The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-07-13
NEW HAVEN MORNING JOURNAL COURIER MONDAY 49,


"Leathers! BY the Lord Harry. had
that been any one else we would be
swimming now, Leathersi"
And possibly as the fog cleared and
the steamers ploughed on their respec-
tive journeys, several hundred souls
slumbering, all unconscious of the Inn
minence of the death that had just
threatened them, two captains sat in
Their respective cabins and thought OF
the other with such sentiments as only
such an occasion could inspire. ..
drunkenness in either crew or past
senger was one of the things which
Captain Leathers would under no cir
cumstances tolerate. 1t is impossible
to say how much to this was due the
fact Of the singular absence of acct
dents characterizlng the captains ca
reer. An incident that is told of him
illustrates this On trip up the river
passenger became too friendly with
the bar-keeper and became intoxicated.
When the captain learned of the mans
condition he had the boat stopped and
put both the man and the bar-keeper
off. To the latter he said: You are
largely responsible for this mans con-
dition. You Will, therefore, remain
here and take care of him until he be-
comes sober" BY the time the boat re-
turned both had had time for reflection.
There was no appeal from the decision
Of the old river chief on subjects on
which he felt so strongly. Ones re-
dress, If it was to come at all, had to
come through the courts, and the peo-
pie In time recognized and respected
what were termed his peculiarities.
The man in question was close friend
Of the captain, and when the boat
landed to take them back on the return
trip he upbraided the captain sharply
for his treatment of him. The captain
listened dispassionately and replied:
IT contend that am your friend yet,
contend that am your best friend In
what I did. Why, good Lord, man,
don't you know that snag can sink
the best boat afloat, and that fire viii
burn 1t, and that an explosion will blow
it to pieces, and that on the water there
is always danger! In case of such ac-
cidents the best of men would be at the
greatest disadvantage. What chance
would you have had, drunk" The log
ic was irresistible. Il.
When Captain Leathers was deepest
| in debt his simple word was. as solid a
security with the people with whom he
dealt as the best collateral. On his
simple word, without so much as CIV
| ing his note, he built the sixth Natchez,
with more than one hundred thousand
| dollars standing against him after the
boat was surrendered to him. Every
| copper of this Indebtedness the BOAT
earned.
| Captain Leathers used to affirm that
big railroad corporations, with theil
vast aggregations of capital and power
had not only control of the legislatures
of states, but as well of congress, and
that the people would one day see tc
| this.
\ The building of a bridge across the
/ Mississippi which would not permit tbs
olf-fashioned boat or. indeed, the pres
emit boat, with its ample proportions Its
| tall smokestacks and majestic height
to pass beneath them challenged his
unspeakable disgust 1t was robbine
the people Of nation of a great natu-
raj heritage When the st. Louis
bridge sent its spans across the river
forever disbarring the Natchez ane
similar monsters from plying higher
than that point, the captain became
4 convinced that the nation had lost Its
self-respect, else they would never
| have permitted such an outrage upor
| their property. 1t was useless to en-
| deavor to argue him out of HIS views or
/ such a subject.