Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1902-08-14
on TN eaaAr RIVER.
Incidents Of 1 Summer Time Trip Up
the Mississippi.

the Mississippi.
For the Reflector.
On the MISSISSIPPI, near Quincy,
Aug. S.-Ever since reading Mark
Twain's Life on the Mississippi" l
have wished to take trip on tina.
magnificent river but never grati6ed
that ambition until yesterday after
noon when at St. Louis, my wife and
l boarded the "Sidney" one Of the
diamond Joe" line OF steamers run
ming between that city and St. Paul.
Az we passed through the draw
bridge At Alton we watched the sun
60 down among the trees on the
bluffs Of the Missouri shore. Last
evening we ran for an hour even with
another boat and we're reminded Of
Mark Twain's description Of the
races in the old days "beio dc wah"
when the iremen would sometimes
feed the fires from the pork barrels
and keep niger sitting on the bar
Of the safety valve.
All day we have plowed the waters
Of the great river watching the bluffs,
the river towns and the steamers
passing up or down. We wonder
where this water, from half mile to
a mile in width, all comes from and
what effect it would have II it could
be stored and spread over the
prairies Of Kansas, Nebraska and
Wyoming, As we passed the mouth
Of the Missouri, the flood OF turbid
water poured in by that river did
not seem to affect the volume Of the
larger stream. 1t Is about like the
junction Of Mud creek with the
Smoky Hill river.
lam surprised at the number Of
islands as we are hardly ever out Of
sight Of one. These islands contain
ing from 100 to 1900 acres are mostly
wooded but seine have corn growing
on them and some afford good pas.
turs, but as they are only few feet
above the river, it 10 not safe to leave
cattle on then in time Of high water.
The river has fallen about eight
feet since the high water Of two weeks
ago. We see the effects in low places
in the corn fields. The corn locks
much the same as 1t did in Kansas
last year in August. Too much Of
good thing is as bad as too little.
However we have not seen as much
damage as we expected. No fields
are entirely destroyed. The best corr
We have seen was down the KSW
valley.
The Sidney is fair type Of river
boat, is q stern wheeler, carries zoe
passengers, also load Of freight on
the lower deck. She has a crew Of
fifty men including officers, walters
and !reight-handlers, and csst $685.,
900. | thought of buying one so as
to give DR.. Blayney and Park Stod
dard a trip on the river but have
changed my mind and will take then
out on the Smoky instead.
One Of the most interesting sights
on the boat is the way the freight il
handled by the colored roustabosts
When we approach landing, thu
| gang plank is swung down, two o
the men jump ashore with hawse
and make it fast to a snubbing.post
! Then the capstan creaks unta tn
hawser is drawn taut and as the gang
plank settles into position, a row
darkies start up the plank each witt
a load OF freight on his head o
shoulder. Up and down they 60 on
dog.trot until the freight is unloade
and other freight put on. Then tn
. hawser is cast off, the gang.plan
, comes up and the pilot swings th
boat out into the stream. Thes
ireight-handlers work night and day 0
a trip and between stations they slice
! on the lower deck or shoot craps VI
til the lucky ones have all the casl
They make about $50 a month an
! board. Freight rates on the river 81
one-third less than they are by ra
and 80 tend to equalize transportatio
charges wherever the boats can con
pete with the railroads.
0 H. L. HUMPHREY.
Cattlemsn Are Encouraged.