The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-07-25
r SURvIvALS.
"Reminiscences of the Past About the
Northern Waterways.


Northern Waterway.
Yoa find everywhere "reminiscences OF
the past clinging like a green growth
about the northern inland waterways
"Reminiscences of those past days of
which old LOSING, in his ever-delight-
full Field-Book, writes of "a neat little
canal packet, its cabin crowded with
passengers and a well-supplied dinner
table, and its deck piled with as much
luggage and as many loungers as low
bridges and a hot sun would allow"
and of which he says: For a loiterer
who takes no notice of the passing
hours and who loves To glide along list
lessly amid green fields and shady
woods, a voyage upon a canal may be
really delightful, especially if the face
Of nature is attractive, and a companion
Or agreeable book assists in smoothing
the passage of time" The old fellow so
wrote his delightfully."- stiff and formal
phrases about 1850. That was in the
very palmy days of canal travel, and it
is of those days hat "reminiscences
still cling about the p~urlieus of locks
and of open basins.
1 spent nearly an hour of one still
and tranquil evening with an old lock.
keeper, listening to his narratives of
those bygone days. He told me with
great circumlocution of how the rival
packet companies used to run their
boats with 12-horse teams and n great
show of colored trappings and juggling
bells; of how the crews of the packets
used to quarrel whenever they would
meet; of how the companies always
provided crews of fighting men to
punch the heads of the crews of the OF
position line. He told of how the pas
sengers used to crowd the decks; of
how the gentlemen used to step ashore
at the locks; of how the bar could not
supply them fast enough with drink.
The presence of the smooth, CLASSY
stretch of waterway. and the cataractal
rush of water OVERLOOKING the upper
gate into the lock where the continual
Accomplishments to mis- words, the
background to the narrative, and they
made it all seem very real. l could pic
ture to myself those old-time packets,
their decks crowded with passengers
the men with b~eli-crowned hats,
high-rolling collars. and stocks; the
women with smoothly brushed hair,
big bonnets, ample skirts and leg-of-
mutton sleeves. I could fancy the
Homeric battles of the fighting crews,
their red shirts, the hair curled for.
ward over the cheeks, the trousers
tucked into their top boots. Icould
imagine the shouting and brawling
when the packets met-the screaming
of the ladies and the confusion of the
gentlemen.
The old lockkeeper got up to open
the gates to some On-coming boat, and
I sat down and watched the numbering
hulk as it sank lower into the lock,
with a vast and tremendous rushing of
water out of the wickets. l did not 90
away. and by-and-by the old man came
back and resumed his "reminiscences,
and l sat there far into the gathering
of the warm. starry darkness. behold
ing, through him, as it were, a glimpse
of other days and of another life, gone
never TO return, excepting in the dim
twilight of the Imagination.
Those peaceful narrow stretches OF
water highways. Those gentle. kindly,
simple folk, Those slow-moving,
heavy-ladened barges. with the inno-
cent, pan-like music of m~outh-organ or
accordion sounding d~istantly from the
little cabin-house upon the deck.
HaDlv T Sbo1I o1-oo +b;fbar ,-o,
them some time again; if not. those
things shall linger with me as n swee:
and tranquil memory of a passage OF
very happy hours.-Harper's Maya
zine.