New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-10
HOUSEHOLDS ON OHIO AND MISSISSIPPI RIVERS
PHASES OF LIFE ON THESE FLOATING HOMES Fop
FOR WHICH NO RENT OR TAXES ARE PAM

Ono Of the most interesting phases Of life west
OF the Aneghanies is to be met with on the Ohio
and Mississippi rivers and their tributaries In the
person of tho Householder, as he Is locally
known His is an amphibious creature OF varied
attachments principally in lines not conducive to
the general welfare Of the law-abiding population
which has it's home on the banks Of these rivers
The designation of Householder has been ap-
piled TO these people because they live practically
the whole of the year In Households These are
usually sccws or hatboats about twenty feet long
BY ten or twelve wide. roughly constructed OF two
inch planks spiked together, and calked with
oakum and rags. and the seams made water-ught
with pitch or tar. A small. low house is built
unon the boat and covers about two-thirds. or
more of It, leaving cockpit at each end In when
the crew work the sweeps. or oars. when that IS
the means of propulsion used This mousse Is Ill
yided off into from to five rooms, depending
upon the size of the family and the room avail
able Some are very cheaply constructed-in iact'
mere shanties while others are equal 10 wen
amounted land cottage. A cooking stove Is set up
in the house. and it's sheet iron pipe. projecting
through the roof, makes a chimney superHuiOS'
In many instances rough hunks. or oerths. are
constructed on the sides for sleeping quarters
Some are well equipped with furniture. Few even
having organs and other musical instruments
Taken all in ALL however. It is very co1ortaOie
home for it's usually rough occupants.
The greater part of these boats are anoa' IN inc
rivers being moored TO the BANK IN plceui eSqu'
little spots, with a gangplank running W SHUTS
Others. generally
gooa condition are .'beached" in a favorable spot
during high water and after the waters receoe
propped level with timoers and drlhI"ooo- ooihe
times they are a few rods up the mouths OF uiou-
tartes half hidden by willows and overhahslhs
,,oa-,ores The greater part of them are gathered
near the towns and cities for obvious reasons
On the Ohio River the favorite Spots are near
cincinnati at Louisville and Paducah. KY, While
ON the Mississippi River they consresate opposite
AZ Louis Just above the mouth OF the ONO River
ard at Hickman KY. and VfcksourS. MISE
Amonx the houseboat folk are people who have
previously occupied all stages or Ike MANY a1s
young married couples just starting out IN me, anu
bopug to acquire enough OF this worios soOus 10
o,ab1a than to settle on Land IN few years; men
employed IN manufacturing establishments located
In the river towns; few invahds seeking heA1h
in the outdoor LIE. and some piain' eoi1InoN
tnan,ps who have no higher ambition In lie than
IN get through 1t with the least exertion possible
Probably half Of the 'houseooaters' however,
are legitimate fishermen on the ONO RIVER alo
its tributaries in 1893 there were 80 houseo0ADs'
valued at s13e55 owned and occupied by nsherrnen
sIor. while on the Mississippi River and its
tributaries there were sS1 houseooats, vaiueo AZ
SCI s3 belonging to fishermen Esunauns Soe
persons to q boat this would make total OF 2Oo1
nshermen and dependents living IN houseooaA
,rary ~ thu sshouseboaters'' build their craft
In the upper reaches Of the rivers In the "InUer
time and then when the spring Hesncs ocouI'
slowly float down tho river, living on the coonUT
As they pass. and when they reach New-oEi'a aI
az IN, river steamers return North again TO repeat
the operation tho next year.
These latter form the rifrrar OF the river, and
arc dreaded by oil the decent law ABIDING peoPie
along the banks Most OF their time. waeh NOT
stealing eating and sleeping. Is spent IN playing
.cutthroat. euchre OF which they are inorclnately
fond Quarrels are frequent during these games
and many dark deed Is hidden by the Ir1enoIS
waters Of the muddy rivers These people kno"
almost nothing OF navigation and many OF the
boats are rui down by steamers in the night. OWING
to all the crow being asleep and no light on ehs
small craft or are wrecked on snags or the sAarp
top OF q bob sawyer" DOB sawyer Is Uoo
with Its roots held the river bottom by the sand
and mud and its broken top bobbins up and down
with the undulations OF the current IL gets us
name because OF the bobbms and saving motions
impaired to IL by the pulsations or the "a'e'-
very peculiar feature of the freshets on "hlcn
+ba Iarvsr boats navigate over the shoal spots is
that IL the boat starts at tho moment rise laAo9
place and continues floating night and day "i'iiou
interruption, IN a few days 1t will have overfua
the rise and got beyond it. and the boat VIII nA'0
to tie I'D and wait for the rise 70 overtake IL
ono OF The principal attractions OF houseooat
life Is that the owner pays no rent anu II us
cases, no taxes. A few years ago Kentucky AlT
posed license fee OF 81 so on all houseooas' Win
the requirement that the name and address OK t1is
owner and the date the license expired be exposed
on tho boat IN a conspicuous place This measure
intended more as police regulation than any
thing else. The housebCat men Immediately or
O---S
River is a national highway and commerce upon II
cannot be hampered by State taxes, This plea
win not benent the ''beached" boats. however as
they clearly squatters on State soil The law
has been strictly enforced however.
The fishing element forms an interesting portion
of the floating population. Some OF them remain
for years close certain towns cities. and
conduct a small hsh market board their boats,
others built especially for the purpose. or ped
die their catch around the town. while others are
continually moving up ana down the rivers fishing
possibly in June IN the Ohio River, to appear in
the fall IN Reeltoot Lake Tennessee, IN the
Arkansas River. Tho principal apparatus used IN
the fisheries consists OF senes. pound nets. gill
nets, trammel nets. Dyke nets nets. dip nets.
set tug and hand lines and spears. In Juggling
the fisherman first secures a dozen Of small
Jugs. and corking them UP tight he attaches a
line 10 the neck OF each. At the free end OF the
line hook is secured. which is baited, and the
jug floats easily at the surface. and thus keeps
the bait foot two from the bottom Catfish
alone are taken IN this mann@. AS soon as a
Jug disappears below the surface. the fisherman
paddles IT, and it reappears he pulls
IN the line and removes tho fish which has been
caught. The other forms OF apparatus are operated
the IN other parts OF the country, inc
principal species Of Ash taken by the fishermen are
black bass. German carp buffalo. catfish. crappie.
calico bass freshwater drum Qknown locally as
white perch, cells, hickory shad. mooneye or
toothed herring. paddle-hsh, SPOONFUL cat, So
called from its long spoon shaped bill; pike, saul
ger. wall eyed pike, rock bass. shad. lake and
shovel nose sturgeon. suckers. sunfsh white bass