The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-12
FERRYBOAT ROUND TRIPS.

up and TO ferryboat," as Secretary
Samuel Pepys would have phrased it.
Along the interurban railway, in the early
hours. meadowlark music floats. wheat
fields are in golden harvest-sheaves, gor-
geous trumpet-vine riots in the hedges,
butter and eggs blooms in great clumps
over the landscape, pink and wine-colored
hollyhocks glow at the little way-stations,
the fine fresh morning air flows through
the bamboo-car. vines, trees and all full
glorious July verdure bless the eye every
where. At the river end of Jeffersonville's
busiest street-interesting old pioneer
Jef~fersonville-a few quaint human tokens
make impression. One sign reads: Hot
fish and ice cream another advertises
1.-The Wide-awake Restaurant" while the
"Green Front cafe is painted a blazing
bright red. anu the early Bird" hotel
wagon. the long red scowbuilt craft on
understands ready to catch passengers
between the ferries and the trains. Blessed
indeed TO the nonhustler-in this day of
swift transit TO pleasant places only to
find that the pleasantest places have in
dignantly picked up and gone on further
blessed truly all such river towns as still
harbor and maintain the good old-fash-
ion OF ferryboats. No electric current.
thanks be. can hurry the ferryboat; and
hope for a nerve-worn nation will here
after be found TO lie in floating sana-
forums. Passengers stream down the
cinderwalk edged with masses of fragrant
sweet clover and lovely Bouncing Bet;'
wagons rumble down the rocky levee, the
man at the gates takes up the tickets. the
gates are slid 10 place. the deep-tongued
bell taps. the engineers bell jingles in re-
Spouse. the steam pipes pun, the wheel
paddles churn the water to silver froth.
the ferryboat. like a lovely wooden duck,
rounds out into the old yellow Ohio, and
Jenersonville's pretty green river bank
slides away.
The Jeffersonville ferryboat, as IL sits
solidly on the water, is in reality but a sec
tion OF a floating street-a movable link be-
tween Front street, on the Indiana bank,
and First street. IN Louisville. A little
floating shop on the ferry wharf at each
end keeps the commercial flow in motion.
Here. on the Jacksonville side, a large
placard can be read, Picnic OF the Shep-
herds OF Bethlehem; Dancing Free" Also.
'Ice-cold Pop Is II" and Morning and
Evening Papers Sold Here Ferry tickets.
tobacco and cigars are vended over the
high, old-time wooden counter, and peanuts.
carameIs and chewing gum complete the
wharfboat stock. A peaceful solitude per-
vades the clean. tidy upper deck of the
w. II Hite" on this beautiful July morn
ing. as few travellers on this ffteen-minute
trip care 10 climb the stairs TO this charm
Ing floating attic. TIE lower cabin OF the
ferry, with not quite the heartless. shute-
like character OF the New York ferryboats,
Is nevertheless a p~alpably business apart
ment. filled with trim girls and women.
natty lads and men. on their way to Louis
Vile shops and Offices. n purely recreative
air. however. manifests itself on the upper
deck. Here are white chairs and benches.
and this softly gliding observatory Of the
wave and sky lies open. four-square. 10 all
the gladdening river winds that blow. Dull
red Is the modish tint OF Eastern ferry
boats. but the freer middle West scorrs
color Innovation, and the Ohio river ferry
Is still a pleasant poem IL the picturesque
old Delft blue and white. Pitiful IL seems
truly, 20 the complacent southern Indiana
dwelier that Indiana does not lie broad
side TO the noble Ohio river, instead OF lust
sitting with her toes. as IL were. in the
water. The Ohio has been called the
Hudson OF the Wesc." but no river IN the
world" wrote Samuel Cummings I'm lSa5
trolls. for the same distance. such a nni-
form. smooth and placid current" Amid
the great "bends." for which this majestic
stream Is noted. its broad surface rests like