The Indianapolis journal., 1895-07-07

yards fiSe-acre plantation.
LET me sell you mine." said the cap
tain OF the Silver Spray.
All right; what will you take Tor
herr"
TWENTY-FIVE thousand dollars"
I'll take her, and will be down here
at IL o'clock 10 pay you the money.
The captain regarded the affair as
joke. but just al noon, when he saw
Mr.. Ruzzard coming along the gang
plank with a buckskin sack in either
hand. he was glad that he had added
about 5000 TO the real value or the
boat. Mr.. Buzzard counted out TO the
captain $4,000. nearly all OF IL in gold
coin. and then he went up on the roof
and gave vent TO his feelings by fetch
and pr0claiming himself the owner or
the Silver Spray, bound for Buzzards-
vile. away up the Brazos."
About week after this affair a pilot
and a crew had been secured. and the
Silver Spray steamed away for the
mouth OF the Brazos. Buzzard must
have had some experience in steamboat
ing, for he soon demonstrated that he
was no novice either in the pilot house
or on the boiler deck There was a rise
In the river. and without any difficulty
the boat reached Old Washington, where
the surprised citizens turned out and
gave the steamboat crew warm and
hearty welcome. They had dance and
a moonlight excursion, and whisky
n0wed as freely as in an Irish shanty.
AN EXTRAORDINARY VOYAGE.
The voyage was continued up the
river until Buzzard actually had the
satisfaction OF tying up the fine steam
boat almost at his own doorstep. Here
happened something which attracted
little attention at the time, but the
crew afterward concluded their captain
not so much of a fool after ALL There
was an object in the voyage Buzzard
induced the pilot and nearly all of the
crew to go on fishing expedition to a
neighboring bayou, where there was a
country store. He literally supplied
them with money, and warned them to
bring back plenty OF whisky. During
the day Buzzard and his wife made sew
eral trips off into the hills, each time
returning with big sacks, pretty well
nlied with something, on their shoul-
ders. Later in the day they moved ev-
erything out Of the little cabin on board
OF the Silver Spray. Buzzard was now
In most excellent humor. He got glo-
riously drunk. and would not rest until
the whole crew were in a like condi-
ton. Steam was raised, the flag hoist
ed, the bell rung. the cables slipped, and
down the swift BraZos the boat started
with scarcely man on board sober
enough to stand on his feet. Strangely
enough, they slipped through Munson's
shoals, squeezed between the rocks at
Hidalgo Falls, threaded the bars at the
mouth OF New Years creek. and were
uproariously drunk, fiddling and dane
Ing, when there was an easy, grinding
almost noiseless stoppage of the boat.
The big wheel was still pounding the
muddy waters. but the boat slowly
Et fl,n
said. Hard aground for the summer,
surer nor blaZes!"
1t wss nearly daylight, and the crew.
nearly exhausted with the debauch, fell
down on the decks wherever they hap
pened to be and went to sleep. The sun
was rising above the tree tops when
Mr.. Buzzard raised up on his elbow and
said: well, I'll just be burned eff we
amt stuck in the middle of a cornfieldp'
1t was true enough. The tasseling corn
stood UP thick around the guards of the
boat. and nothing but corn could be
seen for mile OR more in any direc-
ton. The river was falling very fast
and thirty-six hours afterward the Sill
yer Spray was standing high and al
most dry in old Colonel Chessher's corn
field, five miles from the BraZos The
waters OF the Brazos had not been
there before since the settlement of the
country. Buzzard was in favor of drink
Ing up all the whisky and making a
bonre Of the boat, but better counsel
prevailed. The crew walked across the
country 20 the railroad and BuZzard and
his wife and children remained on the
boat. 1t was rather an unusual sight
TO see big stern-wheel steamboat out
I'm the middle of cornfield, and for
three or four weeks people came from
every direction to see it. . Buzzard
stayed pretty close to the boat, but he
purchased pair of mules and a light
wagon and made several trips back to
his old home on the BraZos.
A BIG DAY IN HOUSTON.
Late in the fall Buzzard and his fam
lily again appeared in Houston. A cir-
Gus and travelling menagerie had just
been stranded in the city, and the sher-
fff was selling off the show property un-
der an execution. Buzzard was Just
about drunk enough to be fascinated by
a thing Of that sort, and he commenced
bidding on everything that was Of
fered for sale. a big snake seventeen
feet long was knocked down to him for
$500. Next he bid $4,000 for a Bengal
tiger, and got him. A big elephant
brought $1,000, and Buzzard became the
owner. He bid on everything in such
q reckless manner that the sheriff and
the show people were in an ecstacy OF
delight. The judgment was soon salts
fed, and the show people had more sur.
plus money coming to them than their
whole outfit originally cost. Buzzard
paid for everything, and, being troubled
with an irresistible desire TO treat ev-
erybody, he soon had the show people
and every one else who would drink
with him. as drunk as he was. A big
crowd was following the strange char
acter from place to place, and the sa-
looms were reaping rich harvest
Finally Buzzard concluded to have q
show at night and a grand procession
instantly. The members OF the brass
band were full OF enthusiasm and ev.
erything else supplied by the average
Houston. bar. The circus horses were
hitched TO the wagons and cages, and
the big elephant was brought out and
saddled. BuZzard was suddenly seized
with doubt as 10 whether his proper
place was on the back of the elephant
or in the cage with the lions. The cir.
Gus people. discovering that he was ap
parently an inexhaustible mine of gold
whisky and fun, were not disposed tc
feed him to the lions yet awhile anc
they persuaded him that the post o
honor and danger was on the back oi
the royal elephant Dressed like ar
Arab Sheik, with turban and sword
followed by Mrs. Buzzard and the chill
dren, arranged in q manner that suv
~~I I'll