The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-15
n0WN THE MISSISSIPPI.
TRIP HUCH THE SAME NOW As
IN DICKENS'S DAT.

- .bo same density Of population as
n.ao- Germauy and its numbers shall
TIC. .,o nrsdictlon OF Mr.. Gladstone for the
ns.. ~ tho next century-six hundred millions
H.. will probably be little change Of APP
no.rupcc along the lower Mississippi River.
=, wilI REQUIRE closer crowding TO make any
...,t impression on the 1000 miles OF mostly
- lands. subject tn annual overlows that
N,,rrv away cabins and chicken eoops and leave
\ ,be microbes Of malaria to Ind victims In the
,rnino natives. The few people whose
"~ns dot the shifting margins OF the tor
."nns stream at the lowest points have lived
49, simply because they we're born there. as
nj fathers we're, and consider overfows and
.rre 20 be, like hunger, among the natural
- unavoidable Affections OF human life.
II IA almost safe TO predict. too. that the
,ris,,s,ippi River steamboats, at the close OF
.ha mart century will be what they are now
"a what they have been for the last sixty
.n.rs Whatever changes time and inventive
.tIII and the necessities OF a more crowded ex-
t.,nnce may impose on other regions, the
American OF the distant future will see the
.ame scenes and have the same experiences as
| Mia ancestor when he makes q rivor journey
| tor Measure or rest. The stream itself is con-
stantly shifting its course. annually swallowing
,orc. OF its shore lands. For miles back OF its
Il hanRa except WuBI0 LncLO " iullS INV uuh-
ears OF overflow are too great to. encourage
immigration.
The changes'in the steamboats, since the
a,vs when they we're the chief means OF trans
nortatIon are few. Indeed. they comprise
cbieHy the use OF a donkey engine to swing
the ganeplank, an arc light instead of the iron
coge OF pine pitch and a searchlight. There
ave fewer boats and their Captains are OF less
nortance save in the smaller towns, but In
ucture, appearance and methods they are
rually the same as when Dickens described
t am.
II il a rest to the soul OF the civilization
tired man to ride on a boat which makes no Of
| fort TO cover schedule time. a boat on which
nobody In authority worries when IL Is two
DAYS behind. 1t is grateful 70 find a transport
tation company that makes no effort to obtain
, business, but considers it. favor to shippers to
accept such as comes to 1t. that barely adver-
tises the theoretical time Of departure. but is
IN no way concerned about getting away at
any particular hour. That is a part Of the gen.
eral permanence OF the institution. In the
DAYS when the steamboatsshad O monopoly of
the carrying business. before the advent OF
the perve-siraining railroad. it was some
thing Of 4 privilege to get a stateroom or even
a berth on a flrst-class boat. The profit was
In the cargo then. as now. There is still freight
enough for the few large sidewheelers. besides
the stern-wheel freighters. that run between
St. Louis and New Orleans. and. anyhow. the
traditions OF the river are against appearing
10 want business. 1t is only by accident that
anybody who lives far away from the valley
learns that a river journey is interesting or
practicable. Usually the discovery is made
through an advertisement of a New Orleans
Mardi Gras celebration. During the early
days OF spring. especially in March. enough
people from all parts OF the country engage
passage Town to fill all the staterooms.
The Mississippi River steamboat is impress
sive and as unlike an ocean. lake or Hudson
River steamer as one can fancy. After a close
inspection. nobody is surprised to learn that
its inevitable fate is to burn. If 1t escapes be-
ing crushed in the ice at the spring breakup.
The hull Is no visible. the lower deck resting
apparently on the water. 1t Is. In effect. a
four-story house. each story being shorter than
the one below. The lower deck or first floor Is
open at the sides EXCEPT where the huge wheel
houses or paddle boxes shut in the engines
and furnaces. On this deck is slowed the bulk
OF the cargo. including live stock. Barrels are
rolled into the shallow hold. The second or
cabin deck does not extend quite to the bow.
1t has a long cabin. with staterooms on either
side and the office and bar. Above the
cabin is the texas-a shorter house with a
chart room and the staterooms OF the officers.
The whole is crowned with a large pilot house.
open to a dozen favored passengers at a time.
The whole structure is possible only because
there are no waves TO encounter, and it can be
tied up anywhere In a storm.
1t is incredibly light. a mere shell of wood.
The partitions are not much thlckerthan paste
board, The cabin runs the full length OF the
deck ,eXcept a space forward. where. in an emer-
Gency. Is hoisted freigh OF an awkTard ma
nished with the usual tables. sofas, chairs.
tuneless piano. great stoves, and the like, and
IL elaborately decorated on a ground of white.
ON the after part. or ladies' cabin. the state
rooms are larger than those Of the Fall River
an ordinary hotel room. The forward state
rooms have simple berths or hunks. The
iarnIshings are nothing like those of the East
cry, OoatS IN respect to cost.
10 The people who live In tho river towns.
iaf Cs apua,ar 0, a irst;GIass side wheeler i a
while the pilot is !neir ideal, Of q genius. The
E ESa, CLERK ,hr IL to the womnnkind Of the yalley.
o. Mexico who wears thin-soled. tight-ftting
SSoots. With legs such as men of fashion wore
erlves the roustabouts. has a skill in ~profani-
Y ana i~nyective that Is appalling and unpar-
ali siii'i bIaick I and s r0Gsta - tRsn;, or Dr. 'roostefs." are
se men the leyees OF st. Louis and New Or
leans can show.
Among the spring pas sengers there are bridal
COUPLES, lnvalids., comfortable elderly people
from the East and a party Of nice girls with a
eaGGper9n from somewhere, up North, The
eeMGuette OF the boat makes acquaintance
sasy, Almost anybody can speak to. almost
snypody else. In a day or two the bridal cou-
Sies nnd the chart room pleasant. or they will
aIseoyer o warm. place behind one OF the huge
smokestacks. The fare, about $50. includes
v. soM and meals. The walters are black.
TTshu y men who are working their passage.
from y meals are fair. but with little variation
Inc boat is loaded at st. Louis by an army
H. Il al4ustab9uts. only a few Of whom remain on
TTSbn y the freight at the various landings.
t Nv stahd any, amount OF verbal abuse from
Nv M nate' DuI II Is no longer safe to strike
snetn because OF the ready razor. One mate Is
cspeclhly successful. In getting work out OF q
sssaIIm slihply because he never swears and never
irHhsses ms voice above a conversational tone.
brsss contrast he offers 10 all the others i'm
S'rsses them They seem to fear that he has
SSreseTye or language that will destroy them
s snsa q his long restraint ends, The stranger
Tnn hMhen moving freight they 80 on tho
an i'm m mrn those who stow 1t away keep up
sir tmproyised song. From a mill on q bluff
StnHxsy iset nigh barrels Of flour are sent sliding
lLnUwmnn Z track OF skids. AS they land at the
inccIIir icy ,hey, are seized and rolled down an
SMavm,'ue ihto the hold. The darkies sing. ''Roll