The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-10-08
THE wALKlNe-eeAM BOY.
Peculiar Advertisement of an Old Steam
boat.

Peculiar Advertise OF All Old steam
boat
In 1885 the steam whistle had not yet
been introduced on the boats of the
western rivers Upon approaching
towns and cities in those days vessels
resorted to all manner of schemes and
contrivances to attract attention. They
were compelled to do so in order to Sc
cure their share OF freight and passen-
gers, so spirited was the competition
between steamboats, from 1896 to 1910.
There were no railroads in the west
Gndeed, there were but one or two in
the east, and all traffic was by water.
Consequently, steamboat men had all
they could do to handle the crowds OF
passengers and the tons of merchandise
offered them.
Shippers and passengers had their
favorite packets. The former had their
huge piles of freight stacked upon the
wharves, and needed the earliest possi-
BILE intelligence of the approach of the
packet so that they might promptly
summon clerks and carriers to the
shore. The passengers, lettering in
neighboring hotels, demanded some
system of warning of favorite steam
ers coming, that they might avoid the
disagreeable alternative of pacing the
muddy levees for hours at time, OF
running the risk of being left behind.
Without whistle, how was boat tc
let the people know it was coming, es
pecially if some of those sharp bends
of which the Ohio river is famous inter
vened to deaden the splashing stroke o
its huge paddle-wheels, or the regular
puff, puff, puff, puff of its steam ex
haust pipes?
The necessity originated several crude
signs, chief among which was the noist
created by sudden escapement o
steam either from the rarely used boile
waste tubes close to the surface Of thu
river, or through the safety-valv'
above.
1t was reserved for the steamboa
champion" to carry this idea q littl'
further 1t purposed to ca tch the ey,
of the patron as well as his ear. TIL,
Champion was one of the best know
vessels plying on the Mississippi in 1886
1t was propelled by walking beam en-
gine.
One day it was discovered that th'
Champions escapement tubes were
broken, and no signal could be given t.
a landing place not far ahead. A rival
steamboat was just little in advance
and bade fair to capture the large
amount of freight known to be at tn
the landing.
'T'll make them see us, sir!" cried
fourteen years old, who stood on tn
deck close to where the captain was be
wailing his misfortune.
Without another word the lad climbe,
up over the roof of the forecastle, and
fearlessly catching hold of the walking
beam when it inclined toward him witt
the next oscillation of the engine
swung himself lightly on top of the ma
chinery. 1t was with some difficult
that he maintained his balance, but h
succeeded in sticking there for fifteel
minutes. He had taken off his coat
and he was swinging it to and fro
The plan succeeded. Although tn
| other boat beat the Champion into port
| the crowd there had seen the odd spec
tacle Of a person mounted on the walk
| ing-beam of the second vessel, and
wondering over the cause, paid no at
tention to the landing of the first boat
but awaited the arrival of the other.
The incident gave the master of .th
Champion an idea. He took the boy a
permanent member of the crew, an,
assigned him to the post of walking
beam boy" buying for him large ant
beautiful flag.-L. E. Stofel, in st
| NichnlnS