Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-10-24
FLOATERS ARE FEWER
Only an Occasional Shanty Boat
Seen to Pass Down the
Mississippi.
TRIP NOT WHAT 1T USED TO BE
Little Sport Found Along the
Banks of the River South
of Here.

The season Is a. hand when the
Mississippi carries to the south its
annual fiotsam of humanity who, for
different reasons. take advantage of
this cheap and lazy highway to
migrate for the winter TO a more
equable CLINE. In years past any
calm morning during the LITTER part
of October or the first week in No
vember one or more floating palaces
of various descriptions might have
been seen dropping away from Rock
Island and Davenport on the placid
bosom of the great river after having
tied up AT the levee over night.
During the past two or three sea-
sons, however, people whose business
keeps them near the river have noted
q marked decrease in the number of
drifters. For some reason those who
have been wont to migrate southwark
for the winter season have lessened
in number and the class who have
annually chosen a convenient time
and method to betake themselves TO
the southland for a permanent resi-
dence appears to be dwindiing away
Few to Leave Here.
There are several reasons which
may be serving to diminish the ranks
of the floaters. One potent Que is
that those who annually take them
selves south for mere pleasure
and for a convenient manner in which
to kill the long winter months are for
the most part occupied TIL too late
in the fall at gainful labor. This is
true of several Rock Island parties
who work at what are termed sum
| mer Jobs with the winter months in
idleness. The demand for labor has
had the effect of reducing the mum Der
of those who would otherwise have
prepared for and taken the journey
Few from this city will leave for tue
| south in this manner this fall
Another thing that has tended to
lessen the pleasure Of shsniy boating
On the Nil sissippi is the changed
character of Che tri p Formerly
hunting and fishing along the y
| furnished excitement to relieve the
| monotony of the long weeks con-
/ sumed, but now the river is high-
| wav too well worn to admit OF much
/ sport being found along its banks.
| All the states bordering on the river
have passed what are known "a
shanty- boat laws requiring a licer sc
| from the owners OF the craft when
they tie up too long in one place
On this head, however. it may be
laid down as a general proposition
that the floaters themselves usually
find it convenient, no matter how far
down they get, TO move along occa-
sionally in order to acquire fresh
reputation from time to time.
All Put Down as 'JAyhawkers."
In fact the repute of the class is
not enviable and decent folk who are
out for pleasure, merely. have &c
share the common lot. and associate
with bad company or none. No mat.
ter how honest and industrious one
may be he can never secure any
standing in a southern community
till he gets on dry land. Till that
time he remains "layhawker
Another circumstance tends to mil.
Iitate against this mode of travel and
that is the watchfulness on the part Of
southern railroads and their precau
Itions against carrying dead belts
Almost everyone who has ever at
tempted to beat his way on a railroad
in the south is ready to testify tina
it is uphill work. As general thing
it is more convenient to work snC
pay ones fare. This renders getting
home again a rather difficulT thing
when once fellow gets a Thousand
miles down the river. Some people
say if they ever 60 shanty-boatiDg they
will 60 up the river instead OF dowr
in order to facilitate their return.
This appears to be the only class Of
hoaters now on the increase, the
class, in other words, that stays a
home.