New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-08
THE NOW-AND-THEN RIVER.


each striving to leave the other Side by side IN
the yellow water of the Big Sandy, which at
Catlettsburg pOurs its uncertain flood into the
Ohio the two stern-whcel steamboats, raced, raced
slowly as q worn out horse will strain his stn ola
Joints at times TO prove that some other quadrpcd
is still slower than himself Sunset colors were
in the sky; caving washed out and washed over
river banks on the right hand and on the LETT ::
Thousands of great logs forming RATS and meets
of RATS; and, side by SIDE the Andy Hatcher ana
the Frank Preston, putting with tremendous
display of incapacity Our Andy Hatcher was
crowded with lumbcrmen. but ore more had
wanted TO be taken board and had come out
with swinging, careless gait across the big RATS
end
"will yer wait tel 20 ter the town and get
my coat p, he had asked.
When it was explained to him that even the
ANDY Hatcher could not wait so long, he had
returned across the RATS with the same swinging
careless stride to stay where he was for a few
days more To the lumberman who floats and
lives on floating logs tomorrow becomes as TO-
day"
Now il has been said of the Andy Hatcher thot
IL the captain hears hen caclsle he will draw
I'D by the bank and wait for a cargo OF eggs; 50
IL is with pleasure that l note the hudable hrm-
ness shown in this instance.
On the two crowded boats men yelled and
jeered and the drubbing paddle wheels spun round
faster and faster as the race progressed. with
never a spectator to admire such pair OF con-
testants in picturesque decay Yet stay, here
comes one spectator: one woman of the hardened
sort YOU find where lumbermen often pass comes
striding across the RATS, fearless unconscious OF
the short pipe she is smoking. grinnlNg with
interest.
Presently the Frank Preston dropped behind to
nick up a raftsman who wanted to be take
aboard; but 1T will follow u.s. native says,
plum up ter Pike" We shall see about that
later.
These lumbermen make supplies from their farms
and pay taxes with the logs they float down.
There is a raft worth $1,000 said one at my
elbow: and added in explanation, black walnut
timber" But most of the RATS bring scarcely
more than one-fftieth OF that sum. The most
active among these men will float down six or
seven such RATS in the course Of a season AS It
is better even TO float than to remain absolutely
stationary; the population along this river-way
are distinctly superior 70 those who dwell further
I'D among the mountains; and certain shrewd-
ness CLEANS through occasional observations they
make A serious looking fellow was asserting that
they had recently passed through tie biggest
storm in 800 years
"How's that ?" some one asked. How do you
know all that has happened in 300 years? '
WAL" was the drawing answer. it blowed
down er tree 500 year olG what it never did
blow down before"
When night. with fog. had settled down upon
us. they sprawled themselves, and curlcd them
selves. and attencd themselves, or hid and utterly
effaced thcmselves-did these brown skinned giants
ON the floor, in corners on shelves or. like rats
oLabl 6orlr Ac
crowd around the card-tabc were playing Seen
up..'' or watching the sly leads and the pounding
emphasis with which greasy cards were dashed on
the table.
Before the door OF Stacroom No. was the SLIM
long figure Of an individual who discharged tie
functions OF purser, first officer and clerk who wore
a cap, had scarcely any chm, but an Adams apple
so obtrusive that it looked like mobile chm
which, by mistake, had become attached to the
neck instead OF TO the face ] his Individual was
ne ohed on box and passn a br)o lex through
the transom above the door Of No >, and with this
broomstick he poking with vicious thrusts
An obstinate fellow had taken possession OF the
stateroom and refused TO bulge, so now the In
dividual was pokng him in the head with broom
stick.
In the centre Of the cabin young schOo teacher
and her niece were sitting close together. striped
shawl thrown over the shoulders of both OF them
Presently the aunt's head went down in the nieces
lap, and they swayed with fondling, soothing
motion. Their was tenderness in their pose ana
gentQeness in their expression. If you make
picture in your mind let this scene Of the young
women's gentleness be in the foreground; and, IN
the background, brown, bare-throated, STOPPING
fat-chested, sincwy giants. sprowling higGledy-
picaledy with equal indifference 10 sleeping or
waking.
At another time the school-mistrcss, speaking
with several OF us said She had been teaching since
she was fifteen, and that she taught bookkeeping
t"sngle entry they don't get beyond that J.,
history and "all the elementary branches. She
and her niece were from West Virginia, and they
were going TO visit in Pikevillc, Kentucky. In
her little elementary" history of herself which
she communicated 70 us the kind of pathos,
perhaps the only kind of pathos, that appeals TO
a man-it was so depressed and she was so I'M
conscious She never said she wanted TO get away
20 the great cities or Just for in her life u
,omethir q besides the m ountairs-shc who knew by
heart those glowing enumeratiOns of foreign and
domestic attractions appended, in her elementary
geography, 70 the lists of principal towns. No.
she just told of teaching half the year from
o'clock to 4. and studying the other hall Her
father had been lawyer, a member OF the State
Senate and he had intended TO send her to college
for six years. With this intention unfulilled, he
died and she had begun to teach tat S25 MONTH
and 20 study in a mechanical sort Of way, with
out hope beyond.
She made up her mind that there was no more
chance for her 10 get out into the world-the world
treated of in her elementary branchcs"-than
there was for tree this was her own modest
estimate) far away from river or railroad The
children she taught ranged from TO 81 years Of
age. 1t must have been task for that wisp Of a
woman 20 manage mountsineers Of 81. children
morally and intellectually
The Frank Preston passed us during the night
which was an easy matter, inasmuch as we were
tied I'D for several hours, so that all hands might
sleep-our exploring party sleeping on cot beds
10, MA had hroueht with us And in the morn