The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-12
LIFE IN THE SHANTY BOATS.
THE QUEER FLOATING POPULATION
or JHE WESTERN RIGERS.
whence Coues the Population that Drirts
with che Currcnt-CharncteristIcS or the
Boat DwcIIers -EStrcmes OF Luxury aud
or POverty-A Pnlntini Shnnty nont.

Il w h"A hHA NPNhNAe w NV 'hAN
one who pushes out from tho place where he
was born. yet lacking in sturdy endurance. lie
would accept conditions easily. In those early
days those who pushed forward ont OF western
Pennsylvania and West Virginia and western
New York took to the kindly bosom Of the broad
Ohio as n means OF transportation, and on
flatboats and in rough dugouts and canoes
were borne southwark and westward with the
current. not n hard lilo was this when COM
pared with the telling existence of pioneer farm
life and tho necessity OF hewing down n forest
10 make n field. Floating down the beautiful
river In pleasant weather. fishing, foraging up
and down the banks, having at command the
resources OF the land and the water, living In
such IL manner that II change could be made
every hour II IL was desired this was n free cx-
istence, with less caro- than any life In the
trackless wilderness could be.
What wonder is IL that the weakest and most
ease-loving OF the wanderers from home should
keep to tho river. love it, rear their families on
II, and to-day furnish Il people who are really
Arabs They are ntncnable to no law. for where
numbers and drawing recruits from the de
generates Of cities and towns" at all times,
near Fl as any estimate 5 can be made, over 10000
people. They are not easy to count, these river
morrow. They know hiding places up the
mouths OF creeks where II would DO hard to
lind them, and are as elusive as fieas In every
The overplus Of population in the three
s,ss | reNG ewy YorE'' t W NIB srS into a the 'V oLio
River as easily as do tho creeks, r%iyulets. and
rills. From Ear up the Allegheny River they
out from Big Hickory, ,Hemlook., Halls Run.
ple and the Breakneck. from up Cowanshan-
mock Creek and the Big Puckcttn. from pithole
slouching, ignorant procession of young people
who have no ambltion. no education. but who
easier than telling logs in the mountains or
working in the coal mines or on the chutes.
Neither does the Monongahela district neg
strange life upon the, Ohio River. Its branch.
westmoreland, and Allegheny counties in more
senses than one. The Mononsahela comes up
irGm West Virginia iad rd thrSnga those those Wild and
Taylor. Marion, and Mqnopgahela counties, and
f iSro1g to G msSs snS WHi, lsSShSny at and h AiiaShsnv
counties in Pennsylvania. In all these isolated
regions all hearts inclined to roam follow the
helps to make the broad Ohio.
Pittsburgh pushes out a very regiment Of
city of river nomads is larger than any one
Ruesses, because 1t is no ones business and no
she gathers up her children, those who trust
her. from right and left. Think what n section
she can influence with all her streams which
go toward her and put thoughts into a mans
heart OF free life on the river.
m s9 taH r TistrIs,, come OF west ln f Tirnin ate a r1St tSs
fertile fields OF Kentucky and Ohio. Strange it
Is that the id!e man seeks the water. but 1t Is II
well known fact, never proven stronger than by
the life seen on the Ohio. The hard times have
had much to do with the increase OF river deni-
Zens in the last two years.
such IS tho way the Ohio is peopled. TITS
usually the only escape from the sweat Of the
a shanty boat means liberty, travel, adventure,
Il world sought and found. Soa shanty bout is
get one is the fulflment OF his widest dreams.
From the observation cars Of the {. and q. X.
seen. and is one OF the interesting sights of the
picturesque valley. Until tho road leaves the
Ohio River at Huntington hundreds OF floating
habitations are seen here. there. and on either
side. Sometimes they are hugging the bank be-
meath a friendly fringe OF willows, a plank TO the
OF one or the other states. At other times
the boats are being poled along slowly or
stout oarsmen. AT other times but this is tho
height of luxury-a shanty boat Is seen ascend
ing the stream. but towed by Il steamer or small
tug. This, however. means some unprecedented
stroke of good luck having b%efallen the shanty
boat family, and is an event duly appreciated by
the rest OF their Fix upon the ohio. Usually the
progress IA from day to day along the bank. or
ness policy to tic up for a while in a certain
place he does SO, and, as n bit OF diversion.
gather his harvest, or circumstances may com
pei hin n, to n MAKE e. r one sr o. those m IhiNG hit;
the well-known ways OF river folk.
The river people, have many and varied occu;
pations. Fishing is an easy thing 10 claim, and
the d f9G ,bS of 6 mSn y Of fh tsT Gb Tso RIya is la1 CSry m ,m%ai
and bacon are largely used, and hot biscuit u
concoction OF flour, salt, and water IL consid-
cred Indispensable. AS few shanty boat homes
cooked in II creased skillet on top OF tho round
iron stoves invariably broken and cracked
which constitute the heating and cooking appa-
ratus of a shanty boat.
Fish vendors to the small villages and suburbs
people. Many OF them also sell wood, that which
they pick up on the bank, and which Is thrown
suitable for stove wood. or into kindiinrs. Is
haTked about The neighborhood OF the boats
s seine s Sppa tTf sm al on ss end. and Sdm IN t 1osss n nsse ara a
many things caught besides fish. In make
shifts the river people are adopts. One Of the
dredgo up n lot OF coal tumhled ovcr6oard from
a barge into the water than he would earning u
ton by honest labor on land.
The ends never meet in II shanty boatman's
home. Life H. not, however, a continual protest,
but continual acceptance OF hard conditions
which make an ordinary human being shudder.
Yet the class, as a class, though ignorant and
dirty, are not wholly wretched nor wholly i'm
moral. Among themselves there is much clan
nisEness and good feeling, which is shown in
TO fatten on Others 81 bstancc, for. let one shanty
boat be visited by any bit OF good fortune, there
is sure to be plenty of company there while the
There never was as improvident a set of
RisptR&ie e s %o shis; lFfe oy I ISse no IS .o.Sny n % GtdpS eaIah
what comes for tomorrow. Little respect have
any OF the class for education or civilized OBJ;
W. hANe' N'NAAA' AAAAN' Naf' DsAch 'AAAS WA
have the old order OF things changed. but are
cried down by the younger, set, Among them
II is a heinous crime for n river man or woman
10 get - biggoty'' and 10 desire better things.
The clothes of The river man, like the back OF
the alligator, are always the color of tho ele-
ment he ~loves-river water. Tho clothes OF the
women assume a similar hue In a short time.
The water about the boat IL rarely used for
drinking purposes. The true river man and
woman never drink water. The bottle is a great
favorite in these places, ana tho coffee pot is
always on tho stove. Between the constant
coffee drinking, the constant ablutions In muddy
water. and the constant exposure to the wealth
or, the river complexion is much the hue OF a
clay hank.
The children of these river nomads are
strangely rugged, and are as much like little
saynges rs one would expect them to be. They
are Ill clad, III fed, and Ill natured only too
often. They are hardly as much noticed as the
family dog, or as well governed. They learn to
swim and row at an early age; also, To forage
for that which will stitie the demands OF hunger.
They are happy, these mites, under cirCum
stances which make a strong man shudder. |
Great frequenters OF the "%dnmps' Of cities and
villages are these river children, and from them
return triumphant WITHHOLD shoes and hats which
no one else In the wide worll would carry "a
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