The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1898-03-03
THE END OF -.
%. THE EUROPA.

THE NAHAMA river was full of ship

THE NAHAAIA river was full of ship
ping from its mouth to far beyond
the swinging bridge. Barges and
schooners, lumber hookers and whale
backs were crowded along the docks,
leaving but narrow channel in the
middle. A tug towing a brigantine,
with masts as bare as fagpoles, came in
from the bay, crying: make room-
make room for me-" A freight steamer
followed looking like giant at the heels
OF dwarf.
In dingy slip between two coal
wharves an old steamer lay close by 4
stone barge. Here the water was cov-
cred by a scum of sawdust and floating
debris, over which rats picked their
way. The steamer was sidc-whee.er
of an old-time build, her once white
paint changed to muddy gray, her
paddle-boXes split and broken On her
bow she bore the name of "Happy Day"
in new, black letters.
The barge lay beside her a GOOD while
before it ventured to speak. "You are Il
stranger about here, aren't you? I'm
here every week or two, and l never
saw you, though there's something
familiar about your build"
you've seen me before, many a
time," the steamer answered, grimly.
my names been changed was the
Europa"
What" the barge exclaimed, mot
the famous Europa? The one they used
<o ~; ~ h. 81,
Eyes; that one"
II hadn't heard of her-or you, I
mean," the barge said, 'for such long
time that I supposed you'd been sunk
or broken up for your old iron.''
eve been running between two bay
ports" the steamer said, "for several
years. Last month I was bought by a
company to be used as an excursion
boat between here and Miller's Point.
They changed my name to Happy
Day." It spoke in a voice of sullen de-
spair.
Dear me-" said the coal barge, you
have come down. I've often seen you
going into a port as if you owned the
five lakes. Who would ever have
thought that would be talking with
the Europa" The coal and stone barges
are the lowest caste on the lakes-even
the canalboats look down on them-and
they seldom dare speak to a schooner or
steamer.
"Never having been high up,y on can't
realize my feelings" the side-wheeler
said. "They say that when I was
launched I was as beautiful as dream.
You should have seen my saloon-all
white and gold and my furniture cov-
cred in blue brocade-a grand piano
silver services at every table-a carpet
like bed OF pink roses. Once great
senator took trip aboard me-that
= was time-such Dime scurry-
ing waiters-such a popping of corks :!
There was band to meet us at every
port and fireworks every evening" was
decorated from my wheelhouse to my
stern and had whole row of flags
strung up on my masts like a washing
hung out to dry. All, those were days."
the old steamer sighed.
'Hullo-there comes the City of
Chiwalkee," the barge cried, its atten-
ton having wandered while its COM
panion talked of her past greatness.
1t had grown dark in the river and the
red and green lights were twinkling
and winking at their reflections in the
water, but outside they could see the
stately bulk of THE Chiwalkee as she
swung into the rivers mouth. She came
slowly and majestically upstream, her
mast lights burning and every window
on her main deck showing as yellow
square; her band was playing dance
music and her passengers hung over
the rail as she passed the slip where the
Europa lay.
That boat groaned and strained at her
moorings in the swell that came from
the others side. ITO think that was
once like that ard now lie here in the
dark like thief" it moaned. "Many
time I've come up this river in just that
way and swung up to the dock, while
everybody cheered me. Now I'm only
good enough to haul lot of greasy
excursionists to the point and back.
Faugh! how hate 'em, always eating
and drinking until they turn sick in the
smallest sea. I'm going to toss and roll
tomorrow so that they'll wish they had
never left their dooryards."
care you going out tomorrow p tn
barge asked. "It's bound to be rough;
the sky was covered in mackerel scales
before shutdown"
eyes; make my first trip as the
Happy Day." the steamer replied. 81
don't care how rough it is-Im still
seaworthy if not pretty"
By eight o'clock the next morning the
excursionists were crowding over her
gang plank, carrying baskets and
babies and dragging small children by
their arms. They packed the decks like
sheep in pen, found seats and then
left them, wandering from the hold to
the hurricane deck, always laughing
and shouting over inane jokes. The
mate shouted "Au aboard" bell rang,
the captain gave the order to cast off
and the Europa started on her first trip
a. An excursion boat. s. -