Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1901-02-12

~" "'~kc ttOtn i1Eh VI ntaVy
rains. along the headwAters Of itself
and Its western tributaries.
Even before the Ohio joins the Miss.
issippi the non -glsciated hills, thus
far prominent along its banks, no
longer appear, and the broad fertile
stretches Of the "loess' or sediment
formation of centuries ago. begin, and
continue on southward to the gulf.
The work Of sedimentary deposit still
goes on; new islands form and shift
all down the river; the convex bank
Of the river constantly grows with the
sand Of food tide and the silt OF me.
dium flow while the concave side slow.
ly saves into the stream, hundreds and
thousands Of acres each year, and
the waste Is carried downward on the
convex bank. And so the channel
seems to grow more and more crooked,
and the river bottom fills more and
more, until, between Memphis and the
Gulf, the river slowly lifts itself up.
on these gradual deposits, and levees
must be kept up nt vast expense, for
the river level has actually become
higher than that Of the land along
the levees.
One Is amazed and amused at two
things In regard to the steamers that
ply these rivers--amazed at their vast
ness: amused at the good natured will
lingness even of the largest of them
to land at all sorts Of places and wait
all lengths Of time for all sorts and
numbers Of passengers and all kinds
and quantities of freight. AS to size.
When we speak of an Ohio river
steamer, we are apt to think of a stern
wheeled craft, 70 or 100 feet long,
with Hat bottom, like LincoIn's gun
boats that could go whenever there
is heavy dew. But The City of
Plttsburg,' Oh which we came down
the river, Is 800 feet long, 1919 feet
WIDE with capacity for 1,2o0 tons OF
frcight-enough to load half mile
of freight cars-and for $50 cabin pas
sengers: and 1t burns 400 tons Of soft
coal from Cincinnati to Memphis.
And yet this huge mass, this half
mile long freight train, will stop any
where apparently, ON signal-likc
a mere trolley car-take q big sweep,
head up-steam, lower its huge gang
plank. 4 feet by 5O--all to take on a
single passenger
At one place yesterday a man sig
nailed from the bank where it was 80
feet high; the great gang-plank reach
ed, on steep slant, only up within
20 feet of the top. and the bank was
II to 10 feet, perpendicular, down
to the first slant of soft crumbled
earth. "Throw yer telescope, boss, .
cried one black roustabout Throw
yer ov-cote and grip" cried another.
Now drap perself, boss, and we
ketches you.' cried three or four; and
he did-and they did. and down the
gang. plank they all scuttled and the
huge boat rounded out, turned the
PROV down stream, and moved majes-
tically onward! The purser said the
mans fare was less than the extra
coal used. At small town one night
we LAY by" six hours, until daylight.
What was the matterf' ! asked the
captain, next morning at breakfast,
20 nothing" said he only couldn't
turn a whole family out Of their warm
berths into the cold world at mid
night" And so the little ones slept
in peace and left us at daylight happy.
Here is another example: Some years
ago wife and little son and self had
taken passage at Memphis for st.
Louis--''to leave about ! p. N." The
boat arrived from the South at 10
a. m. They telephoned up to lis at the
Peabody to come right down. Cant
come I answered; invited out to noon
lunch and can't ignore friends thus.
Go ahead If you can't wait" 20. We'll
wait. Get here by 1880 If YOU can
The idea of 1000 tons of freight wait
ing three hours to let three passengers
keep Il society engagement. That
other story is scarcely q. burlesque
of the colored nanny who brought
"eleving algs and, Capn. II ye'll
wait kin send de plum dezing, for
de hen, she's on de naistt"
The colored roustahouts, interest
one, both painfully and humorously.
The fearful condition of their clothing
pains one; the happy go'lucky manners
amuse one. Tan shoes with the rear
upper works all gone, the heal sole
held up IN. b., this is not, a ''joak'p
by steal wire fastened over the
heel of the wearcr. Trousers, once
broadcloth or doeskin, now Worn and