The age-herald., 1901-04-14
IN THE DAYS
 OF PIRATES
Last Raid Made by Culbert's Band on Mississippi'Barge
OUTWlTTED BY A NEGRO
Clever Trick That Broke Up the River Pirate Industry-Rescue of Richly Laden Boat After 1t Had Been
 Seized By the Outlaws.

Captain. Kidd himself was no more dar- ing and no more murderous than were the leaders of the various bands of pirates who infested the Mississippi river in the latter years of the eighteenth century There was a. chain of pirate bands ex- tending from few miles below St. Louis to few miles above Cairo. Their ex- istence was brief-from the time when the commercial trade between St. Louis and New Orleans grew important enough to warrant the expediture of a pirates time and attention upon it to the other time, not far distant. when 1t grew too great to be successfully and safely interferred with. But in those years an enormous amount of goods were stolen and scores of lives were sacrificed.
 And this story, as related in the St. Louis Republic. has to tell of the blow which was virtually the destruction of the Mississippi river pirate industry.
 It was three years after the great flood -"annee des grands eaux," the French men of Louisiana called it-which occur red in June, 17S4. In the spring of 17S7 M Francis Beausoliel started from New Orleans with a richly laden barge. ex- pecting to sell his cargo to the citizens
 
 of livres.
 His barge was fitted out as luxuriously as possible, and the crew that manned it comprised a score of men. There were oar-locks and huge oars for rowing; there were windlasses for the ropes which fastened to trees along the shore might give help when the current was too strong for the oarsmen to overcome and there was one big white sail, square-cut, which might be used when the wind was in the right direction.
 The departure of the barge late in March 17S7 was an important event in the local history of New Orleans for it was large barge and the most richly freighted one that had ever started up the big river M Beausoliel had all his fortune in the venture His cash had gone to furnish the boat; his lands had bought the goods: dozen slaves had bought the provisions.
 It was a momentus enterprise for M. Beausoliel and an historic one for New Orleans So 1t was no wonder that M. Beausoliel was anxious and no wonder that when the barge began Its trip, with the first glimpse of daylight one March morning. the low river front of New Or leans was lined with villagers who waved their hands and hats and kerchiefS ana shouted ''bon voyage.
 Dangers of Barge Journey.
 The trip for thousand miles was pro Baic, NOW ana then u IdNOTdDle Wliiu would fill out. the big square-cut sail and send the heavy barge blowing stolidly against the swift-howing current; but Tor thel most part it was a steady battle or oars and ropes against the current ana the wind
 But there were intervals of rough feast ing and rougher song. With the fall of darkness each day the barge was dragged toward the shore and tied up; for 1t was atortaSus and unmarked path that was being followed, with snags protruolnB their ugly heads upwards from many hid- den sandbars and huge tree trunks riding madly upon the waters with the force or battering rams. M. Beausoliel could not risk his precious boat and it's more pre- ciouse cargo when night had hidden the dangers from view, and so the braWny crew would draw close to shore and, with work forgotten for the time that must elapse before the first rays or the nor rows sun should signal the beginning or another day of toll, would spend their hours believing song that had been learned in rance and swearing roughoaths the while they told of marvellous adven- lures and drank deeply of strong red wine and golden brandy. It was well into May when the barge had passed the Ohio and begun the last stage of the long trip. All of the chill was out of the night air and the sun beat down hot and straight during the long days. The water glistened in moonlight and dazled in sunlight. The closely wood ed shores were darkly green, and day and night big -throated frogs beloved a cho- rus which was taken up by beast and bird and orchestrated by droning insects. At long, long Intervals there came the sharp report of rifle; now and then a red face would peer curiously from be- tween the trees on either bank
 One hundred and thirty-five miles below St I4ouisron the Missouri side of the river there was n break in the solid wooded border of the shore. Here a sluggish creek that began its course some twenty miles to the southwest and wound it's slow way between, low banks that were broken in many places by other sluggish streams poured its feeble strength into the Mississippi. One hundred and four teen years ago this creek had no name; twenty years later it was called Cotton wood creek. It's mouth was a few miles below Grand Tower. and ten miles above 1t was wooded island that was half sandbar This island likewise. had no name in 17S7; a few years later 1t was called Beausoliels island Now 1t is washed away or has become part of the mainland. one cannot learn which.
 In May, 17S7, the creek was the head quarters of the most dangerous and dar-