,
and then you know the old adage: "a
faint heart ne'er won lady fair.''
And now when l look over to that
side of the river, what change | see;
all of that part of the river filled up
and a larger city than St. Louis was at
that day. What change! What is
that passage where it says, "By faith
Mr.. Editor, faith with works has not
only removed mountains, but filled up
rivers and built large cities with the
mountains and over the rivers.
Then as turned my eyes from the
land and looked along the levee, how
different then the levee was, lined with
great boats from all parts of the country.
At that timee you would see, at this
same time of the day, (about four or
five o'clock) such a hurrying and hol-
lowing, such running to fro, drays with
merchandise, hacks and buses loaded
with passengers; men, women and chill
dren all hurrying to get on board-some
going up the river, some going down,
As you stood and locked you saw boat
after boat, with dense fogs of smoke
passing out of those tall chimneys.
and great bells ringing. How it used
each boat crew hauled in her shore
planks to the sound of some old river
song, by their blacks. You almost felt
you were in an enchanted land.
In those days, all of the great boats
in the Southern trade, were manned
with slaves, and how those slaves did
enjoy themselves; the happisst beings
on earth. Sing? they could not shove
a stick of wood in the fire under those
great boilers without singing. What a
sight to see just before sundown, a doz-
en- or fifteen of those great big boats
back out in mid stream. They always
made me think of some of those lakes
in the heart of Africa. The great
hippopatamus and rhinoc-
eros playing in the depths as they
the water with their great side
wheels.
Oh, it was such grand sight! I
can never, no never, forget those good
old boating days. And oh. how fast
our thoughts fly, and how many things
we had not thought of for years, come
up so fresh and in such rapid succession.
And then such splendid times at supper,
seated at those long tables, loaded with |
the best the world afforded. The din
ing hall, or rather saloon, all lighted