The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-08
HOME LIFE ON THEWATER
THE HOUSEHOLDS OF THE MISSISSIPPI
ri AND THEIR TENANTS.
How the "Swnmpers' Journey South
to Their Winters Chopping I'm the
Louisiana Cypress Woods.
vicksburg Letter, in New York Sun.

Vicksburg Letter, in New York Sun.
The belief here was that within the last
twelve months every form of houseboat
known to man or to salt or fresh water,
had gone by on the river, from the hand
some pleasure house. moving by It's own
steam. down to the shanty boat. with an
end of rusty s%tovepipe sticking through its
roof. There were more last year than ever
before, about ninety-nine going down for
every one that went up. But within the
last month, or since the bulk of the North
ern crops was housed and Northern farm
work practically came to ar end for the
season, a new style of houseboat has made
its appearance. Several weeks ago the first
of these new river houses went by with
out stopping. going down, of course, as it
had no means Of propulsion. Old river me-
looked at it without much curiosity, for
they are used to seeing almost every kind
of floating dwelling.
There's a family going to change their
quarters was about the only guess they
ventured.
1t was the neat appearance of the craft,
combined with it's evident ~cheapness, that
gave the idea of a family moving. 1t is IN
everyday matter along the river for a fam
lily III III SOulHWdIu 10 Dullu d Sudiily
on a float and let the current save their
railroad or steamboat fares, and the shaHty
serves for a dwelling in the new place till
they get a better. But the first Of these
new boats that passed was much superior
to the ordinary shanty boat. It was a tight
scow painted yellow all over, with a SUBJ
stantial but evidently a homemade house
covering more than half of it's deck, the
house painted bright yellow, like the float,
and a big galvanized pipe instead of the
usual rusty stovepipe for a chimney. To
see a shanty boat rugged with any atten-
ton to appearances or durability was a
novelty. for these craft are generally tenn
porary affairs, intended merely for one trip
down the river. to fall then into the hands
of the junk man or anybody who will pay
a few dollars for the lumber.
When the second yellow boat passed, al
most the counterpart of the first, and then
the third and fourth, and when they began
to come so fast that almost every day
brought two or three of them, the river
men opened their eyes. 1t looked as IL half
the population of the upper river was emf
grating, every family In a yellow house
boat. Within a month nearly thirty. of these
houses have passed here, all painted yell
low except two. that were white. and one
that was not painted at all. The Mississippi
boatman generally has humor enough in
him to give some fancy name to his boat
but for the first week all the yellow houses
that passed were nameless. Then the ones
that followed began to exhibit names: each
name rudely painted on a board nailed to
the side of the house. The first name that
was seen, for a number of the boats must
have passed unobserved at night, was The
Swamper. and then came The Cypress Inn.
These names and many others like them.
every one having some reference f r TO the
that the yellow boats were In some way
connected with the ~swaInpers. who go
down the river by hundreds every fall. but
steamboats,. and nobody could guess why
they should suddenly have taken to yellow
THE .swAMPERs."
The accidental landing here of one Of the
houses for fresh meat and vegetables
brought out the fact that the yellow craft
are indeed manned by swampers, who, this
| year. for the first time. have deserted the
steamboats, and taken to travelling by their
| own conveyances. The swampers are a
rough-looking lot when they go down the
river. but the r%oughness is mostly on the
outside. They are farmers boys OF any age
from sixteen to sixty, sometimes small
farmers themselves. who work every sum-
mer on the farms bordering upon the upper
river, and upon the Ohio and Missouri.
When the crops are gathered their North
ern work ceases and they ill in the winter
months by going down to the Red river
swamps to cut cypress timber for barrel
slaves and Shingles. In the spring they re-
turn to their farm work. and many of the
older ones have spent the greater part of
their lives alternating thus between North
ern farms in summer and Louisiana
swamps in winter Some have families in
the North, but the bulk of them are hardy
Young fellows. with no family ties, who
take to the winter work as much for love
OF the adventure as for wages.
Down In Louisiana these swampers are,
for several months. almost out OF the
world. working constantly, in mud and
water above their knees. and seeing no one
but their companions n employers. Con-
seauently they wear the olcest and most
disreputable clothes they can ma. gener-
ally fouped with an old red hannei shirt
| and an old SLOUGH hat. Every one OF them
carries . gun-not the run that - supposed
| 1T but a real gun. With two long barrels: