The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-09-06
THE SPELL OF RIVER LIFE
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BY PAU L COOK.

There is a peculiar charm that attaches to a great river. an attraction as inex- plicable as it is compelling. To those who have lived on the shore equally with those who have travelled up and down it's winding course there is a strange fas- cination that is lost only when death cuts short human activities. The call of the sea to adventurous youth has been fruitful theme for poets and novelists, but the call> of the river Is just as en- tlcing that of Father Neptune.
 Within the past twenty years, the i'm portance of our southern rivers has greatly diminished and the splendor of the old floating palaces is a by-word. but the streams themselves are yet with us while their picturesqueness is un- dimmed by time. When speaking of turns to the Mississippi; a great, slow, moving tide, half mud and half water. There are other streams that may be called pretty, but the Mississippi over shadows all with it's majesty
 In the old days, when the deep blast of the whistle fioated far over bottom plant ations and the "chug, chug," of numer- ous steamers was heard continuously from St. Louis to New Orleans the river captain was a man of vast importance and was far prouder of his stately craft than our modern millionaires of their ex- pensive steam yachts. There yet remain prototypes of these old palatial steamers, notably, the Kate Adams" and several boats in the Lee fleet, but they can not compare with the early steamers that were the pride of the southland and ad- mred as the acme of luxury in all parts of the United States. The eulogies be- slowed upon these boats is neither exag- gerated or undeserved. Even, as recent ly as fifteen years ago the service on our smaller river boats was equal to that of our finest southern hotels and in the old days 1t was on a lavish scale.
 To one who desires to get in touch with river life and drift back in revery to the days of the fifties nothing is more effec- tive than a trip down the Mississippi from St. Louis to New Orelans Conditions have greatly changed. but, even now. when once aboard and the busy world shut out, when slothful ease envelopes us, and the soothing cough of the engines lulls us to slumher or to meditation then it is that we enter into the spirit of the Mississippi. There is the same sluggish air of southern incidence and the only reminder of the modern days is the flying express train that is occasion ally sighted speeding along the shore. There is the same indifference to sched- ue. and the same aversion to worrying over unforeseen delays.
 The Mississippi Is yet a difficult stream to navigate. A few of the od-time pilots yet remain. and if possible the prospec- tive traveller should take passage on a boat under the direction of one of these interesting characters. Although he de- plores the decadence of the steamboat and the march of progress which is grad ually crowding him out of profession at one time lucrative, he can not but take an interest in the life going on about him and presents q strange contrast to our modern engineer who now occupies place very similar to that once filled by the river pilot.
 Passenger traffic on the river steamers has dwindled to a mere nothing, but there is still enough freight to keep the packet lines busy. Now that the cotton season is beginning to open, the bales will make heavy cargoes. The familiar sight of large steamer blowing up the river all most hidden by wall of cotton will be frequent. It is remarkable how many bales of cotton can be stored away on boat that appears ridicuiously out of pro- portion to it's cargo. Anyone who has ever watched a mate directing the opera tions of long line of roustabouts will understand how scientific the art of load ing has become.
 Although the boats have changed with the march of time the roustabout has re- mained the same He may be a trifle more vicious than in the early days, but in other respects he is identical with the light-hearted, shiftless toiler who trotted up and down the gang-plank in the six ties. He is just as strong as e-er and &C., cepts the vituperation of the mete with the same stolid indifference. At New Or leans the most picturesque characters of the leyee can be found. but they are scat tered along the river from the Crescent City all the way to Cincinnati. Every landing of any importance has a coterie of these negroes who prefer staying on shore to working regularly on a boat.
 The captains are dying out rapidly now, although there yet remains few of the old guard. Nowadays running steam