The Cairo bulletin., 1904-11-09

cabin, watching the DANCES as they
fioated by like visions Of poet to the
strains of sweet music. in the gang
way stood the negro walters, grinning
from ear to ear, their big white teeth
cleaning in sharp contrast with their
black faces, all won't toward making
a scene as pleasing as typical of the
4 times and conditions f-Af
The old pilot was a walking ency-
clopedia of all that pertained to the
river. 1t was said Of him thar he
could distinguish boat by her smoke
las far as he could see 1t, but this was
denied by some who were jealous OF
hm. He knew to the second the
time of the Eclipse and A, L. Shotwell
at any point, when they made their
| famous runs from New Orleans to
| Louisville; also the time of the Lee
and the Natchez when they beat all
| the records from New Orleans to st.
Louis making the trip in less than
four days, in the summer of 1870, and
in the fall of that year the Natchez
beat the time of the Lee to Natchez.
The Lee then ran against the time Of
the Natchez, but did not win the
horns But the next trip she broke
all records and came into Vicksburg
with the horns decorated and placed
upon a table in the gentlemen's cab
in; and never did a boat have a more
enthusiastic reception by the people
of the Hill City, for the Lee was very
popular in that city, which had stood
The greatest siege of modern times
in cause led by the immortal Gen
eral for whom the boat was named,
He was acquainted with all the ia
nous river men of their time, such as
Capt. John w Cannon of the Robert
o. Lee Capt. I. p feathers, who com
handed the Natchez; Capt Smoker.
who was one of the five captains on
the Lee during her great race; Capt
James Lee, one of the nestors of the
river and the father and grandfather
If those who now constitute the Lee
Line; Capt. William Campbell of the
~ ~ l.
dore of the Yazoo River and for whom
a great boat was named; Capt. j. M
White, Capt John w. Tobin of the
Frank Pargoud. whom the rousters
called THE Dandy Frank; Capt Abe.
Auter Of Vicksburg who steamboated
up the Yazoo in 1S4Q; Capt. Tom Ber-
ry, of the Des Are also Capt. Plum,
mer, who knew almost every tree
from Vicksburg to Greenwood; Capt
George Smith, Capt. George lookout,
Capt. "Stut" Neal, Capt David De
Haven who was one of the most popu.
ar steamboat men that ever ran out
If st. Louis; Capt. Lamb of the Pa
life and many others who made the
history of old-time steamboats, Among
he pilots ana engineers his acquain,.
lnce was as extensive as II was
lmong the captains He knew Bob
Smith, Billy Hodges, Marsh Miller. the
0'Stranders, Billy Nuckles, the
owenses and a host of others who
knew the shape and lay of the river
as boy knows the bedroom In which
lie sleeps. One of the most remark.
lble things about the old man was
hat he never 'steered" with Mark
Twain" or taught him the river, as so
many old pilots did. The old man
Knew the river so Well that on i'm
nedatedy coming from the Texas at
night to change watches at 10 he could
,ast his eye toward the shore line
md tell exactly where the boat was,
although he had not looked out for
several hours. He would frequently
IN such occasions, say. as the fact
might be. I'VE are nearing Napoleon
over yonder," or I'VE are lust two
miles below Judge McClure's place;
Dr.. I'VE are about a mile below that
big pecan tree that stands 10 the left
Of that old ginhouse of Lafayette
Jones. that got struck by lightning
last season." or we are only ten
miles below Clay Kingsley's planta.
ton" He could not be lost on the
Mississippi River for he knew almost
every shadow that fell upon IT, He
had been an actor in many tragic
and romantic scene. He was with
Capt. DeHaven on the Alone Childs
in 1861 when the Confederate ladies
Of St Louis presented the genial and
polished captain whose courtesy and
chivalry were known from one end Of
he great river TO the other. with |
Confederate flag worked by their own
hands The captain hoisted the col |
ors so that all ST Louis might see
Them. although he had been told that
to do so would deprive him OF large
patronage. One Federal merchant
who had considerable cargo on board
had II removed The Childs imme
diately left on her southbound trip.