The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-10-07
THE WALKING-sEAM BOY.
Peculiar Advertisement of an Old steam
boat.

Peculiar Advertisements of an Old steam
boat.
In 1858 the steam whistle had not vet
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 1886 to lS4O
There were no railroads in the west
Indeed, 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 posi-
BILE intelligence OF the approach of the
packet so that they might promptly
summon clerks and carriers to the
shore. The passengers, lettering In
system of warning of favorite steam
er's coming, that they might avoid the
disagreeable alternative of pacing the
muddy levees for hours at time or
running the risk of being left behind.
Without a whistle, how was a boat to
bet 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 Of
its huge paddle-wheels, or the regular
puff, puff, puff, puff OF its steam ex-
Saust pipes?
The necessity originated several crude
signs, chief among which was the noise
created by a sudden escapement of
steam either from the rarely used boiler
waste tubes close to the surface of the
river, or through the safety valve
above.
1t was reserved for the steamboa
champion" to carry this idea little
further. 1t purposed to ca tch the eye
of the patron as well as his ear The
Champion was one of the best known
vessels plying on the Mississippi in 1886.
1t was propelled by walking beam en-
CINE.
One day it was discovered that the
Champions escapement tubes were
broken, and no signal could be given to
a landing place not far ahead. A rival
steamboat was just little in advance,
and babe fair to capture the large
amount of freight known to be at the
the landing.
''Tll make them see us, sir.' cried a
bright boy, who seemed to be about
fourteen years old, who stood on the
deck close to where the captain was be-
wailing his misfortune
Without another word the lad climbed
up over the roof of the forecastle, and.
fearlessly catching hold of the walking
beam when it inclined toward him with
the next oscillation of the engine,
swung himself lightly on top of the ma
chinery. 1t was with some difficulty
that he maintained his balance, but he
succeeded in sticking there for fifteen
minutes. He had taken off his coat,
and he was swinging it to and fro
The plan succeeded. Although the
other boat beat the Champion into port,
the crowd there had seen the odd spec
tacle of 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 the
Champion an idea. He took the boy as
a permanent member of the crew, and
assigned him to the post of walking
beam boy" buying for him large and
beautiful flag.-L. E. Stofel, in st.
Nicholas.