Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-08-23
RIVER INHABITANTS.
A FLOATING VILLAGE WHERE peo-
PIE PASS THEIR LIVES.

4 Wandering sctticmen, Of strange Folks
who Make Their Homes on One OF tho
Tributaris. Of tho Missi.slppi-T
Pay so I,cnt aud spend Little.
Up where Wolf river. troacherous and
insatia,e as the animal for which u Is
named, einp,ies It's yellow winters into
the great flood OF tho Mississippi, u q
cluster OF odd looking craft, half house,
half boat. that lie moorcd 20 tho bank
and form part Of great floating sub
ufb Of Memphis. Of whose existence the
average citizen Is totally unaware.
Nevertheless, strange rs 70 may secm.
the inhabitants Of this floating village
are born. live, marry and die IN their
movable homes ia much the same man
ner ~ people ~ similar walks Of life
whose houses have a iirmer foundation,
aud, stranger still, thoy like thoir riyor
life and would be extremely loath 10
give II up
Who they are and where they came
from, whittier they go aud how thoy
live, were questions that aroused the GU
riosity Of tho writer and induced him TO
make tourof inquiry among the house
boats, rs they arc called.
These are Of all shapes and sizes, from
the more pretentious home Of the woll
TO do shipbuilder to tho humble abode
of tho itincrnnt fisherman. Some Of
them nre named aud some arc not.
Many are neatly painted aud show
glimpscs OF interiors In which lace cur
tains, carpets and pictures combine 10
mako not inharmoninus settings. Social
lines are not very tightly drawn IN the
village of the houscboats. and the hoinos
OF whites and blacks lio miEod indis-
criminatoly, without regard TO race. coli
or or previous condition Of sorviludc.
Wanderers by nature. the term water
gypsics may DO applied not innptly To
tho inhabitants Of the village. 10 T. not
TO be wondered Mt therefore that tho
colony Is by no means composed OF those
who are to tho manner born. On tho
contrary, II IL made up Of representa-
tives from nearly all Of tho twenty odd
states that are drained by tho Missis-
mppi or its tributaries. Wore census
of the floating village taken tomorrow
| IL would show some interesting statistics
concerning the birthplacos Of it's inhnb.
itunts. Here ono can find man who
has drifted down from the Black Hills
Of Montana side by side with Il native Of
Pittsburg or Cincinnati, while their next
noighbOr may be from st. Paul or Knox
villo.
From far mp the Missouri. the Miszii-
nppi' tue O''io hiiu ''o ioiiIcssee rsVors
they co'lo, Iu'.,nB ne,v llNo ulr"s oi
passase TOT n .iuie' W. moving ever
SOUTHWARK WAN 'he CURRENT ,n'iy pccoiio
hhorseu WIN tne oo'hinPon'"h p"pula'
uon "i ,hu Nte'eeh' wy huhute,i' Oh
iniies ueiow' even a. Tue waters OF tno
Mis.i'lp W Decoh'u iost III 'hp great uult
oi AeAlco. 49,,
lnsie Is put ,il'ie GouD' mat tne
I"eIler III ,,o N,lssis'ipp houHuooat
mas hucoessiuily soi''u thn prooirh "i
nNihg on next 70 morning. beheVlhB
,hH' t'o river ~ ir'e' "lu .nu' u owe.
MN living 'hu "ai, vi 'he ia'her o'
Ws,ofs uuoS nor hiiu u worry uncut 70
coiiev' 'ne uoD'' J'n' Wh't 'h' ico hei''f
are 10 inc LaAl'h1' INC ue'eit 10 tho
arao' we P'.lh' W 'no l'i'i,u' tne ri'cr
Is 10 hihi' IL Is "V once MS piaeo OF
apode anu MS means OF support Liant
iorus' or more properly speahhs' wafer
iofus' are unknown 10 NM ana rem
day' thnt nightmare OF tne poor II
iiaught WIN no 'etrofs 10 MS hilld' DC
cause ne pays no rent,
inc law provides mat any ono moor
ing boat 70 the naiik OF river u SUP
Jeot 10 rehlh w tho option OF th'
~ ~ Wv ,'lu vs. wv