The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-07-13
KING OF THE MISSISSIPPI.


Work in Fog Bank-No Use for the
Drunk-His Word Was His Capital
Killed by a Bicycle.
[From the Atlanta constitutional
'Old Push" is no more. Another of
the picturesque figures of American life
is gone. For fifty years he was ia
nous character, and men were proud
to call him friend. Captain Thomas p.
Leathers was king on the Mississippi
river. His name was known far and
wide, but Familiarity he was called "old
Push" because of his admiration for
Push ma-ta-ha, the Indian chief
Leathers was intimately associated
with the rivers greatest glory in the
good old days when the steamboats,
that Piled the stream were floating pal
aces; when the rich planters, their
wives and daughters travelled by water
and when the professional gambler
thrived on the passengers.
Captain feathers commanded the
Natchez in her historic race with the
Robert e. Lee. race which was
country and Europe Captain Leath-
ers had the Natchez No. built on
plans of his own. She would carry fif-
ty-five hundred bales of cotton and was
a magnificent boat. When she was fin
ished at Cincinnati discussion ran high
as to whether the boat was not the
fastest in the world, and the heat Of
this controversy resulted In the great
est race the world has known, chal
longing the excited interest of both the
new and the old world. 1t happened in
June of 1870, the stretch being from
New Orleans to st. Louis.
Two things precipitated the contest,
though Captain feathers had always
protested that as far as he was con-
cerned he was not racing, and circum-
stances point strongly to the correct
ness of this statement. On June "a, of
the year in question, Captain Leathers
arriving on his NatcheZ in ST. Louis,
wired Captain Perry Thorp that he had
made the trip to st. Louis, distance
of 1878 miles, in three days twenty one
hours and fifty-eight minutes, thus
smashing the record. The announce
ment stirred up the greatest excitement
among the partisans of the other fast
boats, among which ranked foremost
the Robert e. Lee, commanded by Cap
tain John W. Cannon. He determined
to beat this record and to that end
stripped his boat of all her doors and
windows, to avoid the winds resist
ance, and declined to receive any cargo
or passengers. The steamboat Frank
Pargoud was dispatched ahead to warn
the coaling barges that the Lee would
need coal with as little delay as posi-
Bile, and every precaution was taken for
the swiftest possible journey.
On June 30 the Lee backed out from
the New Orleans wharf and five min
utes later the Natchez, which had
showed UP her date of departure,
backed out with her own cargo, supple
lnented with that the Lee was to carry,
and the Lees passengers as well.
Along the river thousands of people
gathered to watch the exciting race,
and when the boats passed Memphis
ten thousand people collected to watch
them pass. The whole country and
Europe were kept posted on the pro-
gress Of the race, and hundreds of
thousands maybe millions, Of dollars
changed hands on its result. The Lee
gained slightly every one hundred
miles, the gain amounting to ten min
utes in the first three hundred miles,
but the Natchez made all her landings,
and did not have the coaling advan-
tages enjoyed by the Lee. The Match
ez was caught in the fog after passing
Cairo, and ran ashore, the Lee making
st. Louis In three days eighteen hours
and fourteen minutes.
Captain Leather took all the Lees
freight and passengers, and from that
one trip paid more than five thousand
dollars on his boat. So, although he
lost the race, he found 1t very profita-
BILE.
Captain Leathers had a strong affec-
ton for the Indians, and they admired
him. He had the cabin of his last
Natchez covered with pictures of Indi-
ans, and the largest one there was
Push ma -ha, the chief. Leathers
was a fine man physically, and had 6
rugged constitution. Had it not beer
for an accident he would probably have
lived much longer. On the day after
he was eighty years old bicycler rid
ing rapidly through the streets of New
Orleans struck the captain and so seri
ously injured him that he lived only {
few weeks.
The career of this foremost man O
the river would fill several volume:
with interesting incidents. 1t is posi-
BILE thatSno captain ever cherished :
higher regard for the responsibilities O.
his post or held in higher esteem th'
men Of his calling who possessed dis
tinguished merit in this respect. A lit
tie incident which the captain never
tired Of narrating, and which strikingl.
illustrates this point, imbedded foreve
in his heart the late distinguished Cap
tain Swan 1t was possible that thu
admiration was entirely mutual to thu
time of the latter's death. Captain
Swan was one night ploughing dow
the river the steamer White 9TH
first one). which he commanded, ant
Captain feathers was beating VI
stream 1t was foggy and late, but i
was not one of the sort of fogs whicl
appeared to be general in its nature
Both captains were convinced that in
short while they would emerge from
the murky district, and they gave or
ders to steam ahead a little briskly
In his narrative of the thrilling even
Captain feathers said the fog reached
lust a little above the hurricane decl
and was quite dense to the waters su
face. He felt uneasy and had remaine'
IN His boat was filled with souls AM
To kirkini