The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-06-28

transportation Of goods to Fayette-
Vile from the West Indies. New fofk
and Wilmington The traffic was enor-
nous. supporting two or three lines OF
steamers. and the passenger service
was large. i have heard my fatneT say
that at one time his beat stock was Inc
best property he had: and IL would
have been even more valuable had the
business been conducted on the careful.
systematic method Of the present day
I cannot recall the captain OF the
steamer Henrietta" but never since
has any man or combination OF men
inspired me with uch awe as aid that
captain and his first mate. and the lat
ter filed me with terror. too. when 4
saw him knock a deck hand down
with his fist for letting a barrel oI
rosin slip from the gang plank and fal
into The river.
The captain OF a steamboat on the
Cope Fear river was OF all
he surveyed. and his right. there were
mons TO dispute But his sway was
not only autocratic but patriarchal.
The tewar always first informed him
that the meals were ready, and then
the Passengers were ushered into the
saloon. He presided at the head OF
he board, which was sraced by n no.
bic boiled ham, or q round of beef, or
a haunch Of mutton. or a huge turkey,
and he carved and served as II FOR his
family. tempering his discourse 10 the
condition of his guests He knew By
the cut OF his j.b on whom TO cap 10
say grace (for the captain himself
was generally a heathen): he was civil,
but somewhat condescending 10 Mr..
Smith, courtly to Mrs. Smith. gallant
50 Miss Smith. and IA. her;y 10 the little
Smiths.
1t would be hitting an old and famil-
lar story, to the waste or the space IN
The Messenger. to give : description
of travel on the Cape Fear river. Its
were not floating palaces
perhaps the most costly eN-f put on
the stream were the Governor Worth"
and the present city of Fayet -eville'
and there are nobler rivers flowing 10
the sea; but. somehow there has al
ways been and is yet a ina
about the trip between Fayetteville
and Wilmington.
To conclude this rambling article, 1
may be permitted to narrate an Incl
dent, still very vivid in my mind. OF
the trip on the Henrietta" from VIII
| mington to Fayetteville, on the return
from the visit 20 Aunt Mason above
described.
We had eaten supper vr a long even
ing of early summer, II most or the
passengers were gathered on the bow
of the boat-we children in the ecstacy
of enjoyment of the most precious NOR
sal of the twenty-four hours, when we
were allowed to sit up longer than
usual. Below US, grouped forward
were such of the deck hands as were
off duty, talking and laughing, and
| now and then breaking out into rude
but melodious song. AS the stoker at
his work would throw open The fur
mace door,. it's red glare would make
ruddy cups Of the eddies, people the
| steep banks with huge, uncouth fig
ures out of the gloom, and weave
| strange, fantastic shapes of tangled
vine and lofty tree, while the smoke
stack threw behind a iong brilliant RID
| bon Of sparks, undulating up and down
and then a wall of arkness
| Ahead Of us was a stretch OF straight
| river. on the breast of which the stars
were ~twinkling, and then a great.
| sweeping bend of the stream from be-
| hind which came the shrill warning or
| a steam whistle, and the captain walk
| ed forward. "Dere's de Fanny said
the negroes, and the "Henrietta's'
| whistle responded. Then came a sue
| cession of quick whistles from the
Fanny" signals, evidently. for their
was a stir among the hands below, and
the mate went down the companion
way and gave his quick sharp orders.
Bells rung on our boat, while the speed
was sIackened, and presently, Slowly
M the bend, half broadside 10
us, foated the other steamer. In a
few minutes they were alongside, aNd
their commanders conversed earnestly
for a few moments. Then, looking
over the rail, / saw them transfer a
negro, tied hand and foot, from the
Fanny to the Henrietta" to be
carried back 10 Fayetteville. He had
beer found in hiding behind a pile of
freight, some time after the Fanny
started on her downward trip, and had
been recognized by a hand as one OF
the prisoners that had escaped from
the county Jail a night or two before.
After so many years my recollection
is of course indiStinct; but / think that
the commander of the Fanny" at that
time was Captain John P. Stedman,
who lost his life a few years after
wards by the explosion of the boiler of
the steamer Fanny Of Mag
nolia'-my memory is at fault
Just here. but both boass were destroy
ed in this way. The Magnolia" was
named in honor of a magnificent grand
fora tree, doubtless a century old, en-
throned for generations on the banks
of the Cape Fear, perhaps halfway be
tween Wilmington and Fayetteville. II
made one of the show places on the
river journey, especially TO passen-
gers from the north. Some years age
the vandalism Of a surveying party
destroyed this royal landmark of ma
ture.
/ have forgotten, if / ever knew. for
what crime the recaptured negro was
imprisoned; but can see now his dark
savage, vengeful face upturned to the
two captains, as he was being carried
from one boat to the other, a deer
hand holding a torch TO Tight the way
Fayetteville. June p. j. II M