The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-11-20
ALklNG about the bad luck of
steamboats,. 1 ten you the Phan-

"DSUN tht IsiQ luck OF
steamboats,. 1 tel you the Phan-
tom had the worst I ever knew"
The above words were spoken bv an
ola man as ne sat one July dsy under
a tarpaulin on the levee at New Or
leans near the foot of Canal street
-. -o Oiu man was lame from rheuma-
- ~ ~ds somewhat stopped, owing
.uS tdct lhat ne had walked with a
4utch ioT the major portion of the last
I'VE years; his beard was sbort ana ~
grizzly gray and his hair was almost
W1i.e' was thin and short. He was an
Nlu-tlIle pilot, but. owing to his adj
dHCed years. the competition of rail
-oous ana other things incident 10 the
progress OF the past quarter OF a CEN
Jury ne mad little to do aud found ms
occupatlcn at times Quite conranial.
IYt tnat he was INDECENT. for he had
piehty OF energy. but he had the gift
VI auaptatlon and was never more con
tented IN the best days than he was i'm
'he worst. The old man no longer held
iesuiar Joo. consequently he, worked
oiiiy at intervals. Sometimes he had to
phot boat ~ to Mound CITY. Ills.
OF New Albany. Ind. to the dry docks.
ana again some pilot would Law off a
tilp or two and the old man would
SUD Tor him. But he was not bv
Shy means an object OF charity for
ne mad home with his married daugh
teT, VINO loved him wiz an uDsel6sh
ana unquestioned devotion. and no
man IS Door who has this. He had
Ateered the most famous steamers that
ever ran the Mississippi and Ohio riv-
eiS. and had received as much salary
Jor round trip from New Orleans to
81; Louis as the average pilot now re-
celVes month. In those flush times
the plot was the king of the boat and
named ms own wages did pretty much
as ne pleased; brooked no interference
win ms duties, not even from the cap
tam himself. and if he said Law M
al night the boat laid up. the can
tam wishes 10 the contrary notwith-
standing.
ne Old man was at one time club
Jliol on the Magnolia, one of the most
.idshinceht steamers i'm the DAYS of
noatins palaces" on the lower Mis-
s'SsipM. she was commanded by Cap
'aih Ihonasson, who lived many years
ago and was at ono time steward M
the Gait house in Louisville. The CON
NerSation with which this story onened
was between the old pilot and am old
Chum of his
Yes, talking about had luck. the
i'hantom beat all | ever saw in thar
particular. You- remember she came
out and was built at Jeffersonville. Ind.
/ GU know how trim she was and how
she sat on the water like swan? She
was what I cali a perfect craft from
Steih To stern, from keel TO whistle.
HhS was proportioned just right. too.
YIu mat cabin of hers at night. all
llShted up by those swinging chande-
Hers that looked like gold reminded
me or stories that / read when I was
u boy OF those palaces over wonder i'm
lliOSe countries in the far east. Nv
Out there was life on the river then
Soit-eyed, dark-haired. graceful south :
Srh girls swinging in the dance as
Hght on their feet as fairies: the crowd
OF ladies and gentlemen and children
slttlng on both sides OF the cabin
watching the dancers as they hoated
by IKE visions of poet, to the strains
% sweet music; IN the gangwaz stood
ne negro walters grinning from ear
10 car. their big white teeth gleanoinq
IN sharp contrast with their blaci, fsnae
an went toward making a scene as
pleasing as typical of the times and
conditions" ''N
es, continued the old man. 81
mace the first trip on the Phantom
ana We had a big passenger list. There
was dancing and music. and the bar
Ter shop a night was like a frst-cIass
Ealnmlng house IN Royal street and !
reminded one OF scenes OF Monte Carlo |
or Baden Baden. You know how the
Goods mean the big cotton plant
ers-used to bet in those DAYS. They
seemed TO have no idea whatever Of
me value of money, and they bet their
Eands 10 the limit. You know all thew
mad TO do was TO check on the com
mission merchant and the commission
merchant got his money back i'm the
Iall' ana they say that he got interest
100 saw a brown-haiTed man. whom
'heF called judge. bet the octoroon
Nurse mat held his blue-eyed baby i'm
1leI arms on four kings with an ace to |
back them-he won. Wen I starred |
out TO talk about the bad luck of the