The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-12-29


The bow grated on the beach, and the
great gang plank was swung out side
ways like the tongue of q gigantic beast,
while the deck hands rushed out to the
end so as to weigh it down until it rested
on the shore. The passengers walked
on board, and the goods and chattles fol-
lowed on the backs of the crew in short
order. 1t was charming sail that
lovely afternoon, doubly grateful as the
heat on shore was very oppressive; but
delightfully."- cool it was on the river; and
the winding, placid stream, flowing be-
tween the high wooded banks, was a
very pretty sight; indeed, the Ohio will
compare favorably, at least that part OF
it, with any river we have seen. By and
by a flag moved from the left hand, or
north bank, answered by our whistle,
and soon a lot of peaches were coming
on board, a scene which was shortly af-
/ terward repeated on the opposite shore.
Then came signal, this time from the
north side: here two men waited, each
! having big drove of hogs, there was
some wheat. also, and cow with her
calf; here the fun began. As soon as
the gang plank was down, porta-
bio sides were placed along it and with
these an enclosed lane was made leading
to the pens on the boat. AT the shore
end of the gang plank, the men carried
this portable fence out each way so as to
make half circle. Then the crew went
ashore with an apparatus composed of
several stout wooden poles let into a
long piece of heavy canvass, about four
feet wide. This was spread out and the
men made portable fence out of it, en-
closing the first drove of hogs, which
were gently urged down the beach to-
ward the plank. Once inside the half
circle, that was closed around the pork
ers, and the men began to urge them up
the gangway in small punches. In each
bunch there would be an obstinate pig or
two, which would dive between the
mems legs, usually upsetting them, and
lget back among the main body. Finally
all were on board except the obstinate
ones, which stood at the foot of the
plank with their heads pointed shore
ward, and they could neither be turned
around nor started at all; there they
stayed for a long time, but finally were
got duder way. Meantime the passen-
gers watched the scene from the upper
deck and it was real free circus. The
COW and calf could not be induced to go
on board until finally one of the men got
his arms around the calf, and walked it
up the plank on its hind legs, a most
ately the anxious COW followed. The
pigs were exceedingly profane in their
remarks, both to the men, and to each
other; they were as fine lot of York
shires, solid and plump, as any farmer
could desire to own. So it went on; af-
ter dark the great electric search light of
the steamer lit up each landing place as
bright as day. 1t was hard to tear ones
self away from the upper deck at bed time
but the boat moved so gently that all en-
joyed a quiet rest Morning found us
not far from Cincinnati, and after an ex-
ceedingly pleasant sail we landed just
under the great suspension bridge, which
conn 3ctS the city with COvingtOn, KY.
The men on the western river boats al e
exceedingly pleasant, and are glad to do
all in their power to make the trip en-
joyable to the traveller. Just below Gin
cinnati we saw a number of men and
women wading through the shallow
places in the stream, hunting for the
fresh water mussels in which pearls are
found. We had fine view of Cincinnati
and the towns on the Kentucky sho re, as
the boat made its way up to the landing
place; high over head were several great
railway bridges; the single bridge of
1870 has become many. The levee is
very wide and high, and it was hard to
believe that the river ever rose to such
degree as to flood streets some distance
back from the top of that levee. Cincin-
natl has almost as bad a site for build
ings as Kansas City; the comparatively
small plain has been long outgrown, and
the city covers all the great clay hills for
miles back from the river; between these
hills are great CULTS which are slowly be-
ing filed up and the surface somewhat
lcvelled, but it is an herculean task. Sew
eral of the electric car lines have great
elevators to convey the cars up and
down the long steep slopes; these, also,
carry horses and carriages when de-
sired; it takes only a few seconds to
make the trip up or down; they are
built so that the floor is level, and are
drawn up by wire ropes. The cable lines
also. go up some very steep hills; sew
eral bad accidents have occurred there
lately with both methods. Many of the
cars used in the western cities are very
large, and have two four-wheel trucks, !
sometimes an extra pair of wheels in the
:. centre, and many of them have the ends
Enclosed in glass; very merciful pro-
ision for the men who run the cars.
they also have lite-saving device in
ront, which it would be well to have
Or the Broadway, New York, cable cars
Rnd Others, a net SeYeral IeeC Wlue, 1aSJ-
ened to heavy iron frame extends in
4 front of each car; if anything is struck it
must of necessity fall into the net and be
Carried along with the car; it is not pos
sible to run over even a small dog. In
the West they are far more liberal about
transfers than in the East. One can al
ways transfer between lines owned by
one company; sometimes transfer is
given on a transfer. In Troy, for in
stance, although all the lines belong to
one company, not single transfer is
hgiven; this is something the public
Fought not to allow The handsome resi-
dences of Cincinnati are away back be-
yond the great clay hills, and are very
numerous; the grounds about them, too,
in most cases, are unusually handsome.
The people of western cities evidently
object to being huddled down under
hill, among stores and in the hustle of
business, as is the case with many of the
eastern cities. Cincinnati is proud of a
handsome museum which is located in
one of the large parks, and is very con-
spicuous, perched, as it is, on extremely
high ground; the collection is very
good one. Near by is the world famed
lockwood pottery, established by a
wealthy lady of the city who became in
terested in some ware she saw in the
Japanese exhibit at the Centennial in
1914 and vubo of nnoa heUan m aYDari-