The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-06-07
BILL ARP
Tolls About Bis Friend who Runs
Steamboat Line.
atlanta Constitution.

atlanta Constitution.
NASHVILLE TENN, May 21.-Who is
Captain Ryman? have been bis guest
for a day and a night. His beautiful
home is on the heights. 1t is embowered
in shade and surrounded by flowers
flowers without and flowers within--for
at the beautiful table found matrons
and maideus and school girls, all ready
to give welcome to the stranger-the
Georgia cracker as they call me. 1t is q
large family, and reminded me of horne,
| 'or as it is in all large families, there is
more freedom, more companionship,
more talk, more music and more com.
pany.
Captain Ryman is waterman. he
runs the line of packets or steamboats,
from Nashville to Evansville, $50 miles.
There are eight boats and they averagsa
round trip in week, and 30 there is one
to 90 and one to come every day.
There is nothing strange or peculiar
about that. The Captains Office is near
the wharf and I concluded to visit the
outgoing steamer and see her outit.
Everything aboard was lively. 1noticed
sign over the cabin door and got really
to throw away my cigar, for I supposed
the sign said so, but it didn't. 1t said :
'Trust in the Lord and Do Good" On
the inside and over the same door, it
said: 1.-THE Heavens Declare the Glo:y
of God," and at the far end of the cabin
was another line of Scripture, and sll
about were gentle reminders that "jn
Him we live and move and have our bs.
ing"
SIS this missionary boat" said I.
eyes," said the Captain, "ours are all
missionary boats. We have no bars nor
quick sands, no drinking pilots or deck
hands, no swearing men-white or black,
no gaming tables. We may carry a.
tough sometimes but we don't know It
and don't throw anybody overheard.
Yes, you may call them missionary boats
if you choose, for they have converted
some sinners that know and have i'm
proved the morals of boatmen all along
the line"
I learned from others that the Captain
used to run his boat like everybody else,
and whisky and cards and geod deal of
swearing were considered part tthe furnl'
ture, but few years ago Sam Jones cams
along here and in one of bis magnetic
sermons shook the Captain all up and
knocked out his props and put him to
thinking. He has great big heart, aad
is full of sympathy for the poor and un'-
fortunate, and so he suddenly "came tn
himself" as the Scriptures say of the
prodigal son, and broke up his bar and
forbade all gambling or drinking or
swearing on his boat, and he had all thaa
Scripture put over the doors and dis
charged every man who was unwilling to
work on the new schedule. 1t was hard
on him for while and hard on his boat,
bat after while he whipped the fight,
and he bought out some of the other
boats on the river, and there is no liquor
or cuss words on any of them, and it il
said that this is the only line of boats in
the wide world that is run by water and
Christian code of morality. You car
tell it from stem to stern, from the pilot
to the fireman, from the walters to the
deck hands. Everything is sober and
everybody polite and we'll hammered.
Captain Ryman then began to play
missionary all over the town and started
the great tabernacle movement and got
help everywhere, and Sam Jones put in
his sledge hammer licks and raised s22,-
900 in one night, and all this is union
business and takes in all denominations.
and the great tabernacle is Nashville
institution, and in it they have preachers
and lecturers from all over the country,
and its work is refining and elevating
and has given 8 high moral tone to the
young men of the city and the neighbor.
ing Colleges. Sam Jones and Captain
Rymau have founded all this and the
Captain has besides mission hall OF his
own down near the wharf for steamboat
men, and there has been preaching or
service there every night for seven years.
Just think of one mans power, or saT
two mems power, for good in a commd-
nifty. L confess that was amazed.
Hundreds and perhaps thousands of men
have been saved from ruin by it, and
many mother and many wife made
happy. "They who have called many
unto Righteousness shall shine as the stars
f,rever and ever"
Of course I met my old friend Gun
niogham here. He pretends to live here,
but really lives everywbere-everywhere
in the South where he can find dollar
for tue Confederate Keteran, which be
publishes, or for the JEFF. Davis monu'
meut fnud. He knows more people, es'
pecially more lonely women, in Tennes-
see than any other man, ard he always
has their sympathy. He is the universal
friend and the great Southern patriot.
He travals on free passes from the Poto-
mac to the Rio Grande and makes an &C
quaintauce on every train aud and scat
ters sample copies of the Veteran. 1t is
a beautiful monthly, and costs only fifty
cents year, aud he is making it sue
cess. Cunningham will die happy if be
lives to see the monument that he is
working for heard mutual friend
say that when Cunningham died and
u,nt IN Haacan's rata he would shake