The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-04-18
coNgENrMRNr AFLoAr.
Prom the St. Louis Republic.

4
hundreds of these peculiar craft with
their quota of more peculiar people,
drop anchor in the little coves that dot
the river shore north and south of the
bridge Once tied in place their own
ers seek work at the quarries that line
the river bluffs or find employ ment in
the factories near by.
| The tiny boats are fioated to the high.
est place the stage of the water in the
river will admit, and these settled upon
roughly driven piles until the higher
tides of spring shall float them on
| again The location of the hen coop,
dog box and wood pile having been
| fixed there is but little left in the life
OF the average houseboat dweller to
| think about save his daily supply of
| coffee, bacon and biscuit, for that is the
| stereotyped food of these river navi-
gators.
| From ST Paul to New Orleans the
towns or cities lying on either bank Of
the Mississippi river have their shores
dotted at this season of the year with
these strange craft From Pittsburgh
TO Cairo on the Ohio river the same con-
dition exists, and in conversation with
an old river navigator who is now in
the service of the United States gov
eminent it was learned that there are
not less than twelve thousand of these
strange craft on the two rivers at this
season of the year.
In the summer, this authority states.
their number is materially increased
by hundreds more that have been in
hiding in the tributaries of these two
rivers out of the way of the winter
storms
Though there are hundreds and even
thousands of these river jewellers who
are more or less ignorant and shiftless,
there is still greater number-in fact,
one might say the majority-who are
capable workmen, honest and indus
trious, while not a few among them
possessed of love for this bohemian
sort of existence-have fair educations
and know what it is to live in another
way than that they adopt.
Generally speaking the men who
move along the rivers in boats are
guarrymen, foundry laborers, fisher
men and peddlers, with sprinkling of
good mechanics among their number.
The greater number in the colony
now located along the river bank on
the south side of the city are employed
in the quarries that stand out like
great tide wall along the Iron Mount
ain road from point south of Lemp's
plant to the great bluffs that are dotted
with the sentinel boxes of the city
workhouse grounds A few work for
the government along the river front
of the United States arsenal grounds.
The boat houses on this shore vary in
size, architecture and color as fire.
quently as does the nationality and
appearance of their inha bitantA While
some are squatted in mudholes along
the shore, scarcely above the ice
fringed waves surrounded by clumps of
wild willow and swamp brake, others |
have been punted to the highest point
the tide would carry, and all around |
and about them, from the trinity built |
wood pile to the whitewashed fences |
and hen coops, are evidences of neat |
ness: and the climbing vines-dead |
now, but still clinging tenaciously to
the roof and window shutters of the
boat-show a training hand in love
with nature.
Outside one of the fisherman's boats
a tiny stairway cut in the side OF the
clay banks gave the right-of-way to
the hut below. Leaning on the shell
tered side of the boat-mending his
nets and meanwhile putting diligently
at an old clay pipe-was an elderly ne
gro who. on learning the visitors err
rand, burst into the heartiess kind of
laughter.
Pears to me like you mought 6n'
puttyer place to go a-huntin' fer news"
he said, as he caught his breath again
ct amt much down var but old mig
gers, fish nets, pickaninnies, ole scows
and yaller pups"
what kind of fish do you catch
down here, uncle?" queried the news-
paper man.
Huh, Emmy kind what swims, sep
pen whales an sharks, an reckon we'd
ketch dem eff we 60 down ribber fur
enuf"
This hit of homemade humor sent
It's author off into a fit of outlaws that
could only come from the throat of
real old river negro. One whose voice
had been trained TO "hulloa de big
boat" to keep it from running down his
OWN frail craft-whose lungs had been
toned to mellowness by the river winds
IF summer. or given It's metallic ring
Dy the drifting fogs of winter.
Finally, when he had discovered that
his visitor really meant business and
was not joking him, he told of wan
,ering life along the shores of the
Big Sandy. the Ohio, Ten
1essee and Mississippi rivers
''Sence I left ole Buffalo Bayou,
away down in Mississippi good many
7'ars ago, Use don mos everything
rom ketchin' fish TO trappin' mus'rats,
possuins, 'coons and cherry kim OF var
mint what runs in de woods Deg
,aint much in de petit business no mo-"
10 continued, AN I reckoned I'd jest
AXE TO fshin' and stick to il twell
lie"
Passing from the old negro's cabin
boat 70 nicely painted houseboat. in
he windows of which were little dotted
muslin curtains, the reporter met Petsr
Jansen, q Svedc, employed in the gov
.rnment service at the arsenal
Jansen possesses more than the aver
Ige intelligence allotted 70 rivermen,
nd he told his .uterlocutor of house
,oat navigstors who had Accumulated
leat sums of money. and selling OF
heir floating residences, had moved
nto town and adopted . more stable
.ddreSS
Most folks who see rs floating along
he river seem 70 think we are all SET
4 ns'er-do- wells " hose rcora Is better |