The Cairo bulletin., 1904-11-09

Concluded from Nth page. J

nandkerchiefs were waved band
played, cannon Numbered from tn
wharves Of Portland, JeTeTsonyile
and New Albany, and line OF peop
fully two miles and a half long thronp
ed both sides of the Ohio, Neve
did boat on her initial trip with hap
pier prospects. But she never ha,
any luck. She was just like thu
Katie, the Charles Bodmann, the Guild
ing Star and other crafts that nigh
mention. But the Bodmann was a.
slow as snail, as you remember; you
know how she used to poke up the
river in the spring and come south
in the winter? Capt. o. p. Shinkle
brought her out; he was one of the
| best steamboatmen of his time. She
was big boat, had plenty Of room for
freight and had fair cabin proportions
nah,' as the boys say nowadays
Then there was the Ruth mean
the big 345-foot sidewheeler that was
launched at New Albany few
after President Linsoin was killed.
She was another boat that a shadow
seemed to fall on from the very first.
And you know the old Richmond, too !;
Capt. Mat Green's boat. She was low
pressure and the heaviest looking con
Germ that ever ran on this river. But
there was some reason why all these
boats were failures--Some were too
big for the trade, others too slow or
consumed too much fuel or exhausted
their steam too fast; but the Phantom
was just right. She had speed,
iraught, size, shape and everything to
make her model craft, and just
exactly suited the trade they built
her for and yet there was star of
bad luck always shining upon her In
this respect she WAS worse than the
Mary Bell, that burned on her Mardl
Gras trip February, 1876, at Vicks-
burg. She was commanded by Capt
Frank Hicks.
The Mary Bell was made out of the
Bell Lee. You remember her, l know,
mighty well. she was 327 feet long,
and had whistle that could be heard
forty miles on clear nights when the
frost was in the moonlight. | dont
mean forty miles on an air line, but
around the bends. Then, on the other
hand, you will recall the good luck
Of other boats, among which were the
General Anderson, George w. Cheek, |
Alice Dean, the Commonwealth, the
Iohn Klgour, Liberty No. q, the Mol
~ Able, the Kentucky, the Coahoma,
which was the Quickstep made over:
he A. J. White, on which Capt A. l.
Cummins father of Lee P. and Gus |
Charley Sharp Marsh |
Miller, Billy Smithers, Capt Mark R. |
Check and Capt. George Malone be
came SO popular with the travelling !
public. On the first trip out the Phan
ON stopped az Pecan Point and a gen
leman, two ladies and lad Of about |
years Of age came aboard The boy |
lad O big black and White-spOtte1 |
at which he Rugged like q mother
loes her first born. That night The |
ssptain came into the pilothouse fcl |
/ smoke and quiet chat, as was his
nctom, for we had gone to school
ogether when we were barefooted
loys up in a Kentucky village that
estles dreamily in the Ohio Valley
nd to which memory clings with a
that no other place can in
pre. 1t was beautiful night. The
ky was dotted with stars and the pad
lie wheels might have been heard a
alf mile back from the shore. The
team coming from the escape pipes
ounded like the regular breathing of
ONE giant of the fabulous long ago.
o the starboard side all was dark
18th the shade of the great forests
nd reminded me OF the solitude of
Johnson Crusoe. A little ahead was
narrow sandbar stretching itself
ON a dark line of cottonwood trees,
hose shadows were like the ghosts
/ evil actions, until It reached the
aters edge and was lost In the star
{ stream. AS far as my eye could
Zach the river was perfectly straight,
IT | knew that it turned suddenly
Ike an arm akimbo On board all
as silent save the monotonous throb- |
ng Of the engines, the striking of the /
sddIe wheels in the water. the puff of I
Ie steam pipes and now and then !
lie lonesome voice of a rouster sing
& a snatch of verse from some river
ing.
Did you see the folks we took
,oard at Pecan Point?' asked.
10 you mean the man, the two lad
s and the little boy?" asked the Cap \
in.
Eyes, and the cat. TOO" 4
well, what of that?" II
Ibid you see the cat, Captain"
Certainly. and a fine specimen 1t
as. too"
Il don't deny that, but somehow ! d
mt like II" IL
Now, there you go again with your a
Ipersrition; really | am surprised at Q
,u, for you are an educated man. II
,u had been reared on the river 7
ON a cabin boy up to your present
,sition | wouldn't wonder the least
some of your notions and your be
Il in signs. But you went 10 school 8
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