The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1894-09-14
AN OLD PILOTS "REMINISCENCES.
What Capt. J. w. Campbell Has to Say
3 About tho Eprcr NIississIppi.

son, H., q pioneer pilot OF the upper Mis-
sissippi, writes thus about the past and
present: II emerged from the hazel
brush in northeast Missouri in 1914 to
take q first peep at the wide world be-
yond. Having been infatuated in early
youth with the cat fish and drift log bus
mess, it WAS but natural should seek
nautical pursuit. Consequently l drift
cd on board an upper Mississippi steam
boat and began to serve as q cub pilot
along shore between st. Louis and Fort
Smelling. The first duty of cub is to
designate the difference between fore
and aft-larboard and starboard- and
with brains enough to determine if the
current Of the river runs to the north or
SOUTH
ale is then permitted to enter the pi-
lot house and take the wheel, while his
senior lights his pipe, and being consti-
tutionally tired seats himself on an clc-
waited bench in the rear and looks COM
placcntly on. Presently, under the ma
nipulation of the verdant cub, the wheel
begins to spin from right to left-left to
right-hard up and hard down; he strikes
with his clumsy paws at the revolving
wheel with the awkwardness of his ma
| tured namcsakc and involuntarily his
pedal extremties como in contact with
the spokcs of tho inner circle Of the
wheel below, thereby illustrating the re-
suits of centrifugal force by throwing
him outside of thH pilot house
/ A "But after a few more experiments of
similar kind he becomes more skillful,
and with less eXertion guides the boat
steadily along. and then begins his great
est task by learning the shores that he
may distinguish uncrringly one locality
from another in the darkest night, after
which he is directed to observe the fol-
lowing landmarks: Head of Island,
head, Big Hollow, High Bluff, Point-no-
Point, Dead Cottonwood Tree, Tall Syca
more with many more, all of which by
association become indclibly painted
upon the panorama of the mind, and
when they are recognized by the cub
they become welcomed companions to
him in the darkness of the night-a
warning sentinel by which he avoids the
breakers and reefs ahead.
He is now prepared to stand watch,
is no longer dubbed the cub, but is en-
titled to promotion and receives the cog
nomcn of star gazer.'
1T was much harder when began
for one to learn than at present, for the
country above Prairie du Chicn was I'M
inhabited, except by Indians and few
white traders, but now we have villages
and cities from ten to twenty miles
apart, with government lights located at
every difficult crossing on the river
E,.ct II -,
on passing the head of Coon slough to
hold her on Wild Cat bluff, where now
ncstlcs beneath its shadows the prosper
GUS village of Brownsville, and on as
cending ten miles farther up we land on
the cast side Of Prairie La Crosse, con-
tanning then but two houses The upper
ono was occupied by Mr.. Mirick, used
jointly as residence and warehouse
and 100 yards below stood a log hut
tenantcd by Mr. White, while the bar
rem sand banks intermediate were dotted
with Winnebago wigwams.
"On this bleak and lonely sand prairie
of the past we behold at present mag.
ical change. The namo is abbreviated
to plain La Crosse. Instead of two resi-
dents, we find here now u population of
over 10000 people. We hear the sound
Of the buzzing SAW of mills less than Il
hundred yards apart for over five miles
up and down the river, while in front
along the shore are millions upon mill
ions Of pine lumber and saw logs await
ing to be towcd down the river to supply
tho increasing demands of the great
southwest
'ln place of one solitary steamboat
landing here semi-monthly, we see them
come and go by the dozen every twenty
four hours, for more of them are owned
in La Crosse than ut any other point be-
tween ST. Louis and st. Paul, and my
companions in days of yorc, with the
ficdglings of today, have organized q
pilot association here with over $50 mem
bcrs, who question the propricty of the
government i'll appointing an inspector
whom they deem inexperienced.
Again we are under way, passing
upon our left ma cstic bluffs arising sew
cral hundred feet above tho waters edge
while upon our right we view for miles
in the distance tho valley of Black river,
whose pine timber has since added mill
ions to the wealth of the pioneer settler
After stcaming eighteen miles farther up
this rock bound mountain shore / OBJ
served pine trees growing upon Il ledge
Of rocks, and on the the face below was
etched the words George Catlin.' On
viewing again this once familiar name
but by me then almost forgotten. my
thoughts reverted quickly back to child
hoods happy hours, passed in gathering
gndeS along shore for this great Amer
ican traveller, an ever welcome guest at
the savage wigwam or princcly palace.
We cross over to the right hand shore
and the valley is in our rear, while in
front we behold the greatest curiosity on
the Mississippi river, a conical island
mountain. zoo feet in height, commonly
called 'Moulh Strombolo, but by tho
early French voyagcrs La Montaignc
que trompc Il ieau."--Chicago Times.