The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-04-24

To live on the Mississippi river fifty
two years is not an adventure, or rather
luxury, which falls to the lot of every
human being. However, that is one of
the interesting facts in the biography of
Capt. Washington Hight, the famous
pilot.
Capt. Hight is the rapids pilot for the
Diamond 10 Steamboat company, and has
acted in that capacity since 1882. He is,
perhaps, the most reliable and widely
experienced river pilot on the big stream,
and he has a personal knowledge of the
Mississippi away back half a century
ago.
He has lived novel life since he
gained his nativity; always on or about
one of the voyages on the lengthy,
stream. He tells in modest manner that
ne would be extremely lonesome should
he be deprived Of a ride, or at least A.
View, of the side and stern-wheelers when
the season is in progress. In all Of Capt.
lights experiences as a pilot and mas
ter OF the floating abodes he has never
done steamboating on any other river
than the Mississippi BY personal ac-
qualntance Capt. Wash Hight, as he
is famlllarly known, knows nearly every
river pilot on the great stream and sew
eral who are the mariners on the tribu-
tar1es and other Ravigable veins, Cant.
hight relates the following story of ms
life:
Story of His Life.
was born in Quincy Ill. and am seven
ty years of age l have stood watch
since was boy of nineteen years The
very day l Was nineteen years of age
became pilot. In those DAYS any man
VINO thought himself capable of handling
d steamer was placed at the wooden
through the formaIity of securing a IL
cense. l began nay career as a rapids
pilot on the steamer Highland Mary
which was owned by my brother, viii
William II. Cupp The Highland Mary
carried passengers and freight and ran
between st. Louis and st. Paul. That
was on the third day of August, 1850 I
learned the upper river, between ST. Louis
and st. Paul, during my term as master
of the Highland Mary. In the winter
When the stream was choked with ice
shipped on steamers in the lower river
as pilot, and in ~. while in the employ
OF the Memphis Packet company. steering
the crafts on the lower river / secured
my license at Memphis. After I had
prohclent practice on the lower river I
returned to St, Louis and entered the
employ of the Northern Line company
This boat was named after the ORIGINAL
owner, Diamond 10, and | knew that
mate friends
In 1878 and 1879 was running between
Cairo and st. Louis in the employ of
the Memphis Packet company. In 1880
was back on the swift running portion
OF the majestic stream, pilot on the Port
Eads of st, Louis, running into New Or
leans. While I was pilot on this boat I
received a salary, of $12o month Those
were the days of gladness for the river
men, especially the pilot. The year 1881
found TO-. me pilot or the steamer R. J.
wheeler, doing government work The
Wheeler has gone into decay. The year
l was on the Wheeler she was engaged
In towing government barges from Du-
buque to Oseeola, Ark This was the
year when the government first began
to repair the big waterway And at the
above point was the starting place The
next year, 1882, | was in the employ of
the firm of Huges & Loomis, of Du-
bp.que, ice shippers. That company was
shipping ice from this city to st. Louis.
and was captain of the fleet
In the middle of that SUNNI er I became
a pilot on the steamer Muscatine, one Of
the Northern Line Packet connpany,s
6oats, operating between ST. Louis and
st. Paul. The Muscatine cost $4,000 to
be constructed. and her first year in the
trade she returned the amount of $77, 800
to her owners. She was as profitable a
boat as ever foated this river