The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-10-12

WRITTEN o THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC
Hundreds Of tourists who are accustomed
20 take Tor their summer vacation a trip
up the Great Lakes. over the cool. expan-
sfye sheets OF bIua.. connected by silver rib
hons. fringed and dotted with green. St.
Mary's and Detroit rivers, viii miss a IA
miIiar figure on the warf AZ Sauit Ste
Marie. Old John Boucher. the famed ndian
guide. died az his home within sound OF the
roaring rapids that furnished him a liveii-
hood throughout his turbulent life.
Old John. gr1zzled. STOPPING slightly. yet
the figure Of vigorous Old age. was one OF
the daily sights on the docks at the 500"
Incoming steamers are always met by a
crowd u young Indians and half-breed
bucks. who call, IN the manner OF cab driv-
ers IN the big cities. 10 landing passengers;
Shoot the rapids. ska Take a rid over
the famous rapids Of the ST Mary?'
Old John was never TO the fore begging
patronage Tourists. those who had been
al the 500" before. or those whose friends
had told them OF the place. asked for John
Boucher instead. He had taken over the
rapids during the last twenty years Sena-
tors. Congressmen and other men OF note,
and women filmed for their beauty and &C
com~pllshments. without number. He was the
great guide " the Sault ste. Marie; he had
10 superior; ne had no peer.
Boucher. Ike all other Indians resident IN
the vicinity Of the 500" had a strain OF
French blood In him.. but IL was very slight
unnOticeable to the average person Like al
Of the guides. he loved the river. with its
lake above. its roaring, dashiug. white
capped rapids running over rocks and TIM
beers at tremendous speed, and then it,
broad. placid. stately flow below .Ae old.
historic town. He lived on the rapids.
On pleasant days. when trade was good.
the old man made trip after trip with canoe
load after canoe load OF tourists. With a
stout young buck Of his own kith In the
stern. he poled his light. long bark up 70
the head OF the whiriing food. beneath the
steel spans OF the international bridge, and
there. bringing his canoe about, faced the
aim water a mile below.
Thousands have seen him and his canoe
shoot over the rapids. amid the black point
Cd rocks that thrust their cruel jaws above
the surface and between the slime-covered
powders that lie in wait Just below. be-
trnved by The swirl OF white above their
eads. \ moment and one saw the boat.
with the old man, his hair flying In the
breeze, standing in the bow, the paddle in
his hand dexterousiy darting hither and
thIther. a stroke here and a rock avoided.
a dip there and a wave ridden down., the
ne1t instant and both hadt- disappeared In
the mist and spray. TO come rushing out
near the Canadian shore q moment later
and then TO race with the speed OF an eX-
press train out over the tumbling waters in
to the goal for which he had pointed the
sharp bow OF his frail canoe less than two
minutes before.
II was Johns boast to take his patrons
through the worst part Of the rapids. Let
the young bucks hug the safe route; be
would take them from the American shore.
diagonaIy through the worst Of II. over TO
where the waves run fastest against the Ca
madam rocks. and then back through the
center into a safe nook at the foot OF the
great Poe lock
Often he beached his cauOa. and. sitting
on It's bottom. counted 80 for hts days toll
IS for the aches in his muscles. that rOse
Ike thongs % rawhide beneath the skin.
Drowned by the summers sun and tough
ened BY the singing spray from the rapids.
His money went like the earnings Of all the
rest. The ida cannot quench his thirst
for the hrewateF OF the white man with
aught but that hrewater. and that in large
quantities. too.
Again. when there was mist on the food.
and the winds from the north came bowling